The Twelve Traditions of twelve-step programs provide guidelines for relationships between the twelve-step groups, members, other groups, the global fellowship, and society at large. Questions of finance, public relations, donations, and purpose are addressed in the Traditions. They were originally written by Bill Wilson after the founding of the first twelve-step group, Alcoholics Anonymous.[1]
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Origins
Several of the tenets of what was to become AA's Twelve Traditions were first expressed in the Foreword to the First Edition of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1939. By 1944 the number of AA groups had grown along with the number of letters being sent to the AA headquarters in New York asking how to handle disputes caused by issues like publicity, religion, and finances.[2] By 1946 AA cofounder Bill Wilson had more clearly formulated the basic ideas for the Twelve Traditions directly from such correspondence with groups (via the group conscience method), setting guidelines on how groups and members should interact with each other, the public, and AA as a whole.[1] The Traditions were first published in the April 1946 AA Grapevine under the title Twelve Points to Assure Our Future[3] and were formally adopted at AA's First International Convention in 1950.[1] Wilson's book on the subject, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, was published in April, 1953.[3]
The Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous
- Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.
- 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 only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.
- Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.
- Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
- 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.
- Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
- Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
- A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
- Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
- 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.
- Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.
The Traditions in other twelve-step programs
Other twelve-step programs make small changes to the original Twelve Traditions used in Alcoholics Anonymous and offer interpretations specific to their programs. The Twelve Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous (NA), the second largest twelve-step program, are as stated above with all instances of AA replaced with NA, the word alcoholic replaced with the word addict, and the word drinking replaced with the word using. NA published their It Works: How and Why as its own study of the Twelve Traditions.[4][5]
Singleness of purpose
AA's Singleness of Purpose is a principle derived from the Fifth Tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous, "Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers."[1] Other groups replace the word alcoholic with the identifying characteristic of their fellowship, or otherwise rephrase it to have a similar meaning. For instance, in Narcotics Anonymous that member would be an addict.[4] The principle is based on the philosophy that those that share common physical cravings and mental obsessions can best understand and help those that are struggling with their specific addictions. Alcoholics Anonymous founder Bill Wilson wrote in the February 1958 AA Grapevine that
| “ | We cannot give AA membership to non-alcoholic narcotics-addicts. But like anyone else, they should be able to attend certain open AA meetings, provided, of course, that the groups themselves are willing.
AA members who are so inclined should be encouraged to band together in groups to deal with sedative and drug problems. But they ought to refrain from calling themselves AA groups. There seems to be no reason why several AAs cannot join, if they wish, with a group of straight addicts to solve the alcohol and the drug problem together. But, obviously, such a "dual purpose" group should not insist that it be called an AA group nor should it use the AA name in its title. Neither should its "straight addict" contingent be led to believe that they have become AA members by reason of such an association. Certainly there is every good reason for interested AAs to join with "outside" groups, working on the narcotic problem, provided the Traditions of anonymity and of "no endorsements" are respected. |
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See also
References
- ^ a b c d Alcoholics Anonymous (February 10, 2002). Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. Hazelden. ISBN 0916856011. OCLC 13572433.
- ^ Hartigan, Francis (2001). Bill W.: A Biography of Alcoholics Anonymous Cofounder Bill Wilson. pp. 161–162. ISBN 0312283911. OCLC 42772358.
- ^ a b Alcoholics Anonymous. Twelve Steps And Twelve Traditions. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. ISBN 978-0-916856-01-4.
- ^ a b Narcotics Anonymous (1993). It Works: How and Why: The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Narcotics (3rd edition ed.). Van Nuys, CA: Narcotics Anonymous World Service Office, Inc.. ISBN 1557761817. OCLC 29169335.
- ^ "It Works: How and Why: The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Narcotics" (pdf). Van Nuys, CA: Narcotics Anonymous World Service Office, Inc.. http://www.na.org/pdf/It_Works.pdf.
- ^ "Problems Other Than Alcohol: What Can Be Done About Them?" (PDF). Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.. http://www.aa.org/pdf/products/p-35_ProOtherThanAlcohol1.pdf. Retrieved on August 2, 2008.
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