April 2009 Recovery Hero Award Recipient
Steve O..
Dick B. is the world’s primier AA Historian. Through his steadfast research of early AA manuscripts, personal interviews and the unfledging committment of a highly educated scholar Dick B. is unequaled. Dick B. has written hundreds of articles , AA history articles and has published 27 books. He has many audio talks and even 2 weekly radio broadcasts. Dick has many other jewels on his websites including a blog, galleries, recovery resources, images and photographs and his writings at dickb.com.
Dick had questions about why early AA in Akron was so successful. How did Clarence Snyder achieve a documented 93% success rate in the Cleveland group when current AA achieves nothing close to that? He wanted to know what did the pioneers read? What was in Ann Smith’s journal? What were the early AA concepts founded on? These questions needed answers. Answers that even our founder’s children did not know but wanted Dick B. to research so they too would know. Through his research Dick B. has come to the conclussion that an important piece of early AA success is mostly diluted in today’s AA program and has been detrimental in the effectiveness of today’s recovery rates.
You see Dick B. has a calling. A very important calling to educate. To guide and train leaders, teachers and the alcoholic/addict themselves in the simple and practical use of early AA principles via the exact methods and sources employed by the original Akron A.A. groups. Old school. None of this watered down, socialbly acceptable correct stuff that is so prevellant in today’s AA. Go to Dick’s website and read the various early AA transcripts and resources he has available. Read his articles and research. Come to your own conclusion. Most importantly, educate yourself so that you can be of utmost service when the time arises. Someone’s life might depend on it.
Visit Dick B.’s Websites: dickb.com , dickb-blog.com , aa-history.com , freedomranchmaui.org
“Dick B. got sober 4-21-86 and has dedicated his life to service work for the alcoholic/addict. Dick celebrated his 82nd birthday this year and is active as ever. His newest project Freedom Ranch Maui is a retreat in Hawaii to be utilized as a classroom / teaching facility directed at sharing the principles of early Akron AA. He also has several new books available including “A New Way In” or visit his bookstore by Clicking here. I’ve had the opportunity to correspond with Dick B. on several occassions and am pleased have permission to post his writing “Alcoholics and Addicts – Helping Them the Old School Way”. Click here to read this important writing.
We are proud to award Dick B. The Clean and Sober Not Dead Recovry Hero award for September 2007. We appreciate you and your work Dick!