Fred and Martha B. are active members of Alcoholics Anonymous and have served on many area committees in their combined 37 years of sobriety. Bringing young people together for education and fun as an active member of the Georgia Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce) Convention and Entertainment Committees in Savannah, Fred was destined to be the Chairman of the 1990 Florida State Convention of Alcoholics Anonymous in Daytona Beach, Florida. This convention brought 2200 sober alcoholics to Daytona to celebrate their sobriety.

The Daytona Convention hosted many of the most popular motivational speakers in Alcoholics Anonymous, including Dick and Peggy M., Bellevue, Nebraska; Cliff and Pat R., Oceanside, California; Sandy B., Arlington, Virginia; the late Jack Sullivan, Louisville, Kentucky; the late Barnie Morris, La Jolla, California; the late Scotty Alcorn, Midland, Texas; the late Patsy Rodecker, New Smyrna Beach, Florida; the late Florida delegate Jimmy Gann, Jacksonville, Florida; Corrections Chair Bernie T., Oak Hill, Florida; and Fr. Patrick S. of Ireland.

In late 1990, someone suggested that Fred B. organize a fund-raiser for the Almous Club, bringing the late Jim Williams of Aledo, Texas, and the late Barney Morris of La Jolla, California, to Daytona Beach, Florida, for a Twelve and Twelve Seminar. The Almous Club put up the seed money for the first Daytona Spring to Sobriety Roundup, and they lost money.

In 1992, the roundup brought the Joe & Charlie Big Book Study with Clancy I. as the keynote speaker; it was a big success. The Almous Club recouped their money and the Spring to Sobriety Roundup continues every May under the name of Daytona Spring Conference. The name was changed because some attendees did not like using the word “sobriety” on their registration checks. It has grown for 15 years to be a four-day event and has brought many popular motivational speakers to the area, including Fr. Martin, Havre de Grace, Maryland; Clancy I., Los Angeles, California; the late Fr. Hillary Dreaper, Lillian, Al. and Sandy B., now living in Tampa, Florida. The roundup is now chaired by Lee Y. of Lake Mary, Florida, and continues until this day. Fred and Martha are now giving their full attention to the Unity Weekend and Gratitude Weekend in Jekyll Island, Georgia.

Unity Weekend began when Bob P. of Tifton, Georgia, and a couple of AA’s got together to bring a better understanding of Alcoholics Anonymous and the Program of Recovery to South Georgia. The first meeting was held in March of 1988 in Albany, Georgia, and was named Sowega Big Book Study. The program consisted of a Big Book Study by Joe McQ. of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Charlie P. of Maysville, Arkansas, with the late Frank Mauser of World Services in New York being the keynote speaker. Rollie S. was the Al-Anon speaker. The attendance was 530 happy AAs and Al-Anons. It continued every year in Albany, Georgia, averaging about 300 in attendance.

The Second Unity Weekend was in March of 1989 with the late Jim Williams of Aledo, Texas, conducting a 12-step study. Jim’s theme was “You cannot retreat if you are marching ahead.” The name was changed to a more dignified “Unity Weekend” because some attendees did not like to write “Sowega” on their checks. Imagine that. 300 AAs were in attendance. There was no Al-Anon speaker, but quite a few Al-Anons were in attendance.

The Third Unity Weekend was held in Albany, Georgia, in March of 1990 with Wille B. of Spring, Texas, leading a 12 and 12-Step Study. It was very sucessful with 300 AA’s and Al-Anons attending. The Fourth Unity Weekend was held in Albany, Georgia in March of 1991. A Big Book study was led by the renowned Paul Revere, Carry the Message Gang. The gang members were Joe McQ, Little Rock, Arkansas; Charlie P., Maysville, Arkansas; (Big Book Study) John W., Pompano Beach, Florida; Willie B., Spring, Texas; the late Frank Mauser of New York World Services; Joe C., and Travers C. of England was the keynote speaker. 500 AAs and Al-Anons were in attendance. The Fifth Unity Weekend was moved to Jekyll Island in March of 1992. Moving to Jekyll Island was the best decision that Bob P. and his committee ever made. The now very popular Big Book Study was led by Charlie P. of Maysville, Arkansas, and Joe McQ, of Little Rock, Arkansas. Clancy I. of Los Angeles, California, was the keynote speaker. This was Clancy’s first talk at Jekyll Island, and Unity Weekend grew to 605 in attendance.

The Sixth Unity Weekend at Jekyll Island was held in March of 1993. The format changed to six speakers consisting of Ken D., La Mesa, California; Ray M., Kannapolis, North Carolina; Francine W., Mill Valley, California; Johnnie H., Rossmore, California; Clancy I., Los Angeles, California; and the late Jim Williams, Aledo, Texas. 654 were in attendance. The Seventh Unity Weekend was held on March 4, 1994, and continued with the new format of six speakers. They were the late Rip Smith of Georgia, Nancy M., Minneapolis, Minnesota; Dennis N., Greer, South Carolina; Keith L., Wilmington, North Carolina; Bob D., Las Vegas, Nevada; and Clancy I., Los Angeles, California. Attendance grew to 665. Unity Weekend with Bob P. and his committee continued to grow on Jekyll Island, hosting some of the more popular motivational AA speakers from around the world. In 1998, Bob P. became ill and turned it over to Fred B., who changed the format to five speakers with Saturday afternoon off for fun and fellowship.

Fred, Martha, and the committee have added Saturday and Sunday sunrise meetings on the pool deck, an ice cream social on Saturday night, candlelight meetings on Friday and Saturday nights, plus a golf tournament, which started in March 2006. They added a Jekyll Island Gratitude Weekend in November of 1998, which actually started in Daytona Beach and has the same format as Unity Weekend without the Golf Tournament. The first weekend in March 2007, Unity Weekend will have a 20th Anniversary Celebration, which will host eight speakers over four days. The Committee offers financial assistance (scholarship) to those who cannot afford the registration fee. The Committee requests that you write a letter stating your hardship at least 15 days prior to the event for evaluation. Everyone attending must wear a badge for identification.