stairs

They asked for a volunteer to chair next week's women's meeting. There was complete silence. I said I don't have a car right now. My friend said she'll bring me. Next thing I know I have Traditions pamphlets in my hand and somebody promising to bring me a book that covers it in more depth. We'll be doing the 4th Tradition.
This ought to be interesting!!

Mark75

That's awesome... what better way to learn than to pass it on....

omegasupreme

Be grateful your group is interested in the traditions. Last time I talked about them here I got told, "we don't do those here."

sugarbear1

The Traditions hold the fellowship together. If I put the Traditions into place in my daily life while dealing with work, personal relationships, or public affairs (grocery shopping, driving, dealing with businesses like the electric company), my life is greatly improved!

I just returned from my home group business meeting which is run through a group conscience.

Awesome to hear you are chairing a meeting!!

Mark75

"With respect to its own affairs, each A.A. group should be responsible to no other authority than its own conscience. But when its plans concern the welfare of neighboring groups also, those groups ought to be consulted. And no group, regional committee, or individual should ever take any action that might greatly affect A.A. as a whole without conferring with the trustees of the General Service Board. On such issues our common welfare is paramount." (from the 1st edition of Alcoholics Anonymous)

There is a lot there.

There seems to be a spiritual basis to all the traditions... or at least I try to find one. "No other authority than it's own conscience." I love that. There is a real spiritual foundation there... but also... tie that together with other groups that may be affected... and their group conscience... and of course AA as whole.

Boleo

Shucks! I thought this was going to be about Sigmund Freud. He used to say stuff like that. In fact, one time when seen eating a banana he said:

"Sometimes a banana is just a banana".

Firehazard

Nice,
Being a chair is the best place to listen and is considered service work. Way to step up to the plate. It has been said that 95% of the service work is done by 7% of the people and guess what they are all still sober.

On a more personal note I had to reliquish my Wednesday chair position due to my upcoming move and am missing it.

shockozulu

I didn't know it was service work. That makes sense though.

Today I also lead a meeting. It was on Tradition Three. I learned so much and wish I could do it every week!

TigerLili

We have a lot of Steps and Traditions meetings in my city. We use the 12 and 12 book and take it in turns round the group to read a paragraph, and then the Chair asks people to share on what we've just read. Some people talk about the Tradition as it relates to the group/AA as a whole, and some people talk about something that they feel relates to their recovery personally, like the second paragraph for example. I think it's a useful exercise. Most groups do one Step per meeting, then one Tradition per meeting, so 24 meetings to go through them all. Then we start again

2granddaughters

stairs, what did your sponsor say ??......

Bob R.

SOBERINNEPA

Chairing is bona fide service work. I find that when I chair a meeting, it keeps me plugged in for the whole hour. I don't let my mind wander and, ultimately, get more out of it.

stairs

Thanks for the feedback everyone.
I'm glad to hear that it is service work.

This is how we do it too. At my home group which meets daily M-F we have a Big Book, a Step, a Tradition, a Discussion, and a Speaker Meeting every week. We did the 2nd step Tuesday, the 2nd tradition Wed.
This women's group rotates them weekly. So last night we read Chapter 10 of the Big Book. "To Employers" and next week is Traditions.

She said if it's ok with the group it's ok with her.

Justfor1

The 12 step are to prevent me from suicide, the 12 traditions are to prevent me from homocide.

DayTrader

I thought all of em are REALLY there to give us alkies something to debate into the ground since we recovered folk don't get to argue, half in the bag, with some dope next to us at the bar anymore!

:

stairs

?? I don't see how this thread is doing that.

Mark75

I think there was a little of Mike's tongue in his cheek.

SOBERINNEPA

Yeah. We don't need anything as fancy as the 12 & 12 to start a heated discussion.

CarolD

Good for you....
Enjoy the experience!

DayTrader

Mark had it right Stairs.....I was being sarcastic. .......it doesn't always translate well through a written medium such as this.

lol...I certainly don't think the primary purposes of the 12 steps or the 12 traditions in our program are to supply fodder for debates...... (although......I could probably argue that it could be a pretty strong "second job" for them should they ever need it. )

stairs

Thanks Carol.