FRIENDSHIP GROUP HISTORY

Beginning – March 1989 – Crossroads Meetings:

Refer to March 21, 1987 letter from Adele D. in the ‘Friendship Group Archives’.

• Note there is no date of first meeting.
• Rose T. called and interviewed some of the older members in 1996 – 1997.  It appears that Rose was either unsuccessful in contacting the people Adele had suggested, or they couldn’t remember a date.  She did talk with Ann Berube at Crossroads, (a counselor we think) who told her Crossroads started in 1974.

A Ron B., Rose talked with, indicated Crossroads started in 1973.  Gordon G. remembered attending meetings there in 1977.

At the Fryeburg 50^th anniversary, in November 2002, Pete T. spoke with Roddy W.  Roddy remembers the Friendship Group meeting at Crossroads in 1977.

• Piecing all this together, indicates the following:

1.                  Woman’s AA meetings (for patients) were likely started at Crossroads 1973-1974.

2.                  Around 1977, the meeting was opened to all AA’s.  Note that this timeframe seems to coincide with the 3 ½ years Adele mentions in her letter.

The originals of Rose’s scratched notes are included in the ‘Friendship Group Archives’. 
 

March 1989 – Move to REAL School – Crossroads Meetings:

Discussion meetings (Tuesdays and Thursdays) were held in the small room just off the kitchen.  The room was usually packed with 5-10 patients and 20-30 AA’s, sometimes standing room only.  Smoking was permitted; the room usually blue with smoke.  Our supplies were kept in a large trunk under the coffee table.  “Old Timers” in those days included Joey w. (sometimes accompanied with his wife Jackie), Tom and Sandy J., Jane K., Moe and Gordon G., Tom and Mary ? and Roddy W.  There was usually a contingent of men from the Saco/Biddeford area including Big Same and Lennie.

Later in this period a larger meeting room was added, (or renovated) off the north end of the original meeting room, it too was usually packed with AA’s and patients.

We had some resemblance of a group later in this period.  Tom M. was opening and making coffee, Joey W. was sort of liaison with the Crossroads staff.  Bob B. and then Barbara L. were elected to be our GSR’s, Dick C. was our Secretary, Pete T. was handling the finances and the checking account, and Big Cindy was getting supplies. 

• Lenny G.’s inquiry at GSO indicates we became a registered group on April 25, 1992 (see letter from GSO in the ‘Friendship Group Archives’.)
• The only written record of this period is the Group History form done by Barbara L. and some records found in the Treasurer’s notebooks late in the period.
• The Treasurer’s notebooks are archived with our financial records.

Move to REAL School:

In December of 1991, Crossroads for Women closed, due to lack of substance abuse funding, and we were obliged to relocate.  We received considerable advice on where to go, (the concern being that the REAL school was sort of rundown, and too difficult to find.  Attendance would drop dramatically.)

The group conscience prevailed and we chose to relocate to REAL School.  Our first meeting at REAL School was held on December 10^th 1991.  Little Cindy chaired the meeting.  Our best recollection of members present were, Rod H., Barbara L., Tim ?, and Rose & Pete T.

The concerns of others seemed to be confirmed at the first few meetings, at REAL School as attendance fell, and on New Year’s Eve there was no heat for the 11 shivering AA’s at the meeting.

Attendance waned for a month or two, and then slowly, by attraction rather than promotion, began to grow with new and old AA’s attending the meetings.  Shortly after moving to the REAL school we revived the Group, electing trusted servants.

Apparently we languished in getting active in service beyond our own Group for a couple of years after Barbara L. completed her term as our GSR for District 17.  In 1994 we sent Rose T. as GSR to District 17.  Pete T. was District Treasurer.

• Some written record of this period is found in the Treasurer’s notebooks, archived with our financial records.
   

* Dave B. went to spring assemblies 1996 & 1997, see financial records.

From the New Beginning at REAL School to 2003:

Meetings continued at the Real School until September 30, 2003, our group membership swelling to around 30, with the men from Milestone in Old Orchard, including Lenny G., Joe B., Dennis D. and others.  The membership was serving at Group and District levels, with Marc with a 'C', or perennial opener.  Late in this period we decided to change the meeting time to (7:30 pm winter, 8:00 pm summer). 

We stayed at the REAL School until the school needed additional room for their growing endeavors.

One door closed, and another opened, as the congregation and Pastor Ken of the Windham Community Church through Charlie B., offered us a meeting room.  Pastor ken and his wife Mary even attended one of our meetings.  Talk about a welcome!  We held our first meeting at the Church on October 7, 2003.

• Refer to the 'Friendship Group Archives' for recent Group and membership and Trusted Servants.

Move to Windham Community Church, until the present:

And so it continues to the prsent, with our Group membership around 30 active A.A.'s serving at Group and District levels.

Our meetings are still held every Tuesday night at 7:30 at the church on Main Street in South Windham Village.  Business meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of the month, 1 hour before the regular meeting.  Anniversary celebrations are held the 4th Tuesday of the month.

Notable Events:

1. During the ice storm of 1997, with no lights or heat at REAL School, the group met at Bruce F.’s across the bridge where power had been restored.  The warmth and glow of Bruce’s home, and his hospitality made for a memorable meeting.
2. Summer picnics from 1993 through 2001.  Afternoon barbecues at Rose and Pete T.’s with events of bocce, horseshoes, swimming, concluding with an AA meeting with all participating.
3. The summer picnic of 2002 at Claudette M.’s on the lake at East Sebago.  Activities included a three-course barbecue with lots of goodies, kayaking, badminton, swimming and a cruise on Rick W.’s party boat.  We concluded with an AA meeting of AA’s families and friends at dusk.
4. The summer picnic of 2003 found us at Dick R.'s and Lisa S.' with plenty of eats, games of volleyball, and badminton, and an evening meeting around their large outdoor fireplace.
5. The summer picnic/barbecue of 2004 returned to Rose and Pete T.'s on a blistering hot August Saturday.  Attendance was down, and the yard games non-existent, but the evening meeting with new and old friends, renewed our faith in the power of the fellowship.
    

* Submitted 2004 *