We Began to Count Noses - Silkworth.net
We Began to Count Noses - Silkworth.net
We Began to Count Noses - Silkworth.net
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The survey of the New Jersey Group of A.A. completed on January 1, 1940<br />
lists Paul Kellogg with three years of sobriety and no slips. 80 <strong>We</strong> will hear more<br />
about Paul when we learn the account of another “First Forty” from New Jersey.<br />
Our next two converts would come from the Midwest. Earl Treat and<br />
William Van Horn would both join sometime during the period of July or<br />
August of 1937. Bill V.H. was from nearby Kent, Ohio and his personal s<strong>to</strong>ry “A<br />
WARD OF THE PROBATE COURT” appeared in the Original Manuscript draft of the<br />
book Alcoholics Anonymous. He tells the s<strong>to</strong>ry of meeting the good Doc<strong>to</strong>r and<br />
hearing The Solution from the devotees who came <strong>to</strong> see him in the hospital.<br />
“In a few months an old friend came along. He located me a few times in<br />
saloons. <strong>We</strong> had been drinking pals in the early days, particularly at the club<br />
houses. He had heard of my predicament. He himself had quit drinking and<br />
looked fine. He encouraged me <strong>to</strong> visit him in a nearby city.<br />
I wanted <strong>to</strong> quit drinking, but hadn't much faith in ever getting away from it. I<br />
agreed <strong>to</strong> go in<strong>to</strong> a hospital as the patient of a doc<strong>to</strong>r who had been an alcoholic<br />
for many years and was now a new man.<br />
It is almost uncanny - in just eight days I left there a different person. This doc<strong>to</strong>r<br />
in plain words was a wonderful guy-he spent many hours with me telling me his<br />
experience with alcohol. Others of his band, which was then small, visited me<strong>to</strong>ld<br />
me their s<strong>to</strong>ries. They were all strangers <strong>to</strong> me, but treated me as a friend. I<br />
was impressed with their interest and fellowship. I learned the secret. They had a<br />
religious experience. I was willing, and renewed my acquaintance with God and<br />
acknowledged Him as a reality.<br />
I found it easy. I came <strong>to</strong> life and have been free now for two years. I hope never<br />
<strong>to</strong> take another drink. I am building up a reputation again and nearly every day<br />
am complimented on my appearance.” 81<br />
Earl Treat, whose s<strong>to</strong>ry appeared in the 2 nd Edition of the book Alcoholics<br />
Anonymous, first had the opportunity <strong>to</strong> meet the sober Akronites in January of<br />
1937 but declined. According <strong>to</strong> The Amos Roster it was July when he finally<br />
accepted his father’s advice. His personal s<strong>to</strong>ry “HE SOLD HIMSELF SHORT” tells of<br />
returning <strong>to</strong> Akron <strong>to</strong> meet Dr. Howard Searl who gives Earl his first look at the<br />
Life Changing Program. He would meet several other Akronites over the next<br />
few days, hear “The Good News” and was finally taken <strong>to</strong> his first meeting after<br />
a “thorough indoctrination.” He tells of staying in Akron for several weeks and<br />
of Dr. Bob taking him through the “six step program as it was at that time” in a<br />
single afternoon. 82 Earl would briefly slip several months later and then remain<br />
sober thereafter. The account of his slip can be found in the Original Manuscript<br />
draft of the book Alcoholics Anonymous in Chapter 9 “THE FAMILY AFTERWARD”<br />
“And yet religion is not only a part of life, it is life itself<br />
In the depth of our being we are God-conscious.”