Traditions Nine Checklist
Tradition Nine: AA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

Do I still try to boss things in AA?
Do I resist formal aspects of AA because I fear them as authoritative?
Am I mature enough to understand and use all elements of the AA program – even if no one makes me do so – with a sense of personal responsibility?
Do I exercise patience and humility in any AA job I take?
Am I aware of all those to whom I am responsible in any AA job?
Why doesn’t …read more

Yeah, yeah…
Folks, please, if you find yourself in meetings where there is someone who never shares until the end of the meeting and then begins their sharing with “During this meeting I have observed blah, blah, blah,” then offers up some magnificent wisdom based on a few years away from a drink, that is a certain example of something you’ll want to leave there and take the rest. You might want to run it past your sponsor especially if it sounds like it applies to your case.
On the same thought – if you are approached by anyone, in a meeting …read more

I’m about to head off to “work.” Bleccchhh!
Yet, its at work now that I have been given the opportunity to watch someone who is keeping it green for me. He simply cannot, will not, whatever – stop drinking. All day, every day, through the night into the morning and so on and so on. At 9:15 am he has been unable to string two coherent words together to make a sensible comment over the phone and his workers are telling him to stay home. He owns the business!
Which brings to my mind one of the profundity pushers’ statements …read more

It appears that the well-known “Anonymity Statement” may have been the result of “The Manhattan Project.”
“Whom you see here, what you hear here, when you leave here, let it stay here.”
It may also have been the result of our sister fellowship according to Glenn C. and others. Glenn points us to “The Tools of Recovery” at Hindsfoot and says: “Some of the local folks say that this statement was first read by one of the people who put together the seven ‘tools of recovery’ when he was attending an Al-Anon meeting.”
Steven L. comments that he’d seen the statement on a …read more

For those who may not know…
This is the Primary Purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous, i.e. what AA is;
“Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.
The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any …read more

“Oldtimers” that don’t go to meetings!
When we arrived at the clubhouse yesterday there was an old “friend” sitting outside. We hadn’t seen him in quite some time and the first thought I had was “I’m glad you’re back.”
We shook hands, said our hellos, got our coffees, sat down and asked “Where have you been?” The answer wasn’t what I wanted to hear and had nothing to do with drinking (for now). “Raising my kids, running my business, doing all those life things, blah, blah, blah…”
“Comin’ up on twenty years, tomorrow’s my anniversary, so it was time I showed up for …read more

I’ve been seriously pondering yesterday’s Daily Reflections because it means quite a lot, to me, in a few ways.
“They are servants. Theirs is the sometimes thankless privilege of doing the group’s chores.”
First Things First – this comes directly after a question posed asking: “Do these oldtimers think they can run this group forever?”
From which we find that any authority perceived over time is really limited or non-existent. God has His way of fairly dispersing responsibility within A.A. so that all might eventually become involved in service work. I think that’s a grand plan!

(I’ve heard it said – twisted serpents )
“For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants.”
The Second Tradition (pg 132 in the 12 and 12)