The Story of Alanon of New Jersey | Early A.A. Clubhouse & Intergroup History
Offered here is an original early pamphlet titled The Story of Alanon of New Jersey, published by the Alanon Association, Inc. of Newark, New Jersey.
This is an especially interesting piece of early Alcoholics Anonymous history because the “Alanon” described here is not Al-Anon Family Groups. Rather, it was a social club and recreation center created for members of Alcoholics Anonymous in New Jersey.
The Alanon Club was established in the early 1940s, several years before the founding of Al-Anon Family Groups in 1951. Because the name “Alanon” was already in use by the New Jersey club, the newly organized family fellowship adopted the hyphenated name “Al-Anon.”
The pamphlet was issued in response to confusion surrounding the purpose and status of the Alanon Club and explains its relationship to A.A., the local Intergroup, and the broader A.A. movement.
A Social Center for Early A.A. Members
The pamphlet describes the Alanon Association as a social club for A.A. members in good standing, created to provide fellowship, companionship, recreation, and a comfortable place for members and their families.
It makes a careful distinction between the club and Alcoholics Anonymous itself:
“The Alanon Club directly engages in no AA therapeutic work whatsoever.”
The publication explains that the club was neither an A.A. group nor a governing body. Instead, it functioned as an independently operated recreation center whose members were individual A.A. members.
This distinction is historically important. During the rapid growth of Alcoholics Anonymous in the 1940s and 1950s, clubhouses became common gathering places, and questions arose regarding how these social organizations should relate to A.A. groups and A.A. principles.
Bill W. and the Question of A.A. Clubs
One of the most collectible features of the pamphlet is a section titled “Bill’s Ideas,” which reproduces excerpts from Bill W.’s article Clubs in A.A.
Bill discusses the development of A.A. clubhouses and the need to keep the business affairs of a club separate from the spiritual and service functions of Alcoholics Anonymous.
The pamphlet explains that while clubhouses could provide valuable fellowship and recreation, A.A. groups themselves should remain independent of the business management of such facilities.
This discussion provides a fascinating window into the evolving structure of Alcoholics Anonymous and the effort to preserve the Fellowship’s principles while accommodating the practical realities of a rapidly expanding membership.
The Newark Alanon Club
The pamphlet also provides considerable detail about the Newark clubhouse itself.
Located at Seventh Avenue and Seventh Street in Newark, the facility is described as a large clubhouse with bowling alleys, lounges, recreation rooms, pool tables, shuffleboard, a kitchen and coffee bar, and an auditorium seating approximately 400 people.
A period photograph of the clubhouse is included, along with a map showing the location and nearby transportation routes.
The history section explains that the property had been purchased in November 1944 for $22,000, with financial assistance from A.A. members and a non-alcoholic supporter of Alcoholics Anonymous.
At the time represented by this pamphlet, the association states that it had approximately 560 owner-members belonging to 43 A.A. groups throughout New Jersey.
A Window Into Early A.A. Organization
Beyond the history of one clubhouse, this pamphlet documents a broader question that Alcoholics Anonymous was working through during its early development:
How could social clubs, central offices, Intergroups, and individual A.A. groups coexist without confusing their respective purposes?
The publication discusses the eventual separation of the Alanon Club from the New Jersey Intergroup, describing how each organization developed distinct responsibilities. Intergroup handled A.A. matters such as public information, hospital arrangements, inquiries, and group services, while the club remained primarily a social and recreational facility.
That distinction closely reflects the developing understanding that A.A. groups and service bodies should remain separate from independently operated clubhouses.
Publication Details
Title: The Story of Alanon of New Jersey
Publisher: Alanon Association, Inc.
Address: 384 Seventh Avenue, Newark 7, New Jersey
Format: Illustrated stapled pamphlet
Contents: History of the Newark Alanon Club, organization and ownership, facilities, finances, activities, relationship with New Jersey Intergroup, and excerpts from Bill W.’s Clubs in A.A.
Illustrations: Period photograph of the Alanon Club House and location map
No publication date is printed in the pamphlet; however, internal evidence strongly suggests that it was issued around 1948. In the section titled “Finances,” the pamphlet states:
“The property itself was purchased outright in November, 1944, for $22,000 and is now in its fourth year of operation.”
This reference places the publication approximately four years after the 1944 purchase, making circa 1948 the most likely date.
Condition
This original pamphlet remains in good condition overall.
The covers and pages show expected age-related toning, light spotting, surface wear, and occasional creasing. There is some light staining and handling wear visible throughout, along with minor wear at the edges and fold.
The original stapled binding remains intact, and the printed text, photograph, and map are clear and fully readable.
Please review all photographs carefully for a complete understanding of the condition and appearance.
A fascinating piece of early Alcoholics Anonymous ephemera documenting the development of A.A. clubhouses, New Jersey Intergroup, and the important distinction between Alcoholics Anonymous groups and the independent social clubs that served many early members.
