You Mean There's Already a Solution?

As the AA Steps contain the message of recovery, so the AA Traditions contain that of unity. I knew this fact in spirit sometime before my head caught on to it. While still very much a newcomer to the Fellowship, I first became aware of the Traditions while observing the running of meetings. Despite my newcomer's confusion I could sense that the chairman and secretary had little power to get people to do anything--other than their power of persuasion through their own sober example. It soon seemed clear, too, that their only guidelines were the Traditions, which at most meetings hung in full view for easy reference. I noticed that the Traditions guided the groups in the many small jobs necessary to make each meeting available as scheduled. My curiosity about the Traditions was sparked and kindled a little at a time. There were not many Step meetings then--and no Traditions meetings--so we depended mostly on osmosis to absorb these principles.