Alano Clubs in Los Angeles County

A Brief History   The Pathfinders Club was established in 1964 by a group of sober alcoholics at 258 S. Oxford St. (near Western & Third), next door to the Masonic Temple.  They rented a two story house from the York Masons and started a clubhouse which was known for its friendly atmosphere, good meetings and engaging conversations in the front room and around the kitchen table.  Many recovering alcoholics attribute their sobriety to those early days on Oxford Street and recollect the club with fondness and warmth. In the winter of 1982, Pathfinders moved to Atwater Village where we have been an important sobriety station for many newly recovering alcoholics in the area.  During this time the membership decided to open our doors to other 12 Step programs and since then we have been the home of numerous 12 Step meetings. Pathfinders continues to create a safe and friendly environment for the alcoholic/addict in recovery and the newcomer who is finding their way to a clean and sober life.  We hope that each and every one who enters through our doors will find in here a place to call home.

Founded in 1968, The San Gabriel Valley Alano Club, also known as the 502 Club, is one of the oldest hubs of recovery and communities for alcoholics in the San Gabriel Valley. As well as providing a space for daily meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, our clubhouse is a central gathering place for sober fellowship and camaraderie. “I am Responsible. When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there. And for that: I am responsible.”

The Verdugo Hills Alano Club sits at the end of a Dunsmore Street in a residential neighborhood at the juncture of Honolulu Avenue in La Crescenta. To see it from the outside, you wouldn’t know that it played a significant part in A.A.’s history. It just looks like a house that, from time to time, attracts large groups of people who tend to smoke cigarettes and chat outside. However, the history of Dunsmore is daunting.  Inside the clubhouse in a polished glass case sits the original letter Bill Wilson wrote to its founders welcoming them to the fold of A.A. The letter is dated August 31, 1949 and is posted from the New York headquarters of A.A. World Services. In fact, Dunsmore is the oldest, continuously operating A.A. clubhouse west of the Mississippi. Ask any oldtimer there – they’ll tell you. The Verdugo Hills Alano Club got its start as a Men’s Stag meeting back in 1947 when sober men met at each other’s houses for meetings and to play poker. After a while, it became necessary to find another location where these early A.A.s, many of whom worked in the entertainment industry, could get together to play poker without the presence of alcohol. “There were other A.A. meetings in the surrounding area at that time,” says Stan S. of Dunsmore. “Meetings were held in Sun Valley and downtown L.A. But the local men of A.A. wanted a place of their own.” Finally, one of the founders, C.H. Davenso, found a 1,520 square foot house at 10401 Wilshire Boulevard in West L.A. that was going to be demolished and had the house moved on a flatbed truck to its present location. One of the founders owned the vacant land where the Clubhouse sits and granted the property to the Verdugo Hills Alano Club on May 25, 1949. Co-founder N.J. Holly, a contractor, then did all of the structural work to stabilize it, building the stairs and getting it up to code. Says Stan, “Since opening its doors in 1949, Dunsmore is the oldest, continuously-operating A.A. clubhouse west of the Mississippi and the last of its kind.”

Our mission is to provide an inviting and accessible recovery support center for those recovering from alcoholism, drug addiction, and other addictive disorders.