Do we as "elder statesmen" govern by exerting power or influence, controlling newcomers, and building political alliances or do we serve by sharing service and rotating out of leadership allowing God, through our group conscience to lead?

"...our so called elder statesmen are often perceived to have power and/or influence. Through the development of down line representation (e.g. Sponsees) at the district or area level, these elders maintain their influence, which may be so permanently established at the district or area level that newcomers often surrender. This stifles change and growth for these local fellowships." (CA Newsgram Article, Third Quarter, 2002)

Dictionary definition of "bleeding (bleating) deacon" n. a person who believes himself indispensable to a group, esp. a person who becomes so over-involved in a group's internal management, policies, or politics as to lose sight of its larger goals; (hence) a person with a negative, moralizing character, who acts like the sole source of wisdom.

The term "Bleeding Deacon" is a corruption of an old New England term from the 18th or 19th century. The original term was Bleating Deacon, evoking a farmer's image of an old goat in the pulpit.

When the term was first applied it was intended for those people who have a set of cries such as "it will never work" or "if it ain't broke, then don't fix it." The actual term used was "bleating beacon" [sic] (as in sheep). The A.A. Grape Vine even ran a series titled "The Bleating Deacon's Corner."

On page 123, Alcoholics Anonymous comes of Age, Bill Wilson states:

Does A.A. have a REAL leadership? The answer is "Yes, notwithstanding the apparent lack of it." Let's turn again to the deposed founder and his friends. What becomes of them? As their grief and anxiety wear away, a subtle change begins. Ultimately they divide into two classes known in A.A. slang as "elder statesmen" and "bleeding (bleating) deacons." The elder statesman is one who sees the wisdom of the group's decisions, who holds no resentment over his reduced status, whose judgement, fortified by considerable experience, is sound, and who is willing to sit quietly on the side lines patiently awaiting developments. The bleeding deacon is one who remains convinced that the group cannot get along without him, who constantly connives for re-election to office, and who continues to be consumed with self-pity. A few deacons hemorrhage so badly that they get drunk. At times the A.A. landscape seems to be littered with bleeding forms. Nearly every old-timer in our society has gone of through this process in some degree. I have myself. Happily most them survive and live to become elder statesmen. This the real and enduring leadership of A.A. their is the quiet opinion, the sure knowledge, and the humble example that resolves a crisis. When sorely perplexed, the group inevitably turns to them for advice. They become the voice of the group conscience. They are, in fact, the true voice of Alcoholics Anonymous. They do not drive by mandate; they lead by example. This is how Tradition Nine was evolved. This is why A.A. can never be organized under any known form of government.

On page 119-120, Alcoholics Anonymous comes of Age, Bill Wilson states:

Relapse and disintegration are not penalties inflicted by people in authority; they are results of personal disobedience to spiritual principles. We must obey certain principles, or we die.

The same stern threat applies to the group itself. Unless there is approximate conformity to A.A.'s Twelve Traditions, the group too can deteriorate and die. So we of A.A. do obey spiritual principles, first because we love the kind of life much obedience brings. Great suffering and great love are A.A.'s disciplinarians; w have no others.

Therefore it is now clear that we ought never to name boards no govern us...It is in this spirit of service that we elect the A.A. groups' informal rotating committees, the Intergroup Associations of the area, and the General Service Conference for A.A. as a whole.

"If anything is going to destroy A.A.," says Dr. John Norris, a nonalcoholic physician, friend of Bill Wilson's and for many years chairman of A.A.'s board of trustees, "It will be what I call the 'tradition lawyers." They find it easier to live with black and white than they do with gray. These 'bleeding deacons' – these fundamentalists are afraid of and fight any change." (Source: The New York Times Magazine, February 21, 1988)

AT JUST WHAT point does a person become an old-timer, anyhow? What special status goes with the title? Is there really any need for the old-timer? After all, we are living in a changing world. To coin a phrase, is the old-timer's experience "relevant"?

by Rob. I., Toronto, ON

"The strength of our whole AA service structure starts with the group and the GSR the group elects. I cannot emphasize too strongly the GSR's importance. -- Bill Wilson on the Area and Group level Trusted Servant.

Very early on in my sobriety and membership in CA I was asked to assume a trusted service role on my group's service committee and soon offered a GSR position and then a junior chair on an Area subcommittee. This I have noticed is a common situation for many of us as new members in this fellowship.

My newly graced spiritual experience was anything but fully stable and comfortable. It was more than a full time job for me just to grasp and apply the steps in the hope of maintaining a semblance of fit spiritual condition, praying to please stay sober. The addition of a trusted servant's role, with its brand new guiding legacy of Tradition, was frankly, speaking for myself, extremely beyond my capacity at that time. I "coped" with the situation using the thoughts and actions that I had learned in life. Mostly they worked about as well as the self management of my own life up to that time...not well.

I now see my situation with the benefit of hindsight. Since this is such a common experience for many others, I asked myself what better I could have done to evaluate my own suitability to serve, develop my knowledge and skills to serve and how those who had gone before, may best have supported my journey.

These are of course not questions that lead to easy answers and I don't presume to have them. Perhaps they represent horizons to head for more than questions to be answered. However, I would like to give some thoughts on these questions with the hope to stimulate discussion on how we can avoid the repetition of error from generation to generation and increase our collective effectiveness. This is not meant to judge anyone's qualification to serve but to help each of us, new and old members, with some ideas for growth. I would love to hear from others about their experience.

What was it like to be new to service?

Perhaps the place I can begin with is the dispelling of a myth that I learned early on in sobriety. This was that I needed a service position to stay sober. I was told this by many and I believed it. This idea still exists. This lead to my attachment to having a position and my self centered need as one of my motivations. Not a good start for a servant. My job in recovery is of course to be of maximum service to others. Not myself. I have since found there are many ways to serve that are not formal and I was probably better suited at that time to make different choices based on my personal experience and ability.

The "AA Group Pamphlet," addresses this situation clearly;

"Each AA group determines the minimum length of sobriety for members to be eligible for any position or office...these jobs have titles. But titles in AA do not bring authority or honor; they describe services and responsibilities. And it has generally been found that giving members jobs solely to help them stay sober does not work."

I generally have a repulsion to sobriety time requirements, yet in the fulfillment of the GSR and other senior service positions, a sound indoctrination into the principles of Tradition and some time to learn my home group's, group conscience, is at least partly a function of time. This of course varies greatly by individual and in my case was several years.

Another interesting circumstance I created, from my misplaced desire to serve, was to hold service positions in two different groups. If one service position kept me sober, two positions may make me a spiritual giant!! I found myself conflicted and unsettled when prevailing conscience in one group was different from the conscience of the other. I attempted to settle my conflict by strenuously arguing for conscience that was consistent, creating disunity. I was interfering with the asset of diversity of groups in CA by encouraging a kind of sameness through a form of my own personal governance. We can reach more addicts if we have meetings with different characteristics. Some meetings may be attractive to new prospects, but not to others. I joined my first CA group precisely because of this diversity. Autonomy in the fourth Tradition guarantees the asset of diversity.

Prior experience in the role of trusted servant was not something I had when initially I was thrust into some what senior positions. I had not shouldered any types of responsibility in my own life, never mind the lives of others. I still operated largely on my defects of character and had allowed little time for the process of spiritual transformation to occur. Characteristics like patience and tolerance, which are still illusive, were practically non-existent. Without a clear spiritual direction of my own I relied on old patterns and trying to fit in at any cost. This left me prone to being entrapped by some of the political intrigues and control of some senior members. I confused some persons knowledge of rules and past events with sound principles of service. I heard comments like, "well, this is what World Services says, so this is what we have to do," "that is the way we have always done it," "we already decided that before so don't discuss it" "we are a business and as such must save time and money." Made perfect sense to me at the time and I would base my vote on issues based on false or incomplete opinions such as these comments. I now know I was used to control an outcome through my inexperience and fear. Often too, I was unwilling to express a point of view of mine, or a group I represented, because louder, more dominant and sometimes caustic personalities would aggressively voice strong disagreement. Points of view and attitudes I have since learned were complete personal opinion and self service, not based in a shred of Tradition. I wonder who I served well.

Continuing, an item I have come to learn, but absolutely had no clue about when new to service, was the Traditions. Ironically this knowledge is probably far and away the most important characteristic of a trusted servant. I only heard the Traditions read in meetings and sometimes a bizarre interpretation from somebody. Frankly seldom, if at all, did I hear other servants discuss their relevance or stress their primary importance or attempt to tutor me as a new servant. I didn't know, what I didn't know, and that can be a very dangerous thing for me. My first epiphany came to me at an AA convention workshop where some American's were discussing the role of Tradition, and I was so shocked at my ignorance, that they may as well of spoken a new language. My goodness, they even had service sponsors, whose job it was to share their experience with the Traditions.

Bill Wilson would state this importance in an AA Grapevine article, 1955;

"The Twelve Points of Tradition are little less than a specific application of the spirit of the Twelve Steps of recovery to our group life and to our relations with society in general. The recovery steps would make each individual whole and one with God; the Twelve Points of Tradition would make us one with each other and whole with the world about us. Unity is our aim."

I have come to see that not knowing this truth about Tradition, and serving as I did, was the equivalent of sponsoring and never to have taken the Twelve Steps. A lot of room for chaos existed. Our Traditions show us the problem, solution, and way to the solution, exactly as the 12 Steps. They are, perhaps only way out, as a fellowship.

Another shortcoming I had early on was my lack of enthusiasm and keen interest to learn about Tradition and its application. I see this now as a great asset for any trusted servant. I was keen and interested, unfortunately this enthusiasm was misdirected to the detriment of me and others I served. Concepts like unity, which now humble me, were nothing more than any other word in the language. If asked I certainly would have said I new the depth of meaning of unity. The term group conscience was really a phrase I had never encountered in my entire life. I was completely, and I mean completely ignorant of the layered aspects of this concept. Group conscience is at the core of our solution. A principle like the spirit of rotation, inherent in Tradition Two but not overtly expressed, was completely lost to me. Like wise was the built in control of our service structure Bill Wilson infused in Tradition Seven, out of my awareness. I was operating largely in the dark, reliant on my own self knowledge, athough with the best of intentions to help. On many occasions I asked members about the Traditions and often the response could be summarized by, "Well I am not the one to ask, I don't know much about Tradition" or "go read the Twelve and Twelve." As I mentioned previously, I also received some bizarre personal interpretation of Tradition. I accepted these answers as adequate and have come to believe they are not at all adequate.

What happened for me?

Fortunately, while attending an AA convention Tradition workshop, I heard some audience members speak to Tradition in away that startled me. It had great depth and weight as we say, and I honestly new I didn't know a lot. I was graced with enough humility and open-mindedness that day to ask one of these members how I might begin to learn. Without hesitation, he replied, "Read the history from where they came. See the problems they solved. Start with The Language of the Heart." This was a new approach I had never encountered. It made sense. Certainly I had confidence in his direction because I had heard him speak with authority and confidence. This was similar to my experience receiving the Twelve Step message from an individual beginning my recovery. Unfortunately some in service positions completely dismiss this AA experience as valid. Later I would learn that Bill Wilson states this in the AA Traditions pamphlet, 1955;

"But AA unity cannot automatically preserve itself. Like personal recovery, we shall always have to work to maintain it. Here too, we need honesty, humility ,open-mindedness, unselfishness and above all vigilance. So we who are older In AA beg of you who are newer to ponder carefully the experience we have already had of trying to live and work together."

Bill Wilson also refers to history in an AA Grapevine article, 1955;

"The Twelve Traditions are the distillate of our experience of living and working together; the platform upon which we expect to stand in unity for as long as God may need us...I held the pen that wrote the words, but the words are yours because they are but a mirror that reflects the experiences we have had over the years."

Furthermore, Bill Wilson refers to the study of history in An AA Grapevine article, 1952;

"As we had once struggled and prayed for individual recovery, just so earnestly did we commence to quest for the principles through which AA itself might survive. On thousands of anvils of heartbreaking experience ,the structure of our society was hammered out...These live today in the Twelve Traditions of AA, which-God willing-shall sustain us in unity for as long as he may need us."

What do I do now?

The answer seems to me, that to better implement Tradition, I must study Tradition history and mentor others in that pursuit. My own thoughts and actions must vigilantly reflect the pursuit of Tradition adherence. My own ideas and opinions and notions learned in non-spiritual organizations must be smashed. The inherent tendency I have for self-centered pursuit of power and prestige from my service, I must rid from myself, with God's help. The opportunity to serve, and the willingness to do it, are unfortunately not adequate in themselves to function as a trusted servant. I am responsible to send prepared individuals to service positions. I must accept historical context is invaluable.

Where to begin to review AA Tradition history?

This is by no means a comprehensive or expert list on where to read about Tradition history. It is only the place I started and where my journey lead me. I am certainly a work in progress. I hope it is helpful to some.

"AA Tradition, How it Developed", AA pamphlet, by Bill Wilson. The Twelve Traditions Illustrated, AA pamphlet "The Language of the Heart, Bill's Wilson's Grapevine Writing's", AA World Services. "Not-God, A History of Alcoholics Anonymous", author Ernest Kurtz, Book published by Hazelden Foundation. "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions", AA World Services. "It Works, How and Why -- The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous", book published by NA World Services. AA Grapevine Digital Archives, subscription website. Thousands of articles on Traditions, $15.00 per year http://www.aagrapevine.org/da

Sincerely,

Rob I.

By Hal K., Houston TX

In the spirit of the Traditions and the direction of the Concepts of World Service, it appears that many of us, as trusted servants, may want to examine our adherence to the intent of our founders of being directly responsible to those they serve. In my travels over the past two years as a Trustee I have uncovered a discouraging, but not surprising, discovery of property and prestige issues amongst many of our trusted servants. Through our implied definitions of what our responsibilities are to this Fellowship and the implied direction of the Traditions and/or Concepts, I fear that many trusted servants have manipulated these definitions and directions into some sort of warped manifesto of discrete leadership intent.

I have discovered financial structures within structures of Areas and Districts that are disproportionate to our service design. Many (though not all) of our area and district structures are focused on either financing local ventures under the guise of the need to better serve CA as a whole (e.g. travel expense for officers and alternates, special projects, workshops, etc.)

I believe the Traditions dictate that our fellowship needs as little organization as possible except on matters that may affect the CA fellowship as a whole. I also believe that our primary purpose should never be superseded by our ambitious need to expand our service structure beyond the immediate needs of the membership. In light of the financial deficits now facing our Fellowship, should we be using our simple committees as a financial means to fulfill or finance personal recognition or promote needs outside the scope of these committees? I think not! I have discovered financial structures within structures of Areas and Districts that are disproportionate to our service design. Many (though not all) of our area and district structures are focused on either financing local ventures under the guise of the need to better serve CA as a whole (e.g. travel expense for officers and alternates, special projects, workshops, etc.) As an individual contributing to the Fellowship, whether through the Seventh Tradition or specific fundraising events such as conventions, dances, and the like, it is reasonable to expect that these contributions be utilized in the most prudent way at the local committee level or be filtered down from the group level directly to the World Service Office.

What ever happened to the "good old days" when to serve this fellowship was to not cause hardship to it? In my early days as a delegate (1986) to the World Service Conference, when our Areas were new, without large budgets, we could not afford to send a delegate, let alone two or three alternates, advisors, or observers. We would alternate who would go, share manuals and materials, share rooms pay our own airfare etc. We did this willingly, always believing that what we did was necessary and for the greater good of the CA Fellowship. For this reason, Areas, Districts and committees should not hold on to money, because this will eventually justify a self-serving need to spend it. This will result in not only an under-funded World Service Office but will eventually destroy our Fellowship as a whole.

Through the development of "down line" representation (i.e. sponsees) at the District or Area level, these elders maintain their influence, which may be so permanently established at the district or area level that newcomers often surrender. This stifles change and growth for these local fellowships and sometimes the First Tradition barely gets utilized except to support their position or argument to maintain control.

The Ninth Tradition suggest we not be organized and yet in many cases we often neglect to seek out advice from those that have gone before us, those that were often responsible for the creation of our local service structures. Old-timers are often called "bleeding deacons" and are often criticized and avoided instead of being sought and consulted for their invaluable experience. On the opposite end of the spectrum are our so-called "elder statesmen" who are often perceived to have power and/or influence. Through the development of "down line" representation (i.e. sponsees) at the District or Area level, these elders maintain their influence, which may be so permanently established at the district or area level that newcomers often surrender. This stifles change and growth for these local fellowships and sometimes the First Tradition barely gets utilized except to support their position or argument to maintain control.

If I can follow the spirit of the Traditions and Concepts I will have a greater chance when serving this Fellowship of decreasing self and increasing unity; likewise if all trusted servants follow the true spirit of the Traditions and Concepts, they reduce the opportunity for property and prestige to divert them from their primary purpose.

Question: My group sometimes reads from The Original Manuscript of The Big Book because many of us favor the more forceful language it uses. Some have objected to doing this because they say only AA approved books can be used in meetings. Is it OK to read from non-AA books in meetings?

Answer: Yes, it is OK to read from "non-AA" literature in an AA meeting unless your group decides to use "conference approved" literature only. Groups are under no obligation to adopt such a restriction.

When talking about whether a book is "AA approved" the question is often this: "Is the book General Service Conference approved literature?" Conference approval is only considered for books published by AA World Service in NY (AAWS). It serves as a way of saying that AAWS has put together a book and the General Service Conference has approved it. AAWS organizes the General Service Conference.

The list of books with conference approval is not a list of what may or may not be used in meetings but a list of literature the conference feels accurately reflects AA's basic message. Some groups independently decide that they will only use Conference Approved Literature, but there is no requirement that a group limit itself to a list. Each AA group is the highest authority in AA and can use any literature it wants to.

In 1978 the AA General Service Office described what "Conference Approved" means in their Box 4-5-9 newsletter (Volume 23, No 4). Here the General Service Office said:

It (Conference Approved) does not mean the Conference disapproves of any other publications. Many local A.A. central offices publish their own meeting lists. A.A. as a whole does not oppose these, any more than A.A. disapproves of the Bible or any other publications from any source that A.A.'s find useful.

What any A.A. member reads is no business of G.S.O., or of the Conference, naturally.

The General Service Conference has also dealt with the meaning of the term "Conference Approved" in a "Conference Approved" pamphlet (SM F-29) called: Conference-Approved Literature. Here it is explained this way:

"Conference-approved" -- What It Means to You

The term has no relation to material not published by G.S.O. It does not imply Conference disapproval of other material about A.A. A great deal of literature helpful to alcoholics is published by others, and A.A. does not try to tell any individual member what he or she may or may not read.

Books like the Original Manuscript and the First Edition of the Big Book are not Conference Approved Literature since there was no conference at the time they were published.

An odd side effect of a group that limits itself to conference approved literature would be that if the rule were rigorously followed, the group would not allow someone to read from Dr. Bob's personal copy of the Big Book because, as a First Edition, it would lack conference approval.

Regional newsletters and literature also lack conference approval but are widely used in meetings. Since 1954 the Hazelden published "Twenty Four Hours a Day" (ISBN 9780894860126) has been very widely used in AA meetings and has never been considered for conference approval.

The first AA group in Akron, Ohio (still going today) continues to display the Bible that AA's founders read from in the earliest meetings. What would have been fine literature for AA founder's to read in a meeting would spark outrage in some groups today. It all depends on the individual group's conscience to decide what is appropriate.

A.A. seems to have dealt with this controversy...Do other fellowships such as C.A., N.A., etc., have the same guidelines?

Tradition Four (Short): Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.

Tradition Four (Long): 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.

Bill Wilson learned:

"Nowhere in AA is there to be seen any constituted human authority that can compel an AA group to do anything...After struggling a few years to run the AA movement I had to give it up--it simply didn't work. Heavy handed assertion of my personal authority always created confusion and resistance."

Bill Wilson elaborates:

Tradition Four is yet another confident declaration of mutual trust and love as it flows from each AA group to the other. We give each group full autonomy, the undisturbed right to manage its own affairs. To make this condition doubly permanent and secure, we have guaranteed to all AA groups that they will never be subjected to any centralized government or authority. In turn each group agrees that it will never take any action that could injure us all. Rarely indeed has any AA group ever forgotten that precious trust.

"We had discovered that there was perfect safety in the process of trial and error. So confident of this had we become that the original statement of AA tradition carried this significant sentence: Any two or three alcoholics gathered together for sobriety may call themselves an AA Group provided that as a group they have no other affiliation. This meant, of course that we had been given the courage to declare each AA group an individual entity, strictly reliant on its own conscience as a guide to act...Every group has THE RIGHT to be wrong."

Bill Wilson said:

"...let us look more closely at Tradition Four. The first sentence guarantees each AA group local autonomy. With respect to it's own affairs, the group may make any decisions, adopt any attitudes that it likes. No overall or Intergroup authority should challenge this primary privilege. We feel this ought to be so, even though the group might sometimes act with complete indifference to our Tradition."

Bill continues for emphasis, to describe a most extreme, outrageous example of departure from typical behaviour:

"For example, an AA Group, if it wished, may hire a paid preacher and support him out of proceeds of a group nightclub. Though such an absurd action would be miles outside of our Tradition, the group's 'right to be wrong' would be held inviolate. We are sure that each group can be granted, and safely granted, these most extreme privileges...hence we say to each group, you should be responsible to no other authority than your own conscience."

Bill Wilson was often criticized for this laissez-faire attitude. Immaturity, lack of responsibility, promoting anarchy with a resultant dilution of our program were some criticisms. His answers to such criticisms were consistently simple:

"...almost anarchistic...a structure that actually invites deviation, knowing in advance it will fail, because we have the coercives of continuous drunkenness, insanity and death...because the penalty for enough deviation is drunkenness, and the penalty for drunkenness is insanity or death, we think that this is sufficient. We don't have to supplement God's work of correction."

1986 GENERAL SERVICE CONFERENCE CLOSING TALK

by Bob Pearson

At the closing brunch on Saturday morning, Bob Pearson (G.S.O. senior adviser), who is retiring early next year, gave a powerful and inspiring closing talk (excerpted below) to the 36th Conference. (This talk was rescheduled from Friday afternoon.)

Our greatest danger: rigidity

This is my 18th General Service Conference - the first two as a director of the Grapevine and A.A.W.S., followed by four as a general service trustee. In 1972, I rotated out completely, only to be called back two years later as general manager of G.S.O., the service job I held until late 1984. Since the 1985 International Convention, of course, I have been senior adviser. This is also my last Conference, so this is an emotionally charged experience.

I wish I had time to express my thanks to everyone to whom I am indebted for my sobriety and for the joyous life with which I have been blessed for the past nearly 25 years. But since this is obviously impossible, I will fall back on the Arab saying that Bill quoted in his last message, "I thank you for your lives." For without your lives, I most certainly would have no life at all, much less the incredibly rich life I have enjoyed.

Let me offer my thoughts about A.A.'s future. I have no truck with those bleeding deacons who decry every change and view the state of the Fellowship with pessimism and alarm. On the contrary, from my nearly quarter-century's perspective, I see A.A. as larger, healthier, more dynamic, faster growing, more global, more service-minded, more back-to-basics, and more spiritual - by far - than when I came through the doors of my first meeting in Greenwich, Connecticut, just one year after the famous Long Beach Convention. A.A. has flourished beyond the wildest dreams of founding members, though perhaps not of Bill himself, for he was truly visionary.

I echo those who feel that if this Fellowship ever falters or fails, it will not be because of any outside cause. No, it will not be because of:

• treatment centers or
• professionals in the field, or
• non-Conference-approved literature, or
• young people, or
• the dually-addicted, or even
• the "druggies" trying to come to our closed meetings.

If we stick close to our Traditions, Concepts, and Warranties, and if we keep an open mind and an open heart, we can deal with these and any other problems that we have or ever will have. If we ever falter and fail, it will be simply because of us. It will be because we can't control our own egos or get along well enough with each other. It will be because we have too much fear and rigidity and not enough trust and common sense.

If you were to ask me what is the greatest danger facing A.A. today, I would have to answer:

• the growing rigidity;
• the increasing demand for absolute answers to nit-picking questions;
• pressure for G.S.O. to "enforce" our Traditions;
• screening alcoholics at closed meetings;
• prohibiting non-Conference-approved literature, i.e., "banning books";
• laying more and more rules on groups and members.

And in this trend toward rigidity, we are drifting farther and farther away from our co- founders. Bill, in particular, must be spinning in his grave, for he was perhaps the most permissive person I ever met.

Bob Pearson (senior adviser)

Has your local area or intergroup been policing your meetings? Have you been informed that your Group's message, meeting format, and/or meeting literature is not World Services Approved? Has your Group been taken off Intergroup/Area's listings of meetings because of alleged non-compliance to Traditions? Let us know about your Intergroup or Area dictates, governance, and outright enforcement of mandates, rules and laws inhibiting a Group's ability to "carry its message to the alcoholic or addict who still suffers".

1. Fundraising conflicts with the AA General Service Board's expressed and adopted definition of the phrase "fully self-supporting" from Tradition Seven, which states, "all expenses are to be liquidated by individual contributions". Our founders wished to be very clear. Fundraising activity interferes with our faith that a God of our understanding will direct and provide for our fellowship if we follow traditions. Practicing tradition is our path to a higher power and true unity.
2. Fundraising activities divert time, resources, intention and focus of individuals and groups from our primary purpose as stated in Tradition Five. Extraordinary time and energy are put into making events "successful" rather than purposeful.
3. When fundraising generates monies, controversy results concerning "money, property or prestige". The traditions are unequivocal about the danger to unity of these subjects. Prudent reserves may become inflated and committees dependent upon fundraising events are pressured to raise more funds for bigger and better events.This further leads us away from the spiritual focus of our fellowship and our primary purpose as stated in Tradition Five.
4. Fundraising activities in meetings changes the atmosphere in meetings so necessary to our primary purpose of carrying the message to the newcomer. Intimidating, enthusiastic or manipulative sales behaviors are not supportive of our relationship to the newcomer. Inaccurate impressions of our program and purpose are made to newcomers and non-addict visitors. Some members of our fellowship will only attend some meetings if they can promote fundraising events, a significant diversion from our primary purpose.
5. Fundraising diminishes individual member's and group's abilities to effect change or voice discontent with any committee by the practice of with holding funds from the "basket" or donations from the group. Committees are often substantially financed by fundraising allowing them to ignore any diminished funding from the "basket". This principle created by our tradition's founders is inherent in the 7th Tradition and is a right granted to individual members.
6. Fundraising promotes governance rather than service, a clear contradiction expressed in the 2nd tradition. Committees may decide on activities supported by fundraising which may have no relation to the collective group conscience. Majority democratic votes are used by committees often to rationalize this behavior. Democratic votes while useful are not to be confused with, nor are they the equivalent of, the spiritual concept of conscience of the fellowship. Governance of this sort is also justified by the notion that what we are doing is "good" or "necessary", are euphemisms for "the ends justify the means", hardly the most spiritual concept. Governance is organizational self will and blocks the effect of "a loving God as he may express himself in or group conscience", central to the 2nd Tradition.
7. Fundraising permits the receipt of outside contributions to the funding of our fellowship, precisely prohibited by our 7th Tradition. There is no way to establish membership at the time of sale of goods or services and some activities such as raffles, lotteries, auctions of donated merchandise and resale of outside event tickets skirt legalities and does associate our fellowship with outside enterprises.
8. Fundraising encourages our membership to miss the underlying spiritual experiences inherent in the phrase "fully self-supporting". Simplicity, faith, generosity and responsibility are for many, necessary experiences required to have changed lives, becoming fully contributing members to our fellowship and to society as a whole.
9. Various fundraising activities encourage our membership to continue the self- centered behavior of "giving only if there is something in it for me". This does not contain the underlying spiritual principles of generosity, faith, selflessness and "giving freely of what we have found," inherent in the principle of self- support of Tradition Seven.
10. Social events once designed to promote recovery, fellowship and a sense of belonging, all worthy contributions of fellowship to the goal of unity, have changed from activities designed to celebrate the freedom of recovery to events with the primary purpose of fundraising .This often excludes members from fellowship activities who see fundraising activity contrary to many of the traditions.
11. For obvious practical requirements and to ensure fullest participation in fellowship events, entire fellowship support is required. This support is simply measured by the willingness of individual member contributions to fund a particular service. No financial support for a particular event or service is one indication of the expression of our collective group conscience. Funding from the fellowship donations helps to avoid the creation of committee events that a particular local area may not be large enough to support or indeed even desire. Funding of events by fundraising thought to be " good" are not a substitute for informed group conscience, the spiritual essence of Tradition Two and our collective path to a higher power.
12. Fundraising activities conducted in the group setting change our group to a "business" activity rather than a "spiritual entity". Our founders of the traditions cautioned in the creation of Tradition Five that business and spirituality should not be mixed, that discussions of money should be kept to a minimum, that we embrace the notion of corporate poverty and that we be ever vigilante in matters of money. Beware. They are seldom as emphatic as when discussing the subject of money and the 12 step fellowship.

Is your Group's Fundraising efforts taking your fellowship in a different direction? Tell us about your experiences with Fundraising.

(Short Form) "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."

The purpose of this blog is to enhance unity by encouraging discussion of one element of Tradition Two: The Principle of Rotation.

The format poses inventory questions followed by material from published sources of CA, NA, and AA. This blog explores the question, as it relates to our fellowships' rotation of leaders, "do we serve or do we govern?"

Do we practice rotating leadership, stepping out of office regardless if we believe others are not available, not willing and not qualified or do we remain frozen in office?

The AA Group Pamphlet, p. 34

"Traditionally, Rotation keeps AA members from becoming frozen in office. It also ensures that group tasks, like nearly everything else in AA, are passed around for all to share...to step out of an AA office you love can be hard. If you have been doing a good job, if you honestly don't see anyone else around willing, qualified, or with the time to do it, and if your friends agree, it is especially tough. But it can be a real step forward in growth--a step into the humility that is, for some people, the spiritual essence of anonymity...rotation helps to bring us spiritual rewards far more enduring than any fame. With no AA "status" at stake, we needn't compete for titles or praise--we have complete freedom to serve as we are needed".

AA Grapevine, September 1992

"But then I began to see rotation in action, and i learned the difference between ruling and serving. Rotation is one of the ways we use to make sure we serve and don't rule...AA's tradition of rotation ( even if it permits some inexperience and even ignorance ) was a bit shocking. Could such a structure stay intact? Wouldn't it finally fall apart? The answer, i discovered, was this: AA is unified and strong, because we are not organized...we've insisted that all those serving AA derive their authority from a loving god expressing himself within the informed group conscience."

Do we practice rotating leadership assuring anonymity in service or do we have leadership exhibiting personal endeavors and individual personalities?

NA, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 213

"Almost All our groups, service boards, and committees rotate different members through their service positions, rarely asking one individual to serve in a particular position of responsibility more than one or two terms in a row. The Practice of rotation emphasizes our fellowship's belief in the value of anonymity in service. NA service is not primarily a personal endeavour; rather, it is the collective responsibility of our fellowship as a whole. This doesn't mean we do not appreciate the care, experience, and insight individuals offer in carrying out their service duties. However, we place the principle of anonymity in service before the personalities of our individual trusted servants. Collective responsibility, not personal authority, is the guiding force behind NA services".

Do we practice transitory and rotating leadership allowing dependence on the god of our understanding to lead, via group conscience, or do we govern through fixed and official leadership?

Bill Wilson, AA Grapevine, October 1947

"AA may be able to function upon the power of its own fundamental principles rather than upon the prestige or inspiration of a highly personalized leadership. Thus the whole can become of transcending importance over any part; continued unity and success can then mostly depend upon god as we understand him working vitally in thousands of hearts rather than a few. Deep down, I think we in AA have begun to sense this magnificent possibility. The widening conviction that active leadership ought to be transitory and rotating; that each AA group with respect to its own affairs need be accountable only to its own conscience; that our committees and boards are really servants, not officials; that we, as a movement, ought to remain poor, so avoiding the risks of disrupting wealth...such concepts certainly leave little room for a prestige-clothed leadership."

Do we experience through rotating leadership at all service levels, a kind of democracy rarely possible elsewhere or do we experience an authoritarian and fixed leadership interfering with our true ultimate authority?

Bill Wilson, AA Grapevine, January 1948

"We humbly hope and believe that our growing AA tradition will prove to be the will of god for us... and we need not depend overmuch on inspired leaders. Because our active leadership of service can be truly rotating, we enjoy a kind of democracy rarely possible elsewhere...therefore we of AA are certain that there is but one ultimate authority, "a loving god as he may express himself in our group conscience."

Do we believe as individual members that our service committees govern and cannot get along without us and our directions, advice or orders and do we connive for re-election, unwilling to step aside quietly allowing god, through our group conscience to lead?

AA, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p.134/5

"...the Group now has a so-called rotating committee, very sharply limited in its authority. In no sense whatever can its members govern or direct the group. They are servants. Theirs is the sometimes thankless privilege of doing the group's chores...the committee gives no spiritual advice, judges no one's conduct, issues no orders...and so they make the belated discovery that they are really servants, not senators. These are universal experiences. Thus throughout AA does the group conscience decree the terms upon which its leaders shall serve...the bleeding deacon is one who is just as surely convinced that the group cannot get along without him, who constantly connives for reelection to office..."

Do we selflessly serve as leaders, guided by group conscience, or do we exert authority to seek power, property or prestige through governance?

NA, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p.113

"...in the way we structure our service organization. Our fellowship has no authoritarian hierarchy. We create boards and committees solely to serve us, not to govern. The various elements of our service structure are guided by the primary purpose and collective conscience of our fellowship are held accountable for the service they do on our behalf. Those who serve on our various boards and committees are expected not to seek power, property or prestige for themselves, but to selflessly serve the fellowship that has made their recovery possible."

AA Grapevine, September 1992

"In setting up services and make sure they worked well, it was tempting to forget the principle of rotation...how much more difficult it was to hold on to the principle of rotation and make sure humility (rather than power building) was at the center of our efforts. We learned that even though it was more difficult to rotate and have to constantly move through a period of learning, this was good for the individuals involved and for AA...no one person or small group of people, needed to stay in particular serving positions...many people got a chance to serve rather than just a few."

Do we manipulate the traditions through uninformed, ill informed or manipulative opinions, exerting personal leadership or do we remain open minded, actively learning about tradition and willing to change our minds to achieve unity?

CA Newsgram Article, Third Quarter, 2002

"In my travels over the past two years as a trustee I have uncovered a discouraging, but not surprising, discovery of property and prestige issues amongst many of our trusted servants. Through our implied definitions of what our responsibilities are to this fellowship and the implied direction of the traditions and/or concepts, I fear that many of our trusted servants have manipulated these definitions and directions into some sort of warped manifesto of discrete leadership intent. I believe the traditions dictate that our fellowship needs as little organization as possible on matters that may affect the CA fellowship as a whole. I also believe that our primary purpose should never be superseded by our ambitious need to expand our service structure beyond the immediate needs of the membership."

Do we as "elder statesmen" govern by exerting power or influence, controlling newcomers, and building political alliances or do we serve by sharing service and rotating out of leadership allowing God, through our group conscience to lead?

CA Newsgram Article, Third Quarter, 2002

"...our so called elder statesmen are often perceived to have power and/or influence. Through the development of down line representation (e.g. Sponsees) at the district or area level, these elders maintain their influence, which may be so permanently established at the district or area level that newcomers often surrender. This stifles change and growth for these local fellowships."

Do we serve through rotating leadership and never command or exert authority, acting only to understand, explore and carry out the conscience of the group?

Bill Wilson, AA Grapevine, 1947

"Nowhere in AA is there to be seen any constituted human authority that can compel an AA group to do anything...each leader soon discovers that while he can always guide by example or persuasion he can never boss...the majority of AA groups do not even choose leaders. They prefer rotating committees to handle their simple affairs. These committees are invariably regarded as servants. They have only the authorization to serve, never to command. Each committee carries out what it believes to be the wishes of its group. That is all...heavy handed assertion of my personal authority always created confusion and resistance".

CA Approved Literature, 7th Tradition Pamphlet

"Cocaine anonymous features limited terms of service at all levels of service. According to Tradition Two,'our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.' Once our term of commitment has expired, we step down and a replacement is elected. Even our trustees step down after serving for four years. Their are no leaders in CA; We are all trusted servants."

Do we remained fixed in various service positions believing we achieved or maintain our personal sobriety through service and if so, how is this practice aligned with tradition five?

The AA Group Pamphlet, p.23

"Each AA Group determines the minimum length of sobriety for members to be eligible for any position or office...these jobs may have titles. But titles in AA do not bring authority or honor; they describe services and responsibilities. And it has generally been found that giving members jobs solely to help them stay sober does not work".

(Short form) "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."

(Long Form) "For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority-a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience."

The purpose of this blog is to enhance Unity by encouraging discussion of one element of Tradition Two: Group Conscience.

The format poses some inventory questions followed by material from published recovery sources. This blog invites exploration as it relates to our fellowships' group conscience process: "What is our understanding of group conscience and how do we achieve it?"

How does our definition and practice of group conscience compare to the experience of others?

The AA Group, pamphlet, 1995

"The term 'informed group conscience' implies that pertinent information has been studied and all views have been heard before the group votes...This is achieved by the group members through the sharing of full information, individual points of view, and the practice of AA principles. To be fully informed requires a willingness to listen to minority opinions with an open mind. On sensitive issues, the group works slowly-discouraging formal motions until a clear sense of its collective view emerges."

NA - Twelve Concepts of Service

"Group conscience is the spiritual means by which we invite a loving God to influence our decisions. Conscience is essentially a spiritual faculty. It is our innate sense of right and wrong, an internal compass that each of us may consult in our personal reflections about the best course to take. Our basic text refers to conscience as one of those "higher mental and emotional functions"...The exercise of group conscience is the act by which our members bring the spiritual awakening of our Twelve Steps directly to bear in resolving issues affecting NA. As such, it is a subject which must command our most intent consideration...Group conscience is the means by which we collectively invite the on going guidance of a Higher Power in making decisions."

NA, It Works How and Why

"Group conscience can be thought of in much the same way as personal conscience. Group conscience reflects a collective awareness of, understanding of, and surrender to spiritual principles...If we are to find guidance from an Ultimate Authority we need to find means of hearing that guidance together. The mechanism we use is group conscience... Without direction our services may lack consistency...The success of the group conscience depends on our willingness as individuals to seek guidance from a Higher Power on a personal level. We then bring that willingness into the group setting...This conscience is a reflection of our relationship with a Higher Power. It reflects the guidance we receive from the God of our understanding and our commitment to follow that guidance...When consulted regularly, that collective conscience guides us in fulfilling our primary purpose while preserving our unity and common welfare."

Do our group conscience decisions demonstrate the loving influence of a higher power or are they destructive in nature, rooted in emotional self will?

AA Grapevine Article, January 1998

"My experience has been that unity is best achieved by a full hearing of all points of view, followed by some time for those involved to step back from emotional responses to the issue, as well as careful consideration and prayer...When we need to make a decision it is important for me to allow the group conscience to work and to trust in the process of applying the Twelve Traditions in making our decisions."

NA, Twelve Concepts of Service

"Developing a collective conscience provides us with the spiritual guidance we need for making service decisions. We pray or meditate together, we share with one another, we consider our Traditions, and we seek direction from a Higher Power... It is possible for us to apply the principles of the program in all our affairs, including our service affairs. We acknowledge group conscience is the spiritual means by which we invite a loving God to influence our decisions in our service affairs, when we listen not to just the words our fellow members speak, but to the spirit behind their words, when we seek God's will, not our own, and when we serve others, not ourselves. And when in our groups, service boards, and committees when we invite a loving God to influence us before making service related decisions."

AA Grapevine Article, January 1958, Bill Wilson

"I think many oldsters who have put our AA 'booze cure' to severe but successful tests still find they often lack emotional sobriety. Perhaps they will be the spearhead For the next major development in AA-the development of much more real maturity and balance (which is to say, humility) in our relations with ourselves, with our fellows, and with God...Reinforced by what grace I could secure in prayer, I found I had to exert every ounce of will and action to cut off these faulty dependencies upon people, upon AA, indeed, upon any set of circumstances whatsoever...Plainly I could not avail myself of God's love until I was able to offer it back to him by loving others as he would have me. And I couldn't possibly do that so long as I was victimized by false dependencies. For my dependency meant demand-a demand for the possession and control of the people and conditions surrounding me.

NA, It Works How and Why

"The conscience of a group takes shape and is revealed when its members take time to talk with each other about their personal needs. The needs of the group, and the needs of NA as a whole. As members listen carefully to each other and consult their personal understanding of a loving God, something happens; Solutions to problems become apparent, solutions that take into consideration the needs of everyone concerned...We encourage our trusted servants to remain open to new ideas, to become knowledgeable about all aspects of service in NA, and to continue to seek personal recovery. All of these attributes are essential to their ability to serve us well."

The AA Group, pamphlet, 1995

"Almost every group problem has a resolution which usually can be reached through the mechanism of an informed group conscience. Importantly, a good sense of humor, cooling off periods, patience, courtesy, willingness to listen and to wait-plus a sense of fairness and trust in a 'Power greater than ourselves'-have been found more effective than legalistic arguments or personal accusations.

AA Grapevine Article, May 1954

"Bill W. says, in The Milestones Ahead , 'It is true that the love of one drunk for another is wonderful to behold.' As we all go out in our Twelve Step work, he says, 'there is an expression of almost pure love, the kind of love that has no price tag on it.' But in our association with others (to quote Bill W. again) 'are we able to carry these principles into all our affairs? We sometimes quarrel a great deal, not often about things that matter too much, but there is a great deal of unnecessary anger, ambition, pride, a tendency to cling to people. All the problems of personal relationships which have to do with emotional sobriety, a happy sobriety, are yet far from solution. It is plain to all of us that unless this society can develop enough brotherhood and partnership amongst its members, we shall some day fall into disunity, and the basis of partnership and brotherhood has to be greatly improved personal relations.'...When a question involving a difference of opinion arises, all members of the group can be invited to express their opinion on the subject. Then all the facts pertaining to the subject will be presented which makes it much easier to judge the issue in a fair and impartial way."

Do we seek substantial unanimity in group conscience decisions or do we believe a simple majority vote, based in personal or political power, is sufficient?

The AA Group, pamphlet, 1995

"The term 'informed group conscience' implies that pertinent information has been studied and all views have been heard before the group votes...The 'informed group conscience' is the collective conscience of the group membership and thus represents substantial unanimity on an issue before definitive action is taken...To be fully informed requires a willingness to listen to minority opinions with an open mind...The result rests on more than a 'yes' or 'no' count-precisely because it is the spiritual expression of the group conscience."

NA, Twelve Concepts of Service

"Our groups, service boards, and committees often use the vote as a rough tool for translating spiritual guidance into clear, decisive terms. Sometimes, however, no vote is needed; following thoughtful, attentive discussion, it is perfectly apparent what our collective conscience would have us do in a given situation. Just as we seek the strongest possible spiritual unity in NA, so in our decision making we seek unanimity, not merely a majority vote. The more care we take in our considerations, the more likely we are to arrive at unanimity, and no vote will be needed to help us translate our group conscience into a collective decision. When making specific service decisions, voting may be the measure of our group conscience. However, group conscience can be seen in all our fellowship's affairs, not only our decision making process."

AA Grapevine Article, May 1954

"Since our first tradition says 'personal recovery depends on AA unity' it would make sense to be certain that our unity comes first. We can play it safe by adopting the policy used by the General Service Conference which provides that no action should be taken on any question unless by consent of at least three-quarters of the Conference members. A mere majority vote should not authorize action because, if even a small minority are in opposition, this would tend to destroy our unity. But the important thing is that by asking the entire group to voice its sentiments, we are using our Second Tradition...Here we tie ourselves to the greatest powering existence, the power that really makes AA tick. If we are sincere in our approach this plan will invariably give us the right answer as the group conscience speaks."

Do we seek out and value minority opinion in our group conscience or does our decision process stifle dissenting views and is it consistently influenced by dominant personalities?

The AA Group, pamphlet, 1995

"Before a vote is taken, it is essential that the members be given all the facts relevant to the subject at hand. In many cases, a few members may be asked to look into the pros and cons of the issue and present them at the meeting. Arriving at an informed group conscience in big matters or small is a process that may take some time. But it is important that the minority, or dissenting, views be heard along with those of the majority. In some instances, they may even turn the table...Some groups have tried observing Robert's Rules of Order, only to find that many members are inexperienced in parliamentary procedures and feel too intimidated to speak up. Besides, there is the spiritual nature of our fellowship, embodied in our Traditions and Concepts which give ample guidance."

AA Grapevine Article, 1947, Bill Wilson

"Almost without exception the failure to accomplish anything by coercion has been complete. Yet we alcoholics can be led, we can be inspired: coming into AA we can, and we gladly do, yield to the will of God. Hence it is not strange that the only real authority to be found in AA is that of spiritual principle. It is never personal authority...Nowhere in AA is there to be seen any constituted human authority that can compel an AA group to do anything...After struggling a few years to run the AA movement I had to give it up-it simply didn't work. Heavy handed assertion of my personal authority always created confusion and resistance...I can see my older friends smiling. They are recalling those times when they, too, felt a mighty call to 'save the AA movement' from something or other...In such fashion each of us learns that, in AA, one can be a servant only"

AA, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, P. 134

"...the group now has a so called rotating committee, very sharply limited in its authority. In no sense whatever can its members govern or direct the group. They are servants. Theirs is the sometimes thankless privilege of doing the group's chores...The committee gives no spiritual advice, judges no one's conduct, issues no orders. Every one of them may be promptly eliminated at the next election if they try this. And so they make the belated discovery that they are really servants, not senators. These are universal experiences. Thus throughout AA does the group conscience decree the terms upon which its leaders shall serve.

NA, Twelve Concepts of Service

"The expression of the individual conscience to the group is the foundation of a group conscience. Without it, we block the guidance of a loving God, our ultimate authority. When a position supported by many of us is challenged by a few of us, our service boards and committees should always treat such input with respect and careful consideration. The information and insights offered by the few may save us from dangerous mistakes; they may even lead us to new, previously undreamt horizons of service, where we might fulfill our fellowship's primary purpose more effectively than ever. For the sake of our fellowship, and for the sake of our members yet to come, our groups, service boards, and committees must always carefully consider all view points in their decision making processes...if you are a member of a service body, all you need do is raise your hand and speak. If the point you wish to make is complex, you may wish to put it in writing, so that other members of the board or committee can study it more carefully...The full participation of each member of the team is of great value as we seek to express the collective conscience of the whole...That all members of a service body bear substantial responsibility for that bodies decisions and should be allowed to fully participate in its decision making processes, with its emphasis on equalizing the relative weight of each voice on the team, puts the spiritual principle of anonymity into practice."

NA Basic Text, Tradition Two, P. 61

"In NA, we rely on a loving God as he may express Himself in our group conscience, rather than on personal opinion or ego...We must constantly be on guard that our decisions are truly an expression of God's will. There is often a vast difference between group conscience and group opinion. True spiritual principles are never in conflict; they compliment each other. The spiritual conscience of a group will never contradict any of our Traditions. The Second Tradition concerns the nature of leadership in NA...Those of us who have been involved in service or in getting a group started sometimes have a hard time letting go. Egos, unfounded pride, and self will destroy a group if given authority. We must remember that offices have been placed in trust, that we are trusted servants, and at no time do any of us govern."-

Cocaine Anonymous World Service Manual, 2006 Edition

"The purpose of parliamentary procedure is ' to permit a majority to accomplish its ultimate purpose within a reasonable period of time but only after allowing the minority reasonable opportunity to express it's views on the question at issue' ...This brief summary of parliamentary procedure, drawn largely from Robert's Rules of Order, was prepared for use at the World Service Conference. The Conference believes that it may also be of use to Areas and Districts. Please use it in the spirit it is intended; to aid in the orderly conduct of business meetings. It does not replace or take precedence over a charter, bylaws, standing rules, or the principles upon which the Traditions, the Steps and the Twelve Concepts are based. A potential exists for one or more people to use parliamentary procedure to control and/or otherwise manipulate a group away from its intention. Scrupulous and incessant attention to principle is the only way to prevent these guidelines for business meetings from being used to circumvent or unjustly influence the group conscience."

AA Grapevine, April 1959, Bill Wilson

"Somewhere in our literature there is a statement to this effect: 'Our leaders do not drive by mandate, they lead by example.' In effect we are saying to them, 'Act for us, but don't boss us.' A leader in AA service is therefore a person who can personally put principles, plans and policies into such dedicated and effective action that the rest of us want to back him up and help him with his job. When a leader power-drives us badly, we rebel; but when he too meekly becomes an order-taker and he exercises no judgment of his own-well, he really is no leader at all...But in new and important matters, it will nevertheless consult widely before taking decisions and actions...He recognizes that even large majorities, when badly disturbed or uninformed, can, once in a while, be dead wrong. When such an occasional situation arises, and something vital is at stake, it is always the duty of leadership, even when in small minority, to take a stand against the storm--using every ability of authority and persuasion to effect a change...Leadership is often called upon to face heavy and sometimes long continued criticism...we have those who we like to call our 'destructive critics.' They power-drive, they are 'politickers,' They make accusations. Maybe they are violent, malicious. They pitch gobs of rumors, gossip, and general scuttlebutt to gain their ends--all for the good of AA.

As new members arrive, do we embrace change as a natural part of the group conscience process or do we remain resistant to our evolving group conscience?

NA, It Works How and Why

"Group conscience is not fixed and inflexible. We know that personal conscience changes as an individual's relationship with a Higher Power grows and strengthens. In the same way the conscience of a group evolves as its members mature in recovery, new members arrive, and the group's situation changes...The principles involved in group conscience guides us through are constantly changing, requiring our conscience to tell us different things in different settings... A higher power works through all of us, regardless of clean time or experience. Group conscience always exists, but we are not always willing or able to hear it or allow its expression. Hearing group conscience may take time and patience. A flexible approach invites a loving Higher Power into our group conscience process...Just as our personal recovery doesn't always develop in an orderly fashion, our fellowship doesn't always evolve as we would expect. As groups and committees go through this growing process, their collective conscience often evolves as well. Changes in the group conscience are not a cause for alarm, merely part of the growing process...No one member or group has a monopoly on the of the Higher Power's will. We practice anonymity by offering our love, attention and respect to everyone, regardless of our personal feelings toward any individual. Every member has a part in the development of group conscience...We learn to cultivate our listening skills, using our ears more than our mouths in conversation. When we are open-minded, we hear and accept solutions offered by others in the development of group conscience... Only with an open mind can we recognize the guidance of a loving Higher Power."

NA, Twelve Concepts of Service

"Our decision making process is not perfect. Many groups, service boards, and committees acknowledge this, and the value of the minority's position, with every decision they make. Whenever a motion is approved by something less than unanimous consent, service bodies often ask those who voted against the measure to state their reasons for doing so, either out loud or in writing. If the decision needs to be revised at a later date, such minority opinions may prove invaluable in helping chart a new service course."

(Short Form) Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.

(Long Form) Each member of Alcoholics Anonymous is but a small part of a great whole. A.A. must continue to live or most of us will surely die. Hence our common welfare comes first. But individual welfare follows close afterward.

The purpose of this blog is to enhance UNITY through thought and discussion of our basic understanding of what is meant by UNITY and to encourage learning and practical application of the Traditions as our path to UNITY. This proposed by asking three questions arising from Tradition One and providing historical published considerations of those questions.

• What is meant by Unity?
• How does the experience of UNITY have singleness of purpose at its heart?
• How is practicing the Twelve Traditions our pathway to UNITY?
• Why is the experience of those who came before so necessary to learning and practicing the Twelve Traditions, our path to UNITY?

A.A. Traditions Booklet, Forward by Bill Wilson, 1955

"...if as a movement, we remain a spiritual entity concerned only with carrying our message to fellow sufferers without charge or obligation; then only can we most effectively complete our mission...Unity is so vital to us AA's that we cannot risk those attitudes and practices which have sometimes demoralized other forms of human society."

Narcotics Anonymous 12 & 12, Tradition One

"Unity is the spirit that joins thousands of members around the world in a spiritual fellowship that has the power to change lives...unity begins with our recognition of the therapeutic value of one addict helping another...The unity described in our First Tradition is not the same as uniformity...Our purpose--to carry the message to the addict who still suffers--allows room for everyone to serve. When we unite in support of this purpose, our differences need no longer detract from our common welfare."

CA World Service Handout - Unity

The First Tradition states that "Our common welfare comes first; personal recovery depends upon CA unity." So the question is: What is meant by unity? I believe that what we are referred to is 'Unity of Purpose'. We are therefore referred to the Fifth Tradition, which states that "Each group has but one primary purpose--to carry the message to the addict who still suffers." What is said of the individual member and the group is also true of the area, and indeed the fellowship as a whole."

Narcotics Anonymous 12 & 12, Tradition Five

"Unity is one of our greatest strengths in carrying the message. Unity of purpose keeps our focus on carrying the message...Our primary purpose is a common thread that unites us. Tradition Five defines the focus of Narcotics Anonymous. This focus also helps to ensure our survival as a fellowship."

Grapevine Article, February 1958, A.A. Co-Founder, Bill Wilson

"Our first duty, as a society, is to ensure our own survival. Therefore we have to avoid distractions and multipurpose activity...Sobriety--freedom from alcohol--through the teaching and practice of the Twelve Steps, is the sole purpose of an AA group. Groups have repeatedly tried other activities and they have always failed...we have to confine our AA groups to a single purpose. If we don't stick to these principles, we shall almost surely collapse. And if we collapse, we cannot help anyone."

AA Grapevine, November 1948, Bill Wilson

"The Twelve Points of Tradition are little less than a specific application of the spirit of the Twelve Steps of recovery to our group life and to our relations with society in general. The recovery steps would make each individual whole and one with God; the Twelve Points of Tradition would make us one with each other and whole with the world about us. Unity is our aim."

AA grapevine Article, January 1998, "Unity Seldom Means That We All Agree"

"What I have learned is that unity seldom means that we all agree on everything. Nor is unity served by setting aside our concerns and conforming to the majority opinion...My experience has been that unity is best achieved by a full hearing of all points of view, followed by some time for those involved to step back from emotional responses to the issue, as well as careful consideration and prayer...When we need to make a decision it's important for me to allow the group conscience to work and to trust in the process of applying the Twelve Traditions in making our decisions. when I'm able to do this, I feel that I'm part of this Fellowship and that we united in our common disease, our common solution, and our common purpose."

AA grapevine Article, April 2000, "Divine Wisdom"

"Mention our Twelve Traditions, and I immediately think of the mistakes that early AA members made. that's where our Traditions came from, and each chapter in our "Twelve and Twelve" is a brief, often humorous account of problems encountered by early groups because of the character defects of sober alcoholics and the mistakes they made out of good, if misguided, intentions. The Traditions gave us both a sweeping inventory of the problems that threatened early groups, and an analysis of how the problems were rooted in and sprang from the alcoholic personality."

If our unity is based on our singleness of purpose, as stated in Tradition Five...Each group has but one primary purpose--to carry its message to the addict who still suffers--What then does its message look like to you?