Alcoholics Anonymous In Barbados - History
Information about the beginnings of Alcoholics Anonymous in Barbados has been often sketchy, contradictory and usually impossible to verify. The main sources of information are the recollections of the two longest-standing members Tony V. and Ulric R. who suggest that it was around the early 60's that an American called Ed A., who was living and working on the island introduced the Program to Barbadians. The first meetings were held at the St. Matthias Boys' School, Christ Church and the founder- members included Ed A., Tony V., Robert, Cyrus and Bert E.
According to Tony V., hardly any of the locals maintained permanent sobriety but the doors were kept open with the help of a number of American and Canadian visitors, one of whom introduced the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions around 1965. By the late 60's two other meetings, at James Street Methodist Church, Bridgetown, and the St. Joseph Hospital in St. Peter had come on stream.
The Intergroup Committee to coordinate the activities of the number of Groups that had emerged by then was formed in 1983. These activities included the telephone answering service, meeting information, and the purchase of literature. AA in Barbados continues to thrive today and there are no fewer than eighteen(18) meetings a week, at least two every day. For more details on the history of AA in Barbados, see the May 2011 issue of Grapevine, AA's international journal aagrapevine.org.