Process of Conference Approved Literature

Most AA members are probably unaware of how a piece of literature becomes Conference­approved. It is rare when the entire body of Conference delegates can all review a particular piece of literature prior to voting on it. More often than not, “standing committees” review the literature and make a recommendation to the Conference on its disposition. What it boils down to is that often only a subset of the attending Conference Delegates will actually get a chance to review the literature prior to voting on it.

The Conference is not a governing body and the terms Conference approved/disapproved are not intended to be used in a context of granting or withholding permission to read or to ban. The Conference approval process mainly ensures that whatever is approved (i.e. book, pamphlet, video, etc) conforms to AA’s spiritual principles contained in the Steps, Traditions and Concepts. Following is a recap on how the 1951 and 1952 Conferences established the Conference approval process.

The 1951 Conference convened with 37 US and Canadian delegates (half the planned number). Among its recommended advisory actions was that future AA literature should have Conference approval to distinguish it from that issued locally or by non­AA interests.

The 1952 Conference convened with 75 US and Canadian delegate to form the first Conference of all Delegates attending. Based on the 1951 advisory action on Conference­approved literature, the Alcoholic Foundation Board had previously formed a Trustees Literature committee to recommend literature items to be retained and future literature that would be needed.

The Committee reported that “the groups had expressed a need for the following major literature projects: (1) A Sponsorship pamphlet; (2) A Pamphlet on “slips;” (3) A standard introduction to AA for use by groups which do not have access to booklets of this type now bearing the imprint of intergroup associations; (4) A brief history of AA; (5) A revised folder on the Alcoholic Foundation; (6) Revision of the Secretary’s Handbook; (7) A new “Sedatives” pamphlet; (8) A new pamphlet on Medicine and AA; (9) New visual material on services and (10) A full­scale writing project on which Bill is now working.”

Bill W reported that his literature projects included: (1) Updating the Big Book story section to provide a more representative cross­section of recovery stories; (2) A new series of anecdotal analyses of the Twelve Traditions (then appearing in the Grapevine); (3) A series of orderly, point­by­point essays on the Twelve Steps; (4) A kind of a popular history of AA and its ideas of recovery, tradition and service; (5) A book on the application of AA philosophy to the “total problem of living” and (6) A reference manual stating our total experience with the whole idea of service functions.

The 1952 Conference unanimously approved the Board literature proposals and Bill’s writing projects. By approving existing literature to be retained, the Conference retroactively approved the Big Book and several pamphlets, which included the long form of the

Traditions. Later publication of Bill’s book projects resulted in: 1953 ­ The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions; 1955 ­ The second edition Big Book; 1955 ­ The Third Legacy Manual (renamed the “AA Service Manual” in 1969); 1957 ­ AA Comes of Age; 1962 ­ The Twelve Concepts for World Service; 1966 ­ The AA way of Life (renamed “As Bill Sees It” in 1975).

The 1952 Conference further recommended that all literature published contain the statement: “Issued by Works Publishing Inc, sole publishing agency of the Society of Alcoholics Anonymous. Approved by the General Service Conference of AA.” The 1952 Conference also reaffirmed the 1951 Conference statement that “… t​ he Conference has no desire to review, edit, or censor non­Foundation material. Our object is to provide, in the future, a means of distinguishing Foundation literature from that issued locally or by non­AA interests.”

A separate posting will be made on Conference disapproval (of which there are many examples).

Conference­disapproval (selected failed advisory actions involving literature)

Failed 1954: The Conference was asked to consider the offer to give to AA Publishing publication rights to the booklet, “Twenty­Four Hours a Day.” A 2­page letter from the publisher, favoring this proposal and answering certain objections to the proposal, was read to the Conference. The letter noted that the net profit from sales of the booklet was about $5,300 annually ($45,000 today). Requests that AA Publishing undertake publication of the booklet had been received from many areas, largely as the result of suggestions by the publisher. The Delegates felt it unwise to set a precedent and expressed fear that AA Publishing would be flooded with similar requests if it did so. The Delegate from the State in which the booklet is published said it was the consensus of his group and area that the proposal not be approved. The Conference adopted a resolution that publication rights to “Twenty­Four Hours a Day” not be accepted and further asked that the publisher be thanked for his offer.

Failed 1958: A paperback edition of the Big Book not be published. Unanimously rejected “for practical and spiritual reasons” a suggestion for a cheap reprint Big Book.

Failed 1961: Rejected a proposal for a paperback Big Book and suggested addition of a rider to Bill’s royalty contract that, if cheaper books are published, his royalties be increased to keep the income at the same level it had been for the five prior years; and if inflation erodes its purchasing power, adjust the royalties to produce the same purchasing power over the lifetime of Bill and Lois and legatees.

Failed 1972: The “Twenty­Four Hour Book” not be confirmed as Conference­approved literature.

Failed 1974: The wording of the Eleventh Tradition remain as is, and delegates explain that “TV” is implicit in the last phrase of the Tradition: ” … at the level of press, radio, and films” “TV” as part of the Eleventh Tradition in the Pl Manual be deleted in the next printing.

Failed 1975: Rejected a recommendation that a study guide for the Twelve Steps be prepared. The book “Bill W” by Robert Thomsen was placed on sale by GSO at the 1975 International Convention. The book was not Conference­approved and distribution by GSO was later stopped by Conference advisory action. In 1971 Thomsen, came to the General Service Board claiming Bill and Lois had chosen him to write Bill’s biography. After confirming Thomsen’s claim, the Board agreed to cooperate by making archival materials available to him. In return, he agreed to submit his manuscript to AA for review. The project took four years to complete and the book titled “Bill W” was published in 1975. The Board authorized purchase, at a discount price, of several thousand copies to be sold at the International Convention and then added it to the inventory of literature offered by GSO. The Board immediately ran into objections from AA members who felt that distributing a non­Conference­approved book by an outside publisher implied endorsement, in violation of the sixth Tradition. The next year, the 1976 Conference directed GSO to cease distribution.

Failed 1983: The word “suggested” in the title of the Twelve Steps not be reinstated.

Failed 1985: There is no need to add reference to the Big Book as our basic recovery source in all pamphlets and other literature. There is no need to develop a pamphlet offering guidelines for AA meeting discussions. A previous Conference action regarding the 4th and 5th Step study guides be reaffirmed: “there is no need for 4th and 5th Step study guide. Existing literature adequately covers these matters.

Failed 1993: Because of strong sentiment against any changes in the first 164 pages of the Big Book, the request to rewrite the first three chapters of the Big Book not be implemented. The 1977 Advisory Action on production of a facsimile first edition Big Book is reaffirmed: Publication of a facsimile first edition Big Book should not be undertaken, as it would destroy the sentimental value of the actual first edition. The committee further felt no need exists for such a book.

Failed 1996: Floor Action #1: rejected a proposal of a Conference resolution that the first 164 pages of the Big Book, the Preface, the Forewords, The Doctor’s Opinion, Doctor Bob’s Nightmare and the Appendices be unchanged without approval of 3/4 of groups of the world. Failed 1999: The committee strongly suggested that no index be included in any fourth edition Big Book.

Failed 2001: The committee discussed the request “that in the future no draft copy of any literature be submitted for approval by the Conference without all Conference members having the opportunity to review that literature” and saw no need for any action.

Failed 2002: After careful consideration of the request to restore “The Doctor’s Opinion” to page 1 in future printings of the Big Book, the committee agreed to take no action. The matter was also turned down when brought as a floor action. The Conference also rejected the proposal that all literature being considered as “Conference­approved literature” be

made available for review by all Conference members prior to debate on the Conference floor. Failed 2013: That the second paragraph on the inside front flap of the fourth edition Big Book dust jacket be replaced with the following language: “At the time of the third edition, in March 1976, the worldwide membership of AA was estimated at 1,000,000 or more. Copies of “Alcoholics Anonymous” in circulation exceeded 1,450,000. The basic text (pages 1­164) remains largely unchanged. This is the AA message, just as it was introduced in the 1939 edition of “Alcoholics Anonymous” the book that gave the young fellowship its name.” NOTE: This change will also be made to all formats of the dust jacket (failed).

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