Sober 23 years since 2/5/1960, Virgil was the Area 16 (Georgia) Delegate from 1966-67.
He is a very deliberate speaker.
His mother's greatest dream was to have her oldest son be a minister.
From his first drink at age 17, he went from being a "panty-waist" to wanting nothing to do with anyone who did not drink.
After graduation from High School, instead of going to Seminary to be a Methodist minister, he and a buddy essentially ran away to sow their wild oats. He felt called home and returned. His mother died months later.
He did go to Seminary at age 18. After a year he came home and decided to take a quart of corn whiskey back with him. He drank it all, made a scene and was forced to resign even though he was top of his class.
Instead of shame, his ego took over wondering how God could have done this to him. He came back to Atlanta and went 2 years in Georgia Tech. He went to work for one of Georgia's largest organizations.
He worked 18 years to become successful in spite of alcohol. During that time he married his wife of 44 years Margaret. He became assistant to the President and was in line to become President but was instead asked for his resignation because of his drinking.
He got in to traveling sales and did well until he began to embarrass his customers while "entertaining" them.
His wife became an alcoholic during the same time. A couple they used to drink with came to their door well dressed and sober. Margaret heard the message first and had 4 more months sobriety than Virgil.
He reached his bottom in a hotel in Savannah, GA. He called AA and Uncle Fred M showed up. His "sponsor" in Atlanta drove down to get Virgil and bring him home. There he heard a religous program on TV that reminded him of the definition of Faith he looked up in Hebrews Chapter 11 Verse 1 from the Bible he had not opened in 20 years.
A hard headed Dutch-Irishman for the first none months, Virgil finally got sober and active in AA.
As Delegate, he worked directly with Bill W. to reorganize Area 16 to what it largely still is today.
In the Area Archives in Macon, GA, we have books inscribed to Virgil by Bill and Lois and a photograph of Bill and Virgil together.
Virgil doing Bill w's Memorial Meeting 2/14/1971
NOTE: This recording is from a cassette housed at the GSSA Archives in Macon, GA. The sound quality is excellent. The full session is included in the BURN version.
Listen to Uncle Fred share his story on WeJoy:
(58 min) (26.6 MB) (id#1302)