Recovery Celebrates 65th Anniversary  

    Recovery, Inc. members and guests eagerly awaited the 65th anniversary gala with joyful anticipation, which had been in the planning stages for more than a year.  They were not disapointed as nearly 250 people heaped praise on the two-day celebration May 24-25 at the Westin Hotel O'Hare in Rosemont, IL.

Jeanne Clawson, of Oregon, and Shirley Sachs, Recovery's executive director were roundly applauded for their untiring efforts to bring this special occasion to such a successful conclusion on Sunday morning.

Over 65 members and newcomers enjoyed the Friday tour of Recovery's headquarters on Dearborn Street in downtown Chicago.  After the guided tour of headquarters with its rich past and memorabilia, people were welcome to enjoy the sights of Chicago, including lunch at Berghoff's, Dr. Low's favorite restaurant. Doug Elbert delivered a lecture on the founding of Recovery.  Celinda Jungheim served as a guide when the group toured headquarters.

The Friday night banquet at the Rosewood Restaurant set an elegant tone for the remainder of the weekend.  Besides a delicious dinner, the event also featured a wedding reception, with a four-tiered wedding cake, for Leslie Ann and Cliff Brown, who had wed a week earlier in Los Angeles.

After the dinner, people went to five different Recovery panel rooms.  This is always a welcome chance for members around this nation and internationally to come away with a new "spot" or two.  It also serves as a reminder as to the structure of Recovery meetings.

The hospitality room on the 12th floor was often open for those who wanted to visit with friends.  The literature table was also a busy place with plenty of Recovery items for sale and a popular place for Recoveryites to hang out and visit.  The new blue and white polo shirts proved a popular and successful souvenir to purchase.

The Recovery panels were the first order on the Saturday morning agenda.  Ater the panels, a buffet luncheon was served in the
La Salle Ballroom.  Judging by the laughter most everyone was enjoying the leisure time before the serious business of the annual meeting took place in the afternoon in a modern, comfortable conference center.

Heading the annual meeting agenda was the report from President Marilyn Schicker followed by the adoption of the 2001 annual meeting minutes, the financial report, the appointment of auditors, the adoption of amended bylaws, and the election of the Board of Directors. Certificates of Appreciation were given to retiring board members and officers.

At 6 P.M. there was a 'get acquainted' reception in the Adams-Archer Ballroom foyer. It resembled however, more of a Hollywood movie premiere, with women in elegant ball gowns, men in formal wear and everyone very much in the "cultured manner".

Along the foyer were 13 memorabilia photo panels depicting former years of Recovery and the struggling years of its inception.  People milled around these elaborate panels for most of the evening.

The banquet and dinner was held in the Adams-Archer Ballroom.  Among the many highlights of the evening was the keynote address by Margaret Rau, who along with her late husband Neil, wrote "My Dear Ones".  Her talk was filled with old memories and humorous quips about getting interviews for the book.  She received a standing ovation after her address, as did the Low daughters, Marilyn Low Schmitt of California and Phyllis Low Berning of Illinois.

The raffle for the beautiful painting of Dr. Low and Treasure Rice, created and donated by artist Mary Soniat of New Orleans, provided a flurry of last-minute raffle purchases.  Mary, along with Marilyn Schicker, presented the painting to the lucky winner-Betsy Weiss of San Diego, CA.

Other raffle prizes were a cordless phone won by Joyce Zimmerman of New York, a complete set of Recovery, Inc. books was won by Noel Boyle and a free night at the Westin Hotel won by Kathleen Shannon.

After the raffle, the dance floor became the most popular place in Chicago.  There was music for everyone, including even a polka and a conga line.  By the end of the evening, at 11:30 P.M. most everyone was still enjoying the evening.  The live disc jockey was Gay Essary-Her Sound.

On Sunday morning two Recovery panels were held to cap off one of the most successful anniversary celebrations in memory.