1981 Mid-South Regional Service Conference

The Living Clean Podcast recently published a two-part conversation with Al R., George R., and Pete B., three members who participated in the writing of the Basic Text through World Literature Conferences and local literature committees (Bristol and Philadelphia).  Click these links to watch part one of this conversation and to watch part two of the conversation.  Of particular interest was discussion about the Mid-South Regional Service Conference, which was held in Memphis, TN over Thanksgiving in 1981. 

This conference has been overlooked in recent history presentations by Boyd and I about of the writing of the Basic Text.  The Living Clean Podcast episodes provided the impetus for this blog. The time is overdue for us to elevate the service that occurred at the Mid-South RSC to not only make the Basic Text a reality, but to further literature development for the addict seeking and sustaining recovery.

This blog post will examine the events leading up to the Mid-South Regional Service Conference, what occurred at the conference, and the impact on the local NA fellowship.

6^th World Literature Conference

Two decisions were made at the conclusion of the 6^th World Literature Conference (WLC) in September 1981.  First, the Mid-South RSC had “accepted the responsibility of printing 2,000 copies of the Approval Form of Our Basic Text as requested by the Miami Literature Conference, W.L.C. VI.”¹  Second, Roger T. (Chair of the World Literature Committee) had agreed to type the final manuscript of the Approval Form.  Upon completion, Roger was to send it to Joseph P. in Memphis for typesetting and printing.²

Where is the book?

But before the Approval Form could be distributed, crisis struck.  By early October, Joseph contacted Bo, concerned that he had not received the final manuscript from Roger and had been unable to reach him by phone.  After a few more weeks, Bo and Joseph placed calls to all known members in South Florida.  These members saw Roger at meetings and relayed their messages, but Roger would not follow-up with them.³

Without the final manuscript, Joseph found himself needing to recreate what had been approved at the 6^th WLC, particularly where the last untyped changes had occurred.⁴ Joseph began calling others who had notes of the approved draft to compare with his own.  As one final act to assure fidelity to the conscious of those in Miami, Joseph shipped the draft overnight to Bo for his review.⁵  Despite his efforts, and the difficult position Joseph found himself in, some who attended the 6^th WLC “were not happy with the reconstruction that Joseph assembled and which then became the book.”  They would “later claim that portions of the book were not what had been voted on and approved.”⁶ 

Despite the stress, inconvenience, and unanticipated extra work, Bo treated Roger with compassion in The Story of the Basic Text pointing out that Roger had been new to N.A. at the time of the 3^rd WLC and three months later he was elected as Chair of the World Literature Committee.

The Mid-South Regional Service Conference

While Joseph was working to resolve the crisis he inherited, Richard D., Chair of the Mid-South Regional Service Committee, was preparing for the conference.  The conference was scheduled to be held from November 22^nd to November 29^th at Memphis State University, the same site as the 3^rd WLC.⁷  In preparation for the conference, Richard sent a letter that included a proposed agenda.  The three conference goals included:

1. “Collating, binding, packaging, addressing, stamping, and mailing the Approval Form of Our Book, our basic text on N.A. Recovery;”
2. “Working on proposed changes, revision and additions, in the existing Service Manual of Narcotics Anonymous and in W.S.C. Sub-committees’ Handbooks;”
3. “Providing workshops for the review and the compiling of material for future Literature on N.A. Recovery.”⁸

The task of printing, packaging, and shipping the Approval Form was expected to cost $5,100.⁹

While the Approval Form was to be provided at no cost, the Mid-South RSC suggested that in keeping with the spirit of the 7^th Tradition that donations be sent by those who receive a copy and that those attending the conference pay a $7.00 registration fee to offset the expense of distributing it.¹⁰ Fundraisers were also held to raise money for this effort.

Another problem was identified on day four of the Mid-South RSC.  A paragraph had been left out during the printing of the Approval Form.¹¹  The conference decided to include a cover letter with each copy of the Approval Form noting the omission.¹²

Literature Development

Another noteworthy focus of the conference was new literature and handbooks for the Fellowship.  Pamphlets worked on at the conference included:

• Teenage Addiction
• Avoiding Relapse in Illness (chaired by Bill H. of Louisiana)
• Sponsorship (chaired by Sydney B. of Ohio)
• Fourth Step Guide
• For the Newcomer (chaired by Gina G. of Louisiana)
• Cooperation Not Affiliation (chaired by Page C. of Georgia)
• The Triangle of Self-Obsession. 

The conference also worked on:

• Hospitals and Institutions Committee Handbook (chaired by Jim B. of California and Gene L. of Tennessee)

A little more than two years after the 1^st WLC, hundreds of members helped write N.A.’s first book.  This served as a springboard for new literature that could help addicts find recovery and stay in recovery.

Lastly, the Mid-South Regional Service Conference worked on the personal stories to be included in the Basic Text.  The stories reviewed lacked an adequate cross section to represent the fellowship.  “WE ARE REQUESTING MORE STORIES,” was emphasized in the “Report on the Mid-South Regional Service Conference.”¹³ And the call for stories also went out through letters from the World Literature Committee.¹⁴ This work would continue in Ivyland, PA at the 7^th WLC in January 1982.

World Literature Committee Chair

With Roger’s absence, the committee elected Jim M. as the new chair of the World Literature Committee and Page as the vice chair.  At the time, Jim was also chair of the Ohio Regional Policy Subcommittee.  He states that he Ohio Regional Service Committee required that he resign as WLC chair out of concern about his capacity to adequately fulfill both service commitments.  Page assumed the role of the chair, which was ratified at the 7^th WLC in January 1982.¹⁵

World Service Conference Policy Sub-Committee

In addition to the literature goals of the Mid-South Regional Service Conference, the W.S.C. Policy Sub-Committee also met.  It was the first meeting of the sub-committee held outside of California.¹⁶  Bob R., Chair of the W.S.C. Policy Subcommittee, came from California, along with Chuck S., Chair of the Board of Trustees. 

The work of the sub-committee resulted in a proposed revision to the third edition to the Service Manual of Narcotics Anonymous.  With the publication of the Approval Form, the reality of “Our Book” was nearing.  Members anticipated that the book would accelerate how the message of NA was carried.  In a letter that accompanied the Service Manual of Narcotics Anonymous, the W.S.C. Policy Sub-Committee believed that “our resources and ability to carry our message will increase ten thousand fold (sic).”¹⁷ In order to improve World Services in terms of service structure and the World Service Office, revisions were made to “substantially” increase “provisions for group consciousness in maintaining our world services.”  The intended goal was of World Services growing and prospering along with a growing Fellowship.¹⁸

Memphis House

When Joseph P. offered to host the 3^rd WLC in Memphis, he later recounted that he was the only clean addict in Memphis.¹⁹  While this may have been a slight exaggeration, the fellowship in Memphis was indeed small.  What the 3^rd WLC offered was an opportunity to introduce addicts to Narcotics Anonymous.  Of the 34 addicts from Memphis to participate in the 3^rd WLC, 16 were living at a recovery program called Memphis House.  Four of the former Memphis House residents would also participate in the Mid-South Regional Service Conference.  And eight current Memphis House residents would participate as well.²⁰  This is a good example of a local treatment provider recognizing and encouraging their residents’ involvement with the larger recovery community and of the larger recovery community becoming a place for people to continue their recovery after treatment.

In support of this blog post, Mason and Francis interviewed an NA member who was at Memphis House during the 3^rd WLC.  Richard D. would quickly become involved in service, and as noted above, served as chair of the Mid-South RSC.  Please check out this episode of The Living Clean Podcast to learn more about Richard’s experience. Listen on Apple Podcast. Listen on Spotify.

Primary Documents

For those interested in primary documents regarding the 1981 Mid-South Regional Service Conference, the following sources are listed below.

• Books
  • Anonymi (2004). A Matter of Principle: A Story of how Narcotics Anonymous came of age.
  • Bo S. (1990). The Story of the Basic Text.
  • Stone, B. (1997). My years with Narcotics Anonymous. Joplin, Missouri: Hulon Pendleton Publishing.
• Recently digitized documents from Page C.’s archives
  • Mid-South RSC fundraiser, flyer, 1981-10-02
  • Mid-South Regional Service Committee, letter & agenda, 1981
  • WSC Literature Committee, letter from Jim M. requesting stories, 1981
  • Mid-South RSC, letter, Approval Form distribution, 1981-11-28
  • Mid-South RSC, Visiting Dope Fiends arrival schedule, 1981
  • Mid-South Regional Service Conference, minutes, 1981
  • Mid-South Regional Service Conference, one member’s experience, 1981
  • Mid-South Regional Service Conference, Report, 1981
  • World Literature Committee, letter, WLC 7, request for Stories, 1981
  • WLC Report, letter, new co-chairs, 1981
  • Memphis Miracle Issue IV, December 1981
• Other
  • W.S.C. Policy Sub-Committee (1981). Proposed Revisions to the Third Edition of the Service Manual of Narcotics Anonymous.

---

1. Letter and Proposed Agenda from Richard D., Chairman of the Mid-South Regional Service Committee (1981) ↩︎
2. Bo S. (1990). The Story of the Basic Text. ↩︎
3. Bo S. (1990). The Story of the Basic Text; Stone, B. (1997). My years with Narcotics Anonymous. Joplin, Missouri: Hulon Pendleton Publishing. ↩︎
4. Bo S. (1990). The Story of the Basic Text. ↩︎
5. Stone, B. (1997). My years with Narcotics Anonymous. Joplin, Missouri: Hulon Pendleton Publishing. ↩︎
6. Stone, B. (1997). My years with Narcotics Anonymous. Joplin, Missouri: Hulon Pendleton Publishing. ↩︎
7. Stone, B. (1997). My years with Narcotics Anonymous. Joplin, Missouri: Hulon Pendleton Publishing. ↩︎
8. Letter and Proposed Agenda from Richard D., Chairman of the Mid-South Regional Service Committee (1981). ↩︎
9. Letter and Proposed Agenda from Richard D., Chairman of the Mid-South Regional Service Committee (1981). ↩︎
10. Letter from Mid-South RSC about distribution of the Approval Form (November 28, 1981).; Letter and Proposed Agenda from Richard D., Chairman of the Mid-South Regional Service Committee (1981). ↩︎
11. Mid-South Regional Service Conference, minutes, November 25, 1981 at 12:45 pm. ↩︎
12. Stone, B. (1997). My years with Narcotics Anonymous. Joplin, Missouri: Hulon Pendleton Publishing. ↩︎
13. Report on the Mid-South Regional Service Conference (1981). ↩︎
14. Letter from the World Literature Committee requesting stories (undated but written between November 1981 and early January 1982) ↩︎
15. Anonymi (2004). A Matter of Principle: A Story of how Narcotics Anonymous came of age; 7^th World Literature Conference minutes, January 1982. ↩︎
16. Mid-South Regional Service Conference, minutes, 1981; Memphis Miracle Issue IV, December 1981 ↩︎
17. W.S.C. Policy Sub-Committee (1981). Proposed Revisions to the Third Edition of the Service Manual of Narcotics Anonymous. ↩︎
18. W.S.C. Policy Sub-Committee (1981). Proposed Revisions to the Third Edition of the Service Manual of Narcotics Anonymous. ↩︎
19. Joseph P. (1990).  Saturday Morning Workshop.  History Conference, Madison, AL, August 17 – 19, 1990. ↩︎
20. Analysis of 3^rd WLC minutes and 1981 Mid-South Regional Service Conference minutes. ↩︎