Old 04-05-2017, 04:41 PM
  # 22 (permalink)  
Gottalife
12 Step Recovered Alcoholic
 
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 6,613
The third tradition would apply. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. That's the short form, but it means that what you do outside of the fellowship has no bearing on your membership.

Any two alcoholics gathered together for the purpose of sobriety may call themselves an AA group provided, as such, they have no outside affiliation.

That part of the tradition, along with the fifth tradition, sets out the purpose of the group, as distinct from individual membership. Each group carries its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Thus the priest who is a member, does not give sermons in meetings, the academic does not lecture, the doctor does not diagnose, the architect does not talk about design, the therapist does not practice therapy, the religious enthusiast does not practice conversion, while participating in AA. Each group has but one primary purpose.

So I guess the guideline would be to remember which hat you are wearing at which meeting.
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