Area 42 Archives
“One Yesterday At A Time”
“We are trying to build up extensive records which will be of value to a future historian… It is highly important that the factual material be placed in our files in such a way that there can be no substantial distortion… We want to keep enlarging on this idea for the sake of the full length history to come… Every one of the new and unexpected developments in A.A. has, lying just underneath, an enormous amount of dramatic incident and experience—stories galore…. It isn’t hard to prepare a fact sheet of what happened—that is, dates when people came in, groups started and so forth. The hard thing to lay hold of is the atmosphere of the whole proceedings and anecdotal material that will make the early experience alive.”
“Like any other A.A. service, the primary purpose of those involved in archival work is to carry the message of Alcoholics Anonymous. Archives service work is more than mere custodial activity; it is the means by which we collect, preserve and share the rich and meaningful heritage of our Fellowship. It is by the collection and sharing of these important historical elements that our collective gratitude for Alcoholics Anonymous is deepened.”
Primary Purpose: To preserve the history of AA in Area 42, which consists of all of Nevada and a bit of Eastern California.
Contact Us:
| NAGSC Archives | Rich B. | coachbarna@yahoo.com |
| SAGSC Alt. Archives | Heather L. | happyjoyousfree7@gmail.com |
| OR Archives | area42archivesshared@gmail.com |
Resources (links):
Archives in Area 42: The Archives Committee in Area 42 is a four year commitment for the Archivist and Alternate Archivist. These positions rotate between north and south every four years. However, the Archivist and Alternate Archivist work closely to preserve the history, coordinate workshops, and contribute to the displays seen at both Spring and Fall Assembly in Tonopah.
Archives Repository: The SAGSC Archives is located within the Las Vegas AA Central Office, 1515 E. Tropicana Ave, Unit 710. The Archives room is open the last Thursday of each month from 1 pm until 3 pm, and by special appointment. Special items can be found on display in the main meeting room and rotate every couple of months as well.
Committee Meetings: The SAGSC Archives Committee meets informally at a monthly meeting (last Thursday of each month, 1-3) and meetings are open.
Events: There is always a wonderful display at the Las Vegas Roundup each year. Archives looks forward to bringing displays to Founders Day, District workshops, and other recovery events.
Membership: The Archives Committee is made up of both members of the area assembly and members who just want to help preserve our history. There is no requirement to join our committee other than a reasonable amount of sobriety and a desire to learn and preserve AA’s history.
Projects: The Archives Committee is currently involved with gathering District and Group Histories throughout Area 42. Designating a district liaison is a great way to encourage organization of information so that it can be preserved accordingly.
We are also in the process of turning many of our cassettes (speaker tapes) into MP3s.
Please reach out for speakers and panels from Area 42 over the years!
Link: Area 42 Archives – District Form
Link: Group History Form
Link: Group History Form – Spanish