Archives is living Twelfth Step service Sharing how to carry the message The Saturday Evening Post brought it here To be safeguarded here. In Akron, two friends found a way To help one another each day; What began with a call Became hope for us all— And A.A. still carries that ray. The Big Book gave language to pain, And a path through the storm and the rain; When one story was shared, A new hope was prepared— And the message could travel again. The Traditions stood watch over flame, So no person could master the name; With service and trust, And a conscience held just, The Fellowship flourished without fame. Some serve with a meeting or chair, Some answer a newcomer’s prayer; Some preserve what was said, So the next one is led— Archives carries the message with care. Twelfth Step service is more than a call, Or sharing a message in a hall; We preserve what was said, So the next one is led, And the message keeps reaching us all. Archives is more than a room, Or records consigned to the gloom; It keeps voices alive, Helps the message survive, And makes room for tomorrow to bloom. In twenty-one, boxes could sprawl, With stories still waiting to call; We answered with care, And brought order there, To honor and welcome them all. By twenty-six, every box had a place, Every label could guide us with grace; The shelves stood in line, The records could shine, And history welcomed each face. On paper, on tape, or online, We help every record align; With backups and care, Its voice will be there, And tomorrow can follow the line. With a box, table, banner, and tale, Archives carries the past down the trail; At a meeting or show, New members can know How the message has traveled so well. The rooms may transform, tools renew, And the people who serve may change too; But each generation Can carry the foundation— And pass on the message anew.
