Traditions Checklist

[Tim]

At my home group meeting this week, the chair shared from the 'AA Traditions Checklist' that was published by the AA Grapevine magazine in a series from 1969 to 1971.

The section he read and used as a topic for the meeting was Tradition 3.
Here are the questions that are used for that tradition.

Tradition Three
The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking.

In my mind, do I prejudge some new AA members as losers?
Is there some kind of alcoholic whom I privately do not want in my AA group?

Do I set myself up as a judge of whether a newcomer is sincere or phony?

Do I let language, religion (or lack of it), race, education, age, or other such things interfere with my carrying the message?

Am I overimpressed by a celebrity? By a doctor, a clergyman, an ex-convict? Or can I just treat this new member simply and naturally as one more sick human, like the rest of us?

When someone turns up at AA needing information or help (even if he can't ask for it aloud), does it really matter to me what he does for a living? Where he lives? What his domestic arrangements are? Whether he had been to AA before? What his other problems are?

Personally, I had never seen this Traditions Checklist before, but the chair had it as a pamphlet put out by AA. The discussion was lively and productive. I may use another one of the traditions from the checklist in the future when I chair a meeting. The questions are useful to reflect on.

Initially, this tradition included the word 'honest', ...an honest desire to stop drinking. It was later dropped.

[GeoffS]

Initially, this tradition included the word 'honest', ...an honest desire to stop drinking. It was later dropped.

It also used to be in the preamble.

Funnily enough there is one group near me that I've been to a couple of times, who still insist on keeping it in.

What to make of that?

[Dallas]

That's the beauty of the 12 Traditions.
The Group can do as the Group does.

There is instructions in the Big Book, in both "Working with others" and "To Employers"... that suggest that "we should"... judge their sincerity... as to whether they really want it or not... and, to not to waste our time with those who are not sincere and will not work with us.

To distinguish the difference: I believe that the 3rd Tradition is addressed to the Group, in regards "to meetings." And, the sections of the Big Book, is addressed to individual members of A.A.

There is a difference in a 12 Step Call, and "Carrying the message."

The short-form of the Traditions, the long-form of the Traditions, and the current Grapevine Preamble that we often read in meetings -- still focus that our work should primarily be towards alcoholics.... and, to help alcoholics to achieve and maintain sobriety and to recover from alcoholism.

Some Groups seem to focus on helping "any drinker" to stop drinking... and logically, this would be the same as saying that all drinkers would be alcoholics -- even the problem drinkers.

There is a difference.

BTW: The 12 Traditions Checklist that you're referring to: It has been here on the site and in the forum for at least a few years!

Dallas