Bob P. from Riverside, CT at 7th Crested Butte Mountain Conference – Mt. Crested Butte, CO – 8/9/1990

This is a powerful and historically significant recording of Bob P. from Riverside, Connecticut — a key figure in the development of Alcoholics Anonymous service structure and one of the most influential non-founder voices in AA history.

Recorded at the 7th Crested Butte Mountain Conference in Crested Butte, Colorado on August 9, 1990, this talk captures a man who not only found recovery… But helped shape how AA would function and survive worldwide.

🕰️ A Life Transformed Through AA

Bob came to Alcoholics Anonymous in 1961 after years of alcoholism that nearly cost him his life. Like many who came before him, he did not just stop drinking — he was transformed.

He would later write in his Big Book story: 👉 “A.A. taught him to handle sobriety.”

A message that reflects a deeper truth: Recovery is not just about not drinking… It’s about learning how to live.

🏛️ A Leader in AA Service

What makes Bob’s voice especially important in AA history is not only his personal recovery… But his service. He went on to become:

• General Manager of the General Service Office (1974–1984)

• Senior Advisor to the General Service Office after his tenure

• A trustee and trusted servant helping guide AA during a period of massive global growth

During his time in service, AA expanded worldwide — strengthening its structure while remaining rooted in its core principles of unity, service, and anonymity.

🧠 A Voice of Clarity and Balance

Bob was known for his ability to speak clearly about one of AA’s greatest challenges: 👉 How to preserve structure without creating control He often emphasized:

• The importance of the Traditions

• The danger of rigidity and over-control

• The need for humility in service

• Trusting the Fellowship rather than governing it

He warned that AA’s greatest danger would not come from outside forces… But from within — through ego, fear, and rigidity.

🕊️ Why This Recording Matters

This is not just a speaker talk. This is the voice of someone who stood at the center of AA’s evolution — helping carry it from a growing fellowship into a truly global movement. Bob represents a generation that:

👉 Protected AA’s principles

👉 Strengthened its service structure

👉 Ensured its survival beyond the founders

🌎 A Living Legacy

From his early sobriety… to his role in shaping AA’s worldwide service… to moments like this — speaking at gatherings across the country… Bob carried a message that continues to guide Alcoholics Anonymous today.

🔊 About Recovery Speakers

Recovery Speakers is dedicated to preserving and sharing the voices that shaped recovery — from early pioneers to the trusted servants who ensured AA would endure.