Tradition Four

Short form:

“Four—Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.”

Long form:

“4.—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 neighbouring 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 General Service Board. On such issues our common welfare is paramount.”

(our emphases)

Note: This Tradition is one that is most frequently (and blatantly) broken by the cult groups (those presently engaged in attempting to subvert both the Fellowship and the message of Alcoholics Anonymous). Whilst claiming a “purer” and more “fundamentalist” application of AA principles these same groups ignore (or distort) any such guidelines (whether these be expressed in the Steps, Traditions or Concepts) which might hinder their efforts to present their perversion of the AA message, and by which cause they bring our society into disrepute. The evidence for their impact may easily be reviewed by simply conducting a search of the anti AA websites, blogs, and internet groups which are springing up via that medium. While we would not claim for a moment that AA itself is free of all fault nevertheless these anti AA sentiments become easily understandable when examined in the light of cult activities. The aacultwatch team however choose NOT to turn a blind eye to these allegations but rather to take action to oppose these abuses not only insofar as they affect our Fellowship but also (and more importantly) where they result in completely unnecessary suffering being inflicted upon newcomers who come to Alcoholics Anonymous in search merely of a solution to their alcohol problem. Anyone with a reasonable grasp of AA principles can easily comprehend this approach, one which does not include dogma, dictat, abuse or humiliation, and indeed does not require of anyone anything more than “a desire to stop drinking”. Beyond this point the rest is entirely voluntary! The aacultwatch team takes this Tradition very seriously and indeed as members of AA (and of AA groups) regard it as an obligation to take action when a group (AA, or purporting to be AA) acts in such a way as to affect the welfare of individuals, groups or indeed of Alcoholics Anonymous as a whole.