PO Box 1980

Perhaps no Tradition is more misunderstood than the Fourth Tradition, which states, "Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or AA as a whole." The letter "Public Meeting Lists," in the January 2004 issue [describing an intergroup's decision not to list closed AA meetings in newspapers] is a perfect example. No intergroup, area, or GSO for that matter, has the power--thank goodness--to tell a group how they should or should not be published in newspapers or websites. Each group has the freedom to choose how the meeting is run, how group funds are disbursed, and whether and how the group should be listed in newspapers.