The Envoy — Vol. I, No. 2 — January 1966 | Newark, New Jersey Alcoholics Anonymous Intergroup Newsletter

Offered here is an early issue of The Envoy, a locally produced Alcoholics Anonymous publication from Newark, New Jersey. This is Volume I, Number 2, dated January 1966, placing it at the very beginning of the newsletter’s publication history.

Local A.A. newsletters such as The Envoy provide a particularly interesting window into the Fellowship at the community level. Unlike nationally published A.A. literature, these small-circulation publications documented the actual work being carried out by groups, Intergroups, committees, institutional representatives, and individual members within a particular region.

This issue captures A.A. activity in New Jersey during the mid-1960s with a mixture of recovery writing, service news, institutional outreach, humor, cartoons, and announcements.

Inside This Issue

Among the more interesting pieces is “Bars Lead to Bars,” which discusses efforts by the Institutions Committee to strengthen relationships between A.A. groups and hospitals, correctional institutions, and other facilities. The article describes the development of Group Institutional Representatives and the effort to carry the A.A. message to alcoholics preparing to return to their communities.

That theme continues with “A Letter from Inside,” reproducing correspondence received from a woman incarcerated at the Essex County Penitentiary in Caldwell. The letter expresses gratitude for A.A. members who were bringing meetings and sponsorship into the institution and speaks directly to the importance of carrying the message behind prison walls.

Another feature, “Adventures of a Sober Drunk,” presents a humorous but pointed look at the familiar alcoholic argument that perhaps the problem can be solved simply by controlling the first drink. The piece ultimately returns to one of A.A.’s foundational ideas: for the alcoholic, sobriety begins by not taking that first drink.

The issue also includes:

• “New Year — New Outlook”, discussing public relations and A.A.’s efforts to present the Fellowship accurately to outside groups
• Information regarding planning for the upcoming New Jersey State A.A. Convention
• Intergroup and institutional-service news
• Anniversary notices and group information
• Recovery-oriented quotations
• Original cartoons and humorous illustrations throughout

The publication closes with a darkly humorous drawing of a gravestone reading:

“THE END — FOR THOSE ALCOHOLICS WHO CONTINUE TO DRINK.”

A Piece of Grassroots A.A. History

For collectors of Alcoholics Anonymous history, publications such as The Envoy are valuable because they preserve the everyday workings of the Fellowship during a period of tremendous growth.

By 1966, A.A. was well established nationally, but much of its work still happened through precisely the activities documented here: local Intergroups, hospital and prison committees, public-information efforts, sponsorship, group anniversaries, and members quietly carrying the message from one alcoholic to another.

Because this is Volume I, Number 2, it is also an especially early example of The Envoy itself and an appealing piece of New Jersey A.A. ephemera.

Publication Details

Title: The Envoy
Issue: Volume I, Number 2
Date: January 1966
Location: Newark, New Jersey
Subject: Alcoholics Anonymous, New Jersey Intergroup, institutional service and recovery
Format: Staple-bound newsletter with illustrated covers and interior cartoons

Condition

This issue remains in very good condition for its age.

The covers and interior pages show light age toning and minor handling wear, with modest wear along the edges and corners. The original binding remains intact, and the interior pages appear clean and highly readable. The illustrations and printed text remain strong throughout.

Please review all photographs carefully for the complete condition and appearance of this uncommon piece.

A wonderful example of grassroots Alcoholics Anonymous history from the 1960s, documenting the service work, humor, outreach, and everyday recovery culture of New Jersey A.A. during the Fellowship’s early decades.