What are the ideas
embodied in the Twelve Traditions?
Answer
That, touching all matters
affecting A.A. unity, our common welfare should
come first; that A.A. has no human authority -
only God as He may speak in our Group
conscience; that our leaders are but trusted
servants, they do not govern; that any alcoholic
may become an A.A. member if he says so - we
exclude no one; that every A.A. Group may manage
its own affairs as it likes, provided
surrounding groups are not harmed thereby; that
we A.A.'s have but a single aim - the carrying
of our message to the alcoholic who still
suffers; that in consequence we can not finance,
endorse or otherwise lend the name 'Alcoholics
Anonymous' to any other enterprise, however
worthy; that A.A., as such, ought to remain
poor, lest problems of property, management and
money divert us from our sole aim; that we ought
to be self-supporting, gladly paying our small
expenses ourselves; that A.A. should forever
remain non-professional, ordinary 12th step work
never to be paid for; that, as a Fellowship, we
should never be organized but may nevertheless
create responsible Service Boards or Committees
to insure us better propagation and sponsorship
and that these agencies may engage full-time
workers for special tasks; that our public
relations ought to proceed upon the principle of
attraction rather than promotion, it being
better to let our friends recommend us; that
personal anonymity at the level of press, radio
and pictures out to be strictly maintained as
our best protection against the temptations of
power or personal ambition; and finally, that
anonymity before the general public is the
spiritual key to all our traditions, ever
reminding us to place principles before
personalities, that we are actually to practice
a genuine humility. This to the end that our
great blessings may never spoil us; that we
shall forever live in thankful contemplation of
Him who presides over us all. (Tape - Twelve
Traditions, Cleveland, July, 1950) .
Another Answer
We sometimes congratulate
ourselves on the Traditions as though they were
a list of virtues singular to us. Actually, they
are a codification of the lessons of our past
experience during the early days of A.A.
These Traditions are not fixed
absolutely. There may be room for improvement.
However, they should not be lightly cast aside,
since they bear on our unity, survival and
growth under Gods grace."
We are entering a new era of
growth with vast forces tearing at the world.
The problems and difficulties of the future may
be greater than those we have already survived.
Still, there is a love among us that passeth all
understanding and that will sustain us through
all the trials that lie ahead, no matter how
formidable." (Transcribed from tape, GSC, 1968)
