What is the name of your group?

A Daily Reprieve

When did your group start?

December 2001

Who were the founders of the group?

Bill

What is the reason the group was started?

To have a beginners meeting

What is the frequency of the group?

Weekly Tuesday

What type of Meeting is it?

Beginners Step

Where did the group first meet?

Tues Nite Big Book

Current Location?

Transfiguration School, Collingswood

Any special problems ever occur, such as places, format of meet, Mr. & Mrs. AA trying to run the show, etc.

No

What is the name of your group?

Fellowship Group

When did your group start?

1976

Who were the founders of the group?

Big Walt & Ruthy K.

What is the reason the group was started?

More meetings in area

What is the frequency of the group?

Twice a week

What type of Meeting is it?

Step & Open Discussion

Where did the group first meet?

Christ the King, Willingboro

Current Location?

158 Warren Street, St. Stephens Church

Any special problems ever occur, such as places, format of meet, Mr. & Mrs. AA trying to run the show, etc.

Moved to Beverly from Willingboro

What is the name of your group?

F-Troop in Cinnaminson

When did your group start?

Sept. 1992

Who were the founders of the group?

Suellen C. & Steve

What is the reason the group was started?

It started as a young people’s speaker meeting, as something to do on a Saturday night for singles.

What is the frequency of the group?

Every Saturday at 8:00 p.m.

What type of Meeting is it?

Speaker

Where did the group first meet?

St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church – Marsh Hall

Current Location?

Same

Any special problems ever occur, such as places, format of meet, Mr. & Mrs. AA trying to run the show, etc.

As stated above the group was started for young people by 40 year olds in A.A. Unfortunately, it was never strongly attended by young AA’s. So the name was eventually changed from F-Troop-Young People to F-Troop.

What is the name of your group?

The group is known as Hammonton Group.

When did your group start?

The group started on Sept. 12, 1958.

Who were the founders of the group?

The founders were Jack Hand & B. McNaley.

What is the reason the group was started?

McNaley had a summer home in Mullica Township and envisioned a meeting location near the home.

What is the frequency of the group?

The group meets Fridays 8:30-10:00pm and Sundays 7:30-9:00pm.

What type of Meeting is it?

The format is open discussion.

Where did the group first meet?

In 1958, the group met once a week on Fridays at Mt. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Peach & 3^rd Streets, Hammonton.  In 1972, Sundays were added by founders Tom McDermott and Pat Morgan and met at the current location.

Current Location?

Both the Friday and Sunday meetings are held at the 1^st Presbyterian Church, 326 Bellevue Avenue, Hammonton.

Any special problems ever occur, such as places, format of meet, Mr. & Mrs. AA trying to run the show, etc.

There are no special problems as the group runs reasonably well.

What is the name of your group?

Happy Hour

When did your group start?

1992

Who were the founders of the group?

Don H. & Cynthia C.

What is the reason the group was started?

Wanted Meeting for after Work Crowd (New Recovery Club)

What is the frequency of the group?

Mon 5:30 p.m. Step & Trad, Mon 7:00 p.m. Beginners (Steps 1,2,3)

Tues 5:30 p.m. Open Speaker Discussion

Wed 5:30 p.m. Open Discussion

Thurs 5:30 p.m. Living Sober, Thurs 8:00 p.m. Step & Tradition

Fri 5:30 p.m. Big Book, Fri 8:00 p.m. Mens Big Book

Sat 5:30 p.m. Grapevine

Sun 7:00 p.m. Speakers

What type of Meeting is it?

See above

Where did the group first meet?

1992

Current Location?

6 Pemberton Street, Pemberton, NJ 08068

Any special problems ever occur, such as places, format of meet, Mr. & Mrs. AA trying to run the show, etc.

No

MEDFORD GROUP HISTORY 1997

Founded in September of 1972, the original Medford group had six members: Warren M., George C., Natalie R., Ollie, Betty W. and “Sir” Robert. They didn’t have either a resentment or a coffee pot — they did, however, have a strong desire to have a meeting closer to home, and a lot of hope that they would be able to get a group going in Medford.

A meeting place was found at the Westminster House on Stokes Road, someone bought a coffee pot, and the Medford Group was launched — holding an open discussion meeting each Friday evening at 8:45 pm.

A year later, Westminster House was sold to the Medford Township Board of Education. The Medford Group moved its base of operations to Hartford Road at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, the very first church in Medford to welcome A.A. this same church has been home to the Medford Group ever since.

Membership in the Medford Group began to take off in the latter part of the 1970’s, and in July of 1979 the group added a Closed Step Meeting on Wednesday evenings. The need for a daytime meeting was fulfilled on Inauguration Day in January of 1981, and continues as a mainstay for those members who have difficulty getting to evening meetings.

The two evening meetings eventually grew so large, it became necessary to divide the meetings to form two Step meetings on Wednesday nights, and a Living Sober meeting for beginners was added on Friday nights. The group also decided to change the Step Meeting format on the last Wednesday of the month to study one of the 12 traditions.

The Medford Group gradually came to participate fully in all aspects of A.A. responsibility: taking and receiving speaking and chairing commitments, volunteering at the South Jersey Intergroup office, lending support to hospital and institutional commitments, and fulfilling financial commitments to St. Peters Church, Intergroup and the General Service Office in New York. The Medford Group also sent very capable representatives to the South Jersey General Service Assembly.

Through the years, membership in the Medford Group grew sevenfold, from the original six to an average of 42 persons per meeting. Of the founders, only two now survive, Natalie R., who still lives in Medford, and Betty W., who moved out of the area.

Warren, George, and “Sir” Robert all died sober, with double-digit sobriety.

As an offshoot of the Medford Group, four other groups were formed. Altogether, there are now 10 meeting per week in the Medford-Medford Lakes area.

The Medford Group has endured through gas crises, energy crises, blizzards, thunderstorms with resultant power failures, major church reconstruction and church bazaars. A.A.’s powerful message has been carried faithfully despite coffee-makers who got drunk, percolators that blew up, and a smoking ban. The group has dealt soberly with a treasurer who embezzled an entire year’s rent to St. Peter’s (all of the money was re-paid), chairpersons who resigned or moved away, missing keys, overflowing toilets, blown fuses and a visit (and arrest) by the Medford Police.

Around the mid 1990’s differences between the younger and older generation caused a split in the group. Many of the older members left the group to form another group. For a while the Medford Group struggled for its survival. Today the group is growing and coming together.

The Closed Step meeting is still being held on Wednesday nights accompanied by a Beginners Free Flow Discussion meeting. On Fridays there is still a Beginners Living Sober meeting and a Big Book study. The Tuesday afternoon meeting is also still being held. A.A.’s powerful message is still being carried faithfully in St. Peter’s Episcopal Church by the Medford Group of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Millville Thursday Night
(formerly known as the Millville Group)
Location:
First Presbyterian Church
2nd & Pine St.
Millville, NJ 08332

Group #: 109060

Founding Date: 1947

Founding Members: George H. & Jimmy H.

Early Members included: Jack H., Ralph B., and Earl B. – all these guys had (20)+ years in 1963. Next came Albert O., Tommy S., Hughy, Tom McD., Little Ginny & Herb K.

The meeting was started when 2 drunks got together. In the mid-1940”s the meeting was held in a general store around a pot belly stove. Tom McD. said the Millville Group was the 2nd oldest group in South Jersey. The meeting use to start at 8:30 PM till ??? The meeting now meets from 8-9 PM.

What is the name of your group?

The Marlton Group

When did your group start?

May 1994

Who were the founders of the group?

Neil, Richard & Herdi M.

What is the reason the group was started?

Had to move from Hampton Behavioral Health on 73

What is the frequency of the group?

Weekly, M, T, Th, F- 12:00 Noon & Wed at 6:00 am (5 days a week)

What type of Meeting is it?

Mon- 2 meetings: Step & Beginners
Tues- 2 meetings: Living Sober & Beginners Step
Wed- Speaker Discussion
Thurs- Speaker Discussion
Fri- Big Book

Where did the group first meet?

Hampton Behavioral Health- Route 73 Marlton

Current Location?

Prince of Peace, Lutheran Church, Marlton, NJ

Any special problems ever occur, such as places, format of meet, Mr. & Mrs. AA trying to run the show, etc.

No

What is the name of your group?

Monday Night Lifeline

When did your group start?

11-17-82

Who were the founders of the group?

Jack K.

What is the reason the group was started?

The meeting was a club meeting at the 400 Club on Ritchie Ave, Collingswood. The meeting moved with the 400 Club to the Wt. Horse Pike in Oaklyn and to the Teamsters’ Hall at the Collingswood Circle. When the 400 Club left the Teamsters’ Hall, our group conscience had a vote to determine whether to stay at the Teamsters’ Hall and become part of the Camalon Club or to move with the 400 Club to Clementon. The vote to stay at the Teamster’s Hall won by one vote.

At that time, the meeting was attended mostly by newcomers and was struggling. Around 1991, Jack K. (“Machinegun Jack” presently known as “Gentleman Jack”) helped to re-organize the meeting and the meeting became stronger.

When the Camalon Club closed its doors, this meeting was one of the few club meetings to survive by finding a new location.

This meeting has always attracted musicians & artists.

What is the frequency of the group?

Weekly (Monday)

What type of Meeting is it?

Step & Tradition

Where did the group first meet?

400 Club, 400 Ritchie Ave, Collingswood, N.J.

Current Location?

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 710 Collings Ave, Collingswood, NJ

Any special problems ever occur, such as places, format of meet, Mr. & Mrs. AA trying to run the show, etc.

No

The Maple Shade Tuesday Night Group: Our History
Founded 1962
Updated Spring, 2007
By Jimmy S

A.A. Groups that survive the passage of time have a special sense of belonging. With that feeling of belonging, there exist shared memories of the past. When we, the Maple Shade Tuesday Night Group, look over the past 46 years, we remember the people who started the group, and those who kept it going. We remember how we used to do things and how they evolved into the way we do things today. In the end, it is about how we stayed sober.

The Maple Shade Group was originally founded in 1962. One of our founders was Alex W., a well-known local newspaper editor who, in keeping with the spirit of our co-founders, opened up his home, a small apartment in Camden, to folks who were struggling to maintain sobriety. A.A. meetings were held in his home in those days, and Alex was even known to allow some of the more down-and-out men to stay at his humble abode while they got back on their feet. Because of their advanced age and their seeming propensity to resume drinking after brief periods of sobriety, this motley crew came to be known as the “Golden Slippers.”

As the membership of the group steadily grew, Alex could no longer accommodate the meetings in his small apartment. In the months and years that followed, the group began to meet in a variety of locations around Maple Shade. The first place they began to meet after they outgrew Alex’s place was in the Maple Shade Police Station – a venue with which a few of these early members were already acquainted for other reasons. Eventually, the local VFW served for a brief time as the group meeting place. That spot’s tenure as our meeting place was short-lived however, after our founder, Alex, cut-off a long-winded speaker one night and the resentment was settled outside. Once again, the Maple Shade group was forced to relocate. It was at this point in time that the group began to meet at our current location, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. It was now 1963, a landmark year for us. We were first officially listed in the General Service Office Directory in New York, as the Maple Shade Group.

The group anniversary has been a long tradition in the Maple Shade Group. One particular group anniversary back in the sixties was held, not here, but in the police station. (Those old-timers just couldn’t seem to stay out of that police station). The group actually invited the public to that anniversary to let the community–at-large know something about AA. At this meeting, the speaker was Noel L., whom many an old-timer will remember. He was a member of the Maple Shade Group who served as Delegate to the General Service Conference for two terms, and as chairman of the Southern New Jersey General Service Assembly. He was also instrumental in founding the now defunct detox, Starting Point, in Mount Holly which served so many early AA’s in the area as a launching pad toward a sober life.

The Maple Shade Group has always recognized the milestones in our members’ sobriety by presenting small tokens to celebrate length of sobriety. These days, we give coins to our celebrants, but in years past, the tradition was to give out pins to those members who made it through those first 90 days of recovery. The problem was, you didn’t receive your 90-day pin until you were sober one year! Fortunately, back in 1984, a handful of people at a business meeting took the bull by the horns and the group conscience straightened the mess out. Today you receive your 90-day coin (the pins have long since been unavailable) when you earn it – at 90 days!

In the early ‘70’s, for one reason or another, our group membership began to dwindle, and at one low point the group was down to only three or four members. What happened to turn things around? Well, we owe much to the leadership of one John P. John shared his concerns about the declining membership with his sponsor, Lee, who promptly told him to “handle things” himself. At that point John encouraged the group to “get its act together.” Group officers were elected, with John himself serving as chairman. A secretary and treasurer were soon elected from among the few group members. Later that year, Maggie B., a long-time group member was elected Southern New Jersey Delegate to the General Service Conference which meets in New York City every year. I am happy to report that the tradition of being active in all levels of service continues to this day at Maple Shade. Along with Maggie, other members of this Maple Shade Group who have served as delegate include the aforementioned Noel L. (two terms), as well as Nancy McC. and Madge M. But enough about ancient history! More recently, even more members of our home group have been privileged to serve Area 45 as Delegate when Jimmy S. was elected as Panel 56 delegate, followed by Fred E., Panel 58 Delegate. This makes a total of six delegates to the General Service Conference who are or were members of the Tuesday Night Maple Shade Group.

The Maple Shade Group began having regular business meetings in 1975. These meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month, prior to the regular meeting. If you would have paid the group a visit in those days, you may have found yourself drinking your coffee from a cup and saucer of fine china. This tradition was ultimately abandoned in favor of Styrofoam cups after we realized we were getting home awfully late because of having to wash so many cups and saucers.

A group anniversary such as this one tonight, takes a lot of planning and organization. To raise money to cover our expenses, we pass a separate basket at our monthly business meeting. This way, no seventh tradition money is ever diverted to fund the anniversary celebration. In addition, group members contribute much of the food. However this was not always the case. Back in 1976, the group decided to really go all out and have a catered affair for our anniversary celebration. While the food was great – it cost a bit more than the group anticipated and the group went into debt for a short time.

A snapshot of the group in the year 1976 would show Madge M. with 2 years of sobriety serving as GSR, and Jim W. with 2 years sober serving as group secretary. It’s no coincidence that such service in their early years with the fellowship has paid dividends in their path of sobriety. And they are sitting here tonight each with 34 years of continuous sobriety.

Around that same time, John P., who had been so pivotal in turning things around for the group in 1972 when membership was low, was involved in a serious accident. The emotional toll of this accident led him back to alcohol. He drank for another 10 years, finally returning to the Maple Shade Group in the late ‘80’s, a shadow of his former self. He passed away within the year, sober, and it’s probably not an exaggeration to say that the Maple Shade Group owes its very existence today to a man that died with less than a year of sobriety. God does move in mysterious ways, does he not?

The Maple Shade Group has always recognized the importance of reaching out to the newcomer. In 1977 we started a beginner’s meeting separate from the regular meeting in order to give those in early sobriety special encouragement. We had to suspend the meeting for awhile as we were moved from room to room within the church. But as soon as we were given the space again, we restarted this important meeting.

In 1984, we started a free raffle at our monthly anniversary meeting. Everyone gets a ticket at the door, we hold a drawing, and the winner gets a book of his or her choosing from among the AA Literature. In many cases, the person holding the winning ticket gives the book away to a newcomer, thus continuing the tradition of passing on the AA message.

The group has seen a few significant changes in recent years too. Sometimes these changes are foisted upon us from without, as happened a few years ago by the Lutheran church. The synod handed down a decree that henceforth, all Lutheran Churches would be non-smoking facilities and that included this one. Many of us viewed it as God doing for us what we couldn’t, or wouldn’t, do for ourselves. Also a few years back another significant change occurred when the group conscience voted overwhelmingly to change the meeting start time from 8:30 to 8:00. And I have been told by someone in a position to know that, many years ago, our start time here was actually 9:00 p.m! Let the record show that the alleged 9:00 p.m. start time is disputed by other long-time members of this group.

In May of 2005 the group was forced to move out of the auditorium we had been meeting in for so many years, to a church property around the corner in “The Red House.” This move was necessitated by a renovation project that took much longer than expected to complete. Two years later, almost to the day, we moved back into “the big room,” effectively ending our time in Purgatory. Regrettably, we are no longer able to conduct our Beginners’ Meeting due to the reconfigured layout of our meeting space.

The good news . . . the bottom line to all of this discourse is that though change is inevitable with the passing of time, as long as we, as a fellowship, keep AA’s singleness of purpose as expressed in our Fifth Tradition and our Unity as expressed in the First Tradition uppermost in our minds, we can survive and accomplish many things. This is as true for all of us as individuals as it is for the AA Group.