San Diego Alcoholics Anonymous is celebrating its sixty-second year anniversary this month. November became Gratitude Month in Alcoholics Anonymous many years ago and for members of San Diego Alcoholics Anonymous November is especially significant.

    Hal S., sober for nearly two years himself, carried the AA message to Tom B. in early November of 1940. Hal travelled to Los Angeles during that time to attend AA meetings. Hal and Tom formally started San Diego Alcoholics Anonymous on Friday night, November 7, 1940, by holding a meeting in an apartment. There were eleven people present.

    San Diego Alcoholics Anonymous continued growing. With newcomers entering the program and others moving to San Diego from other cities and states, Alcoholics Anonymous became well established in the communities of both San Diego and Imperial Counties. Old-timers' sobriety lengths then were only a few years, but one day at a time, they carried the message and showed the newcomers that Alcoholics Anonymous works.

    Jim and Rosa B. moved to San Diego in 1947. They joined the ranks of many who helped San Diego Alcoholics Anonymous grow. Today there are several hundred AA meetings in San Diego and Imperial Counties and Alcoholics Anonymous here is still growing.

    In November of 1985 San Diego Alcoholics Anonymous began its Annual Roots speakers meeting, held in the War Memorial Building in Balboa Park. Roots is an acronym for "Remember Our Old Timers." The Committee selects speakers who are at least thirty years sober from San Diego and Imperial communities. This year's Roots meeting will be held from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the War Memorial Building, 3325 Zoo Drive, Balboa Park, San Diego, California on Sunday, November 24, 2002. The Roots meeting is hosted by the Archives Committee of the San Diego Imperial County Area Assembly. Five speakers with at least thirty years will recount what it was like in early AA in San Diego.

           Ron L.,  El Cajon, California
           November 18, 2002