A.A. TRADITIONS

Alcoholics Anonymous has no governing body or central authority. Instead, we have Twelve Traditions, "principles of group conduct and public relations," which were developed over the first fifteen years of our society through much trial and error. A.A. co-founder Bill W. wrote: "Our Traditions are a guide to better ways of working and living. And they are to group survival what A.A.'s Twelve Steps are to each member's sobriety and peace of mind. ... Most individuals cannot recover unless there is a group. The group must survive or the individual will not" (from the pamphlet "The Twelve Traditions Illustrated").

We've placed this topic before the discussion of the Twelve Steps because the answers to several questions frequently asked by newcomers to A.A. are found in the Twelve Traditions. As one A.A. member recalls: "When I walked into my first meeting and saw the Traditions hanging on the wall, I felt a sense of safety because I saw that A.A. had guidelines, ideals that all members tried to live up to, which protected me as much as they did A.A."

The quoted material below is copyrighted by A.A. World Services, Inc.; sources are noted in parentheses.

HOW DO I JOIN A.A.?

"You are an A.A. member if and when you say so. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking, and many of us were not very wholehearted about that when we first approached A.A." ("A Newcomer Asks ...")

HOW MUCH DOES A.A. MEMBERSHIP COST?

"Membership in A.A. involves no financial obligations of any kind. The A.A. program of recovery from alcoholism is available to anyone who has a desire to stop drinking, whether he or she is flat broke or the possessor of millions.

"Most local groups 'pass the hat' at meetings to defray the cost of renting a meeting place and other meeting expenses, including coffee, sandwiches, cakes, or whatever else may be served. In a large majority of the groups, part of the money thus collected is voluntarily contributed to A.A.'s national and international services. These group funds are used exclusively for services designed to help new and established groups and to spread the word of the A.A. recovery program to 'the many alcoholics who still don't know.'

"The important consideration is that membership in A.A. is in no way contingent upon financial support of the Fellowship. Many A.A. groups have, in fact, placed strict limitations on the amount that can be contributed by any member. A.A. is entirely self-supporting, and no outside contributions are accepted." ("44 Questions")

IS A.A. A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION?

"No. Nor is it allied with any religious organization." ("A Newcomer Asks ...")

"The A.A. program of recovery from alcoholism is undeniably based on acceptance of certain spiritual values. The individual member is free to interpret those values as he or she thinks best, or not to think about them at all." ("44 Questions")

IS A.A. A TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT?

"No. A.A. has no relation to temperance movements. A.A. 'neither endorses nor opposes any causes.' This phrase, from the widely accepted outline of the purpose of the Society, naturally applies to the question of so-called temperance movements. ... While many A.A.s appreciate that alcohol may be all right for most people, they know it to be poison for them. The average A.A. has no desire to deprive anyone of something that, properly handled, is a source of pleasure. The A.A. merely acknowledges being personally unable to handle the stuff." ("44 Questions")

WON'T EVERYONE KNOW I AM AN ALCOHOLIC IF I COME INTO A.A.?

"Anonymity is and always has been the basis of the A.A. program. Most members, after they have been in A.A. awhile, have no particular objection if the word gets around that they have joined a fellowship that enables them to stay sober. Traditionally, A.A.s never disclose their association with the movement in print, on the air, or through any other public media. And no one has the right to break the anonymity of another member.

"This means that the newcomer can turn to A.A. with the assurance that no newfound friends will violate confidences relating to his or her drinking problem. The older members of the group appreciate how the newcomer feels. They can remember their own fears about being identified publicly with what seems to be a terrifying word -- 'alcoholic.'

"Once in A.A., newcomers may be slightly amused at those past worries about its becoming generally known that they have stopped drinking. When alcoholics drink, news of their escapades travels with remarkable speed. Most alcoholics have made names for themselves as full-fledged drunks by the time they turn to A.A. Their drinking, with rare exceptions, is not likely to be a well-kept secret. Under these circumstances, it would be unusual indeed if the good news of the alcoholic's continuing sobriety did not also cause comment.

"Whatever the circumstances, no disclosure of the newcomers affiliation with A.A. can rightfully be made by anyone but the newcomer, and then only in such a way that the Fellowship will not be harmed." ("44 Questions")

ARE THERE ANY RULES IN A.A.?

"The absence of rules, regulations, or musts is one of the unique features of A.A. as a local group and as a worldwide fellowship. There are no bylaws that say a member has to attend a certain number of meetings within a given period.

"Understandably, most groups have an unwritten tradition that anyone who is still drinking, and boisterous enough to disturb a meeting, may be asked to leave; the same person will be welcomed back at any time when not likely to disrupt a meeting. Meanwhile, members of the group will do their best to help bring sobriety to the person if there is a sincere desire to stop drinking." ("44 Questions")

WHO RUNS A.A.?

"A.A. has no officers or executives who wield power or authority over the Fellowship. There is no 'government' in A.A. It is obvious, however, that even in an informal organization, certain jobs have to be done. In the local group, for example, someone has to arrange for a suitable meeting place; meetings have to be scheduled and programmed; provision has to be made for serving the coffee and snacks that contribute so much to the informal comradeship of A.A. gatherings; many groups also consider it wise to assign to someone the responsibility of keeping in touch with the national and international development of A.A.

"When a local group is first formed, self-appointed workers may take over responsibility for these tasks, acting informally as servants of the group. As soon as possible, however, these responsibilities are, by election, rotated to others in the group for limited periods of service. A typical A.A. group may have a chairperson, a secretary, a program committee, a food committee, a treasurer, and a general service representative who acts for the group at regional or area meetings. Newcomers who have a reasonable period of sobriety behind them are urged to take part in handling group responsibilities. ...

"Thus the answer to 'Who runs A.A.?' is that the Society is a uniquely democratic movement, with no central government and only a minimum of formal organization." ("44 Questions")

DOES A.A. SPONSOR ANY SOCIAL ACTIVITY FOR MEMBERS?

"Most A.A.s are sociable people, a factor that may have been partially responsible for their becoming alcoholics in the first place. As a consequence, meetings of local A.A. groups tend to be lively affairs.

"A.A. as a fellowship has never developed any formal program of social activities for members, since the sole purpose of the movement is to help alcoholics get sober. In some areas, members have opened clubrooms or other facilities for members of the local group. These clubs are traditionally independent of A.A., and great care is usually taken to avoid direct identification with the movement.

"Even where no club exists, it is not uncommon for local groups to arrange anniversary dinners, picnics, parties on New Year's Eve and other special occasions, and similar affairs. In some large cities, A.A.s meet regularly for lunch and sponsor informal get-togethers over weekends." ("44 Questions")


THE TWELVE TRADITIONS
(copyright A.A. World Services, Inc.; reprinted with permission)

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.

2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority -- a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

3. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.

4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.

5. Each group has but one primary purpose -- to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

6. An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

7. Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.

12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.


QUESTIONS?

At any time, including right now, feel free to ask questions -- on anything related to A.A.

To "talk" during the meeting, simply address your email to aaintro@e-aa.org. Everyone in the meeting (on the mailing list) will receive it.

Note that when you send an email to the list, your email address will be available to everyone on the list. If, for any reason, you are uncomfortable with that, you may still participate anonymously. Send your questions or comments directly to me at [leader's email address] and I will remove your identifying information and forward them to the meeting list.

Any personal information shared here should remain confidential and should not be disclosed outside of this meeting.