AA Grapevine Digital Archive

Department:

Twelve Traditions

The first complete series of Traditions articles that Bill W. wrote ran in the Grapevine between December 1947 and November 1948, four and half years before he wrote the essays that now appear in Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. Today, the Grapevine runs a series on the Steps and Traditions in alternating years. Traditions articles appear in even-numbered years.

280 articles selected
See the bottom of the page for ways to narrow your search.


1.	Editorial: Mutual experience is the common ground on which A.A.s meet individually and upon which A.A. has been built collectively.	November 1947

2.	Editorial: (by Bill W.) "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."	December 1947

3.	Editorial: (by Bill W.) "For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority--a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience."	January 1948

4.	Editorial: (by Bill W.) "Our membership ought to include all who suffer alcoholism. Hence we may refuse none who wish to recover. Nor ought A.A. membership ever depend upon money or conformity. Any two or three alcoholics gathered together for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided that, as a group, they have no other affiliation."	February 1948

5.	Editorial: (by Bill W.) "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 Alcoholic Foundation. On such issues our common welfare is paramount."	March 1948

6.	Editorial: (by Bill W.) Each Alcoholics Anonymous group ought to be a spiritual entity having but one primary purpose--that of carrying its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.	April 1948

7.	Editorial: (by Bill W.) The sixth of our 12 Points of A.A. Tradition is deemed so important that it states at length the relation of the A.A. movement to money and property.	May 1948

8.	Editorial: (by Bill W.) The A.A. Groups themselves ought to be fully supported by the voluntary contribution of their own members. We think that each group should soon achieve its ideal: that any public solicitation of funds using the name of Alcoholics Anonymous is highly dangerous, whether by groups, clubs, hospitals or other outside agencies; that acceptance of large gifts from any source, or of contributions carrying any obligation whatever, is unwise. Then too, we view with much concern those A.A. treasuries which continue, beyond prudent reserves, to accumulate funds for no stated A.A. purpose. Experience has often warned us that nothing can so surely destroy our spiritual heritage as futile disputes over property, money, and authority.	June 1948

9.	Editorial: (by Bill W.) "Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional. We define professionalism as the occupation of counseling alcoholics for fees or hire. But we may employ alcoholics where they are going to perform those services for which we might otherwise have to engage non-alcoholics. Such special services may be well recompensed. But our usual A.A. "12th Step" work is never to be paid for."	July 1948

10.	Editorial: (by Bill W.) Each A.A. Group needs the least possible organization. Rotating leadership is the best. The small group may elect its secretary, the large group its rotating committee, and the groups of a large Metropolitan area their central or intergroup committee, which often employs a full-time secretary. The Trustees of The Alcoholic Foundation are, in effect, our A.A. General Service Committee. They are the custodians of our A.A. Tradition and the receivers of voluntary A.A. contributions by which we maintain our A.A. General Service Office in New York. They are authorized by the groups to handle our over-all public relations and they guarantee the integrity of our principal newspaper, "The A.A. Grapevine." All such representatives are to be guided in the ...	August 1948

Page:

...

Want to narrow your search?
Here are some ways to be more specific:

	Select a topic: Select only the articles related to this topic.
	Select a department: You can only select one department.
	Select a date: Select only articles published during a selected time range.

Start a new search

Search within these results:

Tips:
•	Keyword search will find any article that contains all the words you enter. More words means a more selective search, as fewer articles will contain all the words.
•	To limit your search to exact words or phrases, put double quotes around the word or phrase (e.g., "sobriety" or "big book")
•	Search is not case-sensitive. Looking for "bill w." will find "Bill W."

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
Send a message to DAFeedback@aagrapevine.org