A.A. General Meetings — Southern California Area Program — March 17–18, 1951 — Bill W. and the Third Legacy
An original program from the Alcoholics Anonymous General Meetings of the Southern California Area, held in Los Angeles on March 17 and 18, 1951.
This program comes from a vital moment in A.A. service history. The meetings were held only weeks before the first General Service Conference convened in New York, while Bill W. was traveling and speaking to groups across the country to explain the proposed Third Legacy structure and build support for its acceptance.
Bill is listed as the featured speaker at two meetings, including a Saturday evening presentation devoted specifically to the proposed General Service Conference.
“Will You Accept It?”
On Saturday, March 17, members and their families gathered at the Hollywood Legion Stadium for a Third Legacy Meeting.
The program explains the proposal:
“This is a proposal to form ‘The General Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous’—a small body of State and Provincial A.A. Delegates meeting yearly, who could assume direct responsibility for the guidance of the A.A. General Service Headquarters at New York City.”
The featured speaker is identified simply as:
Speaker “Bill”
Subject: Will you accept it?
The wording captures the uncertainty surrounding the plan. The Conference had not yet proven itself, and Bill was asking A.A. groups to support a new representative structure that could eventually assume responsibility for the Fellowship’s worldwide services.
Southern California Elects a Delegate
The following afternoon, authorized group representatives met at Park View Manor for a Third Legacy Delegate Meeting.
The program called for:
Election of one delegate to the General Service Conference
Bill was scheduled to attend as a consultant.
This makes the program more than an announcement for a speaking engagement. It records the Southern California Area participating in the practical work of organizing representation for the new Conference.
Bill’s Public Meeting
The weekend concluded on Sunday evening with a public meeting at the Shrine Auditorium for A.A. members and friends, again featuring Bill as speaker.
The three meetings brought together service education, delegate selection, and public outreach during an important weekend in the development of A.A.’s Third Legacy.
The Third Legacy and the General Service Conference
By 1951, Alcoholics Anonymous had expanded far beyond its early groups in Akron, New York, and Cleveland. Its continuing growth raised an essential question: how could A.A.’s central services survive without depending indefinitely upon Bill W. and a small number of early leaders?
The proposed General Service Conference was intended to provide an answer. State and provincial delegates would meet annually and share responsibility for guiding A.A.’s General Service Headquarters.
The first General Service Conference convened in New York the following month, in April 1951. This Southern California program comes from the final weeks of preparation, when acceptance of the plan was still being sought directly from the Fellowship.
Item Details
Event: A.A. General Meetings — Southern California Area
Dates: March 17–18, 1951
Location: Los Angeles, California
Featured speaker: Bill W.
Meetings listed: Third Legacy Meeting, Third Legacy Delegate Meeting, and public meeting
Venues: Hollywood Legion Stadium, Park View Manor, and Shrine Auditorium
Subject: Proposed General Service Conference and Southern California delegate election
Format: Original folding printed program
Additional content: The Twelve Steps printed inside
Condition
The program remains in very good condition for original A.A. meeting ephemera from 1951.
It shows its original horizontal and vertical folds, light age toning, scattered surface marks, minor staining, and general handling wear. There are small areas of creasing and wear along the fold lines and edges.
The printed text remains clear and fully legible, including the event schedule, description of the proposed Conference, Bill’s speaking appearances, and the Twelve Steps.
Please review all photographs carefully for a complete understanding of the program’s condition and appearance.
Historical Significance
This is a compelling original document from the weeks immediately preceding the first General Service Conference.
It records Bill W. presenting the Third Legacy proposal directly to Southern California members, asking whether they would accept it, and helping local representatives prepare to elect a delegate to the new Conference.
Not a ceremonial souvenir or later historical account, but a working program from the period when A.A.’s future service structure was still being explained, debated, and built.
