Traditions to guide AA Groups
Concepts to guide World Service
Both Traditions and Concepts offer guidance for individualsupdate July 4, 2003 - I, RogerG, am not a methodical historian. While reading the 1999-2000
"AA Service Manual Combined With Twelve Concepts for World Service by Bill W",The traditions were first published in the AA book "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in 1953.
Later, guidance for individual behavior was also recognized. The pamphlet "12 Traditions Illustrated" gives examples of Tradition guidance for recovered behavior.The preface to the Concept Section of that Manual notes that the Concepts were written by BillW in 1962. Concept 9 includes words about sponsorship.
Tradition 1 - Our common welfare should come first, followed by the individual.
The 12&12 page 99 includes St. Francis prayer's suggestion that "It is by self forgetting that one finds". No matter how we feel, try to act right ("do God's will", if you are comfortable with God).
-- Speak briefly, (except opening share), two to three minutes maximum in discussion meetings. Use a sponsor for the details.
--Prepare a 3 part story for 15 minutes maximum for speaker meetings. From the Big Book, "What it was like, what happened and what it is like now". Don't glamorize drinking with long drunkalogs. Describe "how we recovered," particularly during institution meetings (per an AA pamphlet about institution work).
--On committments, the speakers speak, the chairperson chairs. The committment chairperson has done their job, can fill in at the end if time permits.
---The noisy drunk is asked to leave but is invited back. This advice is in the AA Phamphlet 12 Traditions illustrated. It's application varies with circumstances.
--Unsupervised noisy kids have distructed meetings - some permanently ! We carry the message, not the body or it's various physical needs. Sounds heartless but experience has proven the importance of adhering to the singleness of purpose- carrying the message to the alcoholic who suffers. With this update 7/4/2003, many of our meetings opening format includes such words as, "Please monitor your children in order that all may hear the message that keeps us alive."
--Some of our senior citizens meetings are closed in order to maintain a comfortable setting for persons who are sick and/or hard of hearing. Children are specifically not allowed. Seems heartless until we watch memebers in great pain with cancer trying to relax and catch every word.
--There are many practical applications of Tradition 1. As I learned then acted within the spirit of the suggestions above, my life in the real world has reduced conflict.
Tradition 2 - Informed Group conscience.
to Box 459 article about acheiving a true informed group conscience.
At business meetings, dominate personalities don't create an informed group conscience. From a "Box 459 "(AA General Service newsletter: Feb-Mar 1989), one article passed on experience of "Dean K".
Excerpts from the article of actual meeting suggestions follow ---- After a motion is presented, the chairperson goes around the room in order, allowing two minutes maximum for each person to speak. The chairperson speaks on the issue only after all others have spoken. No one speaks twice until all have had a chance.
Intergroup, General Service and AA meetings of all types can attract or dwindle depending on the quality of the group conscience format. As AA grew, it has attracted people with "other problems such as manic-mouthism."
A brief-sharing, two minute goal maximum, has become common in our area. Patience and Tolerance is often misunderstood. The newcomer is allowed latitude of behavior at first, but destructive behavior can be effectively discouraged by formats that apply to all.
Tradition 3 - Only requirement is a desire to stop drinking.
"Closed meetings for alcoholics only" have been the scene of brutal rejection of inexperienced new attenders. I try to intercede if necesary by asking the newcomer if they ask if they desire not to drink while they are here. Simple !
We do read the AA Blue Card (an AA publication) at many meetings. Paraphrased, it asks that we restrict our comments to our alcohol problems during the AA meeting.
Tradition 4 - Each group is autonomous, except if AA as a whole is affected.
It is easy to vote in skewed ideas at a group business meeting with only Tradition 4 at work. The level of rcovery of a group and it's members is demonstrated by accurately the other Traditions and the Concepts are also respected.
Tradition 5 - Each group has but one primary purpose--to carry it's message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
The term "Singleness of purpose" is often associated with this Tradition. The AA Blue Card offers initial guidance. Paraphrased from memory till I get a Blue Card, it reads
On one side it states "This is a closed meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. If you have a desire not to drink, you are welcome to attend this meeting. We ask that comments be about your problems with alcohol."
On the other side "This is an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous." All are welcome but we ask that all who share confine their comments to problems with alcohol."
What should be said at an AA meeting? This is a common topic.
Step 12 includes some guidance. "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs."
The AA group handbook given to new groups includes: "One purpose of an AAGroup is to help alcoholics recover through the 12 suggested steps."
The Big Book chapter 5 includes, "Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now."What is a "general way"?
MORE to COME March 22, 2002
Tradition 6 - Never endorse an outside enterprise.
Is it cooperation or affiliation or downright borrowing AA's name to enhance a personal project? ACTION : study pamphlets such as AA pamphlet P29 titled How AA members COOPERATE with other community efforts to help alcoholics."
Ask GSR people, although often they are not sure. Realistically, many service jobs such as GSRepresentative are learning challenges. Best, I learned, is to affirm traditions insight with the 12&12, AA pamphlets, "yellow guidelines," The histories of AA, "AA Comes of Age", "Pass It On" and Dr. Bob and the Oldtimers" include description, origin and understanding of traditions.
The traditions are widely misunderstood. An ole timer always says that the Traditions are very important. A few of us then voted at bix meeting to read the 12&12 chapter of the Tracition of the month on the firat day each month. (7 day a week meeting). Then the ole timer got bored !
Tradition 7 - Each group ought to be fully self supporting.Rigorous honesty comes into play here. It is tempting to furnish sandwiches for a group rather than send a fair donation to Intergroup, GSR district, GSR area and World Services.
Guidance for money matters is in AA pamphlets and guidelines:
AA's World Services website includes a Group Support page.The AA Guideline "Finance" offers guidance through times of tight money,
Whether Group or indicvidual, how to spend in a spiritual manner is contemplated.
From the AA Guideline titled "Finance", next --Question: After covering our group's expenses, we have very
little money left. Isn't it embarrassing to send what seems to
be just nickels and dimes?
Answer: The General Service Conference has emphasized that it is
not concerned about the amount each group contributes, but that
each group contribute something. At a recent service assembly, one
G.S.R. said "It is a spiritual obligation to participate by contributing."Time and again, groups at all levels of AA's structure may fear that income
will not cover expenses. Some AAs resist making announcements of the problem.
At some point, I realized that most people intend to be honest about sharing
the small costs of AA. However, they are not mindreaders.The challenge is to convey a concise statement of condition in a tactful manner.
I've found this to work. Announcements in newletters help, but one on one with
Treasurers has helped resolve confusion.Much more can be added about Tradition 7 - Oh well, "Progress, not perfection" 7/4/2003
Tradition 8 - Alcoholics Anonymous should forever remain non-professional.
This is another Tradition with subtle complexities. Please read the 12&12 Tradition 8 chapter.
I offer an example discussed in an AA group's business meeting. Some members regularly drove many miles each week on comittments to speak at other meetings . Because of the expense, one or two thought it would be reasonable to ask that their AA Group's donations help with these expenses. This was denied.
Tradition 9 -
Tradition 10 - Attract or Promote?
Another paradox. The individual takes initiative to help another individual. The group or AA as a whole does not initiate through advertising, as such. Some individuals avoid helping others by not reaching out. Their excuse, erroneously, is to not promote. Please remember that Bill, Bob and the early drunks actively sought out prospects. They wrestled with advertising as a policy, then finally concluded that it might be harmful to the purpose and spirit of recovery.
Tradition 12 - Anonymity
Anonymity seems obvious enough. It is very easy to slip up without vigilence.
Outside of AA meetings, AA afiliation about others is not disclosed or implied.
Closed AA meetings are created for anonymity plus other reasons. The Mens and womens Big Book Step Study Meetings are separate in order for those genders to freely discuss intimate issues.
Within AA meetings, we try not to talk about each others affairs, occupations and economics.
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email: rogerg@capecod.net
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