COVID

With the Covid pandemic, the Club, like the rest of the world, was turned upside down and faced grave challenges. In April, 2020 the Club shut down and we wondered not only how the Club would survive but how our members and meeting attendees would be able to maintain their recovery. 12 Step programs the world over discovered Zoom, Skype and other online platforms, and the different Club recovery groups quickly got their meetings going on the Zoom platform. The first Zoom meeting for the Fair Avenue Fellowship Group was May 4, 2020. The Club remained closed (with staff furloughed) through March, 2021 when the Club had a “soft” reopening with the first Zoom/live hybrid meeting held outside on March 12, 2021 and finally re-opening 7 days a week on April 27 2021. Through the incredible efforts of Club manager, Kiki, Terisa (Assistant Manager since 2019), Regina, Tammy, Cindy, Angela, the Board and many others, we were able to acquire and install the necessary computers, screens, microphones & technology to make hybrid meetings possible initially outside and then in Duncan Hall. The Club was able to start paying the staff (who had volunteered their labor throughout) again in September, 2021.

When Zoom first stared it took some time to get off the ground and for people to join. Terisa and Kiki took it upon themselves to host and secretary all four daily meetings, 7 days a week, until the Zoom concept took off. After a month or so people started to really show up, wanting to learn and contribute. Not surprisingly, Tony B. was the first person to take over hosting Zoom meetings from Kiki and Terisa. He took on all of the 4 pm Golden Keys meetings. As time when on, other people started to secretary and host meetings, taking some of the weight off Kiki, Terisa and Tony’s shoulders.

In March of 2021, Terisa came up with the idea to create a meeting that was both in person and on Zoom. After a lot of thinking about different possibilities, she arrived at a solution. After trial and error and a few hiccups, she made it work. The outdoor meetings were a huge hit. We started off with the Bedtime Story Friday evening meeting, then added the 9 am Cup of Coffee meeting on weekends. Soon multiple meetings were held on the weekends and then Cup of Coffee meetings seven days a week. A few weeks after the initial outdoor hybrid meetings, Terisa was again inspired to add a tv screen to the mix so live attendees could see who was on Zoom and not just hear them.

We started off with original amp for the in-house attendees and an iPad for Zoomers watching and listening from home. We had a tv on a table and the speaker from outside brought in so that Zoomers could be seen and heard. This was a total headache for the host who would have to mute back and forth from iPad to laptop between in-house and Zoomers. Terisa yet again put her thinking cap on and also consulted other tech savvy members about her ideas and they helped make her vision happen. The Club received financial help from one anonymous donor and another anonymous donor provided additional tech help with equipment. After purchasing a new amp, some special microphones, webcams, projector and a projector screen (and other little things), the Duncan Hall meeting room was now state of the art! A flawless system that many people say is the best they have seen.

In the early hybrid meetings days, some members had concerns about anonymity initiating a debate on whether or not hybrid should be allowed. When we moved back into the building, Terisa called the AA General Service Office in New York to no avail, so she emailed to explain the situation and what the Club was doing. At this point, to the best to her knowledge, the Club was the only fellowship/club with hybrid meetings and she didn’t want to break any of AA’s 12 Traditions. About two weeks later she got a reply with the go ahead to do hybrid meetings with two conditions: 1. a waiting room must be in place; and 2. a password would be necessary to join meetings. Luckily, this was already being done!

The volunteer work of Kiki, Terisa, Tammy, Regina, Cindy and Angela kept the Club doors open and continuing to bring in revenue. Operating without a payroll allowed the Club to get through the uncertain and dark times. The Club was also supported by its members, many of whom continued to pay their monthly membership dues despite the facility being closed. Zoom also brought us people from both outside the Valley and all over the country, as well as some international visitors. Some visitors became members of the Club and others sent donations. Two such visitors travelled from New York to the Club to experience the Fair Avenue Fellowship Group live and to partake of the Club’s justly famous suicide omelette!

During the pandemic, the Club hired a live-in maintenance person, Harvey, who has worked hard to address many things that needed to be repaired or upgraded. Among many other things, Harvey was able to build a roof for the existing deck allowing the Club to hold outdoor meetings. The Club now has electricity and lights outside and two outdoor heaters for the winter.

Terisa’s entrepreneurial spirit combined with the Club’s ever present need for revenue led to the purchase of a circuit machine. The circuit machine, together with a donated heat press and mug press, allowed Terisa to create 12 Step themed Club merchandise for sale.

As with death and taxes, the Club’s financial struggles are ever with us! Covid certainly didn’t help. But the fun and the spirit of recovery also are ever present as we continue to seek to meet the mission laid out in our charter.

Underscoring the value of our Club and others like it, a certain Bill Wilson in his speech of AA Today and Tomorrow, 3rd International AA Conference, said “those that complain about clubs are quite often comfortably housed, fed, and warm, and that no Club is so damn bad that it hasn’t got a plus sign. Clubs are something very worthwhile and here to stay.”

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