John Shipps 28y 1968_05-02 Brooklny Ohio Dos 1940

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1. 

   bill_d89 on December 13, 2019 at 6:00 pm

   John Shipps of Coshockton OH is an early Akron AA (Jan. 1940); he’s on Akron 220 List (c.April/May 1940)

   2:42 Drunk’s Prayer to God
   6:25 Got sober at City Hospital in Akron under Dr. Bob’s guys
   6:40 Assumes moral debt for sobriety
   8:00 Insurance policy of sobriety
   10:00 First drink gets you drunk
   10:15 Attended one of the first meetings at King’s School
   11:35 (Allusion to drugs; wife was nurse) “thankful I didnt get into something else for shakes”
   12:45 Considered “young scallywag” his “sponsor” : Aged 25? drinking buddy who had quit JIMMY X? (didn’t stay sober)
   13:20 Spon died later of alcoholism in Toledo State Court, ward of probate 14:15 Saturday night knock on door: Jimmy and young woman (AA??)
   17:08 “I would like to quit, but I can’t” Admission necessary, 1st Step
   17:55 “There’s a doc in Akron w/ group of sober drunks”
   19:08 Jimmy said Doc Bob promised all the whiskey you want
   19:30 Agreed to go to Akron to get sober
   21:30 Went to Jimmy’s dad (country doctor) and got/learned of morning drink
   22:25 Goes to City Hosp Akron, told men would come next day
   23:35 Demanded whiskey from nurse
   24:15 Funny story! Locked his clothes up … Its 12 degrees out and you’re far from a bar in those pyjamas
   25:00 She brought whiskey, told he could press button for drink
   26:15 5 AA men arrive, happy sober
   26:56 George Carson greeted him and said “Hello you drunken sonofabitch!”
   27:40 Honestly recognized it was true (he doesnt advocate that in 12th Step call)
   28:15 Poor old Sam, with that big scar around his throat **Sam Cummings? Clarence Snyder mentioned him also**
   29:35 Dr. Bob arrives next morning, rough raw-boned Yankee pointed bony finger “So you wnna quit drinkin’ ya?”
   30:30 Dr Bob asked if he had dough, peddling book
   30:50 Bob tells him to read book, Steps every 15 or 30 minutes
   31:20 Given belladonna every hour, to defog him (**someone audience gets upset**)
   31:40 Bob returned next am with manuscript and quizzed him on Steps
   32:24 Book was in hock to printer, rare; 15 books released at a time, he got copy of book some days later; aside to Warren” “You’ve still got the manuscript, Warren?”
   32:33 Dr. Bob was mean and ornery
   33:00 Not 1 in 10 ppl reads book: “Read that book!”
   33:30 Got way of life from Big Book
   33:50 Lot of ppl came to see him in hosp; he was only “pigeon” that week
   34:45 He has a bottle (AAs gave him), all taped up, he keeps it and shows it at talks: it was full many years ago, [evaporated], a teaspoon booze left.
   36:00 Stayed in Akron 1 month, went on some 12 Step calls: saw other alkies worse off

   — talks about recent work with sponsees —

   Very funny story about his “new monkey” : compares Unappreciative vs. Appreciative Sponsees. It sounds like he got new sponsee every 3 months, but he had lots of information about these men’s lives. [AAs’ research of prospects]

   60:00 he has (slip on) sweet cider but doesnt count that (?), just a taste
   65:00 He decides to drink; Akron told him to pray
   66:00 “God don’t let me get drunk”
   67:00 Heads to bar; neighbor greets him & offers cup of coffee instead (of double shot of gin, at bar)
   67:30 You pray in your own way, to a God of your own understanding

   This talk is funny & somewhat informative, but much detail is left out. It’s not clear how the Big Book was actually presented, or IF it was taught. No mention of Six Steps (there werent any!) and no mention of Oxford Group (split happened a month or so earlier), how sponsorship was taught then (it sounds to be Group-based).

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     bill_d89 on December 14, 2019 at 3:26 am

     He is uncertain, but Shipps’ DoS must be around/after 1/27/1940. On another tape, he claims wife says “either 12th or 26th” (Fridays in Jan 1940). But based on bitterly cold weather he reports, there can be no doubt it was 1/26/40; 1/12/40 was balmy, close to 40 degrees.

     https://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/2008/09/cleveland_weather_history_find.html

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     Admin on January 18, 2020 at 6:02 am

     Thanks for the detailed synopsis of the tape Bill, that must have taken you some time. I added a tag.

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