model that I can be, just doing my job well so people can added, “If we are painstaking about this phase of our look at me with the assurance that yes, this works. I’ve development, we will be amazed before we are half way been a leader in many ways throughout my life-in my through,” referring to Step Nine, the phase of recovery in which we make amends. business and in the Fellowship-and never really attributed that in particular to being a woman. As in sponsor- The question of the promises and their status in A.A. ship, we all want to be good role models, good leaders. (are they “official” or not?) has intrigued members and “If we just remember that it’s all based on sharing and groups for some time and earlier this year the General love and respect for one another- -how we treat each Service Office received an inquiry from a group in other, how we share—we will keep the spirit of A.A. Dawson Creek, British Columbia, about that very quesalive and well.” tion. After doing a little research and talking with G.S.O.’s A woman of many interests, at one time in her life Archivist, a staff member responded to the group’s ques- Phyllis raised Arabian horses. Having grown up on a farm tion in this way: “Alcoholics Anonymous has never as a child, she was always a horse lover and during her attempted to codily promises or create an ‘official” list of drinking married a man who had the money to support a promises. Spanning many decades since Bill W. wrote the horse farm. “I didn’t want trips to exotic lands, or dia- Big Book, several A.A.s have found many promises mond rings… I just wanted a horse. So, I got my first one, throughout the Big Book (in addition to the ones Bill and then a few more. It was a small breeding establishwrote about on pages 83-84)…. We have no record or ment that was very successful for a few years, until it got knowledge to substantiate that Bill’s intention was to preto the point with my drinking where I was getting hurt sent “twelve promises’ as the Steps and Traditions were just trying to clean out the stables. So, eventually the horsoutlined. We are aware that some groups and members es had to go-along with my husband. It was a package make reference to ‘twelve promises’-however, that did deal with the divorce. Those horses were the love of my not originate from the collective group conscience of A.A. life. It was heartbreaking when I had to leave them, and I as a whole.” haven’t had a horse since.” Additionally, in response to a similar question posed by The thought of getting another horse will have to wait, an A.A. member, G.S.O.’s assistant archivist suggested, however, as Phyllis takes on the new challenge of leading “It could have been initiated by some local group during the General Service Office. Maybe when she retires there A.A.’s formative years and since then a number of groups will be a time and place for horses in her life again, Phyllis muses, but for now and the foreseeable future she is have developed various versions of the promises; we simfocused on carrying the message of Alcoholics Anonymous ply do not have any information in our files documenting this facet of our history.” and is excited about the prospect of serving the Fellowship Further, she wrote, “We can share with you that she so dearly loves. many times when certain sections of the Big Book are quoted separately the full meaning of the section is not always clear. Our Big Book describes how our program evolved and the words preceding the promises are equal- • ‘Extravagant Promises? ly important as the words following the promises.” We Think Not’ And, about that suggestion that there are a lot of other promises in the Big Book beyond the ones Bill The collection of promises outlined on pages 83-84 of the wrote about on pages 83-84? One enthusiastic A.A. Big Book has come, for some in recovery, quite nearly to member sent in a list to G.S.O. in which he had comrepresent an alcoholic’s “Bill of Rights,” a set of expectapiled 238! tions or rewards for sobriety. And what alcoholic Not found on that list, however, was one of A.A.’s wouldn’t want such a sterling collection of rewards, from fundamental promises—one heard in meetings around knowing “a new freedom and a new happiness” to realthe world: “If you don’t pick up the first drink, you won’t izing that “God is doing for us what we could not do for get drunk.” ourselves”? Some would even go so far as to number these promises and elevate them to the same status as the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions. Yet, powerful • Box 4-5-9 via e-mail and practical as they are, there is not much evidence to support the notion that they were ever intended as a “stand-alone” set of expectations. In fact, embedded as Have Bor 4-5-9 delivered directly to your e-mail inbox by registering on the A.A. Digital Subscription Service at they are in the text of Step Nine, they seem particularly G.S.O.’s A.A. Web site, www.aa.org. Other A.A. newsletrelated to a specific set of actions rather than standing as ters are also being made available via e-mail. You will also a general set of promises for sobriety itself. In fact, these promises are introduced with the statement (italics be able to receive them in Spanish and French. Box: 4-5-9, Holiday Issue 2008