Paulmh wrote: "Having been a product of the "drag it out as long as possible school"
I wonder Paul, when you get really sick and go to a doctor do you ask your physician to give you medication that won't get you well for a really long time? Do you want an antibiotic to take for months and months while you still cough and sneeze and vomit?
The Back To Basics approach is based upon the Beginner's Classes originated by Clarence Snyder in the very early 1940's in Cleveland, Ohio. Wally took thses classes and the other pamphlets taken from the original Cleveland format and started attempting to get back to what worked so well in AA's formulative years. People went thru a series of indoctrinational classes introducing them to the Steps so that they too can recover and go one to help others. It worked so well that other parts of the US wrote and visited Cleveland and took these classes back home with them to start in their respective areas.
I found Clarence to be a wonderful role model for me. His biography on-line is a great read and gives a real picture of what it used to be like in the early days.