“Autumn In The Ozarks Conference”
History
The “Monday Night Group” in Bull Shoals, Arkansas, was formed in l975, and has been carrying the message since conception. While meeting places in Bull Shoals have changed from time to time, it is the oldest active AA group in northern Arkansas. In 1980 this group, which was relatively small in number at the time, 10 members or so declaring it to be their home group, decided to put together a 3 day AA conference, with Al-Anon participation, to be held in Bull Shoals, at the Crow-Barnes Resort. It was to be known then, as it is today, as the “Autumn In The Ozarks Conference” and held around the 3rd week in September. It was an immediate success and was very rewarding to members of the AA and Al-Anon groups whose efforts made it possible. Growth soon became a worry factor, as the resort at that time did not have the facilities to handle the anticipated increasing number of registrations. To provide an adequate meeting facility capable of hosting hundreds, the conference committee came up with an innovative idea of renting a 40 x 80 circus type big-top tent with platform, podium, speakers, and bleachers from a company in Springfield, MO. The tent was placed on the resort property. For many years such a tent was used very successfully, and it became a symbol of the conference. It was illustrated on all the fliers that promoted the event each year. Most importantly, using the tent was very successful in providing an adequate, roomy and comfortable meeting area. By the year 2000 the renting of the tent had become costly and was discontinued because the resort had improved their facilities and was able to provide adequate meeting accommodations.
For the first 8 years, promoting and running the conference was taken on by the AA and Al-Anon Monday Night Groups; however, because of willingness shown by other District 2 groups in Arkansas continuing the conference was and has been accepted as a District 2 responsibility since 1987 to the present 28th edition in 2008. All attendance records are not readily available, but registrations have ranged from slightly over 100 attending the first conference to over 350 plus in later years. Since the tent was discontinued, registrations have lessened, averaging close to 250 each year.
In 2007 the committee determined the resort could not accommodate future growth of the conference and a facility in Mountain Home offered a better conference room for the 2008 conference. Coincidentally, a fire struck the Bel Arco Resort in Bull Shoals in late 2007 and some of the facilities were damaged by fire. The 28th Autumn in the Ozarks Conference embarks upon a new chapter in its new home at the Ramada Inn, in Mountain Home, AR. It is hoped the conference will continue to be a successful, message-carrying event, for recovering alcoholics and Al-Anon’s for many, many years to come.
***If you have any memories, pictures, old flyers, information of interest, etc., that you would like to share for our archives, we would love to have it. Just go to the contacts page and make your comments, send your pictures, and we will post this information on the site as soon as possible. Thanks for your interest!
