What is Rule 62 ?
Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 1
12 & 12
TRADITION FOUR 149
unlike a beehive, it was confusion compounded. An A.A.
group, as such, simply couldn’t handle this sort of project.
All too late that was discovered. Then came the inevita-
ble explosion—something like that day the boiler burst in
Wombley’s Clapboard Factory. A chill chokedamp of fear
and frustration fell over the group.
When that lifted, a wonderful thing had happened. The
head promoter wrote the Foundation offi ce. He said he
wished he’d paid some attention to A.A. experience. Then
he did something else that was to become an A.A. clas-
sic. It all went on a little card about golf-score size. The
cover read: “Middleton Group #1, Rule #62.” Once the
card was unfolded, a single pungent sentence leaped to the
eye: “Don’t take yourself too damn seriously.”
unlike a beehive, it was confusion compounded. An A.A.
group, as such, simply couldn’t handle this sort of project.
All too late that was discovered. Then came the inevita-
ble explosion—something like that day the boiler burst in
Wombley’s Clapboard Factory. A chill chokedamp of fear
and frustration fell over the group.
When that lifted, a wonderful thing had happened. The
head promoter wrote the Foundation offi ce. He said he
wished he’d paid some attention to A.A. experience. Then
he did something else that was to become an A.A. clas-
sic. It all went on a little card about golf-score size. The
cover read: “Middleton Group #1, Rule #62.” Once the
card was unfolded, a single pungent sentence leaped to the
eye: “Don’t take yourself too damn seriously.”
Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 5,151
Originally Posted by markishmark 
Rule 62 was created by a founding member of AA who scoffed at the idea of an Alcoholics Anonymous with rules. When a rules committee was formed to discuss a huge list of rules the founding members had come up with, this man suggested that no rules were necessary for AA, because Alcoholics never follow rules anyways!
After much discussion, he suggested that there may be just one rule AAs should follow; and that would be Rule 62, which states: "Do not take yourselves so damn seriously!"
The committee abandoned the idea of an AA with rules, and today this is the only one that remains - but it is not really a rule, because alkies don't like rules!
After much discussion, he suggested that there may be just one rule AAs should follow; and that would be Rule 62, which states: "Do not take yourselves so damn seriously!"
The committee abandoned the idea of an AA with rules, and today this is the only one that remains - but it is not really a rule, because alkies don't like rules!
Dented But Reliable
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Pickerington, OH
Posts: 31
Just discussed this in tonight's meeting. 
The other 61 Rules were rules restricting who was allowed access to the facility..."only respectable drunks here." The "legend" is that both Bill and Bob looked at the list, and realized that neither one of them would have qualified!! The early days of AA saw the creation of fellowships that disallowed Blacks, women, Catholics, persons of "disreputable character" and so on. One California group kicked a former prostitute out...the accounts of that one can be found in AA printouts.
I, too, would be interested to see the original 61 rules.
The other 61 Rules were rules restricting who was allowed access to the facility..."only respectable drunks here." The "legend" is that both Bill and Bob looked at the list, and realized that neither one of them would have qualified!! The early days of AA saw the creation of fellowships that disallowed Blacks, women, Catholics, persons of "disreputable character" and so on. One California group kicked a former prostitute out...the accounts of that one can be found in AA printouts.
I, too, would be interested to see the original 61 rules.
~sb
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: MD
Posts: 15,960
Originally Posted by Ifnotforgrace
My understanding is along the same lines as Mark
“Cherished within Alcoholics Anonymous as expressing this lesson was the fellowship’s famed “Rule Number 62.” Some time in early 1940, the program succeeded in sobering up an alcoholic possessed by a promotional drive greater even than Wilson’s. This worthy, in his enthusiasm, drew up comprehensive plans for three separate corporations to spread the message — a club, a clinic, and a loan office. He submitted his blueprint, outlined in sixty-one rules, regulations, and by-laws, to A.A.’s New York headquarters, requesting a “super-charter.”64
Wilson replied in his usual format: “Even less grandiose schemes of a like character failed everywhere before … [but your] very autonomous group [of course has] a right to … ignore our warnings.” It did, and the result, as anticipated, “was like a boiler explosion in a clapboard factory.”
Since then the idea that one more rule of “not taking one's self so seriously” has been called rule 62. Amazing how even attempts at control or divide work out to benefit the program, eh?
“Cherished within Alcoholics Anonymous as expressing this lesson was the fellowship’s famed “Rule Number 62.” Some time in early 1940, the program succeeded in sobering up an alcoholic possessed by a promotional drive greater even than Wilson’s. This worthy, in his enthusiasm, drew up comprehensive plans for three separate corporations to spread the message — a club, a clinic, and a loan office. He submitted his blueprint, outlined in sixty-one rules, regulations, and by-laws, to A.A.’s New York headquarters, requesting a “super-charter.”64
Wilson replied in his usual format: “Even less grandiose schemes of a like character failed everywhere before … [but your] very autonomous group [of course has] a right to … ignore our warnings.” It did, and the result, as anticipated, “was like a boiler explosion in a clapboard factory.”
Since then the idea that one more rule of “not taking one's self so seriously” has been called rule 62. Amazing how even attempts at control or divide work out to benefit the program, eh?
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
RZ - you are cracking me up!
I'm glad you bumped this thread. I'd forgotten about the details of R62 and needed the refresher.
I also googled it and found that it has made its way into Urban Dictionary
https://www.urbandictionary.com/defi...term=Rule%2062
I'm glad you bumped this thread. I'd forgotten about the details of R62 and needed the refresher.
I also googled it and found that it has made its way into Urban Dictionary
https://www.urbandictionary.com/defi...term=Rule%2062
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