The first AA Meeting in the greater Kansas City area Group #1 occurred in April 1941, right
after the Jack Alexander article appeared in the Saturday Evening Post.
The first AA meeting north of the river was the North Kansas City Group on October 10, 1949
and was an open meeting with family and friends attending. In October of 1972 the 12 & 12
was founded on South North Oak Traffic way.
Than in 1974 a group of individuals made up of some members from the North Kansas City and
12 & 12 groups wanted to start an AA group further north of the Missouri River in Platte
County.
So the first meeting of the Parkhill Group (also called Platte County AA) was November 8,
1974 at the Church of the Redeemer at 7110 N 9 Hwy, Parkville, MO.
Within eight months of starting, the group had grown and needed more space.
On August 1, 1975 the group moved to a basement at 7520 NW Prairie View Rd, Platte Woods,
MO.
By November of 1986 the group needed more parking space, so we moved to 10901 NW 45
Hwy, Parkville, MO. The summer flood of 1993 damaged the basement of the building and it
was decided repairs would be too costly.
In December 1993 we moved, once again, back to Platte Woods at 6500 NW Prairie View Rd.,
under the water tower.
In 1999 that building’s owner, wanted to go smoke free. Our lease didn’t prohibit smoking and
wouldn’t expire until Feb. 2002. So, smoking at the group continued. Smoking became a hot
topic with group members. As a result, a new nonsmoking group started in Eileen B.’s
apartment with members from Park Hill and N. Kansas City Groups and became the Northland
Miracles Group. After Eileen passed away, that group started meeting at the Gloria Dei
Lutheran Church and is now at Church of the Redeemer.
We, being AA’s, would have none of that so in February 2002 we moved to our current
location at 216 Business Park Lane, Riverside, MO.
Once in Riverside a group conscious was held and determined that smoking be allowed in the
smaller room with a separate ventilation system. At that point the smokers took their ashtrays
and left and formed the Riverpark Group, which later folded. They migrated to the North Oak
Group until Gladstone went nonsmoking. Left North Oak and eventually came the You Are Not
Alone Group now in Northmoor.
Shortly after the smokers left, Parkhill became totally nonsmoking.
So here we are tonight to celebrate 48 years of the Park Hill Group.
For 48 years we have managed to keep the doors open, lights on, coffee hot, and to carry the
AA message to those who still suffer.
Park Hill has been helpful to many, many people over the years and hopefully will be for many
more to come and with a recent group conscious vote and the signing of a five year lease we
will keep the lights on and the coffee hot at our location in Riverside through 2024.
In our 48 year history we have lost a few (79 by my count) to the big meeting so let’s take a
moment to remember all those who came before and those we recently lost Dawn H.
(Pause)
Also I would like to thank all who volunteered to help organize this event and also our current
trusted servants for their service and a special thanks to our incoming trusted servants for
stepping up to keep Parkhill operating.
And a special thank you goes out to all who helped plan this year’s anniversary party!
after the Jack Alexander article appeared in the Saturday Evening Post.
The first AA meeting north of the river was the North Kansas City Group on October 10, 1949
and was an open meeting with family and friends attending. In October of 1972 the 12 & 12
was founded on South North Oak Traffic way.
Than in 1974 a group of individuals made up of some members from the North Kansas City and
12 & 12 groups wanted to start an AA group further north of the Missouri River in Platte
County.
So the first meeting of the Parkhill Group (also called Platte County AA) was November 8,
1974 at the Church of the Redeemer at 7110 N 9 Hwy, Parkville, MO.
Within eight months of starting, the group had grown and needed more space.
On August 1, 1975 the group moved to a basement at 7520 NW Prairie View Rd, Platte Woods,
MO.
By November of 1986 the group needed more parking space, so we moved to 10901 NW 45
Hwy, Parkville, MO. The summer flood of 1993 damaged the basement of the building and it
was decided repairs would be too costly.
In December 1993 we moved, once again, back to Platte Woods at 6500 NW Prairie View Rd.,
under the water tower.
In 1999 that building’s owner, wanted to go smoke free. Our lease didn’t prohibit smoking and
wouldn’t expire until Feb. 2002. So, smoking at the group continued. Smoking became a hot
topic with group members. As a result, a new nonsmoking group started in Eileen B.’s
apartment with members from Park Hill and N. Kansas City Groups and became the Northland
Miracles Group. After Eileen passed away, that group started meeting at the Gloria Dei
Lutheran Church and is now at Church of the Redeemer.
We, being AA’s, would have none of that so in February 2002 we moved to our current
location at 216 Business Park Lane, Riverside, MO.
Once in Riverside a group conscious was held and determined that smoking be allowed in the
smaller room with a separate ventilation system. At that point the smokers took their ashtrays
and left and formed the Riverpark Group, which later folded. They migrated to the North Oak
Group until Gladstone went nonsmoking. Left North Oak and eventually came the You Are Not
Alone Group now in Northmoor.
Shortly after the smokers left, Parkhill became totally nonsmoking.
So here we are tonight to celebrate 48 years of the Park Hill Group.
For 48 years we have managed to keep the doors open, lights on, coffee hot, and to carry the
AA message to those who still suffer.
Park Hill has been helpful to many, many people over the years and hopefully will be for many
more to come and with a recent group conscious vote and the signing of a five year lease we
will keep the lights on and the coffee hot at our location in Riverside through 2024.
In our 48 year history we have lost a few (79 by my count) to the big meeting so let’s take a
moment to remember all those who came before and those we recently lost Dawn H.
(Pause)
Also I would like to thank all who volunteered to help organize this event and also our current
trusted servants for their service and a special thanks to our incoming trusted servants for
stepping up to keep Parkhill operating.
And a special thank you goes out to all who helped plan this year’s anniversary party!