MSCA - Mid Southern California Area 09 of Alcoholics Anonymous

Archives Committee

"Whenever a society or civilization perishes there is always one condition present; they forgot where they came from." -- Carl Sandburg

"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."
--- Copied from A.A.® Guidelines -- Archives

Primary Purpose: To preserve the history of AA in Southern California and the in the Mid Southern California in particular.

Link: Archives Committee Guidelines

Link: AA Group History Form

Formed: The committee was formed in 1982 and the material collected for many years was moved in the Area's 1st Repository in 1991. The Archives Committee moved into their new home in January 2009.

Archives Repository: The new Archives is located at 7111 Arlington Ave., Suite B, Riverside, CA. Open every Saturday from 10 am until 1 pm; Sundays and evenings by special appointment.

Committee Meetings: Our new committee meeting schedule will be every other month on the even number months (Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct) Meetings are held at the Archives Repository in Riverside. The Committee does meet informally at the monthly Area meeting and all of our meetings are open to anyone.

Annual Events: Open House: Held in March to mark the anniversary of moving in the repository in Colton. It was created to bring attention to the Archives and give past Delegates an opportunity to share about their past service commitment.

Heritage Day: Held in October and is designed for a panel of Old timers to sharing what AA was like when they got sober and how Service helped to keep them sober.

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 of Group Histories throughout Southern California. Once the histories are gathered, hopes are to somehow publish them in some sort of booklet.

Minutes from Archives Committee Meetings: