Our History

First164yp AA group history

First164YP, the first online voice AA meeting in Europe, began in January 2009. The initiative was launched by Dallas T., an American living in Milan, Italy, who had recently served as the Young People's Contact for the Continental European Region. His vision was to provide a platform for English-speaking members to connect and support each other.

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Dallas T. initiated the Monday night meetings using free Skype. However, due to the limitations of early technology and internet connections, the meetings often faced technical challenges, including crashes when attempting to accommodate more than a dozen participants.

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As the technical issues persisted, Dan, a member who joined the third meeting, took over hosting responsibilities when Dallas moved to China. Dan, supported by his wife Kate M. and Laura T. from Madrid, continued to host and improve the meetings for six months. During this period, the meetings were publicized through the Continental European Region, leading to an increase in participants.

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In response to the growing interest, First164YP became an officially recognized AA group under the Second Tradition. The group established a PayPal account for 7th Tradition contributions, initiated by treasurer Laura T., and expanded the meeting schedule to five nights a week. Although there were suggestions to hold meetings every night, concerns about having enough qualified tech hosts limited the schedule to five nights.

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Over time, as the group continued to grow, it faced various technological challenges. Initially using Skype, the group later subscribed to WebEx for video meetings but found that Skype remained more accessible and popular among participants. Despite experimenting with different platforms, the group eventually returned to Skype for its simplicity and wider familiarity.

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Today, First164YP holds daily meetings with participants from around the world, primarily from North America and Europe demonstrating the group's international reach and impact. The dedicated team of tech hosts, connected via WhatsApp, ensures smooth operation of the meetings, addressing any issues and managing simultaneous sessions when necessary.

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The focus of First164YP remains on providing a supportive and solution-oriented space for sobriety. The discipline of choosing and discussing short texts from AA literature continues to attract a diverse and engaged membership. 

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Bill Wilson would be thrilled.

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