Speaker:
(3 votes)
Loading...
Audio Player
Popular Speaker Tapes:
- Sandy B at Stateline Retreat – Steps 10 & 11 by Sandy Beach 77 Votes | 3.65 Stars
- Steps 4-9 as the Launching Pad to the 4th Dimension | 2009 by Russel S 59 Votes | 4.05 Stars
- 2013 – Funny Recovery Share by Adam T 182 Votes | 3.61 Stars
- Marty J – 6th Spirit of San Francisco CA by Marty J 198 Votes | 3.4 Stars
- The Ego’s Biggest Worry 🙂 by Sandy Beach 239 Votes | 3.79 Stars
- Chuck C – “A New Pair of Glasses” Part 1 by A New Pair of Glasses 104 Votes | 3.51 Stars
- Relapse Prevention by Chris R 91 Votes | 3.93 Stars
- Betty F. – Denial and the “Hidden Alcoholic” by Famous AA Speakers 80 Votes | 3.41 Stars
- How the Mental Obsession Blocks All Sense of Consequences by Katie P 67 Votes | 3.24 Stars
- A 12-Step Happening by Chris R 53 Votes | 3.89 Stars
There are four identical tapes of this talk:
https://www.recoveryaudio.org/aa-speaker-tapes/fr-yew-gardner-1973-pioneer-with-dos-before-1945/comment-page-1#comment-149663
A decent talk at a Texas Convention (good recording) & it’s a very typical charcterization of New York AA c.1941/2. But note: without any useful AA history/data detailed.
Published elsewhere, Yvelin “Yev” Gardner (1906-81) was described as Marty Mann’s ‘righthand man’ (Marty was Bill’s own lieutenant, in the organization of AA’s political influence: controversial). Marty’s group was clearly affiliated w/ AA, and Bill was behind it. The National Council on Alcoholism consulted ($$$$) to Big Business; it was a side-hustle.
Yev graduated from Harvard College (Class of 1928), says he took his first drink at 25yo (1931/2) and he drank 8yrs. Though he never gives a date, his DoS should be in 1940.
His employer (@ Chase Bank?) introduced him to “Tom B.” his sponsor, but he soon had two, simultaneously. Bill W. is mentioned only once, in passing, and not credited as Founder nor anything special in this share. Certainly, Yev was so situated that he probably knew all the early secrets of AA (that Bill didnt write the Big Book). But his focus is simply on recovery in this talk, there’s little AA history.
He does confirm some NY AAs did go to see Emmet Fox c.1943 (some AA historians mis-date that connection too early, c.1938: Fox is NOT a Big Book influence.) Al Steckman got sober around 1944 (same sponsor). Steckman is associated w/ the Bogus ‘Emmet Fox Rumor’ in Igor Sikorsky’s 1969 book.
Incidentally, Steckman’s Speaker Tape is more informative about 24th St Clubhouse scene. Steckman actually wrote the Responsibility Pledge and many Grapevine articles as ‘Bill W.’
Typical of all New York pioneers, there is NO MENTION of Yev Gardner formally ‘working the Steps out of the Big Book’ – they didnt use the book that way, back then. Important historical note!
At the close of his talk, he mentions bio stuff only generally: he was ordained but only served as an Assistant Minister (Rev.) in the Episcopal Protestant Church in c.1956, at St. George’s in Hempstead, NY.