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7 

A L O N G     T H E    M E T R O P O L I T A N    C I R C U I T

FOREST HILLS.  Among  the eight or ten shaky
characters  who attended  the  first  meeting  of
the  Forest  Hills  Group some three  years ago,
an   A.A.  dry   six   months   was   an  absolute
authority   on   all   twelve   steps  and  a  "one-
yearer"   was  a  complete  phenomenon.  With
their    small    membership     there    was    little
chance  of  not  hearing  the  same  speakers  at
least every  two weeks,  so these  men  became
very well acquainted indeed.

In the two years this group had grown so there
were enough Nassau and  Suffolk  residents to
launch their own group in Hempstead.  Shortly

thereafter,    the     Jackson    Heights-Flushing
folks commenced  their  meetings  in  Flushing.
So 1944  sees three well-established groups on
Long  Island  with,  at  a  rough  count,  a  total
membership  of  125,  all  offspring of  that  first
little   Forest   Hills  group,   who,   incidentally,
along   with   new   members   still   meet  in  the
Fountain  Room  of  the  Forest Hills  Inn every
Monday  at  8:30  P.M.

THE NEW MANHATTAN GROUP.  A meeting of  all
Manhattanites and  other  A.A.s  living  in  the
Metropolitan  area,  but  affiliated  with  no  su-
burban  group,  was  called  at  the  24th  Street
clubhouse   on    Thursday,   April   13th.   New
York's   senior   representatives   on   the   Inter
Group   Committee   presided.  The  chair   read
a  comprehensive history of  the  expansion  of
A.A. in  the Metropolitan  area,  from   the  time
of   the  meetings  at  Bill's  house  in  Brooklyn
until  today.  The Manhattan  Group  was  then
formed  to  co-ordinate  the  work  of   A.A.  on
this  little  Island.   The  members  participating
then  elected a  Chairman,  to serve six months;
a  Deputy  Chairman,   to  serve  a  year  and  to
automatically   suceed   the   Chairman;  a  Sec-
retary,  and  a Treasurer.  The  name  "Manhat-
tan   Group  of   Alcoholics  Anonymous"  was
adopted–and  the  newest  A.A. Group  in  this
area  was in  business for  itself.

MOUNT VERNON.  Early  in  1943  about  fifteen
members of  the  White Plains  Group,  residing
in   southern   Westchester    County,   decided
there  was  need for a  Group in  that  area.  The
first   meeting  was  held   February  4,  1943,  at
the  Westchester   Women's  Club,   110   Crary
Avenue,  Mount Vernon,  where weekly  Mon-
day evening  meetings  have  since  been  held.
The  Group  now  has  eighty  active  members,
exclusive  of   those  on  duty  with   the  armed
services and those who since have established
residences  elsewhere.

Recently  separate  open   meetings  were  held
with the Medical  Associations of  Mount Ver-
non and Yonkers.

THE NASSAU-SUFFOLK group started  holding
its  meetings  in  Hempstead about a  year  ago.
The  group   originally  started   with  about  15
members   from  the  Forest  Hills  group.   At  a
closed   meeting  last   night   the  Secretary  re-
ported that  we  have  63  members on  the  list.
Hempstead is now  meeting on  Monday night,
instead  of  Tuesday   (open  meetings).
At   the   request  of  a  Long  Island  Veterans'