Traditions Eight Checklist
August 7, 2008 by Mark
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
As usual, always worthy of consideration, any day, any time, imho.
Tradition Eight: Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
- Is my own behavior accurately described by the Traditions? If not, what needs changing?
- When I chafe about any particular Tradition, do I realize how it affects others?
- Do I sometimes try to get some reward – even if not money – for my personal AA efforts?
- Do I try to sound in AA like an expert on alcoholism? On recovery? On medicine? On sociology? On AA itself? On psychology? On spiritual matters? Or, heaven help me, even on humility?
- Do I make an effort to understand what AA employees do? What workers in other alcoholism agencies do? Can I distinguish clearly among them?
- In my own AA life, have I any experiences which illustrate the wisdom of this Tradition.
- Have I paid enough attention to the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions? To the pamphlet AA Tradition – How It Developed?
Having information of this nature on-line is extremely helpful. Often we are left to the interpretation of “locals” as to what steps/ traditions mean. I believe the 7th and 8th Traditions need a broader understanding of what the founders meant.
Thanks Suzanne – for your visit and your comment
Hi Mark,
Thank you for bringing up the importance of the traditions.
It’s fair to say that I have never really given them too much consideration and that is a shame (being “green” is no excuse). Me thinks that I need to start studying them – thank you for the tags to the checklists.
The traditions should be a very important part of my program. I have much to ponder and discuss w/my sponsor and other AA friends. Very cool!
s.
Please provide some insight for:
Emailing anniversary date infromation (Praising people…first name only) to group A.A.members who register their name, phone, sobriety date, and email address on a meeting list.
Does this violate any traditions?
HI Jim,
I’m not sure how insightful I might be…
but I know that in Suffolk County, NY local groups mail each other postcards announcing sobriety anniversaries that are then announced during secretary reports in a meeting. I wouldn’t say that is a violation of any Tradition.
The manner you’ve proposed? Not sure. Email can be a touchy subject. I’d probably personally want to avoid it.