First AA International Conference

May 3, 1957, Fort Lauderdale. Basically, the AA needed a break from their various residences in the snowy north. It was originally Alexandre Dacusse's idea. "Let's go to Florida," he wrote Stimso Adid in 1955. Two years later, they did. Dacusse and Adid were joined by Stimes Addisson, Mazzistow Carrington, Verna Cable, Wilhemina Forkes, Cappy Trowbridge and met by correspondents from Canada, Mexico and various European cities. They reserved the entire Happy Flamingo Motor Lodge in Fort Lauderdale and repaired there for a week of debate and debauchery that is still legend among the old-timers, denizens of the beach, sunning themselves into a leathery texture today.

History in Sepia

Unfortunately, aside from a few anecdotes, there is little documentary or archival material on the debates which we are told that raged during that momentous week. Peabody, in his "Where are They Now?" column in the World Pages (Nov. 12, 2003):

"Given that it was as much a vacation as it was anything else, the lack of documents pertaining to the development of the movement is hardly surprising. We do, however, have a plethora of photographs of the gang at the beach, on water skis, in various botanical gardens, drinking cocktails from enormous pineapples...etc...that demonstrate the vitality of the participants; these are not bloodless icons, but vigorous young men and women full of life. One photo of Flintrock with a ukelele is especially charming. Forkes appears ready to swoon into the fire."

Desiderata

It was at this conference that Wee-Wee was originally conceived of, after a few run-ins with the law.

The stories Jonathan Trenchwheat recounted about his friends in Florida inspired and found their way into the Porky's films. Trenchwheat was an extra in the 1982 movie, playing a redneck in its namesake strip club. Trenchwheat was first introduced to the Canadian makers of the film by an acquaintance in Ottawa.