LETTER from ARCHIBALD B. ROOSEVELT of New York NY,
a non-AA Trustee. Treasurer of the General Service Board, an
Chairman of the Finance and Budgetary Committee.
Dear Jack:
In accordance with your request, I have read over the record of the minutes of the Trustees meeting which dealt with Bill's latent suggestions on changes in the structure of Alcoholics Anonymous.
The minutes are, to the best of my recollection, a correct transcript of what took place at the meeting, and I entirely agree with the recommendations of the Board.
Just by way of emphasis, I call attention particularly to Bill's suggestion about the non-AA Vice Chairman. I regard myself particularly qualified to discuss this. Ive been a nonalcoholic treasurer of the General Services for many years. I've never found any difficulty in dealing with the AA personnel, and the AA members of the Board. Such discussion as we have had dealt entirely with methods of procedure, or financial policy, and have been such as would and should occur with any group of people of intelligence when they discuss and weigh financial problems.
I can only see that Bill's idea of a non-AA Vice Chairman would add needless change and complications to matters that are now running smoothly. I believe that we should avoid change just for the sake of change.
Finally, in summing up the general situation, I agree that no individual can ever take over the spiritual leadership of Bill and Dr. Bob. Their spiritual leadership to the movement is as timeless as that given to humanity by our great religious leaders of the past.
On the other hand, operative leadership must change with changing times. Older operational leadership does no necessarily fit a new general. It was thus envisaged by Bill himself in St. Louis. It is working now. The members of the AA, the General Service Office, the Conference and the Board of Trustees are all taking over the operational and organization work, just as Bill Requested. I believe they are doing a splendid job now. I feel that any changes needed in the structure will be met, just as Bill said in St. Louis, by the above bodies, and they will act in accordance with the needed of the times, and they will implement the spiritual leadership bequeathed to AA by Bill and Dr. Bob.
Sincerely,
Archibald B. Roosevelt
February 16,1962