Twelve Traditions

[jada311]

In light of a post by my friend CAPTAINZING, another new found friend and I decided to start a thread about the Twelve Traditions. What I am hoping to accomplish here is post one thread per week for twelve weeks discussing the twelve traditions one by one. Before I do so i would just like to have a general discussion about the traditions and their importance. I assure you I am no genius on the traitions and look forward to incite as well as discussion. I also hope that some of you that know little or nothing about the Traditions can take something from these posts.
So, that being said, let's begin with a question.

How did the Traditions come about?

[Pinkcuda]

I was under the impression that Bill wrote the 12 traditions when he had heard of the demise of The Washingtonians.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

I FOUND AN INTERESTING LINK TO THIS


You can down load the talks from Bill W.

AA's Cofounders

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Rack my brain on this topic. We have a 12 step meeting once a month but, rarely are the 12th Traditions brought to light


http://www.aaprimarypurpose.org/12traditions.htm

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Should we talk about the 1st tradition ?

What it means to each of us?

[navysteve]

Great topic. I love checklists ( probably a military thing, some of you know what I mean) I don't buy into all the traditions checklist, but some of them are real on point.

The Traditions Checklist

I love the first tradition. It is the tradition that tells me that I am not in a meeting for "me". I am not the most important person in the meeting. Our common welfare must come first. I should not be creating dissention in AA meetings.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Originally Posted by navysteve

great topic. I love checklists ( probably a military thing, some of you know what i mean) i don't buy into all the traditions checklist, but some of them are real on point.

the traditions checklist

i love the first tradition. It is the tradition that tells me that i am not in a meeting for "me". I am not the most important person in the meeting. Our common welfare must come first. I should not be creating dissention in aa meetings.

amen to that no matter if, you're a first timer or, been around the tables for 50 years.

[Rob B]

Good thread,I love it when the traditions are discussed. I believe there are as many spiritual practices found in the traditions and concepts as there are the steps.

The 1st tradition is a gentle reminder to me that I should get over myself. The spiritual journey requires the death of self, so many times I have never considered the needs or feelings of the larger whole, I paid a price and continue to suffer when I allow fear and selfishness to consume me.

My wife and I try to apply the spirit of this tradition (as well as the others) into our marriage. So far it is proving a fine way to co-exist. Works pretty well in AA when members practice the principles behind this tradition also.

[jada311]

Its funny you should mention that Rob. I suggested the spiritual essence of traditions in one of my posts and almost got my head chewed off!!!! Nonetheless, traditions are very spiritual in their nature. That is one of the directions i hoped this would go.
Pinkcuda you are correct about the washingtonians. Long before the existence of alcoholics anonymous and the oxford group were the washingtonians. They started as a simple movement to help drunks obtain sobriety. Somewhere along the lines this was lost in translation. They began to get involved in things like reform, and politics. Then they started accepting memberships and signing pledges to "normies". The primary purpose had dissolved, and within a few years, the washingtonian movement did as well.
Shortly after the groups of alcoholics anonymous took off bill started getting overwhelming letters from groups all over the place about different issues. AA was in a dangerous place. Bill received a letter from a man that suggested that the same thing was beginning to happen to alcoholics anonymous that happened to its predecessors.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

I sit and watch personalities causing clashes all the time in my groups.

Everyone has a right to be in the seats.

It's all about respect for each member

[CarolD]

The Twelve Traditions

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

Two—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.

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

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

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

Six—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.

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

Eight—Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

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

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

Eleven—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.

Twelve—Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

Alcoholics Anonymous.First Edition

[Tommyh]

Jada,great thread.Thanks for posting it.I love this stuff!

as I see them:
Our second Legacy of Unity
The traditions are guidelines to steer or show the way,which permits flexibility according to interpretation and application.
Guidelines vs rules,commandments,laws,we just don`t like those last 3 do we?

They was "hammered out on the anvils of experience,the distilled experience of the first few years of AA.".
We can apply them to many areas of life inside or outside or AA,but especially AA gatherings.
Many alcoholics died because there was no adhearance to these principles or they was not known as they are now to alcoholics.A lot of alcoholics probally died when the Washingtonians fell apart.I see the traditions as "the glue that holds AA groups together".

A few more thoughts I have about the traditions are they seem to follow each other in a logical sequence.
They run contrary to/and even contradict customary public policy in the outside world.
They work well among the changing times,we can interpret them today just like they was
when they was written.

They was adopted in July 1950 at the 1st International Convention in Cleveland,Ohio,but they was finalized and published in 1046.
they serve several great purposes
1-to guarantee our survival
2-they kindle the public acceptance of AA

good reference books and Pamphlets I have found to study are the 12x12,AA Comes of Age,Dr Bob and the Good Old timers,Pass It On,12 Traditions Pamphlet.

[jada311]

Originally Posted by bballdad

good reference books and Pamphlets I have found to study are the 12x12,AA Comes of Age,Dr Bob and the Good Old timers,Pass It On,12 Traditions Pamphlet.

Another Fantastic read is Language of the heart. I have been in and out of that one forever now.

[dgillz]

Originally Posted by Pinkcuda

I was under the impression that Bill wrote the 12 traditions when he had heard of the demise of The Washingtonians.

The Washingtonians demise was in the mid 1800s. When Dr Bob and Bill W founded AA they had never even heard of them.

Washingtonian movement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[jada311]

Originally Posted by dgillz

The Washingtonians demise was in the mid 1800s. When Dr Bob and Bill W founded AA they had never even heard of them.

Washingtonian movement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You're right.Bill never heard of the wahingtonians. It wasn't until he recieved that initial letter from another alcoholic suggesting that alcoholics anonymous was going the same direction as they did. Kinda got GOD written all over it. Like i said before i intend to learn from this thread as well as contribute, and I have found an interesting interview with Bill W.s secretary before she passed. She speaks of other troubles that alcoholics anonymous found itself in in the early years. Specifically, endorsements and affiliations with outside enterprises.
AA History - Nell Wing, Bill W's Secretary and First A.A. Archivist

[Tazman53]

This thread holds a great deal of interest for me, I am fairly familiar with the traditions, but far from being any sort of expert!!!! I did know about the Washingtonians and the how & why the 12 X 12 came to be.

There are many interesting tidbits that lead to each tradition so I look forward to the future threads on this.

[dgillz]

Originally Posted by jada311

You're right.Bill never heard of the wahingtonians. It wasn't until he received that initial letter from another alcoholic suggesting that alcoholics anonymous was going the same direction as they did.

OK I got it now, my apologies Cuda I misread your post.

[dgillz]

My absolute favorite part of the 12x12 is where Bill talked about Rule 62. Does anyone remember this? Taz I know you do so no spoilers.

[jada311]

rule 62 : don't take yourself so seriously.
Bill sent this to one of the groups that had big plans of a hospital for alcoholics. They had 61 rules. when they had failed their project bill gave them "RULE 62"

[dgillz]

Jada,

Damn close. They were a lot more than a hospital: social club, job training, bank, etc. When the whole thing came tumbling down the big rah-rah promoter who started this sent rule #62, which he himself had written, to Bill W at the NYC office.

You can read all about it in the 12x12, pages 147-149.

[Tommyh]

that story in the 12x12 sounds precisely like a alcoholic
my group usually get a good laugh out of that story when we get to it on tradition studies.

Originally Posted by dgillz

Jada,

Damn close. They were a lot more than a hospital: social club, job training, bank, etc. When the whole thing came tumbling down the big rah-rah promoter who started this sent rule #62, which he himself had written, to Bill W at the NYC office.

You can read all about it in the 12x12, pages 147-149.

[Tommyh]

Rob,I had been sober some time and one day I realized my wife and I was doing the same.We didn`t plan on it,we just noticed it was happening for us along with several other traditions.These traditions do help out.

Originally Posted by Rob B

Good thread,I love it when the traditions are discussed.

My wife and I try to apply the spirit of this tradition (as well as the others) into our marriage. So far it is proving a fine way to co-exist. Works pretty well in AA when members practice the principles behind this tradition also.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Originally Posted by bballdad

Rob,I had been sober some time and one day I realized my wife and I was doing the same.We didn`t plan on it,we just noticed it was happening for us along with several other traditions.These traditions do help out.

How's tradition 7 working out for you?

It always seems my money is our money, our money is our money, and her money is her money !!

I do take outside contributions though

[jimhere]

The traditions came about as a result of trial and error and of the realization of the need to preserve our society for future generations of alcoholics.

In studying traditions I've noticed two approaches. Some approach them like the studying of law and the result is a dry and boring study and a rigid, legalistic approach.

Others take a liberal approach, which is basically a blatant disregard, do-as-you-wish approach that results in basically no approach at all. The end result is misinformation, emotionalism without principle, which is really chaos, groups that call themselves AA groups but really aren't because there is no informed group conscience, and ultimately the group falling apart and the sick alcoholic having no place to come to hear a message of hope.

It has been said that "the letter of the law kills, but the spirit gives life," so I believe The Spirit of The Traditions will be found somewhere in the middle, neither to the right nor to the left.

I too, am no expert. But here is some of my understanding of the traditions in a nutshell. I can tell you all I know in about two minutes.

-The Traditions are not rules, but principles I live by in a society in which there are no rules. They are ideals for a society in which love is the only law. Great suffering and great love bind us together.

-They are living principles. I experienced them before I knew about them. I was welcomed and accepted as I was where I was.

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about The Traditions. One I often hear is that they are only for people that have been sober a long time or for people that are involved in service. Not so. I would submit that if you have an experience with The Steps that you probably know more about The Traditions than you think you do. The Traditions are merely extensions of the principles found in The Steps and they can be practiced in business, at home, etc.

The Traditions are about unity and preserving our society for future generations. Without unity, we can't survive as a fellowship. And unity is a lot more than the fact that we are all alcoholic or that we are all in the same room. If being in the same room with people that have a common problem was sufficient to recover from alcoholism, the county jail would have worked. Unity is found in having a common problem and a common solution, on that we can agree on and set aside our differences so that we can join in brotherly and harmonious action in the carrying out of that message. (BB, p.17)

The Twelve Steps are a unifying experience. My recovery depends upon my unity with you and your unity with me, and The Steps get rid rid of what is in the way of me being in unity with you. The Traditions help to keep that experience alive.

One principle not spoken of in AA is stewardship. It means to take care of what we've been given. The Fellowship is about having a place where recovered alcoholics can carry a message to the sick alcoholic. If the old-timers have no place to carry their message with other recovered alcoholics, they whither and die. If the sick alcoholic has no place to come and hear and see a message, he too will wither and die.

How to build unity within a group: A true fellowship is a gathering of like-mimded individuals. For an AA group to exist, first all members must be alcoholic. And if there is sponsorship happening, there will be recovery and there will be unity and there will be service.

[CAPTAINZING2000]

Originally Posted by jimhere

how to build unity within a group: A true fellowship is a gathering of like-mimded individuals. For an aa group to exist, first all members must be alcoholic. And if there is sponsorship happening, there will be recovery and there will be unity and there will be service.

without unity there will be no group

amen to that