Conference questions not quite up to par! (contd)

33. 
A) Can we refer to members dead or alive in AA publications? 

And 

B) Does anonymity go to the grave and beyond OR does it stop at the grave? 

This has a bearing on what publications such as Share, Roundabout and AA Service News print.

To expand on this question I have written three sections: Background,

Potential issues and Possible solutions.

In particular I have called on my own experience as a proof reader for Roundabout however the issue will be relevant for any AA publication. Share, Roundabout and AA Service News spring to mind immediately. I think it would be of great benefit to the Fellowship and particularly those who help to proof read and edit articles if the Fellowship would share their experience. Hopefully some guidance can be given. 

Background: 

First some background on how this issue appeared. I will touch on my own approach to proof reading and experience. Roundabout magazine is “our meeting in print". Unless necessary I will not alter an article which a member has taken time to write in. Even though it may not be perfect prose or grammar. Most often it will not be altered. The ethos is that hopefully we can "hear" the reader sharing. I want to use the efforts of our writers. At times there can be an additional pressure of a shortage of articles. By not using an article could put strain on the team to fill the magazine. In short, not enough suitable articles then we have no magazine. We cannot however print anything which contravenes our Traditions or principles. Roundabout magazine has both Terms of Reference and Proof Reading Guidelines documents. I imagine there are similar for Share and other publications. After reading and using the guidelines and other AA literature my own conscience still bothered me with the following issue. 

The issue: 

The following example raises some questions. A writer might write:
"My late mother was a member of AA. She took me to my first meeting and her example was a great influence over me.
Jo Blogs Another meeting Scotland"
My own view is that the writer albeit they are sharing their own experience can not disclose that their mother alive or dead was in AA. What does the Fellowship think?
I realise that one often hears someone sharing at a meeting that a family member was or is in AA. In print this is different for a number of reasons which I have listed below: 
 "The printed word assumes an authority not normally given to the spoken" to quote or own Roundabout Sub‐committee terms of reference 
 We can adhere to the yellow card when we leave a meeting. 
 A magazine share is different. Roundabout magazines with the diary pages (which contain members tel no's) are torn out placed in hospitals, prisons etc. The stories however are not torn out. The magazines reach people who are not in AA. 
 No member should disclose another member’s (whether they are dead or alive) membership of AA. 
 We also do not know if his late mother would have been happy to have it disclosed in print that she was a member of AA. Or if she is alive is she happy? 
 We do not risk hurting our loved ones. Family members may not be happy to disclose that a member of their family was an alcoholic. To quote Step 9 we make amends "where ever possible except where to do so would injure them or others".
Are we risking injuring a family member by printing this? Only the late mother would have been in a position to decide this.
I feel to print this with no alteration ‐
Breaks Tradition 12. Principles before personalities,
It may also
Breaks Tradition 11 ‐ Anonymity at the level of press. Are Roundabout and Share magazine considered press? 

Possible solutions: 

We want to try to use as many of the articles as possible however if we accept that these lines cannot be printed.

We need to consider, can we alter the text so that the article will fit with our principles and Traditions? Here are some options I have been deliberating:

1) Remove these lines from the article

2) Replace the words "late mother" with "late family member"

e.g. “A late family member was also was a member of AA. They took me to my first meeting and their example was a great influence over me.

Jo Blogs Another meeting Scotland"

This seems better however we may still risk upsetting a family member.

3) Print the article with no alteration however do not print the author's name or home group. I.E. an anonymous article. This on one level seems ok however it made me consider can we print anyone's story if we left it as anonymous?

4) My own conscience tell me. We need to try to carry the message. We are at times short of articles. So I feel it is OK to print the article provided

a) We alter it as in point 2 above

b) As in point 3 above we do not credit the article against a writer.

So we would print

"A late family member was also was a member of AA. They took me to my first meeting and their example was a great influence over me

Anonymous contributor"

I also suggest for courtesy and permission if possible before printing we contact the writer. To thank them for the article and explain why we would like to alter the article to fit with principles /Traditions.

Terms of Reference No. 7 Covered in existing literature.

Comment: Some interesting points raised. For our part we observe the anonymity principle for members (dead or alive) with the exception of thugs, bullies and predators in AA. As far as we're concerned they lost their right to anonymity when they started using it as a cover for their abuses.

Cheers

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS For AA Minority Report 2013 click here