Question
2:
“Would
the Fellowship review and re-affirm what constitutes an AA Group,
within the Fellowship in Great Britain with specific reference to
Traditions 4 - 6?
Background
Consider
the contribution to the carrying of the message, financial and
practical implications when deliberating each question.”
Extract:
“Tradition
4 (long form):
“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 General Service Board. On such issues our
common welfare is paramount.”
“Rightly
enough, this tradition goes on to say, ‘But when its plans concern
the welfare of neighbouring groups also, these groups ought to be
consulted.’ Obviously, if any individual, group, intergroup, or
regional committee could take an action that might seriously affect
the welfare of Alcoholics Anonymous as a whole or seriously disturb
surrounding groups, that would not be liberty at all. It would be
sheer license; it would be anarchy, not democracy.
Therefore,
we AAs have universally adopted the principle of consultation. This
means that if a single AA group wishes to take any action that might
affect surrounding groups, it consults them. Or, it confers with the
intergroup committee for the area, if there be one. Likewise, if a
group or regional committee wishes to take any action that might
affect AA as a whole, it consults the trustees of the Alcoholic
Foundation, who are, in effect, our overall general service
committee. For instance, no group or intergroup could feel free to
initiate, without consultation, any publicity that might affect AA as
a whole. Nor could it assume to represent the whole of Alcoholics
Anonymous by printing and distributing anything purporting to be AA
standard literature.” (“Tradition Four” Bill W. A.A. Grapevine March 1948, Language of the Heart page 81).
Tradition
10 (Long Form):
“And
no A.A. group or member should ever, in such a way as to implicate
A.A., on outside controversial issues – particularly those of
politics, alcohol reform, or sectarian religion. The alcoholics
Anonymous groups oppose no one. Concerning such matters they can
express no views whatever.”
Guideline
7, Public Information:
“PI
is a co-operative venture and there is no place in it for isolated
acts.”
Guideline
19, AA and Electronic Communications:
“To
preserve Alcoholics Anonymous’ trademarks and service marks,
individuals and AA groups are asked to avoid using certain marks
(“AA”; “Alcoholics Anonymous”; “Big Book”) in their
domain names.”
“There
are no ‘unofficial’ AA websites as such. The only websites which
can truly be called AA websites are those endorsed by an official AA
body eg: www.alcoholics anonymous.org.uk, Regional and Intergroup
websites.”
(The
A.A. Service Handbook for Great Britain)
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/members/index.cfm?PageID=98&DocumentTypeID=21
With
reference to …......’s post on page 2, committee 1, Question 1,
regarding one intergroup area where a National Health Service trust
asked all the AA meetings to leave hospital premises, complaints from
GPs and the self promoting activity of one particular group in
another area, what constitutes an AA group, according to Tradition
Ten would have no opinion on medication;this is an outside issue and
a matter for health professionals. According to Tradition 4, it would
not “initiate, without consultation, any publicity that might
affect AA as a whole.” It would therefore, not engage in self
promoting PI activity with outside agencies such as doctors clinics,
hospitals, treatment centres etc, without consultation with
neighbouring groups, or intergroup; nor would it promote itself via
its own website or other internet channels of communication without
consultation with neighbouring groups, intergroup and the General
Service Board; nor would a group have a website containing the terms
“AA”; “Alcoholics Anonymous”; “Big Book”) in its domain
name. “Nor could it assume to represent the whole of Alcoholics
Anonymous by printing and distributing anything purporting to be AA
standard literature.” (Bill W.) Such items would include handouts
and 12 step guides etc.
The
fact that the official USA GSO entry on a popular self broadcasting
internet channel of communication is now listed as 21st item down
from the top of the page illustrates how the AA message is becoming
garbled at the public level by isolated acts of public information
and the production of non-standard literature by groups and
individuals. The resultant effect of the modern equivalent to what
Bill W. described as the “alarming poser” (AA comes of Age page
130). What constitutes an AA group would place the common welfare of
Alcoholics Anonymous as a whole first, it would use A.A. published
literature, not outside published literature; It would have no
opinion on outside issues, medical or religious. It would discourage
any isolated acts of public information and discourage “alarming
posers” among its members, or elsewhere in AA.
Concept
1: “We envisaged a uniform A.A. literature, the development of a
sound public relations policy….”
Concept
12, warranty five: “If we recognize that religion is the province
of the clergy and the practice of medicine is for doctors, then we
can helpfully cooperate with both.””
Cheerio
The
Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
