Early Inland Empire History 1981-1986

1. Early Inland Empire History1981-1986 Inland Empire 30th Anniversary “Sunlight of the Spirit” at the Clarion Hotel Richland, WA April 30-May 2, 2010

2. First Inland Empire Roundup • May 15-17, 1981, Holiday Inn, Richland, WA • Theme: The Love of Sobriety--Not the Fear of Drinking • Offered: • Tapes, golf, dance, panels, speakers, “Hoot Owl”, Ice Cream Bar • Tours of Fast Flux Test Facility and Nuclear Science Exhibit • Inscribed Coffee Mugs for $5 with free coffee for the whole weekend

3. First Inland Empire Roundup • Saturday Night speaker was “Wino” Joe L. of Tyler, TX • There was no admission charge to hear the speaker following the Saturday banquet • “Early Bird” total cost for registration, banquet, breakfast and dance was $21.50

6. Second Inland Empire Roundup • May 14-16, 1982, Holiday Inn, Richland, WA • Theme: I Came - I Came To - I Came to Believe • Offered: • Tapes, golf, dance, panels, speakers, “Hoot Owl”, Ice Cream Bar, tours • Inscribed Coffee Mugs for $5 with free coffee • Alkathon, Al-Anon & Alateen Events • Pre-registration total cost for registration, banquet, breakfast and dance was $25, then $29 at the door

7. Second Inland Empire Roundup • Roundup Committee & Board Members: • Mike M., Dick O., Dorothy B., Jan P., Carol W., Shorty H., Bill H., Jerry H. and Jo S. • AA Speakers: • Local speakers: Russ T., Tri-Cities, WA; Colleen D., Kennewick, WA; John S., Walla Walla, WA; Jack S., Kennewick, WA • Ralph H., Kansas City, MO • Gene H., Novato, CA • Al-Anon Speakers: • Jeannie S., Pasco, WA • Rick N., Spokane, WA

10. Third Inland Empire Roundup • May 13-15, 1983, Holiday Inn, Richland, WA • Theme: It Works, It Really Does! • Offered: • Alkathon, Golf, Panels, Tours, Banquet, Snack Bar, Dancing, Swimming, Music & Fellowship • Al-Anon & Alateen Events • All events, registration, banquet, breakfast and dance for $25, then $29 at the door • Still offered the “famous mug deal” for $5 and still no admission charge to hear the speaker following the Saturday banquet

11. Third Inland Empire Roundup • Speakers: • George G., Scottsdale, AZ • Harry L., Victoria, BC • Chuck C., Salem, OR • Buttons were available with “AA Inland Empire Roundup” with the now familiar script “R” in the word Roundup”. Does that “R” remind anyone else of the Rainier Beer “R”?

12. Roundup Buttons Roundup Badges

13. Fourth Inland Empire Roundup • May 4-6, 1984, Holiday Inn, Richland, WA • Theme: In It’s Simplicity, We Find Our Difficulty • “We prove it’s fun to be sober” • Offered: • Alkathon, Golf, Panels, Tours, Banquet, Snack Bar, Dancing, Swimming, Music & Fellowship • Al-Anon & Alateen Events • All events, registration, banquet, breakfast and dance for $25, then $29 at the door

14. Fourth Inland Empire Roundup • Roundup Committee & Board Members: • Dorothy B., Jerry H., Hilda C., Joy G., Sandy M., Shorty H., Mike M. and Jan P. • AA Speakers: • Local speakers: Karen H., Hilda C., Ron A. • Cliff R., Ocean Side , CA • Lou Ann S., Anchorage, AL • Al-Anon Speaker: • Judy E., Kennewick, WA

17. Fifth Inland Empire Roundup • May 3-5, 1985, Holiday Inn, Richland, WA • Theme: Making Winners Out Of Losers • Offered: • Alkathon, Golf, Panels, Tours, Banquet, Snack Bar, Dancing, Swimming, Music & Fellowship • Al-Anon & Alateen Events • All events, registration, banquet, breakfast and dance for $25, then $29 at the door

18. Fifth Inland Empire Roundup • AA Speakers: • Local speakers: John P., Judith N. and Gordon A. • Hal M., Washington DC • Jim T., Shawnee, TN • Al-Anon Speaker: • Sharon A., Tri-Cities • “Wizard of Non”, an original skit with: Dorothy (Julie D.), Scarecrow (Sandy M.), Lion (Jim K.), Tin Man (Lynette R.), Good Witch (Chris), Wicked Witch (Kathy) and AL of Non (Ron G.)

21. Sixth Inland Empire Roundup • May 16-18, 1986, Holiday Inn, Richland, WA • Theme: We Can Do What I Can’t Do • Offered: • Alkathon, Golf, Panels, Tours, Banquet, Snack Bar, Dancing, Swimming, Music & Fellowship • Al-Anon & Alateen Events

22. Sixth Inland Empire Roundup • AA Speakers: • Local speakers: Mickey W., Rose E. and Irish C. • Tom G., Canada • Richard H., Hawaii • Al-Anon Speakers: • Della D., Renton, WA • Carol T., Lawndale, CA

25. …and the rest is history ’til today • Years from now, this 30th anniversary of the Inland Empire Roundup will be of interest to those who follow us. • Please consider donating to the District 4, WA Area archives held in the Alano Club in Kennewick, from this or previous Roundups, items such as: • Programs • Letters, notes, Roundup meeting minutes, etc.. • AA cups • Tapes/CDs • Bring items to the Central Office Committee that meets every 2nd Saturday at the Quinalt Baptist Church at Canal St. and Edison in Kennewick

26. Early Inland Empire History1981-1986 Thank you for your attention and please see me during this convention to share other memories of past Inland Empire Roundups. (This presentation will be available from the Internet web site www.3citiesaa.org under the Service Committees Archives tab)

28. One day after a meeting – probably a Sunday morning – Shorty said a few people had been thinking that since the Pacific Northwest Conference, that had just taken place, was such a good experience maybe we should have an annual roundup in the Tri-Cities. He was getting together a few people for the committee. He wanted to know if I wanted to be on the committee. As it always seems in AA just when I am questioning my being there or that I need be more involved an opportunity comes along to fill that need or answer to that question. I felt a part of AA and honored to be asked to serve. The old timers were always kind to me and made me feel welcome. The others that I remember on that committee were Jan P which meant Ron and Jan P; Mike M (big Mike), and of course Shorty. The names that come to mind in the first years are Bill and Meryl from Prosser along with Carol from Prosser, Jerry and Maxine, then Annie H, Hal and Hilde, Roundup Remembrances

29. Joy G, Al. The programs will probably track the names of people. Shorty chaired the first roundup and Mike M was alternate and served as chair the second year; then Jan P and Bill the third year; myself and Jerry the fourth; and Hal the fifth year. Guidelines for our roundups: Most important: must be within the guidelines of AA. Being self supporting was a key. Next get a place to hold the Roundup which meant you had to negotiate the coffee. That was the make or break of success, because if you didn’t lock them into the coffee price they could break the bank. The one thing AA can do is drink a lot of coffee. The second was to get a Saturday night speaker who would be a good draw. Wino Joe from Texas was our first speaker and I will always Roundup Remembrances

30. remember his story as well as Mike’s laugh as he chaired that meeting. The committee was small and met in our homes. There were not a lot of meetings throughout the year. We met initially to select the place and Shorty was in charge of getting speakers. We met in the fall to pick a theme and order cups. In recognition of being self supporting and each roundup being self supporting we operated off preregistration for funds. Usually, on the Thursday following the roundup, we met at the hotel, had a year end dinner and voted on how to disperse all the money except $500 seed money. We also voted on who was to serve the following year as chairman, alternate chairman, secretary and treasurer. There were few planning meetings. The last month or so we started to set up the coffee, registration, alka-thon, volunteers, etc. With all the committees it was important to get newer people involved. During registration Jan and I were Roundup Remembrances

31. usually at the front desk to make sure the money was accounted for and that we segregated the Alanon count from the AA count so that we followed the AA guidelines of being self supporting. The excess cash was paid out to Alanon for their share, then the AA money was split up between AA local, district and GSO. Preregistration had to begin early to get the funds to buy the cups mail out the flyers etc. Flyers were mailed out in January or February, however, Registration forms were available earlier than that, so we could have the funds to operate. Seating was done according to order of registration to encourage early registration. There were no reserve seats for committee members. We are always to be one among many. Speakers were assigned special seating as our guest. One or two years we had local “dignitaries” to welcome the roundup to the area. (i.e. a local city official whose daughter was making valiant efforts to get sober.) Roundup Remembrances

32. The whole idea of the Roundup was to make it accessible to all people. It was to be a low key place to come and relax. The registrations were to pay for the speakers and part of the dance cost. If you bought the full package you got a ticket to the dance. Meals were to be sold at cost or within 50 cents. There were to be no raffles, as those funds could not be segregated between AA members and others. There was to be a literature display with AA literature. Usually the district literature chairman would bring his display. At later roundup they started selling other items, but those were to be located in a hotel room away from the AA. In order to keep the cost down we had a main speaker from outside the area for Saturday night and Sunday morning, an Alanon speaker from the local or Tri-State area, the Friday night panel was selected from the preregister members, there was an opening sharing meeting on Friday afternoon, and panels Saturday afternoon. We had tours of the “Area” set up with some of the people Roundup Remembrances

33. who worked out there as the guides. There was a low key golf tournament. The coffee cups – very big and heavy – allowed one to have either all the coffee or pop they wanted for the weekend if you purchased the cups or you could buy tickets and have coffee by the cups. Sunday morning we would attempt to sell any remaining coffee cups at a bargain price. The pot was located in the pool bar area where there was also an ice cream bar where members could purchase ice cream sundays etc. This allowed the hotel to make a profit on an “unnecessary” item while our members were provided the comforts of coffee and pop. We paid for the pop by the canister. Dorothy was treasurer for the first two years and then Annie H became treasurer. In support of the inexpensive weekend away, Whiskey Bill was our biggest advocate. He promoted the roundup on the Roundup Remembrances

34. West side and always brought a large contingent from his home group and area to the roundup. It was a great way to have people involved in an AA function where they were not overwhelmed by the number of people, activities to choose from, and cost. Jim G. from Lewiston did the same thing from his area. In fact that is why the roundup was moved from late May to late April. It was in conflict with the Lewiston spring fling. Roundup Remembrances • Memories: In 1986 Tom H,, Shorty’s son did characature drawings; dangling my feet in the hot tub with nylons on; dressing up; semi-formal for the Saturday night dinner and dances. Life long friends. • The roundup is a huge part of my early sobriety. I learned so much about AA and people during those times. Yours in service, Dorothy