From the The Traditions Checklist ;
Traditions Checklist – Tradition One: Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon AA unity.
1. Am I in my group a healing, mending, integrating person, or am I divisive? What about gossip and taking other members’ inventories?
2. Am I a peacemaker? Or do I, with pious preludes such as “just for the sake of discussion,” plunge into argument?
3. Am I gentle with those who rub me the wrong way, or am I abrasive?
4. Do I make competitive AA remarks, such as comparing one group with another or contrasting AA in one place with …read more

As usual, always worthy of consideration, any day, any time, imho.
From Silkworth.net;
Tradition Ten: Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the AA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

Do I ever give the impression that there really is an “AA opinion” on Antabuse? Tranquilizers? Doctors? Psychiatrists? Churches? Hospitals? Jails? Alcohol? The federal government? Legalizing marijuana? Vitamins? Al-Anon? Alateen?
Can I honestly share my own personal experience concerning any of those without giving the impression I am stating the “AA opinion”?
What in AA history gave rise to our Tenth Tradition?
Have I had a similar experience in my own AA …read more

As usual, always worthy of consideration, any day, any time, imho.
From Silkworth.net;
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, …read more

Always worthy of consideration, any day, any time, imho.
From Silkworth.net;
Tradition Seven: Every AA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

Honestly now, do I do all I can to help AA (my group, my central office, my GSO) remain self-supporting? Could I put a little more into the basket on behalf of the new guy who can’t afford it yet? How generous was I when tanked in a barroom?
Should the Grapevine sell advertising space to book publishers and drug companies, so it could make a big profit and become a bigger magazine, in full color, at a cheaper price …read more

As usual, the same as last year, always worthy of consideration, any day, any time, imho.
From Silkworth.net;
Tradition Six: An AA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the AA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

Should my fellow group members and I go out and raise money to endow several AA beds in our local hospital?
Is it good for a group to lease a small building?
Are all the officers and members of our local club for AAs familiar with “Guidelines on Clubs” (which is available free …read more

Always worthy of consideration, any day, any time, imho.
From Silkworth.net;
Tradition Five: Each group has but one primary purpose – to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

Do I ever cop out by saying, “I’m not a group, so this or that Tradition doesn’t apply to me?”

Am I willing to explain firmly to a newcomer the limitations of AA help, even if he gets mad at me for not giving him a loan?

Have I today imposed on any AA member for a special favor or consideration simply because I am a fellow alcoholic?

Am I willing to twelfth-step the next …read more

From The Language of the Heart: Bill W’s Grapevine Writings page 93;
“In each Tradition, the individual or the group is asked to give up something for our general welfare.”

Tradition Six points at the corroding influence of money, property, and personal authority; it begs that we keep these influences at a minimum by separate incorporation and management of our special services. It also warns against the natural temptation to make alliances or give endorsements.

Tradition Seven states that we had best pay our own bills; that large contributions or those carrying obligations ought not be received; that public solicitation using the name …read more

From The Language of the Heart: Bill W’s Grapevine Writings page 93;

A glance at the Twelve Traditions will instantly assure anyone that ‘giving up’ is the essential idea of them all. In each Tradition, the individual or the group is asked to give up something for our general welfare.

Tradition One asks us to place the common good ahead of personal desire.
Tradition Two asks us to listen to God as he may speak in the group conscience.
Tradition Three requires that we exclude no alcoholic from AA membership.
Tradition Four implies that we abandon all idea of centralized human authority or government. But …read more

As usual, always worthy of consideration, any day, any time, imho.
From Silkworth.net;
Tradition Twelve: Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

Why is it a good idea for me to place the common welfare of all AA members before individual welfare? What would happen to me if AA as a whole disappeared?
When I do not trust AA’s current servants, who do I wish had the authority to straighten them out?
In my opinions of and remarks about other AAs, am I implying membership requirements other than a desire to stay sober?
Do I ever …read more

Tradition Nine: “A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards directly responsible to those they serve.”
Paraphrasing the 12&12, page 173;
Not even the “humblest group committee can issue a single directive to an A.A. member and make it stick, let alone mete out any punishment.”
Hmmm – I wonder how that applies when a newcomer sits in a longtimers’ “assigned seat” and gets booted? Does anyone else know?
“Groups have tried to expel members, but the banished have come back to sit in the meeting place, saying, “This is life for us; you can’t keep us out.”
I wonder …read more