District 42 has begun a project to compile the histories of the groups it serves. We will post each group history as it becomes available.
You may use the accompanying guidance to help in writing your group's history. The group histories received so far are presented in the following paragraphs:
Crofton Monday Night Group History
Crofton Monday Night began as a closed discussion group in 1983. After
about 30 years it
became a literature meeting reading from and discussing Daily
Reflections and sometimes
As Bill Sees It.
The group was started by Pat L. and Kay McM., who felt that a Monday
meeting was needed
in the Crofton area. St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 1370 Defense Highway,
Gambrills, MD,
provided a meeting space in the church basement at 8:30 PM on Mondays. The
church’s pastor, the Reverend Jim Stillwell, was very supportive. The
group’s early meetings were attended by Pat and Kay, Pat’s husband Al, and
Marv K. Other early attendees included Sue D. and Pam F. Kay’s husband
Joe cautioned her that no men would attend, given the allure of Monday night
football on TV. Football lost that bet.
Attendance grew slowly at first, but began to increase rapidly in1984,
and eventually
peaked at levels of probably thirty to as many as perhaps fifty. As
attendance increased early on, the group initiated a separate beginners
meeting, chaired by an experienced home group member, in the kitchen
adjoining the main meeting space. The beginners meeting was popular and
became quite crowded. Smoking was common at that time, and with the door
closed and very little ventilation, the kitchen was heavily smoke-filled.
The group moved its meetings to First Baptist Church, Crofton, for a few
years sometime in
the early 2000’s before returning to St. Paul’s about 2006. Then, for
several months in 2009
the church became unavailable for meetings while the basement underwent
extensive
renovations. The group relocated temporarily to St. Elizabeth Seton Parish
in Crofton.
While meeting at St. Elizabeth Seton, there was no separate room available
for a beginners
meeting. When the group returned to St. Paul’s the beginners meeting resumed
in a smaller
basement room accessible through a hallway next to the main meeting room.
Smoking was
no longer permitted, and the room’s ventilation was quite adequate. The
beginners meeting
again gained popularity, often with greater attendance than the main
meeting. Some group
members half-jokingly suggested that the main meeting and the beginners
ought to trade
rooms to match the sizes of the meetings. Attendance at both meetings later
declined until
the beginners meeting had to be discontinued.
As the group continued to diminish in size, the number of remaining home
group members
became insufficient to fill most service positions. The meeting was chaired
by whoever was
available and willing. There was no “speaker seeker” to find speakers to
lead the meeting.
Discussion topics were hit-or-miss. There were long pauses in the discussion
(the group
had long since abandoned the practice of calling on individuals). Some felt
that the meeting
was close to folding.
In 2013 some home group members thought a change of meeting time to 7:00
or 7:30 PM
might appeal to more AA’s and improve attendance. Meeting at either of those
times would
have required a new venue to avoid conflicting with the 7:00 PM One Page at
a Time group,
which met in the same room. A search of the local vicinity found no other
suitable meeting
place, and the idea was dropped.
In 2014, at the suggestion of a sometime-regular attendee named Dave, the
group changed
the meeting format to a closed discussion of the day’s reading from Daily
Reflections. They
hoped the change would provide a more focused and stimulating discussion and
perhaps
attract an increased attendance.
The group’s meetings became livelier after the change of format, and
attendance began to
improve somewhat. The pauses became shorter and less frequent, but the
discussion often
died out well before the allotted hour. Rather than concluding the meeting
early, the group
would then go on to the next day’s reading for additional discussion. That
practice was soon changed to adding a reading from As Bill Sees It, which
seemed more appropriate than going on to the next day’s “reflection.” The
meetings now generate a fairly consistent attendance of about ten regulars
and usually some visitors and newcomers. The discussions can be lively and
intense. Attendees say they appreciate the informal and relaxed atmosphere
of the meeting. Many say they get a lot out of what they hear there.
Kay McM. provided substantial notes and information used in the
preparation of this group
history.
Hal S. - October 29, 2017
Crofton Open Group
[Excerpted from the District 42 & You newsletter, 2nd Quarter 2008] How the Crofton Open Group got started is a story in itself. Ginny B’s husband had a drinking problem and she became dedicated to
The Crofton Open Group still meets at Prince of Peace Presbyterian Church at Ardsley Place and Crofton Parkway every Friday night at 8:00 PM. The meetings consist of
12 & 12 Recovery
The 12 & 12 Recovery group split off from the Millersville Discussion Group, which met at Baldwin Memorial United Methodist Church at General’s Highway and Indian Landing Road, in October of 1984. The group originally met at St. Stephen’s Church Funeral Chapel in Crownsville on Wednesday nights at 8:30 PM.
A few years later the 8:30 Wednesday night meeting moved to the adjacent St. Stephen’s fellowship hall on Sunday Nights at 8:00 PM to avoid conflicting with a Boy Scout meeting also in the hall on Wednesday night. It remained at St. Stephen’s until it moved to Gambrills church of God at 952 Annapolis Road at some time between 2002 and 2005, continuing to meet at 8:00 PM Sunday nights, until it made its final move to Trinity United Methodist Church in Woodwardville (Odenton) where it remained until its final meeting in mid-November 2013.
The founding members were Jim M. (secretary), Berkeley C. (treasurer), John H. (coffee maker), and John P. Most early members were male, but Nancy C., Susan W., and Stephanie x. also attended early meetings.
Declining attendance and failure to bring in new speakers led to the meeting’s demise. Personality clashes led to its creation. Former members believe attendance declined due to competition from a nearby meeting and because of the location on a poorly-lit twisty road. The original group it split from in the mid-1980’s had to close due to problems with the host church some time in 1985-1986.
The group held its last meeting on November 17, 2013. Many former home group members will keep fond memories of 12&12 Recovery and are sad to see it go.
The coffee pot and literature were donated to the new Conquered Grapes Grapevine meeting on Wednesdays at 7:30 PM at All Saints Lutheran Church, Bowie.
The Hatchery
The Hatchery meets on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM at the South Shore Recover Club
(Generals Highway, Crofton, Maryland). It is an open meeting which begins with a reading of one of the twelve steps or traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous in Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, followed by an open discussion.
The meeting was formed in 1993 by four members of AA, Bob W., Gary O., Donald T., and Steve L. after the South Shore Recovery Club announced availability for AA meetings. At the outset, the meeting was mostly attended by men, averaging 5 or 6 in attendance weekly. Given its proximity to various recovery facilities in the Crownsville, MD area, the meeting has grown throughout the years to serve a diverse group – both men and women - those new to recovery and those with a few “24 hours.”
Anniversaries are celebrated, all while still adhering to The Hatchery’s format of reading from the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions and staying rooted in AA’s literature!
Herald Harbor Step Meeting
The Herald Harbor Step Meeting meets on Wednesdays at 7:30 PM at the Herald Harbor Community Center, 390 Hall Road, Crownsville, MD 21032 (across from the Herald Harbor Volunteer Fire Department). The meeting begins with a reading of one of the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous in Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, followed by a speaker on that step then an open discussion.
The meeting was formed in June of 1994. It was started by three members of the Meadows Alumni Association -- a volunteer group which served the residents of The Meadows, a recovery center in Gambrills, near Crofton, Maryland, until that center closed. The association then relocated to the Hope House Treatment Center in Crownsville, Maryland, and now serves the residents there. The Herald Harbor Step Meeting’s three founding members from the Meadows Alumni Association were Lisa W., Mary Helen G., and Craig B. The meeting was initially formed to offer a step meeting for the Crownsville area and as a meeting that the residents of The Meadows could attend on a regular basis.
The meeting format has remained essentially the same over the years, with only a few minor, mostly temporary, changes. At one point, for example, the group tried reading and discussing an A.A. tradition instead of a step on one Wednesday a month, however, low attendance on those nights caused the group to return to a step per week, without reading or discussing any traditions. Having an “eating meeting” once a month for quite a while proved too costly for the home group members to support and had to be discontinued. After many years of giving out chips for 24 hours, 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 18 months, and full years of continuous sobriety, the group added chips to include all of the months of the first year and continues to do so in recognition of newcomers’ continuing recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous.
Odenton Friday Night Group History
The group’s
origins can be traced to meetings that were held at Fort Meade, Maryland
army post. In 1999 there were six AA meetings on Fort Meade. At that time
Fort Meade was an open post with mostly unrestricted access except for the
local perimeter security measures of several tenants. Increasing security
concerns led to ever increasing controls and access restrictions. By 2001
individual identification and access passes were required for all visitors.
Building keys had to be signed for daily by active duty military personnel.
AA Groups concluded they could no longer effectively carry a message of
recovery to the next suffering alcoholic and made the very difficult
decision to disband. Shortly thereafter the events of September 11, 2001
occurred. In the fall of 2002 several members of those earlier groups formed
the Fort Meade Grateful Survivors group of Alcoholics Anonymous and begin
meeting in Odenton at Nichols Bethel United Methodist Church. This group
continues to meet to this day but is now named the Odenton Friday Night
Group.
Upon Awakening
The Upon Awakening group was started on September 18, 1999 The meeting was started because of the need for a meeting on Saturday morning in the Crofton area.The Saturday morning meeting that used to meet in Crofton had moved to a church in Bowie, MD.A few years later someone asked, “Whatever happened to that meeting that used to be in Crofton?” The question was put out whether folks would want a meeting on Saturday morning in Crofton and the response was positive.Calvin I. of Maryland General Service (MGS) was consulted and his suggestion was, "If there is a need get a coffee pot and register with New York."
The format -- decided at the first meeting -- was a Big Book/Step meeting alternating each Saturday. A traditions meeting has since been added, now making it a Big Book/Step/Traditions meeting. The meeting opens with a reading from the literature, followed by a discussion on what was read. The group has a chairperson, treasurer, coffeemaker, intergroup representative, general service representative (GSR), and secretary. It is an open meeting and is wheelchair accessible.
Fort Meade Beginners Group
How the Fort Meade Beginners Group began is a story in itself. In 1999 there were six AA meetings on the Fort Meade army post. At that time Fort Meade was an open post with mostly unrestricted access except for the local perimeter security of several tenants.Increasing security concerns led to ever increasing controls and access restrictions. By 2001 individual identification and access passes were required for all visitors. Building keys had to be signed out daily by active duty military personnel. Groups concluded they could no longer effectively convey the message of recovery to the next suffering alcoholic and made the very difficult decision to disband. Shortly thereafter, the events of September 11, 2001 occurred. In the fall of 2002 several members of those earlier groups formed the Fort Meade Grateful Survivors Group and began meeting in Odenton at Nichols Bethel United Methodist Church. That group continues to meet to this day, but is now named the Odenton Friday Night Group.
So what of the Fort Meade Beginners Group? In April 2009 Scott B was contacted by a counselor from the Army Substance Abuse Program and asked if the local community could once again bring an AA meeting onto Fort Meade. The Army Substance Abuse Program had meeting space available on Tuesdays at 7PM. It was agreed that the new group would provide AA literature to medical and mental health facilities, chaplains, and others requesting information. This arrangement allowed the group to be self-supporting since monetary contributions are not accepted to rent government facilities.
The first meeting was held on May 19, 2009. Two service members along with Patty H and Scott B were in attendance. It was decided the group would be a beginners meeting focusing on the first three steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The name chosen was: Fort Meade Beginners Group.
Since the Group meets on a military installation, it tends to relocate often. The group has had three meeting locations in its first three years of existence. Consult the District 42 Groups page or click the "Where & When" link on the Annapolis Area Intergroup website www.annapolisareaintergroup.org for the current location. Meeting attendance as well as home group membership fluctuates as service members rotate from one duty station to another. After an eight year absence there is once again a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous on Fort Meade carrying its message.
Conquered Grapes
The Conquered Grapes group began meeting on September 11, 2013. The meeting was started when the only remaining Wednesday meeting in the Crofton area (Cliffhangers) closed. We were unable to get church space in Crofton on Wednesdays (it’s a popular Scout night!), so we ended up in the modular classroom at All Saints Lutheran Church in Bowie (because there is a Scout meeting in the main hall of the church – go figure!). We are very grateful to the 12x12 Recovery Group, who passed on their coffee pot, Steps/Traditions “window shades,” literature, and literature racks when they discontinued their meeting. Thank you!
Our format is to read a story from the Grapevine magazine, “AA’s meeting in print,” each week, and discuss the reading afterward. The first week of the month, we voted to read the story that contains that month’s “Discussion Topic.” All other weeks, we spin the bottle of Concord grape jelly (yes, really) and whoever it points to picks a story. We started out very small and have gradually grown to about 10 regular attendees. A big moment came when we had enough people present to circle the table for the Lord’s Prayer at the closing!
We passed our first year anniversary so quickly we forgot to celebrate it. We rectified that oversight as soon as possible after recognizing it!
UPDATE: Our original location was unavailable to us for several weeks in the spring of 2015, so we found a temporary home at Village Baptist Church in Bowie. We were so happy and comfortable there, we voted to ask the church if we could use the space on a permanent basis, and they agreed. We meet in a small conference room in the church every week now. We look forward to the day when we outgrow the little room and can move down the hall to a bigger one!
Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone group meets at 7:00 P.M. on Fridays at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Gambrills. The group was started during the summer of 1996 by Steve F. and his fiancée Sheila.
The name Twilight Zone didn’t come from the TV show, although many thought it did. Rather, the sky at the time the meeting starts, at least during the spring and autumn months, is neither light nor dark but “twilight.” Nevertheless, there were those who could not resist humming the show’s theme song upon hearing the name mentioned. To avoid the humming, Steve would sometimes call the group “Living Sober,” after the name of the A.A. booklet the group reads from at each of its meetings. Many people continued to refer to it by that name for years.
The format of the meeting is a reading and discussion of a chapter of Living Sober. Steve wanted to start a group that would focus on the A.A. literature, because that is what he was exposed to when he first sobered up in Connecticut in 1981. He thought Living Sober would be good reading for the newcomer, knowing how hard it could be for the newly sober to focus on more than a few words or thoughts.
He originally wanted to start the meeting at 7:30 P.M., but after talking with his sponsor, who was at that time the District 42 District Committee Member (DCM), he settled on 7:00 P.M. The earlier time would provide a half-hour break between the Twilight Zone group and the Crofton Open Group’s more traditional start time of 8:30 P.M. at Prince of Peace Presbyterian Church, in nearby Crofton. He followed the suggestions in the pamphlet The A.A. Group on how to start a group and went to the Crofton Open Group to discuss his plans, pointing out that the formats of the two groups would be different and that there would be half an hour between the two meetings.
The Crofton Open Group’s group conscience encouraged him to proceed and offered to help if he needed it. Steve was guided by the Fourth Tradition which states that: “Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.” By following that guidance and the counsel of his sponsor he avoided adversely affecting the Crofton Open Group. The 7:00 P.M. start time – and 8:00 P.M. end time – did not conflict with the Crofton Open Group’s meeting time. The literature-based format gave people a choice between the two groups according to their preferences. People who wished to do so could attend both groups, which happened frequently, especially when there was an anniversary celebration at one or both of the groups.
Attendance at the first few meetings was only a half dozen or so, and everyone brought their own coffee to save money. Word of mouth soon had the meeting up to 15 or 20 attendees, many of whom became regulars.
In 2005 when the Crofton Open Group changed their meeting time to 8:00 P.M. the Twilight Zone chose to continue meeting at 7:00 P.M. Despite the two groups’ back-to-back meeting times, the Twilight Zone continues to have a good turnout every Friday for another chapter of Living Sober.
The Twilight Zone group was, and continues to be, a staunch supporter of all AA service entities, and contributes when it can and as much as it can. The group’s first recorded contribution to Maryland General Service was in January of 1998 and was for $10.00. Its support of AA principles is said by some to have led to the group’s continued success in being there for the newcomer.