Around AA

On July 3, 1955, at the St. Louis Convention, Bill W. turned over to the AA membership, through a General Service Conference, full responsibility as "the guardian of the Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, the perpetuator of the world services of our Society, the voice of the group conscience of our entire Fellowship, and the sole successors to its co-founders, Dr. Bob and Bill." At that time, the Conference had existed on a trial basis for five years, and had proved itself capable of carrying on the work of the founders, "inheriting from them all their former duties and special responsibilities, thus avoiding in future time all possible strivings for individual prestige or personal power, and also providing our Society with the means of functioning on a permanent basis." (AA Comes of Age, page 226)