Listen to Audio Recording

[00:00:01.230 – 00:00:02.280] We may get through before that.

[00:00:02.280 – 00:00:02.880] Hi, everybody.

[00:00:02.880 – 00:00:04.720] My name’s David A., and I am an alcoholic.

[00:00:04.720 – 00:00:15.940] And only because of God’s grace through the method of Alcoholics Anonymous, I have not found it necessary to nor have I taken a drink of an alcoholic nature since April the 20th, 1967.

[00:00:15.940 – 00:00:24.440] And I don’t say that braggingly, but I do want you to know that I am sober today, and that is the most important thing in the world, you know?

[00:00:24.440 – 00:00:31.820] I’ve been to a lot of AA meetings, and they make one of these stern messages, and you just want to pick up your bag and baggage and walk home to the country with them.

[00:00:31.820 – 00:00:40.360] And right at the last 10 minutes they say, “And, oh, I’ve been around AA 35 years, but two weeks ago I took a drink of alcohol.” And that’s okay.

[00:00:40.360 – 00:00:43.280] At least they were sober when they were up there telling us about it.

[00:00:43.280 – 00:00:50.830] My role this afternoon will be to share AA’s experience and, and this alcoholic’s experience in our 12 traditions.

[00:00:50.830 – 00:00:57.520] And I’m not, when I’m asked to do this, I’m not here to tell a group how to or not how to.

[00:00:57.520 – 00:01:00.400] I’m not here to tell anyone how to or how not to.

[00:01:00.400 – 00:01:07.300] I’m just gonna share AA’s experience and this alcoholic’s experience in living the 12 traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:01:07.300 – 00:01:17.800] And in AA, we’re asked to share our experiences and not our opinions because we find as a result of our experience in Alcoholics Anonymous that opinions in many, many instances have a tendency to make sick people sicker,

[00:01:17.800 – 00:01:19.960] and in some instances to physically kill people.

[00:01:19.960 – 00:01:22.540] Now, this, we, it was read a while ago when you opened.

[00:01:22.540 – 00:01:24.300] They call it the definition of AA here.

[00:01:24.300 – 00:01:26.380] We call it the preface in a lot of other parts of the country.

[00:01:26.380 – 00:01:36.400] It’s all the same, that 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 recover from alcoholism, which is nothing more

[00:01:36.400 – 00:01:39.520] than a combination of tradition one and tradition five.

[00:01:39.520 – 00:01:43.000] The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop drinking, tradition three.

[00:01:43.000 – 00:01:45.340] There are no dues or fees for AA membership.

[00:01:45.340 – 00:01:48.920] Uh, we are self-supporting through our own contributions, tradition seven.

[00:01:48.920 – 00:01:54.460] AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution, tradition six.

[00:01:54.460 – 00:01:59.680] Does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes, tradition 10.

[00:01:59.680 – 00:02:08.060] Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety, which, tradition five, it’s the only reason that AA is in existence.

[00:02:08.060 – 00:02:09.900] It is not in existence for anything else.

[00:02:09.900 – 00:02:17.660] Now, you know, uh, uh, the, the traditions in Alcoholics Anonymous are commonly known as the second legacy, our unity.

[00:02:17.660 – 00:02:24.240] Now, this, and, and when the early members of AA came in, they only had one legacy, and that was the legacy of recovery.

[00:02:24.240 – 00:02:34.340] And as AA began to grow, particularly after the Jack Alexander article in m- 1941, and AA got, started flooding with a lot of people,

[00:02:34.340 – 00:02:38.920] all things began to happen in AA, some not very, very good.

[00:02:38.920 – 00:02:47.480] And so our whole groups were getting drunk, and they were dragging in people into AA that, that needn’t have a drink of alcohol or anything else.

[00:02:47.480 – 00:02:50.200] And so things were in a shambles.

[00:02:50.200 – 00:03:00.340] And the members of AA that were very, very concerned went to the head horse, that was Bill, and said, “Bill, do something about it.” So Bill sat down, and he wrote 12 principles,

[00:03:00.340 – 00:03:08.580] uh, which were adopted at, uh, the first international conference, and they didn’t even call it a convention in those days, conference in Cleveland in 1950.

[00:03:08.580 – 00:03:14.440] And so very implicitly and throughout AA’s traditions is the admission that our fellowship has its defects.

[00:03:14.440 – 00:03:19.940] And that’s not hard to understand because we are composed of 100% defects.

[00:03:19.940 – 00:03:22.480] There are no well folks in Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:03:22.480 – 00:03:28.829] We admit that we have character defects as a society and that these defects threaten us continuously.

[00:03:28.829 – 00:03:37.360] And so our traditions are simply the guide as a result of bitter experience to better ways of working and living, and they’re also the medicine for our various group sicknesses.

[00:03:37.360 – 00:03:38.960] And don’t think groups get sick.

[00:03:38.960 – 00:03:40.780] Whole gets, groups get sick.

[00:03:40.780 – 00:03:42.260] Whole groups get drunk.

[00:03:42.260 – 00:03:46.520] One of the early, uh, groups in Alcoholics Anonymous, uh, they only had about 12 members.

[00:03:46.520 – 00:03:48.220] They didn’t have any women in it.

[00:03:48.220 – 00:03:50.760] And they got a call from a gal out in the tortoise court.

[00:03:50.760 – 00:03:52.320] Now, that’s what they called them in those days.

[00:03:52.320 – 00:03:56.700] And she was drunk, and she wanted, she had heard something about AA, and she needed to have some help.

[00:03:56.700 – 00:04:02.420] Well, they didn’t have any gals that were sober, so one of the gallant blades in the group decided he’s gonna go 12-step her.

[00:04:02.420 – 00:04:04.700] Two days later, he hadn’t come back.

[00:04:04.700 – 00:04:10.340] So they sent a member of the group out to check on him and the gal, and they got out there, and they found them both drunk.

[00:04:10.340 – 00:04:13.800] Well, the one they sent out to check on the first one, he didn’t come back.

[00:04:13.800 – 00:04:17.260] So they sent a third one out there, and they found three of them drunk.

[00:04:17.260 – 00:04:20.760] The one that got to went out to check on the first two, he didn’t come back.

[00:04:20.760 – 00:04:23.270] They went out and sent another one, and they found them all drunk.

[00:04:23.270 – 00:04:28.380] And finally, every one of them went out to check on, they all got drunk, and there was one member left in the group.

[00:04:28.380 – 00:04:33.880] And he got lonesome telling himself his own story every night at the meeting.

[00:04:33.880 – 00:04:38.110] So he said, “I might as well go check on them.” So he went out, and he checked on them.

[00:04:38.110 – 00:04:46.280] He said, “Well, as long as they’re drunk, I might as well join them.” And they all got drunk, and they all got sober and started all over again.

[00:04:46.280 – 00:04:53.960] And so the 12 traditions are to group survival and harmony what the 12 steps are to each of our members’ sobriety and peace of mind.

[00:04:53.960 – 00:04:57.400] And the 12 traditions were not written because of our good behavior.

[00:04:57.400 – 00:04:59.060] They were written because of our bad behavior.

[00:04:59.060 – 00:05:09.340] But the 12 traditions also point straight to many of our individual defects, for by ac- actual application, they ask for personal as well as group sacrifice.

[00:05:09.340 – 00:05:19.700] That’s one of the toughest things in Alcoholics Anonymous, is to put the paramount purpose of the group before our individual selfishness and self-centered

[00:05:19.700 – 00:05:20.500] desires.

[00:05:20.500 – 00:05:22.660] That is one of the toughest things.

[00:05:22.660 – 00:05:29.500] That’s the reason for the recovery program, to squeeze ourselves out of our own selves.

[00:05:29.500 – 00:05:34.680] Because by practical application, they ask for personal as well as, I said, group sacrifice.

[00:05:34.680 – 00:05:40.520] They ask us to never use the AA name in any quest for personal power, distinction, or money.

[00:05:40.520 – 00:05:45.800] The traditions guarantee the equality of all members and the independence of all groups.

[00:05:45.800 – 00:05:51.680] The Saturday Night Live group here in San Jose, California, has its own identity.

[00:05:51.680 – 00:05:54.060] It is not like any other group.

[00:05:54.060 – 00:05:57.580] It has its own personality, and that is good.

[00:05:57.580 – 00:05:59.620] It allows us, ourselves to grow.

[00:05:59.620 – 00:06:06.780] If, in, in AA, we, after we get sober, we find out that it allows our, the freedom to be ourselves as we are.

[00:06:06.780 – 00:06:16.800] And one of the toughest things is you’ll have s- people will move here and have gotten sober maybe in Little Rabbit, Australia, or somewhere, and, and they’re hunting for a group just like

[00:06:16.800 – 00:06:17.880] the one they came from.

[00:06:17.880 – 00:06:19.596] And nothing is right.

[00:06:19.596 – 00:06:21.916] They want to change every doggone thing.

[00:06:21.916 – 00:06:23.156] Well, the steps haven’t changed.

[00:06:23.156 – 00:06:24.376] The traditions haven’t changed.

[00:06:24.376 – 00:06:25.816] We have to change.

[00:06:25.816 – 00:06:30.316] And so that is the way AA grows, and that’s the way it functions, you know.

[00:06:30.316 – 00:06:39.696] But the traditions also show us how we may best, uh, relate ourselves to each other and in particularly in the world in which we live.

[00:06:39.696 – 00:06:49.716] The traditions indicate how we can best function in harmony as a great whole and for the sake of the welfare of our entire society, not just our little group, not just

[00:06:49.716 – 00:06:52.976] our little friends in AA, but for AA as a whole.

[00:06:52.976 – 00:07:03.096] The traditions simply ask that every member, every group, every district, every area, every region, every country in Alcoholics Anonymous shall lay

[00:07:03.096 – 00:07:11.996] aside all desired ambitions and unwarranted actions that could bring serious division among us or lose for us the confidence of the world at large.

[00:07:11.996 – 00:07:22.216] There are thousands and thousands of members of Alcoholics Anonymous who do not, who today do not realize the integrity and the confidence that Alcoholics Anonymous

[00:07:22.216 – 00:07:24.016] has generated all over the world.

[00:07:24.016 – 00:07:27.776] They have no even conception of it.

[00:07:27.776 – 00:07:33.196] They don’t realize how the heads of state, what they think about Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:07:33.196 – 00:07:39.836] Now, you know, as you all know, you’ve been reading a lot about in Russia that they have a tremendous problem with alcohol.

[00:07:39.836 – 00:07:45.196] Well, Russia at one time had the best way to sober up an alcoholic that the world has ever known.

[00:07:45.196 – 00:07:46.216] They used to shoot them.

[00:07:46.216 – 00:07:49.496] But they were losing a lot of good people.

[00:07:49.496 – 00:07:54.436] Now, AA was not brought to Russia two years ago.

[00:07:54.436 – 00:07:57.076] It’s been in Russia over 30 some odd years.

[00:07:57.076 – 00:08:07.116] It was brought to Russia by members of Alcoholics Anonymous from the Baltic countries, Norway, Sweden, Finland, who were working in Russia, sober members

[00:08:07.116 – 00:08:11.636] under contract jobs and dams and hydroelectric power plants and et cetera and et cetera.

[00:08:11.636 – 00:08:18.716] The Big Book came to Russia when Stalin was a premier, and he was meaner than a junkyard dog, I don’t mind telling you.

[00:08:18.716 – 00:08:22.636] And it came to AA, was smuggled in one page at a time.

[00:08:22.636 – 00:08:23.076] Yeah.

[00:08:23.076 – 00:08:24.516] And it’s been there.

[00:08:24.516 – 00:08:35.176] We have had our 12 Steps, how it works, and other pieces of literature have been translation in our, in our general service office for over 30 some odd years.

[00:08:35.176 – 00:08:38.136] And it’s been of good use for over 30 some odd years.

[00:08:38.136 – 00:08:43.216] But due to the proliferation of AA behind the Iron Curtain and particularly in Poland.

[00:08:43.216 – 00:08:47.156] Now, we did not know that they had active AA groups in Poland.

[00:08:47.156 – 00:08:57.336] And we didn’t know this because most of our members, we either check in with the United States Embassy and, and only the military, et cetera, attachés, and they didn’t get out there among the, the, the troops,

[00:08:57.336 – 00:08:57.656] you know?

[00:08:57.656 – 00:09:00.176] And they didn’t realize it, what it was, and we didn’t know it.

[00:09:00.176 – 00:09:10.176] And at the interim service meeting, which is held every year in, uh, in West Germany, um, one year, and I happened to be there, two members of AA showed

[00:09:10.176 – 00:09:10.376] up.

[00:09:10.376 – 00:09:18.196] “Where are you from?” “Well, we’re from Warsaw.” We, we didn’t know that they had AA among the native Polish people.

[00:09:18.196 – 00:09:19.616] And they were there.

[00:09:19.616 – 00:09:25.836] And it has grown just absolutely behind the Iron Curtain in Hungary and Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia.

[00:09:25.836 – 00:09:30.996] We have a gal in the group that I’m a member of that tomorrow night we’ll celebrate her two years.

[00:09:30.996 – 00:09:33.116] She got sober in Hungary.

[00:09:33.116 – 00:09:38.836] And, you know, and here we sit in AA, and you, you, you, you fall out the door, and you got an AA meeting.

[00:09:38.836 – 00:09:40.456] And they won’t even go to an AA meeting around the country.

[00:09:40.456 – 00:09:44.716] Those people have to travel to another country to find sobriety, you know?

[00:09:44.716 – 00:09:49.556] Because we have AA, so many meetings today, what we call in AA meetings of convenience.

[00:09:49.556 – 00:09:52.156] They just come for an hour and leave.

[00:09:52.156 – 00:09:53.916] Thank you very, very much, you know?

[00:09:53.916 – 00:09:55.356] And we don’t see them.

[00:09:55.356 – 00:09:56.976] We don’t know who they are, you know?

[00:09:56.976 – 00:10:03.636] Which is fine because that is not a re– uh, to, uh, in other words, that’s the way AA operates.

[00:10:03.636 – 00:10:09.096] And we are a very, very loosely knit group of people.

[00:10:09.096 – 00:10:18.316] And if we weren’t, if we were structured, we’d be in serious trouble because you tell an alcoholic he’s got to do something, and by God, he’ll do it.

[00:10:18.316 – 00:10:20.296] You tell an alcoholic, “Don’t you drink,” he drinks.

[00:10:20.296 – 00:10:24.516] You tell him to drink, “By God, what are they trying to do, poison me?

[00:10:24.516 – 00:10:27.255] I’ll stay sober.” I’m that way.

[00:10:27.255 – 00:10:30.116] You tell me, “Don’t walk on the grass,” I’ll walk on the grass.

[00:10:30.116 – 00:10:34.496] You tell me, “Don’t put your fingers up a wall of wet paint,” I’ll put my fingers up there.

[00:10:34.496 – 00:10:39.196] Here’s the one that I just love to test: Don’t take food or drink out of the dining room.

[00:10:39.196 – 00:10:40.916] I love to test that one, you know?

[00:10:40.916 – 00:10:44.856] And so as a result, you know, they didn’t realize it.

[00:10:44.856 – 00:10:54.856] And so as a result, a few years ago, due to the prolific growth and after the present premier in Russia and about his problems trying to solve the alcohol problem in Russia,

[00:10:54.856 – 00:10:58.776] and they found out, and so they, they have had diplomatic relations with Finland.

[00:10:58.776 – 00:11:08.816] And so some of the members of the Politburo asked through the Finnish government if they could come and observe at the, uh, national AA Finnish convention that was

[00:11:08.816 – 00:11:10.416] going to be held that year in Helsinki.

[00:11:10.416 – 00:11:11.436] And they said, “Sure, come.

[00:11:11.436 – 00:11:12.816] You can, you can visit.

[00:11:12.816 – 00:11:13.836] You can’t participate.

[00:11:13.836 – 00:11:18.716] You’re not members of AA.” So they went, and they stayed for three or four days, packed up their sacks, went back home.

[00:11:18.716 – 00:11:28.896] When they got back to Moscow, they were asked, “What is this AA?” And they said, “It is the darndest thing that we saw or heard.” “Really?” “Oh, yeah.” He said, “You know those idiots say

[00:11:28.896 – 00:11:37.796] that if you don’t take the first drink one day at a time, there’s no way you can get drunk?” They said, “The heck you say.” And then they said, “Well, who pays for it?” He said, “You won’t believe this either.

[00:11:37.796 – 00:11:47.956] Those idiots are self-supporting through their own contributions.” He said, “You mean the government doesn’t pay for it?” “Uh-uh.” Then they say, “Could AA work in Russia?” They said, “Yes.” They said, “How

[00:11:47.956 – 00:11:49.356] would it work?” It’s real simple.

[00:11:49.356 – 00:11:52.436] You want to be a sober communist, or you want to be a drunk communist?

[00:11:52.436 – 00:11:54.556] AA works that way all over the world.

[00:11:54.556 – 00:11:57.536] You want to be a sober alcoholic, or you want to be a drunk alcoholic?

[00:11:57.536 – 00:12:00.316] It’s, it’s no big deal to the whole situation.

[00:12:00.316 – 00:12:06.456] And, you know, and a lot of times you say, you know, about AA, uh, how it is, it, it just, it’s absolutely wonderful.

[00:12:06.456 – 00:12:16.456] Now, many, many years ago, you know, when the United Nations moved from your part of the country, San Francisco, to the foot of the, uh, the, at the East River, to the foot of 45th Street in New York

[00:12:16.456 – 00:12:17.256] City.

[00:12:17.256 – 00:12:23.016] And, and, and one of the early addressees was the then living former President of the United States, Herbert Hoover.

[00:12:23.016 – 00:12:26.408] And he was there to make an important policy talk.

[00:12:26.408 – 00:12:36.708] And right in the middle of that talk, he stopped, and he made 180 degree turn and he says, “You know, if the world and the United Nations would live by the most perfect

[00:12:36.708 – 00:12:47.068] set of principles that he has ever read about or heard about, that this would be the finest world that God would ever know, and those are the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous.”

[00:12:47.068 – 00:12:57.087] Now, there’s no known documentation that Herbert Hoover was an alcoholic or that any of his blood kin or emotionally attached were members of AA or Al-Anon or Al-A-Pet or Al-A-Dog or

[00:12:57.088 – 00:12:58.148] whatever you want to call it.

[00:12:58.148 – 00:13:00.788] And so this, this was before television.

[00:13:00.788 – 00:13:04.088] It was, I mean, the television in those days was in its infancy.

[00:13:04.088 – 00:13:07.068] And so the mass communication was the radio.

[00:13:07.068 – 00:13:13.508] And there was a bunch of drunks sitting around doing nothing, you know, buying railroads and buying cars and buying buildings.

[00:13:13.508 – 00:13:19.528] And when they get ready to leave, “Would you loan me 50 cents to get a cup of coffee or some cigarettes?” Talking in millions and busted.

[00:13:19.528 – 00:13:24.828] And all of a sudden, they heard the two words Alcoholics Anonymous come over the radio.

[00:13:24.828 – 00:13:29.548] And they say, “Hey, listen.” And they heard the rest of Herbert Hoover’s talk.

[00:13:29.548 – 00:13:33.948] And they looked at each other and said, “By God, we better go up and tell Bill.

[00:13:33.948 – 00:13:38.368] The members of AA are the only thing that know anything about Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:13:38.368 – 00:13:40.768] Let’s go up and take Bill.” So they go up and take Bill.

[00:13:40.768 – 00:13:42.387] They borrowed somebody else’s car.

[00:13:42.387 – 00:13:51.588] They borrowed some money from somebody else to put gas in the car, borrowed some money for cigarettes and coffee, and off they drive from downtown Manhattan up to Bedford Hills.

[00:13:51.588 – 00:13:57.908] And they get up there, and Bill was in his little house doing his writing and staring out that big picture window looking at things.

[00:13:57.908 – 00:14:02.408] And the boys had run in there, and their eyes were as big as Coca-Cola bottle bottoms.

[00:14:02.408 – 00:14:03.798] And, and they ran in.

[00:14:03.798 – 00:14:10.548] Bill said, “What’s up, boys?” Well, meanwhile, the story had changed from the time they left downtown Manhattan and got up to Bedford Hills.

[00:14:10.548 – 00:14:14.888] Now, you have to remember about our kind of people, we do not lie.

[00:14:14.888 – 00:14:18.088] We embellish a lot, but we do not lie.

[00:14:18.088 – 00:14:21.488] And Bill said, “What’s up?” And they said, “Bill, you won’t believe it.

[00:14:21.488 – 00:14:31.568] AA’s best friend, old Herbert.” Bill said, “Old Herbert who?” He said, “Herbert Hoover.” He said, “I didn’t even know he knew.” He, he’s down there telling the United Nations

[00:14:31.568 – 00:14:41.608] that, by God, the, the world better live by the principles of AA, or you know where it’s going to go to.” And Bill, being a real drunk, and I had the most wonderful pleasure of being introduced to Bill

[00:14:41.608 – 00:14:45.608] when I was five and a half months sober at Bill’s 33rd birthday.

[00:14:45.608 – 00:14:47.068] A drunk took me up there.

[00:14:47.068 – 00:14:49.768] A farmer delegate wanted to go, and I didn’t have any money.

[00:14:49.768 – 00:14:58.848] And he bought me one of them Taiwan knit suits, and he bought me one of them, and two pairs of nylon underwear, the kind you wear and wash one and it drips dry.

[00:14:58.848 – 00:15:09.188] Two pairs of nylon socks and, and, and a nylon shirt and a nylon tie, and I took them old alligator shoes of mine, and I, and, and I, and, and they were brown, and I took brown Crayola

[00:15:09.188 – 00:15:10.408] to cover the holes up.

[00:15:10.408 – 00:15:18.698] And he bought me a ticket, and he said, “This is a gift.” He said, “It’s, I don’t loan you nothing, ’cause this way, if I loan you and you didn’t pay it back, I’m liable to get a resentment.

[00:15:18.698 – 00:15:27.048] This is a gift, and if your conscience is good and you stay sober, you will pass it on to someone else.” And later, I had the fortunate experience to be able to do it a couple years later.

[00:15:27.048 – 00:15:29.468] And so I’m, and it was back in the day.

[00:15:29.468 – 00:15:37.608] That’s when the AA Way of Life, as Bill sees it, first came out, and a lot of AAs from all over the United States were there to go to the dinner, and Bill was autographing the book.

[00:15:37.608 – 00:15:40.548] And so I went in there, and his secretary, Nell Wing, was in there nodding.

[00:15:40.548 – 00:15:41.528] He said, “Get out of here.

[00:15:41.528 – 00:15:44.188] We’re gonna have a AA meeting.” And I’m so thankful.

[00:15:44.188 – 00:15:48.568] And here I’m sitting with Bill, and God, I’m all excited, five and a half months sober, and here I am.

[00:15:48.568 – 00:15:50.068] I’m meeting the head guru.

[00:15:50.068 – 00:15:53.128] Now, those days, you, you have to remember about Bill.

[00:15:53.128 – 00:15:54.648] Bill never quit smoking.

[00:15:54.648 – 00:15:56.368] He just stopped buying.

[00:15:56.368 – 00:16:05.228] And Bill smoked them old Picayune cigarettes, and he had a long turkey neck, and he had a real alcoholic cigarette cough.

[00:16:05.228 – 00:16:11.708] It would start, you know, in his toenails and come up, and he would have an aftershock for 10 minutes as it tapered off.

[00:16:11.708 – 00:16:15.508] And he’s in there, and God, and Bill w- I found he was a human being.

[00:16:15.508 – 00:16:21.448] Now, I’ve been raised around the toughest people in the world on three skid rows in my lifetime, and I tell you, he could cuss li- oh, right good.

[00:16:21.448 – 00:16:24.668] And I’m sitting there, and my back is to the door, and Bill could see the door.

[00:16:24.668 – 00:16:31.688] And we hear a clop, clop, clop of women’s heels coming down, and this is back, not when the mini skirt, but right after the m- the micro minis came out.

[00:16:31.688 – 00:16:39.468] And I, and Bill’s looking around, and then I turn around, and here’s this beautiful little thing from Southern California come in, about this high, blonde, well-enamored.

[00:16:39.468 – 00:16:43.908] And when she walked, everything about her, in her, and on her just jiggled, you know?

[00:16:43.908 – 00:16:53.708] And as she went by, Bill looked at her and he smiled and he says, “Son, AA is in good hands.” And right there and then, I found out that Bill was a human being.

[00:16:53.708 – 00:17:00.148] Bill, and I later had about a half a dozen visits with him, and good ones, before he died.

[00:17:00.148 – 00:17:04.528] And time will not permit me to share with you those experiences, and it’s something else, you see?

[00:17:04.528 – 00:17:10.568] And as a result, and so, uh, and Bill, and when he, so, and see, Bill was a real drunk, and even Bill got excited.

[00:17:10.568 – 00:17:14.388] And the drunk said, “Bill, Bill, we’re gonna run the United Nations.

[00:17:14.388 – 00:17:19.498] We’re, if they adopt the AA principles, we’re the only thing they know about.” Can’t you see a bunch of drunks running the United Nations?

[00:17:19.498 – 00:17:24.688] You turn on the television set in the morning, and this face is blocked out, you know, shaded out.

[00:17:24.688 – 00:17:27.008] And he said, “Good morning, world.

[00:17:27.008 – 00:17:27.768] Hi, everybody.

[00:17:27.768 – 00:17:29.868] My name is David A., and I’m an alcoholic.

[00:17:29.868 – 00:17:32.468] And we’re down here at the United Nations this morning.

[00:17:32.468 – 00:17:37.508] And world, we’re gonna open this meeting with a moment of silence, followed by the Serenity Prayer.

[00:17:37.508 – 00:17:47.638] And for you civilians out in that wide world who do not know the Serenity Prayer, the words will come along the bottom of the screen, and you can follow.” “Now, after this,

[00:17:47.638 – 00:17:53.848] we’re gonna open the regular meeting with, with a, with, with a reading of a portion of chapter five, How It Works.

[00:17:53.848 – 00:17:58.498] Now, the ambassador from Russia is still having a tough time understanding how it works.

[00:17:58.498 – 00:18:08.998] We’re gonna ask him to read it one more time.” “And the agenda items to be discussed today among the nations will be honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness.”

[00:18:08.998 – 00:18:19.488] “And we’re gonna ask you to return to your television sets at 5:00 this afternoon for a very important message, because we understand from a very reliable source that the ambassador

[00:18:19.488 – 00:18:26.148] from Iraq is gonna take his fifth step with the ambassador from the United States.” And even Bill got excited.

[00:18:26.148 – 00:18:28.608] And then Bill said, “Hey, boys, wait a minute.

[00:18:28.608 – 00:18:33.888] Wait a minute.” In those days, they estimated they had, what, nine and a half, 10 and a half million alcoholics.

[00:18:33.888 – 00:18:36.768] And Bill said, “Hey, boys, wait a minute.

[00:18:36.768 – 00:18:39.808] We’re not all things for all people.

[00:18:39.808 – 00:18:50.028] We have to stick to what we do best, and that is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.”

[00:18:50.028 – 00:18:57.588] And so the 12 traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous stand as the sacrificial character of our life together, and they are the greatest force of unity that we know.

[00:18:57.588 – 00:19:00.368] Tradition one: Our common welfare should come first.

[00:19:00.368 – 00:19:02.868] Personal recovery depends upon AA unity.

[00:19:02.868 – 00:19:05.008] We could really knock this tradition out pretty quick.

[00:19:05.008 – 00:19:06.228] It’s simple.

[00:19:06.228 – 00:19:10.668] Common problem, common solution, common recovery, common father, the oneness of one.

[00:19:10.668 – 00:19:19.568] Probably no society in this world sets a higher value on the personal welfare of the individual member than does Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:19:19.568 – 00:19:26.768] AA today perhaps is the only free society of men and women left in the world today.

[00:19:26.768 – 00:19:28.128] There are no dues.

[00:19:28.128 – 00:19:29.548] There’s no fees.

[00:19:29.548 – 00:19:30.828] You can come in.

[00:19:30.828 – 00:19:32.067] You can stay.

[00:19:32.067 – 00:19:33.328] You can leave.

[00:19:33.328 – 00:19:34.888] No one can punish you.

[00:19:34.888 – 00:19:36.388] You can drink if you want to.

[00:19:36.388 – 00:19:37.608] You’re no longer a member.

[00:19:37.608 – 00:19:41.348] It’s free, freedom, and we can’t stand it.

[00:19:41.348 – 00:19:46.328] We’ve got to start putting conditions on it, who can, who can’t, and all this stuff.

[00:19:46.328 – 00:19:52.488] So not long ago, AA found that the common welfare had to come first, for without it, there could be very little personal welfare.

[00:19:52.488 – 00:19:53.208] Our in-

[00:19:53.348 – 00:19:56.388] Individual sobriety depends upon the group, and the group depends upon us.

[00:19:56.388 – 00:19:58.088] Let’s live and let live.

[00:19:58.088 – 00:20:02.028] And unless we curb our individual desires and ambitions, we can damage what?

[00:20:02.028 – 00:20:07.668] The unity of the group, because the group has to be unified for only one thing: recovery.

[00:20:07.668 – 00:20:09.388] The AA recovery program.

[00:20:09.388 – 00:20:10.608] Nothing more, nothing less.

[00:20:10.608 – 00:20:16.668] Our brother and sister, the noisy drunk, affords a very simplest illustration of this tradition.

[00:20:16.668 – 00:20:20.488] When you bring them in, if they insist on disrupting the meeting, sometimes you ask them to leave.

[00:20:20.488 – 00:20:22.728] And then we bring them back when?

[00:20:22.728 – 00:20:32.228] When they’re in better shape to hear the message, for we are putting the common welfare of the group first, but it is also the welfare of that wet drunk.

[00:20:32.228 – 00:20:37.588] If he or she is ever going to get sober, we cannot turn them back and say, “No, you cannot come back.

[00:20:37.588 – 00:20:46.568] We need to let you sit here if you just want to be quiet and not disrupt the group,” because a group go on, must on functioning, ready for him or her and others to come.

[00:20:46.568 – 00:20:56.748] I can assure you that right here in this meeting, right this very second, there’s one, there’s two, there may be more, that’s had a tough

[00:20:56.748 – 00:20:59.828] time trying to live sober since they got up this morning.

[00:20:59.828 – 00:21:03.928] They are just as important as that wet drunk.

[00:21:03.928 – 00:21:09.668] If there’s anything that we’re becoming negligent in, we’re not taking care of our own kind in Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:21:09.668 – 00:21:10.988] And they leave.

[00:21:10.988 – 00:21:12.308] And where do they go?

[00:21:12.308 – 00:21:13.948] They leave.

[00:21:13.948 – 00:21:21.768] And we see them in AA, their, their, their rear ends are in a seat, and their eyes are wandering every place in this God’s world.

[00:21:21.768 – 00:21:27.048] They get up every four minutes to go get a cup of coffee and wander around and this or that.

[00:21:27.048 – 00:21:34.528] And after the meeting, it behooves us to walk up to them and say, “Glad to see you here today.” They’re dying to have somebody talk to them.

[00:21:34.528 – 00:21:37.788] But no, got to go over and see the 49ers and the Raiders play.

[00:21:37.788 – 00:21:40.908] You got to go watch the San Francisco Ball Club play.

[00:21:40.908 – 00:21:46.408] I’ll tell you, the 49ers has had a poor record of keeping drunks sober as any professional football team.

[00:21:46.408 – 00:21:47.628] Yeah.

[00:21:47.628 – 00:21:49.188] You betcha, any of them.

[00:21:49.188 – 00:21:51.528] Monday Night Football or anything else, you know.

[00:21:51.528 – 00:21:52.608] You betcha.

[00:21:52.608 – 00:21:54.968] And we have to be ready for him and others to come.

[00:21:54.968 – 00:21:57.288] Yet, that’s only one ra- aspect of our problem.

[00:21:57.288 – 00:22:06.638] When we get sober in AA, we begin to lose and throw off a lot of that big ego, for we admit, “Well, I can’t handle alcohol, but I can’t stay away from it from my, on my own.” Fine.

[00:22:06.638 – 00:22:09.448] But then we find there’s still plenty of that ego with us.

[00:22:09.448 – 00:22:16.288] Sometimes it may lead us into taking other members’ inventories or gossip about their supposed shortcomings.

[00:22:16.288 – 00:22:20.108] I guess I’m the only member of Alcoholics Anonymous in the meeting that’s guilty of it, you know?

[00:22:20.108 – 00:22:24.848] And, you know, or it may lure some of us to hog the discussion at every discussion meeting.

[00:22:24.848 – 00:22:28.428] How many times do we hear it in AA, “I quit going to that group.

[00:22:28.428 – 00:22:35.548] So and so is either chairing the meeting or reading how it works or reading the traditions or making all the announcements or the program chairman.

[00:22:35.548 – 00:22:43.228] They’re telling everybody what to do.” Well, I’ll tell you, if that’s happening in your group, it’s very simple to begin to eliminate it.

[00:22:43.228 – 00:22:49.208] If we’re asked to do something in AA and we turn it down, don’t gripe at the ones that are doing it.

[00:22:49.208 – 00:22:51.367] It has to go on.

[00:22:51.367 – 00:22:57.548] We are here as a result of some people who cared for our welfare.

[00:22:57.548 – 00:23:02.848] And a lot of times when we slip in that spot, we say, “Well, this is a selfish program, isn’t it?” You know?

[00:23:02.848 – 00:23:09.018] Why shouldn’t we indulge in some of this kind of personal vendetta against each other?

[00:23:09.018 – 00:23:10.728] Well, I’ll tell you why we shouldn’t.

[00:23:10.728 – 00:23:12.628] It threatens the individual’s own sobriety.

[00:23:12.628 – 00:23:18.548] But far more serious, it threatens the very basis of our sobriety, the unity of our AA group.

[00:23:18.548 – 00:23:28.808] Because self-righteous gossip can and will damage a mutual trust that is vital to every group, and the compulsive talker can ruin the effectiveness of a discussion meeting.

[00:23:28.808 – 00:23:33.928] Another obstacle sometimes in AA is that well-known triangle, you know?

[00:23:33.928 – 00:23:44.028] Because I’ll tell you, in every, in the group, in, in, in our part of the country, in fact, the group that I got sober in, they had a bunch in there that are getting good before they get

[00:23:44.028 – 00:23:44.868] well, you know?

[00:23:44.868 – 00:23:52.128] Why, we can’t have them sleeping bag crowd come to AA barefooted, chains around their neck and their po-po.

[00:23:52.128 – 00:23:52.688] Uh-uh.

[00:23:52.688 – 00:23:54.388] Well, they had a group that were getting well.

[00:23:54.388 – 00:23:59.288] You know, they come in and they stop drinking and they quit cussing and they quit smoking and they start jogging.

[00:23:59.288 – 00:24:01.548] And I’ve never been arrested for smoking driving.

[00:24:01.548 – 00:24:03.108] I don’t know about anybody in here.

[00:24:03.108 – 00:24:03.788] You know?

[00:24:03.788 – 00:24:08.608] And so they were getting good, and they had some over there that were making goo-goo eyes at each other, you know?

[00:24:08.608 – 00:24:13.708] In AA, always remember, when you got two sickies making love, all you got is sick love to start with.

[00:24:13.708 – 00:24:17.608] And so as a result, they were over there and they were doing some things.

[00:24:17.608 – 00:24:19.988] And it, and so this bunch said, “You gotta get them out of here.

[00:24:19.988 – 00:24:24.508] They’re ruining the reputation of our group.” Well, you can’t throw anybody out of AA.

[00:24:24.508 – 00:24:27.268] If you say you’re a member and you’re quiet, fine.

[00:24:27.268 – 00:24:27.608] Fine.

[00:24:27.608 – 00:24:36.108] And so they didn’t know what to do, so sat down and wrote a letter to Bill, and they said, “Dear Bill, we’ve got a bunch of…” You used to call them Red Riding Hood and wolves in those days.

[00:24:36.108 – 00:24:39.488] Now, they call it 13-stepping or 18-stepping.

[00:24:39.488 – 00:24:40.488] I don’t care what they call it.

[00:24:40.488 – 00:24:41.128] Same thing.

[00:24:41.128 – 00:24:42.888] He and his gin or whatever you want to call it.

[00:24:42.888 – 00:24:47.348] You have to remember, we’re human beings in Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:24:47.348 – 00:24:48.628] We’re not paragons of virtue.

[00:24:48.628 – 00:24:50.048] We’re not brothers and sisters of virtue.

[00:24:50.048 – 00:24:56.448] We’re brothers and sisters of defects of character and our willingness to have them removed under the power and love and guidance of a Power greater herself.

[00:24:56.448 – 00:24:58.108] And so they sat down and wrote a letter to Bill.

[00:24:58.108 – 00:25:05.248] “Dear Bill, we’ve got those ugly Red Riding Hood and wolves in our group, and they’re ruining our reputation.” Bill wrote back, “Dear group, are they staying sober?

[00:25:05.248 – 00:25:11.928] Love, Bill.” They said, “Well, Bill doesn’t understand the seriousness of it,” so they wrote him a more detailed, lurid letter.

[00:25:11.928 – 00:25:15.188] Letter came back saying, “Dear group, are they still staying sober?

[00:25:15.188 – 00:25:21.628] Love, Bill.” They said, “Bill really doesn’t understand it,” so they wrote a real ugly letter to Bill, an ugly thing.

[00:25:21.628 – 00:25:24.508] It, it wasn’t a question of what that bunch over there was doing.

[00:25:24.508 – 00:25:29.228] It, this bunch over here didn’t think it was the way they wanted to do it.

[00:25:29.228 – 00:25:37.088] So they wrote a real lurid letter about them, sent it airmail special delivery, certified, return receipt requested.

[00:25:37.088 – 00:25:41.392] The letter came back and said, “Dear group, are they still staying sober?

[00:25:41.392 – 00:25:42.412] Love, Bill.

[00:25:42.412 – 00:25:45.912] Don’t bother me anymore.” Well, well guess what?

[00:25:45.912 – 00:25:52.892] This bunch over here was so busy writing letters to Bill figuring a way to throw him out, when they finally looked over there, guess what?

[00:25:52.892 – 00:25:55.172] The problem had taken care of itself.

[00:25:55.172 – 00:26:02.572] And thank God in alcohol- today, I am so thankful that was shared, that experience was shared with me my first week sober in AA.

[00:26:02.572 – 00:26:12.952] Which has meant to me that I’ve got all I can do to take care of my relationship with my creator through the recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous, and you got all you can do to take care of your relationship

[00:26:12.952 – 00:26:15.032] with your creator in Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:26:15.032 – 00:26:19.392] And you don’t need me butting in your personal business, and I don’t need you butting into mine.

[00:26:19.392 – 00:26:22.832] That’s what we call live and let live, you know?

[00:26:22.832 – 00:26:29.232] And so it, it soon became apparent that everything in AA, it, give it time.

[00:26:29.232 – 00:26:29.752] It takes care…

[00:26:29.752 – 00:26:36.191] In AA, if someone calls you a liar, be grateful because you know you’ve been checked out by an expert.

[00:26:36.191 – 00:26:40.092] No matter what they call you in AA, be grateful.

[00:26:40.092 – 00:26:41.511] Yeah.

[00:26:41.511 – 00:26:46.952] So it became apparent that in the relationships between sexes were not going very…

[00:26:46.952 – 00:26:49.952] In the early days of AA, you know, they didn’t have any women.

[00:26:49.952 – 00:26:53.531] And so the first woman to get sober in AA was Florence Franklin.

[00:26:53.531 – 00:26:58.172] And Florence came in right at the time they were trying to name the book of Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:26:58.172 – 00:27:06.592] Our society, see, AA didn’t get its name until after the two words were put on the first printing of the big book in 1939, in April, of two words on it.

[00:27:06.592 – 00:27:07.512] And they didn’t have it.

[00:27:07.512 – 00:27:12.752] And Florence got sober, and they knew that, by God, that that woman come into AA, is gonna ruin everything.

[00:27:12.752 – 00:27:19.052] A woman, nah, they’re not an alco- they may have other problems, but they ain’t no alcoholic, you know?

[00:27:19.052 – 00:27:21.452] And Florence came in right when they were trying to name the book.

[00:27:21.452 – 00:27:24.592] They didn’t know what they were gonna name it, and they were gonna call it The First 100 Men.

[00:27:24.592 – 00:27:27.732] And Florence stood up and had a woman’s alcoholic fit.

[00:27:27.732 – 00:27:31.252] She took her shoes off and started throwing them and screaming and cussing.

[00:27:31.252 – 00:27:34.192] She says, “No, we’re not gonna call it The First 100 Men.

[00:27:34.192 – 00:27:37.932] We’re gonna call it The First 100 Men and a Woman.” They said, “No, we’re not.

[00:27:37.932 – 00:27:41.352] It’d take, it’ll make the title too long.” Called for a vote.

[00:27:41.352 – 00:27:43.732] She’s the only one voted for it, so she got outvoted.

[00:27:43.732 – 00:27:44.892] They still hadn’t.

[00:27:44.892 – 00:27:50.552] So they had a member who lived in the Baltimore/Washington area by the name of, of Fitz Bell.

[00:27:50.552 – 00:27:51.812] And so Fitz was going home.

[00:27:51.812 – 00:27:57.112] They asked him to go down to the Library of Congress and see how many big books, uh, how many books rather, were in print with…

[00:27:57.112 – 00:27:58.572] And they were gonna call it a way out.

[00:27:58.572 – 00:28:01.052] He sends a telegram back saying there are 12.

[00:28:01.052 – 00:28:03.552] Well, the drunks said, “Ours would be 13.

[00:28:03.552 – 00:28:07.332] The number 13 is unlucky.” Then they were gonna call it The Grapevine.

[00:28:07.332 – 00:28:12.652] And the FBI found out about it because they have and still have a monthly journal called The Grapevine.

[00:28:12.652 – 00:28:18.832] And the FBI certainly didn’t want to have anything to do with the drunks, and the drunks, above all, certainly did not want to have anything to do with the FBI.

[00:28:18.832 – 00:28:22.852] You say, “Well, you’ve got a magazine called The Grapevine.” Well, read it properly.

[00:28:22.852 – 00:28:25.872] There are two words in front of it, Alcoholics Anonymous Grapevine.

[00:28:25.872 – 00:28:32.092] And the FBI said, “Well, as long as you put the two words in front of that, it’s okay with us,” later on they told them, when AA found it.

[00:28:32.092 – 00:28:33.632] So they still hadn’t named it.

[00:28:33.632 – 00:28:37.972] AA in those days, just like it is now, we got members of AA that’ll drag people into AA.

[00:28:37.972 – 00:28:39.272] “Oh, come on into AA.

[00:28:39.272 – 00:28:41.052] Oh, it doesn’t make any difference.

[00:28:41.052 – 00:28:43.132] AA is a spiritual healing program.

[00:28:43.132 – 00:28:45.332] Nah, just don’t tell them you haven’t had a drink.

[00:28:45.332 – 00:28:49.632] Just come on in and get flushed with this spiritual enema, and everything gonna be all right.

[00:28:49.632 – 00:28:51.852] You got worms in your navel, you’re addicted to worms?

[00:28:51.852 – 00:28:52.672] Come on in.

[00:28:52.672 – 00:28:54.342] You got athlete’s foot, you’re addicted?

[00:28:54.342 – 00:28:55.392] Come on in,” you know?

[00:28:55.392 – 00:28:57.512] Well, in those days they were all broke.

[00:28:57.512 – 00:29:07.832] And so one of the members had a friend, but the friend was locked up in a loony bin in an insane asylum as a total nut,

[00:29:07.832 – 00:29:08.552] in Connecticut.

[00:29:08.552 – 00:29:11.252] But he had a lot of money.

[00:29:11.252 – 00:29:21.332] So the member of AA with good thinking says, now, as it says in a portion of chapter five, “There are those, there are many of us who,

[00:29:21.332 – 00:29:31.391] who, who, uh, suffer from grave emotional and menta- mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they develop the capacity to be honest.” Well,

[00:29:31.392 – 00:29:34.592] okay, he suffers from grave emotional mental disorders.

[00:29:34.592 – 00:29:35.772] Let’s bring him into AA.

[00:29:35.772 – 00:29:45.852] Let him get flushed with this spiritual ecstasy, and then maybe in a fit of temporary sanity, he will write us a check

[00:29:45.852 – 00:29:48.152] for in seven figures.

[00:29:48.152 – 00:29:49.632] I still think that way.

[00:29:49.632 – 00:29:59.822] And so they conned, the member conned the superintendent of the insane asylum and the head psychiatrist to bring him out to some AA meetings, hoping that he would

[00:29:59.822 – 00:30:03.912] develop this moment of sanity, and they parked him over in the corner.

[00:30:03.912 – 00:30:08.992] Well, in those days, in the Manhattan group, it was the only group, Bill used to sit on the floor.

[00:30:08.992 – 00:30:10.052] He loved to sit on the floor.

[00:30:10.052 – 00:30:11.232] And they’d all sit around him.

[00:30:11.232 – 00:30:16.152] And Bill had a three-legged sewing stool with three legs and a round seat.

[00:30:16.152 – 00:30:21.091] And he’d take one leg and he’d point, “Your turn to, to talk,” and he’d roll it over this one.

[00:30:21.091 – 00:30:27.912] That three-legged stool with the round seat later became our logo, the triangle with the circle.

[00:30:27.912 – 00:30:30.132] Yeah.

[00:30:30.132 – 00:30:34.752] And so meanwhile that’s going on, that idiot in the corner was mumbling.

[00:30:34.752 – 00:30:38.592] And Bill says to the member of AA, “Your friend is disturbing the meeting.

[00:30:38.592 – 00:30:48.752] Go over there and shut him up.” So he goes over, and he gets halfway over, and he turns around and say, “Hey, boys, listen to what he’s mumbling.” He was mumbling, “Anonymous alcoholic, anonymous alcoholic,

[00:30:48.752 – 00:30:58.632] anonymous alcoholic, anonymous alcoholic.” Now, the two words were used very, very sparingly in the Akron/Cleveland/Canton area, but not in the New York area.

[00:30:58.632 – 00:31:08.832] And they turned around and says, “Well, what about Alcoholics Anonymous?” So in AA, if you get good before you get well,

[00:31:08.832 – 00:31:11.712] just remember from whence our name came.

[00:31:11.712 – 00:31:12.892] It came from a nut.

[00:31:12.892 – 00:31:18.482] Now, you say, why don’t we read this, and A comes with A, and et cetera and et cetera.

[00:31:18.482 – 00:31:28.592] Well, if you want to read one of the finest books that contain the most accurate history of how AA got started and in the early days, written by

[00:31:28.592 – 00:31:33.152] a non-alcoholic, Lois Wilson, Bill’s wife.

[00:31:33.152 – 00:31:35.092] She knew more about AA than…

[00:31:35.092 – 00:31:37.012] She, she was sober, that’s the reason.

[00:31:37.012 – 00:31:41.404] And she could get all the messages straight.

[00:31:41.404 – 00:31:45.124] And in it you will find, in additional, some other names we thought.

[00:31:45.124 – 00:31:53.564] So it soon became apparent that the relationships between sexes was not gonna, uh, break us up, and our fears in that area subside.

[00:31:53.564 – 00:32:01.024] But like in other society, we find forces among us to threaten us in ways that alcohol, pardon me, and sex could not.

[00:32:01.024 – 00:32:03.444] They are desire for power, domination, and money.

[00:32:03.444 – 00:32:12.024] They’re all the more dangerous because they are invariably powered by self-righteousness, self-justification, and the destructive power of anger.

[00:32:12.024 – 00:32:17.004] Pride, fear, and anger, these are the prime enemies of our common welfare.

[00:32:17.004 – 00:32:25.224] And we ha- so for purpose of A’s traditional principles is to bring these forces to the top and to keep them there.

[00:32:25.224 – 00:32:27.804] Only then can our common welfare be served.

[00:32:27.804 – 00:32:37.644] Only then can A’s unity become permanent, for the preservation of A’s unity is not only a life-and-death matter for us, but more important for the alcoholic who is still to come.

[00:32:37.644 – 00:32:44.024] Tradition two: For our group purpose, there is but one ultimate authority, a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience.

[00:32:44.024 – 00:32:45.664] Our leaders are but trusted servants.

[00:32:45.664 – 00:32:47.464] They do not govern.

[00:32:47.464 – 00:32:57.704] When Bill was traveling all over the United States and Canada, literally promoting the traditions to get them adopted at the first international conference in 1950, and when he read those traditions,

[00:32:57.704 – 00:33:00.664] the oldest members of A groups got hernias.

[00:33:00.664 – 00:33:02.574] They said, “What do you mean?

[00:33:02.574 – 00:33:04.504] I’m the conscience of the group.

[00:33:04.504 – 00:33:09.724] My group ain’t got no conscience.” “Well, if it wouldn’t be for me, none of them would be sober.

[00:33:09.724 – 00:33:11.744] I got, I got them out of jails.

[00:33:11.744 – 00:33:21.744] I went to talk to their live-ins, their live-outs, their mamas, their papas, their kids, their dogs, their probation officers, their parole officers, everything else, and I got them from rolling Bugler

[00:33:21.744 – 00:33:23.064] to ready roll cigarettes.

[00:33:23.064 – 00:33:25.024] I got them from barefoot to wearing shoes.

[00:33:25.024 – 00:33:27.924] Kind sign, got them a job, got them a little car.

[00:33:27.924 – 00:33:38.104] Uh-uh, I am the conscience of the group.” And then later on, the members of AA and the group begin to read the most dangerous literature you can read in AA,

[00:33:38.104 – 00:33:41.154] and that’s the service manual- …

[00:33:41.154 – 00:33:42.824] where it talks about rotation.

[00:33:42.824 – 00:33:50.384] You have to remember, there are three things that take care of all the problems in AA: alcohol, death, and rotation.

[00:33:50.384 – 00:33:56.084] It takes care of every doggone one of them, if we’ll just keep our hands off of it.

[00:33:56.084 – 00:34:06.144] And so as a result of it, you know, we all, there, we always see the one who, who, the member who’s always right, the member who is very happily ready to assume

[00:34:06.144 – 00:34:12.244] all the burdens of leadership, but grimly is unwilling to share them, much less give them up.

[00:34:12.244 – 00:34:13.704] “Uh-uh, we’re gonna have an election.

[00:34:13.704 – 00:34:16.484] I’m gonna tell who’s gonna be the new chairman.

[00:34:16.484 – 00:34:20.914] I’m gonna do this.” And so, but a group does need officers.

[00:34:20.914 – 00:34:22.944] So how do we cope with this dilemma?

[00:34:22.944 – 00:34:24.884] Well, tradition two is a solution.

[00:34:24.884 – 00:34:30.564] AA is both a democracy and, in our own co-founder Bill’s words, a benign anarchy.

[00:34:30.564 – 00:34:36.924] A group elects its own officers who have no power to order anybody to do anything.

[00:34:36.924 – 00:34:40.424] So what’s the big deal if you’re elected chairman of the group?

[00:34:40.424 – 00:34:44.064] It’s no big honor to be known as the head sick, you know?

[00:34:44.064 – 00:34:48.114] But in AA, we don’t want anybody to have any resentments.

[00:34:48.114 – 00:34:51.204] We give everybody a chance to be the head sick, you know?

[00:34:51.204 – 00:34:52.044] Yeah.

[00:34:52.044 – 00:35:02.384] In most groups, the slate rotates out of office at the end of six months, and then they elect a GSR, who in turn elect a district committee member in their district, who in turn

[00:35:02.384 – 00:35:08.864] elect, uh, uh, vote at the area for the area officers, who in turn elect a delegate to the general service conference.

[00:35:08.864 – 00:35:18.524] And the, the GSRs, the DCMs, the area officers, and the delegates serve for two years, and they all serve in the same two-year span, and then another group comes in, you know?

[00:35:18.524 – 00:35:20.304] And that’s just the way it is.

[00:35:20.304 – 00:35:26.254] And then at the conference, then they elect trustees, some directly, some indirectly.

[00:35:26.254 – 00:35:28.504] And, but w- AA does not have a government.

[00:35:28.504 – 00:35:36.164] And you say, “Well, who’s in charge around here?” Well, AA is a spiritual movement, and so the ultimate authority is the spiritual concept of the group conscience.

[00:35:36.164 – 00:35:41.404] Its voice is heard when a well-informed group gathers to arrive at a decision.

[00:35:41.404 – 00:35:46.104] The result, in many instances, rests more than just arithmetic or yes or no count.

[00:35:46.104 – 00:35:50.544] Minority ideas get very thoughtful attention in Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:35:50.544 – 00:35:55.503] That is one of the most valuable principles, and some of the most uncomfortable.

[00:35:55.503 – 00:36:05.564] Sober members of AA who go to their group, and they see the spirit of the traditions being violated, and they’re afraid to get up and say something about

[00:36:05.564 – 00:36:14.403] it, afraid their AA babies are gonna quit them if they’re sponsoring them, afraid their sponsor won’t like them, afraid the group won’t like them, and they sit and hurt.

[00:36:14.403 – 00:36:17.204] Who’s hurting the most?

[00:36:17.204 – 00:36:18.964] The group doesn’t know anything about it.

[00:36:18.964 – 00:36:23.984] And so minority, I’ve seen the minority in time become the majority.

[00:36:23.984 – 00:36:32.684] I’ve been privileged to be a voting member of six general service conferences, and I’ve seen them vote something on Thursday and change it on Friday.

[00:36:32.684 – 00:36:35.984] Yeah, make 180-degree turn.

[00:36:35.984 – 00:36:41.264] And so as a result, what about that annoying character who always insists you better be right?

[00:36:41.264 – 00:36:41.904] Better listen.

[00:36:41.904 – 00:36:44.884] Maybe just this once he or she is right.

[00:36:44.884 – 00:36:52.744] If he or she is wrong, then they will, if they remember the first tradition as well as the second, go along with the decision of the group conscience.

[00:36:52.744 – 00:36:55.184] Does this notion seem cloudy?

[00:36:55.184 – 00:36:57.184] Let’s think back to our first meeting.

[00:36:57.184 – 00:37:04.624] The presence us newcomers felt in the rooms were the same as the group conscience, and it was real.

[00:37:04.624 – 00:37:06.264] They welcomed us in.

[00:37:06.264 – 00:37:08.784] They didn’t set up any rules.

[00:37:08.784 – 00:37:10.104] They didn’t set up any barriers.

[00:37:10.104 – 00:37:14.284] Tradition three, the only requirement for AA membership is the desire to stop drinking.

[00:37:14.284 – 00:37:18.044] Every time this Alcoholics has to share AA’s experiences, Alcoholics experience.

[00:37:18.044 – 00:37:22.464] And to this particular step, right again, some get their hackles raised up.

[00:37:22.464 – 00:37:30.484] We have to remember, listen, the only requirement for AA, that first A stands right this very second for Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:37:30.484 – 00:37:32.324] It’s not Addiction Anonymous.

[00:37:32.324 – 00:37:33.744] It’s not Addicts Anonymous.

[00:37:33.744 – 00:37:35.424] It’s not A&P Anonymous.

[00:37:35.424 – 00:37:38.884] It’s not anyone’s anonymous, but it’s Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:37:38.884 – 00:37:41.244] And you have to remember about members of AA.

[00:37:41.244 – 00:37:46.964] Members of AA were, are, and will always be alcoholics, even though they may have other addictions.

[00:37:46.964 – 00:37:49.764] And that umbrella covers it all.

[00:37:49.764 – 00:37:53.624] But no, we gotta be, we got to let us know that I’m different.

[00:37:53.624 – 00:37:54.404] You know?

[00:37:54.404 – 00:38:00.824] We got winos in AA that wear their winoism with a badge and want you to know, man, they drink wine.

[00:38:00.824 – 00:38:02.404] They walk barefooted.

[00:38:02.404 – 00:38:03.164] You know what I mean?

[00:38:03.164 – 00:38:11.243] Well, by God- Rubbing alcohol will get you just as drunk as wine, and I couldn’t tell you that lest I should have experienced it in my own life.

[00:38:11.243 – 00:38:12.443] I got into difference.

[00:38:12.443 – 00:38:14.823] It’s not a question of what you drank, how you ended up.

[00:38:14.823 – 00:38:18.103] You want to live sober, you know?

[00:38:18.103 – 00:38:23.303] And AA was and still concerned about our membership when strong and heavy publicity first came.

[00:38:23.303 – 00:38:26.963] AAs weighed, even today when there’s more publicity about alcohol than ever before.

[00:38:26.963 – 00:38:36.963] They, they used to ask ourselves, “Won’t there be all kinds of odd people show up who have complications, alcohol mixed with pills and other things?” Thank God that we’ve got

[00:38:36.963 – 00:38:38.383] weirdos in AA.

[00:38:38.383 – 00:38:43.283] This would be a dullest fellowship in the world if we didn’t have any weirdos in AA.

[00:38:43.283 – 00:38:48.743] Now, in the older days, and even today, they used to talk about that mythical character called the pure alcoholic.

[00:38:48.743 – 00:38:51.723] You know, no complications, just a, just a guzzler.

[00:38:51.723 – 00:38:54.503] Well, many of them actually thought they were like that themselves.

[00:38:54.503 – 00:38:58.463] And therefore, when members began to pour in, their worry mounted.

[00:38:58.463 – 00:39:00.603] Won’t there be some mighty queer people?

[00:39:00.603 – 00:39:01.983] Won’t there be criminals?

[00:39:01.983 – 00:39:04.743] Won’t there be social desirables and degenerates?

[00:39:04.743 – 00:39:10.884] And they asked with a mixed amount of smugness and, and snobness, and this is nothing but downright fear.

[00:39:10.884 – 00:39:14.823] You know, we simply do not know what or who’s going to end up in Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:39:14.823 – 00:39:15.423] And you know what?

[00:39:15.423 – 00:39:23.863] Since AA has, has gotten started, every kind of a human being that’s an alcoholic have managed to find their ways into AA.

[00:39:23.863 – 00:39:27.483] Well, you say, isn’t every organization entitled to have rules for membership?

[00:39:27.483 – 00:39:32.843] Why did AA decide to forego this privilege to be all-inclusive but not exclusive?

[00:39:32.843 – 00:39:33.903] That’s simple.

[00:39:33.903 – 00:39:36.583] The early members tried it the other way, and it didn’t work.

[00:39:36.583 – 00:39:44.543] Service headquarters asked that all of the groups to send in their membership rules so they can look at them.

[00:39:44.543 – 00:39:46.503] And if all of those membership rules had been-

[00:39:46.675 – 00:39:51.935] to enforce every place in Alcoholics Anonymous at that time, no alcoholic could be a member of AA.

[00:39:51.935 – 00:39:54.215] Our two co-founders, Bill and Dr.

[00:39:54.215 – 00:39:56.215] Bob, could never have qualified.

[00:39:56.215 – 00:40:00.135] If you read Bill’s story, Bill on alcohol and sedatives, and Dr.

[00:40:00.135 – 00:40:03.115] Bob, uh, Bob on alcohol and barbiturates.

[00:40:03.115 – 00:40:09.435] And so the rule books were, were, all the rules were thrown out, and they narrowed it down to tradition three.

[00:40:09.435 – 00:40:12.855] But then somebody may ask, “Well, isn’t this tradition itself a rule?

[00:40:12.855 – 00:40:16.355] It does state one requirement for membership.” Well, let’s read it again.

[00:40:16.355 – 00:40:20.615] The only requirement for AA membership is the desire to stop drinking.

[00:40:20.615 – 00:40:24.175] And then we have to ask ourselves another question.

[00:40:24.175 – 00:40:34.175] Who in AA has been so designated, whether it be AA as a whole or a group in any, anything, is so designated to determine whether a newcomer

[00:40:34.175 – 00:40:39.815] qualifies, whether he or she wants to stop drinking or stay sober or an alcoholic?

[00:40:39.815 – 00:40:48.535] I’ve been in AA groups all over this world, and I’ve never been in a group where they’ve got an instrument that you can stick in, down, and up an alcoholic to see how alcoholic they are.

[00:40:48.535 – 00:40:49.395] You know?

[00:40:49.395 – 00:40:54.615] Nobody but the ex- except the newcomer himself.

[00:40:54.615 – 00:40:57.415] Everybody else has to take their word for it.

[00:40:57.415 – 00:41:00.435] Let’s get down to it.

[00:41:00.435 – 00:41:03.815] They read a portion of chapter five in this group.

[00:41:03.815 – 00:41:07.194] How many have not heard it this way?

[00:41:07.194 – 00:41:13.295] It says, “If you decide what you want, what we have.” I can’t decide it.

[00:41:13.295 – 00:41:14.754] The group can’t decide it.

[00:41:14.754 – 00:41:21.115] If you decide that you want what we have and are willing to go to any length, then you are ready to take certain steps.

[00:41:21.115 – 00:41:22.515] We can’t take them for you.

[00:41:22.515 – 00:41:28.955] You are the one that has to make the decision, yes, I am one, and I want to do it.

[00:41:28.955 – 00:41:32.795] Nobody else can convince you, and nobody else can force you.

[00:41:32.795 – 00:41:34.915] That’s all.

[00:41:34.915 – 00:41:35.875] That’s all.

[00:41:35.875 – 00:41:38.335] So in AA, we gotta take your word for it.

[00:41:38.335 – 00:41:42.355] And in AA, you don’t have to worry about if anybody’s lying or telling you the truth.

[00:41:42.355 – 00:41:43.975] Just stay sober and see what happens.

[00:41:43.975 – 00:41:45.635] If they’re lying, it’ll show up.

[00:41:45.635 – 00:41:47.405] If they’re telling the truth, it, it’ll show up.

[00:41:47.405 – 00:41:48.655] If they’re drinking, it’ll show up.

[00:41:48.655 – 00:41:49.985] If they’re not drinking, it’ll show up.

[00:41:49.985 – 00:41:57.675] I don’t know about you, but I got all I can do to take care of myself in this program, staying sober and become a part of the we and not run folks out of Alcoholics.

[00:41:57.675 – 00:41:59.075] You know, in AA, we love to stand up.

[00:41:59.075 – 00:42:04.035] God, we love to stand up at these conventions, you know, and hear all these chicken circuit riders talk.

[00:42:04.035 – 00:42:05.975] Not you, Polly.

[00:42:05.975 – 00:42:11.835] I saw that beautiful thing when she come to AA, and she was a mess.

[00:42:11.835 – 00:42:15.785] But in those days, she’s grown along spiritual lines.

[00:42:15.785 – 00:42:17.594] She’s gone from a redhead to a blonde.

[00:42:17.594 – 00:42:22.495] A beautiful gal, and be sure and hear her tonight.

[00:42:22.495 – 00:42:24.755] She’s a tremendous member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:42:24.755 – 00:42:27.535] She’s heard me do these traditions God knows how many times.

[00:42:27.535 – 00:42:29.535] And she got sober in our part of the world.

[00:42:29.535 – 00:42:32.415] She’s a great, great gal, and her husband, they’re wonderful people.

[00:42:32.415 – 00:42:37.315] And so, you know, uh, we really don’t have to be concerned about it, because I’ll tell you why.

[00:42:37.315 – 00:42:43.695] The agent that forces us to come to AA will either eliminate us or it’ll force us to stay, one of the two.

[00:42:43.695 – 00:42:44.295] One of the two.

[00:42:44.295 – 00:42:44.815] Yeah.

[00:42:44.815 – 00:42:49.135] And in fact, you know, in AA, you don’t even have to say it aloud, you know?

[00:42:49.135 – 00:42:52.835] And so, as a result, you know, who are we to keep anybody out?

[00:42:52.835 – 00:42:55.595] You see, this is a matter of communication.

[00:42:55.595 – 00:43:01.235] If they don’t have a problem with alcohol, pretty soon they have no one to communicate with and they leave.

[00:43:01.235 – 00:43:01.815] That’s all.

[00:43:01.815 – 00:43:05.715] Give them the find out, the freedom to find out that they don’t belong here.

[00:43:05.715 – 00:43:09.995] We can’t put any rules or regulations on, period.

[00:43:09.995 – 00:43:16.095] Because God doesn’t like it, and alcohol loves an alcoholic that tries to run another human being.

[00:43:16.095 – 00:43:18.904] Oh, it just waits till they get us.

[00:43:18.904 – 00:43:20.215] Oh, it just loves it.

[00:43:20.215 – 00:43:24.035] And so as a result of it, you know, I love my actual experiences.

[00:43:24.035 – 00:43:33.015] Now, in the old clubhouse in New York City, 24th Street clubhouse on 23rd Street.

[00:43:33.015 – 00:43:34.555] Now, that’s typical of AA.

[00:43:34.555 – 00:43:37.375] When Barry was alive, he was on the desk.

[00:43:37.375 – 00:43:40.815] The door opened, two policemen drug this character in there.

[00:43:40.815 – 00:43:47.215] They drug him up to the desk, and they says, “Look, this thing needs to be here in AA.

[00:43:47.215 – 00:43:48.315] He doesn’t need to be in jail.

[00:43:48.315 – 00:43:49.495] Y’all can help him.” And they left.

[00:43:49.495 – 00:43:54.635] Now, I’m gonna call it It for a few moments, and I’m gonna describe what It looked like when they brought him in.

[00:43:54.635 – 00:43:57.874] It had on a lady’s dress, a lady’s hat.

[00:43:57.874 – 00:44:07.875] It had rouge and lipstick and eye makeup on, lady’s earrings, wearing a lady’s dress with an old boa around the neck, carrying a lady’s purse, wearing lady’s

[00:44:07.875 – 00:44:09.674] silk stockings and penny shoes.

[00:44:09.674 – 00:44:11.375] And It was black.

[00:44:11.375 – 00:44:21.415] Barry looked at him, says, “What do you want to do about stopping drinking?” And It said, “More than anything else in the world.” But he said, “Hey, man, let me tell you, I’ve been on horse.” Now, in those

[00:44:21.415 – 00:44:22.395] days, that’s heroin.

[00:44:22.395 – 00:44:24.315] “I’ve been on snow,” or smack.

[00:44:24.315 – 00:44:27.035] In those days, that was that nose candy that you know of, coke.

[00:44:27.035 – 00:44:33.315] “And I’ve been on them, all them, and heroin and everything else in this god…” Barry said, “We’re not interested in that.

[00:44:33.315 – 00:44:42.775] What do you want to do about stopping drinking?” He said, “More than anything else in the world.” Well, it was the clubhouse, and over in the corner, there are a bunch of rednecks playing dominoes.

[00:44:42.775 – 00:44:45.195] They’re what we call in AA clubhouse cripples.

[00:44:45.195 – 00:44:47.795] You know, they just stay there all day long and mooch.

[00:44:47.795 – 00:44:52.235] And they’re in there, and they looked over there and saw that character, and they said, “Get that out of here.

[00:44:52.235 – 00:44:57.875] It’s gonna ruin our reputation.” And Barry said, “But it wants to stop drinking.” “We don’t care what it wants.

[00:44:57.875 – 00:45:04.515] Get it out of there.” But he said, “But it wants to stop drinking.” Two of them got up, picked It up, walked to the door, opened the door, and threw him out, closed the door.

[00:45:04.515 – 00:45:06.155] Well, in those days, Bill was alive.

[00:45:06.155 – 00:45:07.315] Everybody got ahold of Bill.

[00:45:07.315 – 00:45:11.015] So Barry called Bill, said, “Bill, you better get down here to the clubhouse.

[00:45:11.015 – 00:45:13.925] We got a problem.” Bill said, “What’s the deal?” He said, “Ah, it’s too important.

[00:45:13.925 – 00:45:14.475] Get down here.

[00:45:14.475 – 00:45:24.655] We got trouble.” So Bill hops a cab, and he’s walking through the door backwards, and he looks at Barry, says, “What’s that?” Barry says, “That’s the problem.” Bill said, “What’s the deal?” So he tells him about the police and et cetera

[00:45:24.655 – 00:45:25.135] and et cetera.

[00:45:25.135 – 00:45:26.115] Bill said…

[00:45:26.115 – 00:45:27.235] And how they threw him out.

[00:45:27.235 – 00:45:37.285] Bill said, “Barry, did you ask him if he wanted to stop drinking alcohol?” Barry says, “Yes.” He said, “More than anything else in the world.” But he said, “Bill,

[00:45:37.285 – 00:45:47.335] he’s also been on dope and the needle and everything.” Bill said, “I asked you, Barry, did you ask him if he wants to stop drinking alcohol?” Barry

[00:45:47.335 – 00:45:57.505] says, “Two times.” Bill said, “What did he say?” He said, “More than anything else in this world.” Then he said, “Barry, do you believe that he may be Serious about

[00:45:57.505 – 00:45:57.665] it?

[00:45:57.665 – 00:46:07.665] Barry said, “Yes.” Bill said, “That’s all we need to hear, and that’s all we need to know.” He went to the door, picked It up by the

[00:46:07.665 – 00:46:14.285] elbow, took it over to the table where they’re playing dominoes, and said, “Boys, I want you to meet the newest member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:46:14.285 – 00:46:22.045] He needs you, and you need him,” and that tells the whole story why this tradition was written, period.

[00:46:22.045 – 00:46:24.005] Now, I like to tell you about It.

[00:46:24.005 – 00:46:34.205] It was in that rig because It was a tremendous dancer, and he learned to dance up in Harlem, and he could tap dance, do anything.

[00:46:34.205 – 00:46:41.965] And so in order to buy whiskey and that other stuff, he got a job as a, in a chorus line in a Broadway musical show.

[00:46:41.965 – 00:46:44.645] And then, and so they were all women, so they had to put the dress on.

[00:46:44.645 – 00:46:47.005] But during the intermission, he’d go out and get drunk.

[00:46:47.005 – 00:46:54.505] Well, at one time, he got too drunk, and he never showed back up, and he’s wandering around New York City in that dress, and his life was in danger.

[00:46:54.505 – 00:46:56.845] And the police locked him up, and they brought him to AA.

[00:46:56.845 – 00:46:58.345] Now, I’m gonna tell you about It.

[00:46:58.345 – 00:47:02.865] He would make the, his name’s Harold, make the finest AA talk you’ve ever heard in your life.

[00:47:02.865 – 00:47:10.125] And from the day he sat down at that table until he died in 1984, he was continuously sober.

[00:47:10.125 – 00:47:15.785] And let’s ask ourselves, and God knows how many he sponsored, and in turn, they sponsored.

[00:47:15.785 – 00:47:22.725] Where would all the people and alcoholics be today if they would’ve told Harold, no, he could not come to Alcoholics Anonymous?

[00:47:22.725 – 00:47:25.145] And also, I’ll tell you something else, too.

[00:47:25.145 – 00:47:35.315] If you read Problems Other Than Alcohol, and which is in our conference-approved, uh, which first appeared in the Grapevine as an article by Bill, and then the conference asked it to be put out in a pamphlet,

[00:47:35.315 – 00:47:43.805] where it talks about a member who has made a remarkable recovery from both the bottle and the needle, that is the one that Bill wrote about.

[00:47:43.805 – 00:47:48.665] And so you see, as a result of it, that’s what makes AA so great.

[00:47:48.665 – 00:47:55.725] Tradition four: Each group ought to be autonomous, uh, should be, rather, autonomous, except in matters affecting other groups or AA as a whole.

[00:47:55.725 – 00:48:00.525] Now, a member who does any amount of traveling finds the AA spirit much the same everywhere.

[00:48:00.525 – 00:48:04.065] But apart from this inward kinship, there’s vast differences among groups.

[00:48:04.065 – 00:48:14.125] A traveler may find two or three people discussing the steps or the principles in the backseat of a car or under a tree or a living room, or they may go into, uh, um, listen to

[00:48:14.125 – 00:48:16.585] some talker in a church auditorium.

[00:48:16.585 – 00:48:22.285] In some parts of the United States, respectful silence greets the talker who begins, “Hi, everybody.

[00:48:22.285 – 00:48:29.105] My name is David A, and I’m an alcoholic.” In another part of the country, they happily announce themselves, “Hi,” back, you know?

[00:48:29.105 – 00:48:33.745] And in some parts, the, the, some of them are hour meetings, they’re hour-and-a-half meetings, they’re three-hour meetings.

[00:48:33.745 – 00:48:34.745] There’s all-night meetings.

[00:48:34.745 – 00:48:36.105] There’s candlelight burning meetings.

[00:48:36.105 – 00:48:37.505] There’s incense burning meetings.

[00:48:37.505 – 00:48:39.245] There’s barefoot meetings, you know?

[00:48:39.245 – 00:48:43.085] And in many other places, they introduce themselves by their full name.

[00:48:43.085 – 00:48:51.125] And in each neighborhood in every city of the world, in every part of the world, uh, reached by AA, the local group is free to work out its own customs.

[00:48:51.125 – 00:48:56.444] And I remember I went to a group up there when I was a delegate at General Service Conference, my 10th AA birthday.

[00:48:56.444 – 00:49:01.125] And we went to, we had an off night, so we go to a big group in New York, and there was about, oh, 20 of us.

[00:49:01.125 – 00:49:11.145] They called us a Bible Belt AA from T- East Texas and Mississippi and Alabama and Georgia and Tennessee, you know, and, and Northwest Florida and Arkansas and

[00:49:11.145 – 00:49:11.745] Oklahoma.

[00:49:11.745 – 00:49:13.325] And we all go to the meeting.

[00:49:13.325 – 00:49:17.225] And the fella gets up to talk, you know, and there must have been about 20 of us.

[00:49:17.225 – 00:49:21.025] And he said, “My name is Joe, and I’m an alcoholic,” and we all hollered, “Hi,” back.

[00:49:21.025 – 00:49:22.525] They didn’t do that in those days.

[00:49:22.525 – 00:49:25.004] And my God, it caused an uproar in that group.

[00:49:25.004 – 00:49:28.355] Now, you have to remember about those people up in the New York area.

[00:49:28.355 – 00:49:29.305] They’re not cold.

[00:49:29.305 – 00:49:30.765] It’s just defects of character.

[00:49:30.765 – 00:49:31.405] That’s all.

[00:49:31.405 – 00:49:33.575] You know.

[00:49:33.575 – 00:49:38.245] And so as a result of it, that the group is free to work out its own customs, you know?

[00:49:38.245 – 00:49:42.385] And so in a, in a, in a way, the fourth tradition’s like the fourth step.

[00:49:42.385 – 00:49:50.125] It says that the AA group should take an honest inventory of itself, asking about each of its independently planned, planned action.

[00:49:50.125 – 00:49:52.205] Would this violate any tradition?

[00:49:52.205 – 00:49:56.945] Unfortunately, they take the inventory after the ox is in the ditch you know?

[00:49:56.945 – 00:50:06.945] Like the individual member who chooses to use the 12 steps, you know, uh, towards reasonably comfortable and happy sobriety,

[00:50:06.945 – 00:50:11.705] the wise group recognizes that the traditions are not hindering technicalities.

[00:50:11.705 – 00:50:15.145] They’re a proven guide toward the chief objective of AA group.

[00:50:15.145 – 00:50:25.365] Now, people begin to wonder, “Well, how can AA function under such seeming anarchy?” Other societies have to have law and order and punishment and sanctions

[00:50:25.365 – 00:50:27.805] administered by authorized people.

[00:50:27.805 – 00:50:29.705] Here is the crux why AA works.

[00:50:29.705 – 00:50:34.785] Happily for us, we find that we need no human authority whatever.

[00:50:34.785 – 00:50:38.745] In AA, we have two authorities which are far more effective.

[00:50:38.745 – 00:50:40.545] One heals, and the other kills.

[00:50:40.545 – 00:50:43.765] There is God our Father who says, “Here is my will.

[00:50:43.765 – 00:50:52.625] Live it,” and the other authority, it says, alcohol, it says, “If you don’t take and live God’s will, I’ll kill you.” And sometimes alcohol does.

[00:50:52.625 – 00:50:57.964] So when all the chips are down, we conform to God’s will or we perish.

[00:50:57.964 – 00:51:05.785] And at this level, the death sentence hangs over the AA member and the AA member’s group and AA as a whole.

[00:51:05.785 – 00:51:14.985] So there’s authority enough, punishment enough, without anybody trying to grab the handles of power, and such is AA’s backstop against dissolution.

[00:51:14.985 – 00:51:21.385] Tradition five: Each group has but one primary purpose, to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

[00:51:21.385 – 00:51:30.605] Every newcomer learns the hard way, and sometimes harder than that, that this business of staying sober must have top priority.

[00:51:30.605 – 00:51:33.705] If it fails at that, we cannot fail at anything else.

[00:51:33.705 – 00:51:39.165] The fifth tradition just simply reminds us that groups should remember their one primary purpose.

[00:51:39.165 – 00:51:43.785] Very often, unthinking enthusiasm puts a group off the main track.

[00:51:43.785 – 00:51:45.985] Some groups, for example, offer ex…

[00:51:45.985 – 00:51:51.165] Go into a group, and you look up at their bulletin board, and you can’t tell when the meeting schedule is.

[00:51:51.165 – 00:51:59.025] They’ve got firewood for sale, baby, uh, uh, uh, babysitting, you know, grass cutting, car washing.

[00:51:59.025 – 00:52:02.425] I like the one they hang up in the group Need roommate.

[00:52:02.425 – 00:52:04.385] Must be at least five days sober.

[00:52:04.385 – 00:52:05.705] I love that deal, you know?

[00:52:05.705 – 00:52:06.665] You know?

[00:52:06.665 – 00:52:08.725] To share your apartment or something.

[00:52:08.725 – 00:52:11.865] And so, and as a result, you don’t even know where the meeting …

[00:52:11.865 – 00:52:14.585] And so as a result, you know, you don’t know what’s going on there.

[00:52:14.585 – 00:52:17.155] Now, Tradition Five doesn’t frown on an individual A.A.

[00:52:17.155 – 00:52:27.305] who tells another about a good job, but when the group turns itself into an employment agency or a jail getting in or a jail getting out or a lawyer in or a marriage counselor in or marriage and divorce

[00:52:27.305 – 00:52:30.465] in, the newcomer may get confused about the primary purpose.

[00:52:30.465 – 00:52:36.485] A.A.’s function is to help that alcoholic stay sober, and that alcoholic can get himself a job or even quit his job.

[00:52:36.485 – 00:52:36.814] A.A.

[00:52:36.814 – 00:52:39.925] is not interested in whether I’m working or whether I’m not working.

[00:52:39.925 – 00:52:44.185] All it’s interested, do I want to live sober, you know?

[00:52:44.185 – 00:52:54.565] And I’ll tell you, using a few, uh, discretion, a member may lend a few dollars needed for a meal or a room or even invite a broke alcoholic to be a temporary

[00:52:54.565 – 00:52:55.465] guest in your home.

[00:52:55.465 – 00:53:01.305] You’ve never lived until you’ve invited an alcoholic to be a temporary guest in your home and he stays a year, you know?

[00:53:01.305 – 00:53:06.925] And I had one of them I met somewhere wandering around the country, and he was there, and then he left.

[00:53:06.925 – 00:53:10.205] And one night the door rang, and, and there are two men.

[00:53:10.205 – 00:53:13.105] Now, a policeman is a policeman is a policeman.

[00:53:13.105 – 00:53:23.155] I don’t care if he’s got brush-colored hair, smoking a pipe, w-wearing white loud socks and hush puppies, or whether he’s got long hair, designer jeans, and

[00:53:23.155 – 00:53:24.925] chains around his neck.

[00:53:24.925 – 00:53:27.325] And one of them throws out his identification.

[00:53:27.325 – 00:53:28.695] The other’s got a long piece of paper.

[00:53:28.695 – 00:53:29.385] “Are you so-and-so?

[00:53:29.385 – 00:53:31.465] We’re looking for so-and-so.” I said, “He is gone.

[00:53:31.465 – 00:53:37.105] He left two weeks ago.” “Well, we have a search warrant for your house.” I said, “Come on in.” I said, “He stayed in the back bedroom.

[00:53:37.105 – 00:53:40.025] That, but he left two boxes.” Well, I got the boxes.

[00:53:40.025 – 00:53:41.125] They opened up, and we opened up.

[00:53:41.125 – 00:53:44.995] My God, there was transistor radios in there, rings and jewelry and everything else.

[00:53:44.995 – 00:53:54.905] One of them looked at me and said, “You didn’t know anything about this?” I says, “No.” “Are you sure he’s not one of, you’re not one of his accomplices?” I says, “No.” “Well, you’ll have to come with us.” So they took me and those boxes.

[00:53:54.905 – 00:54:01.705] They put me in the back seat of the squad car with a detective, and off we go down to the jail, and I’m laughing all the way.

[00:54:01.705 – 00:54:11.904] And we get down to the night desk sergeant, and the detectives say what they have done, and they said, “Now, we’re gonna have to take all this, take it to the police property room, have it properly inventoried, and see if we can find

[00:54:11.904 – 00:54:12.665] the rightful owner.

[00:54:12.665 – 00:54:16.165] But the meanwhile, we’re gonna leave him with you,” and they left.

[00:54:16.165 – 00:54:26.245] And when they left, the night desk sergeant took off his glasses, and he just shook his head, and he looked up at me, and he says, “Sponsor, when are you gonna learn?”

[00:54:26.245 – 00:54:32.705] Now, he knew all about it because I had told him about it privately, so you see?

[00:54:32.705 – 00:54:42.785] And even acting, even on our own as an individual, we shouldn’t, a-as laymen, we shouldn’t award ourselves with an honorary medical degree

[00:54:42.785 – 00:54:46.105] and hand out diagnoses, prescriptions to other people’s neurosis.

[00:54:46.105 – 00:54:56.165] And time will not permit me to tell you what are the saddest but truest stories in Alcoholics Anonymous, and it’s happening all the time in A.A., to where we tell people to,

[00:54:56.165 – 00:55:00.425] to quit doing this that are under explicit care of their physician.

[00:55:00.425 – 00:55:04.265] And they’re not violating anything, period.

[00:55:04.265 – 00:55:06.845] They’re not abusing, period.

[00:55:06.845 – 00:55:16.865] Particularly those who are epileptic, particularly those who have been in automobile accidents and have had brain surgery, that for the

[00:55:16.865 – 00:55:24.105] rest of their life, so that they won’t have seizures, are on a mild dosage of, uh, Dilantin and a mild dosage of phenobarbital.

[00:55:24.105 – 00:55:26.845] And to tell those people that they’re on dope.

[00:55:26.845 – 00:55:29.745] Ah, that salt water stopped it.

[00:55:29.745 – 00:55:31.265] Honey and milk will stop it.

[00:55:31.265 – 00:55:34.705] You haven’t lived till one of them stopped it in your group and they die.

[00:55:34.705 – 00:55:36.385] And they die.

[00:55:36.385 – 00:55:41.465] This is what I meant a while ago when I said we’re asked to share our experiences, not our opinions.

[00:55:41.465 – 00:55:44.225] In this particular case, the three members of A.A.

[00:55:44.225 – 00:55:52.625] that told that wonderful gal that she was not sober, she was on dope, neither one of them were an epileptic.

[00:55:52.625 – 00:55:54.845] Neither one of them had ever had seizures.

[00:55:54.845 – 00:55:57.865] They had heard from somebody.

[00:55:57.865 – 00:56:04.245] And coming back from the funeral, the three of them were riding with me.

[00:56:04.245 – 00:56:14.325] The one that was sober five years said to me, “Where did we go wrong?” And I just simply quoted word for word from our illustrated pamphlet on traditions, that only through the

[00:56:14.325 – 00:56:24.205] personal experiences of its members are we qualified to carry only one message, how an alcoholic can recover in A.A., period.

[00:56:24.205 – 00:56:26.334] Tradition Six: An A.A.

[00:56:26.334 – 00:56:28.515] group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A.

[00:56:28.515 – 00:56:38.545] name to any related, um, or outside enterprise, re-related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of property, money, and prestige divert us from our pur- our primary purpose.

[00:56:38.545 – 00:56:44.964] The related facility could be an outside group combating alcoholism or an enterprise that A.A.s want to start.

[00:56:44.964 – 00:56:51.445] A lot of them want to start ambitious centers, 12-step houses, and all this and all that.

[00:56:51.445 – 00:56:55.685] Now, towards outside agencies dealing with alcoholism, the A.A.

[00:56:55.685 – 00:57:00.845] its policy as a result of bitter experience is cooperation but not affiliation.

[00:57:00.845 – 00:57:09.505] A group cooperates, for example, by welcoming referrals from clinics or treatment modalities or sponsoring A.A.-type meetings in institutions.

[00:57:09.505 – 00:57:11.185] A.A.

[00:57:11.185 – 00:57:20.685] members employed in the outside, by, by outside agencies in the field of alcoholism wear two hats, but Tradition Six cautions any such member against wearing both hats at once.

[00:57:20.685 – 00:57:24.125] It’s impossible for an alcoholic to wear two hats at the same time.

[00:57:24.125 – 00:57:25.025] It’s real simple.

[00:57:25.025 – 00:57:26.565] We haven’t got but one head.

[00:57:26.565 – 00:57:31.645] Now, on the job, he or she may be an alcoholism counselor.

[00:57:31.645 – 00:57:33.965] But in an A.A.

[00:57:33.965 – 00:57:34.815] group, they’re an A.A.

[00:57:34.815 – 00:57:35.045] member.

[00:57:35.045 – 00:57:36.525] There’s no such thing as an A.A.

[00:57:36.525 – 00:57:37.325] counselor, A.A.

[00:57:37.325 – 00:57:38.065] doctor, A.A.

[00:57:38.065 – 00:57:38.875] lawyer, A.A.

[00:57:38.875 – 00:57:39.665] banker, A.A.

[00:57:39.665 – 00:57:40.595] housewife, A.A.

[00:57:40.595 – 00:57:41.475] bricklayer, A.A.

[00:57:41.475 – 00:57:42.495] plumber, A.A.

[00:57:42.495 – 00:57:44.055] cement truck driver, A.A.

[00:57:44.055 – 00:57:44.365] bum.

[00:57:44.365 – 00:57:48.005] We ain’t got but one kind, an alco- uh, that it’s a member.

[00:57:48.005 – 00:57:51.085] Inside A.A., we’re all the same.

[00:57:51.085 – 00:57:57.425] After we get sober, we find the one thing, that we are all spiritually sick.

[00:57:57.425 – 00:58:02.405] That is the all-inclusiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous, period.

[00:58:02.405 – 00:58:05.765] What we do on the outside is what we do on the outside.

[00:58:05.765 – 00:58:10.355] And so today, we understand and accept the paradox that the more A.A.

[00:58:10.355 – 00:58:15.185] sticks to its primary purpose, the greater will be its helpful influence everywhere.

[00:58:15.185 – 00:58:18.185] And we’ve learned by our bitter experience that A.A.

[00:58:18.185 – 00:58:28.325] seems to work best when it sticks to the primary purpose and not get involved and not get its name linked with certain programs or certain

[00:58:28.325 – 00:58:29.085] everything else.

[00:58:29.085 – 00:58:30.605] They would love to have us.

[00:58:30.605 – 00:58:31.325] You know why?

[00:58:31.325 – 00:58:36.065] They want the credibility of the two words Alcoholics Anonymous.

[00:58:36.065 – 00:58:39.464] And without it, they’ve got to hustle for it.

[00:58:39.464 – 00:58:45.905] That’s the reason they send all of their patients to us, because we’ve got the recovery program.

[00:58:45.905 – 00:58:49.505] And they don’t even give them a half a program in most of them.

[00:58:49.505 – 00:58:51.865] Through step five and out they go.

[00:58:51.865 – 00:58:54.465] You know, and some of them don’t even do that.

[00:58:54.465 – 00:58:57.865] Some are good, some are bad, some are just like everything else.

[00:58:57.865 – 00:58:59.605] Tradition Seven: Every A.A.

[00:58:59.605 – 00:59:03.525] group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contribution.

[00:59:03.525 – 00:59:07.945] There is no tradition that’s taken a bigger beating in A.A.

[00:59:07.945 – 00:59:09.485] than the seventh tradition.

[00:59:09.485 – 00:59:16.025] Now, the reason the tradition was written is so they would decline outside contributions.

[00:59:16.025 – 00:59:17.625] That’s the reason why.

[00:59:17.625 – 00:59:19.565] We have to be a practical group.

[00:59:19.565 – 00:59:26.365] It can hardly hold its regular meeting on a street corner, and an empty basket will not fill a coffee pot or pay the rent.

[00:59:26.365 – 00:59:31.845] As soon as we get sober in A.A., we learn about other expenses involved in making meetings effective.

[00:59:31.845 – 00:59:35.565] Then our horizons broaden, whether about our intergroup or central office.

[00:59:35.565 – 00:59:37.125] So many of us call for help.

[00:59:37.125 – 00:59:39.785] Phone companies do not give free service.

[00:59:39.785 – 00:59:39.795] God…

[00:59:39.917 – 00:59:50.097] We are so thankful that we’re sober and that we’re not calling a penguin bootlegger in the South Pole or trying to contact the Ayatollah, who’s been dead for a couple of years, long distance.

[00:59:50.097 – 00:59:52.757] I have a tremendous relationship with the phone company.

[00:59:52.757 – 00:59:55.837] As long as I pay my bill, the phone service stays on.

[00:59:55.837 – 00:59:57.637] And if I don’t pay it, they cut it off.

[00:59:57.637 – 00:59:59.637] That’s what sobriety has done for me.

[00:59:59.637 – 01:00:01.057] I don’t know about you.

[01:00:01.057 – 01:00:10.097] And as a result, you know, beyond our own locality, we learn about AA general service office and the work that it does for groups every place, everywhere, all over the world.

[01:00:10.097 – 01:00:14.937] And AA activity is self-supporting at, at all levels and in every case.

[01:00:14.937 – 01:00:20.697] The responsibility comes right back to us as individual and collective members because we are AA.

[01:00:20.697 – 01:00:22.637] AA belongs to the members of AA.

[01:00:22.637 – 01:00:24.117] It doesn’t belong to anybody else.

[01:00:24.117 – 01:00:29.317] But as long as we’re going to take outside monies and sums right there and then, we’re bringing in partners into AA.

[01:00:29.317 – 01:00:31.997] And the next thing you know, they’re going to put a condition on their money.

[01:00:31.997 – 01:00:33.436] We’re going to tell you what to do.

[01:00:33.436 – 01:00:38.657] So when we decline their money, then we can still tell them what to do and where to go, and we’re real good about it, aren’t we?

[01:00:38.657 – 01:00:39.177] Yeah.

[01:00:39.177 – 01:00:43.047] Sometimes when we’re new, our contributions rattle rather than rustle.

[01:00:43.047 – 01:00:46.017] There are very few AA groups that pass around an empty coffee can.

[01:00:46.017 – 01:00:48.117] They pass around these bread baskets, you know.

[01:00:48.117 – 01:00:51.017] You pass a coffee– You put a dollar in, it goes down silently.

[01:00:51.017 – 01:00:54.837] You pass a coffee can, somebody puts a quarter in, it goes clunk, you know, and everybody looks.

[01:00:54.837 – 01:01:03.207] In the group I got in, I used to sit next to reputed to be the wealthiest human being in the entire Southwest, not only outside of AA, but in AA, in the whole of AA.

[01:01:03.207 – 01:01:07.437] And I’d sit next to him, and they’d pass that basket, and I’d put my dollar in.

[01:01:07.437 – 01:01:11.077] And he’d reach in his pocket, and he’d pull out an old-fashioned peddler’s purse.

[01:01:11.077 – 01:01:14.817] It was wrapped around with rubber bands, and then he had three snaps, the middle snap.

[01:01:14.817 – 01:01:16.117] He’d unsnap the middle snap.

[01:01:16.117 – 01:01:18.337] That allowed the one on the right to unsnap.

[01:01:18.337 – 01:01:20.997] And he’d reach in there, and he’d bring, work it like a puppet.

[01:01:20.997 – 01:01:22.777] He’d bring out a quarter and put a quarter in there.

[01:01:22.777 – 01:01:26.957] And I’d look at that son of a gun and that tight son of a gun, and I’d build up resentment.

[01:01:26.957 – 01:01:29.937] It never occurred to me to go sit someplace else and not watch him put it in.

[01:01:29.937 – 01:01:31.697] But I enjoyed it.

[01:01:31.697 – 01:01:32.557] You know what I mean?

[01:01:32.557 – 01:01:34.697] And one night in particular, oh, I was livid.

[01:01:34.697 – 01:01:35.637] I was livid.

[01:01:35.637 – 01:01:36.977] And my sponsor come got me.

[01:01:36.977 – 01:01:40.897] And that’s the reason in AA we look in each other’s eyes and shake each other’s hands.

[01:01:40.897 – 01:01:42.257] It tells us a lot about each other.

[01:01:42.257 – 01:01:43.977] And my sponsor saw my wild eyes.

[01:01:43.977 – 01:01:54.127] He says, “What’s wrong with you?” I said, “That no good, sorry, tight son of a gun, that multi, multimillionaire, and also one of your business partners, he’s putting a, a quarter in there every

[01:01:54.127 – 01:02:04.377] time, and I’m putting a dollar in there.” And my sponsor looked at me, and he said, “David, where did you get that dollar that you put in the basket tonight?” And I looked up at him, and I said, “Well,

[01:02:04.377 – 01:02:13.857] I wrote another hot check today.” He said, “David, AA doesn’t want that kind of money, and AA doesn’t need that kind of money.

[01:02:13.857 – 01:02:23.957] And furthermore, that member of Alcoholics Anonymous has helped more people in and out of AA anonymously than you’ll ever be able to help if you live to be five

[01:02:23.957 – 01:02:25.437] thousand years old.

[01:02:25.437 – 01:02:35.497] Now, I don’t want to ever catch you criticizing what somebody puts in that basket, particularly when what you’re putting in, you stole.” I says, “Yes,

[01:02:35.497 – 01:02:45.237] sir.” When I come to you people, they say, “Get a big book?” That first time, I wrote a hot check on a non-existent bank.

[01:02:45.237 – 01:02:46.847] Well, you said get one, and I got one.

[01:02:46.847 – 01:02:49.977] And so they allowed me to pay that b…

[01:02:49.977 – 01:02:51.857] I wasn’t, I, I wasn’t paying a book out.

[01:02:51.857 – 01:02:54.057] I was paying a hot check off, if you want to know the truth.

[01:02:54.057 – 01:02:57.317] In those days, the book sold for three dollars and seventy-five cents.

[01:02:57.317 – 01:03:01.237] But three dollars and seventy-five cents in those days was what it is today, you know.

[01:03:01.237 – 01:03:09.877] And so as a result, the early members of AA thought about a lot that you’re going to have to have a lot of money, and their plans called for a lot of big shot philanthropy.

[01:03:09.877 – 01:03:14.257] But as one of the greatest friends AA ever had, gave us the greatest experience, John D.

[01:03:14.257 – 01:03:21.677] Rockefeller Jr., he said, “I’m afraid money’s going to spoil this thing,” and the members of AA have also come to believe it.

[01:03:21.677 – 01:03:30.597] And so when the newspapers and other media got hold of the facts, there was an immediate and profound reaction.

[01:03:30.597 – 01:03:38.697] To people who are familiar with countless charitable drives for funds, AA presented a whole new strange things.

[01:03:38.697 – 01:03:45.837] Approving editorials, not only abroad, but in this country, generated a wave, a great wave of what?

[01:03:45.837 – 01:03:47.987] Of competence and respect in what?

[01:03:47.987 – 01:03:49.997] In the integrity of Alcoholics Anonymous.

[01:03:49.997 – 01:03:54.117] See, A, the, A, you know why the integrity of AA is so important?

[01:03:54.117 – 01:03:55.817] Because AA is honest.

[01:03:55.817 – 01:03:58.017] AA is clean.

[01:03:58.017 – 01:04:00.796] The principles, they’re perfect truths.

[01:04:00.796 – 01:04:02.277] They’re true.

[01:04:02.277 – 01:04:08.497] Man breaks, alcoholic breaks self trying to break those traditions and to break those principles.

[01:04:08.497 – 01:04:11.457] And I couldn’t tell you this unless I experienced it in my own life.

[01:04:11.457 – 01:04:12.417] You hear me?

[01:04:12.417 – 01:04:22.657] And so they, and the respect and the integrity of AA, because the news media pointed out that the irresponsible had become responsible by making financial

[01:04:22.657 – 01:04:24.917] independence part of its traditions, Tradition Eight.

[01:04:24.917 – 01:04:30.497] Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

[01:04:30.497 – 01:04:34.657] Spiritual as it is, AA remains very much of this world.

[01:04:34.657 – 01:04:42.537] The Eighth Tradition, like the Seventh Tradition, focuses on that vulgar five-letter word that’s not mentioned in either tradition, and that word is money.

[01:04:42.537 – 01:04:47.957] How many of us had to explain to some cynical prospect, “No, I am not a social worker.

[01:04:47.957 – 01:04:52.597] I do not get paid for talking with you or sitting with you while we shake, you shake out a drunk.

[01:04:52.597 – 01:05:03.057] We do this is because it’s one of the best ways for o- our sober ourselves.” And as, as questions arose, new membership grew, and the word spreading thousands

[01:05:03.057 – 01:05:04.697] of alcoholics into AA.

[01:05:04.697 – 01:05:10.677] And as a result, back in the early days, the central offices were manned by maybe one volunteer.

[01:05:10.677 – 01:05:16.117] But today in AA, the work is so prolific, so prolific.

[01:05:16.117 – 01:05:22.677] So today, in many central offices and intergroup, and particularly our general service office, they’re paid.

[01:05:22.677 – 01:05:32.917] They’re paid to do a job, not to twelve step, but to see and inform the alcoholic where the nearest AA group is,

[01:05:32.917 – 01:05:35.697] to have a 12-step list to call.

[01:05:35.697 – 01:05:36.817] You betcha.

[01:05:36.817 – 01:05:40.197] And thank God, that’s the reason that that tradition was written.

[01:05:40.197 – 01:05:42.737] And it pulls right into Tradition Nine.

[01:05:42.737 – 01:05:50.437] AA as such will never be organized; we, we, we c- be able to create service boards and committees directly responsible to those they serve.

[01:05:50.437 – 01:06:00.551] This is one of the most valuable traditions in an AA group It has to do with electing or appointing members of the group to do the things that need to be done,

[01:06:00.551 – 01:06:05.801] and it has to be done with trust and understanding.

[01:06:05.801 – 01:06:08.541] In other words, let’s keep it simple.

[01:06:08.541 – 01:06:13.821] For the last that our co-founder Bill heard from his fellow co-founder of AA shortly before Dr.

[01:06:13.821 – 01:06:17.801] Bob’s death in 1950, the word it meant our recovery program.

[01:06:17.801 – 01:06:24.781] Bill later wrote that we need to distinguish sharply between spiritual simplicity and functional simplicity.

[01:06:24.781 – 01:06:34.801] When we get into questions of AA as such, and as a result, we must to some extent organize to carry the message or else

[01:06:34.801 – 01:06:35.801] face confusion.

[01:06:35.801 – 01:06:38.681] And confusion is not simplicity.

[01:06:38.681 – 01:06:48.841] If somebody thinks somebody else is going to turn the lights on, somebody else is going to get the coffee, somebody else is going to make the coffee, somebody

[01:06:48.841 – 01:06:52.121] else is going to get up the program, somebody else is going to do it.

[01:06:52.121 – 01:06:52.851] What happens?

[01:06:52.851 – 01:06:56.481] No coffee, no answering the phone, no program.

[01:06:56.481 – 01:07:02.781] So in order to avoid a disaster, one or more members agree to be responsible for preparing meeting refreshments.

[01:07:02.781 – 01:07:13.301] And all the way from coffee brewers to trustees on the general service board, those of us who take part in AA services, we are assuming responsibility but not taking on authority.

[01:07:13.301 – 01:07:17.381] And this is where Tradition 9 and Tradition 2 interlock.

[01:07:17.381 – 01:07:23.901] And so as a result, those two traditions are very, very valuable traditions in an AA group.

[01:07:23.901 – 01:07:31.641] It operates not only in the group, it operates in the district, it operates in the area, it operates in the region, it operates in our general service office and AA as a whole.

[01:07:31.641 – 01:07:35.801] And I’ll tell you right now, one of the most valuable principles that we’ve got in AA is the committee system.

[01:07:35.801 – 01:07:40.901] Because the committee system here is where we uncover and discover the ones who will and the ones who won’t.

[01:07:40.901 – 01:07:42.981] Who will be our future leaders?

[01:07:42.981 – 01:07:45.841] It’s very, very important.

[01:07:45.841 – 01:07:47.281] Tradition 10.

[01:07:47.281 – 01:07:51.161] Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues, hence the AA name.

[01:07:51.161 – 01:07:53.001] I’ll never be brought into public controversy.

[01:07:53.001 – 01:08:00.921] We know that the future of AA and Alcoholics Anonymous rather greatly depends upon Tradition 10, AA’s principle of no controversy at the public level.

[01:08:00.921 – 01:08:06.641] Since AA has begun, AA never has been divided by a major controversial issue.

[01:08:06.641 – 01:08:09.841] Oh, you may have a local one in your local area, but I’m talking about AA as a whole.

[01:08:09.841 – 01:08:19.861] And by some deep instinct, we have known from the very beginning that no matter what the provocation, that AA as a whole must never publicly take sides

[01:08:19.861 – 01:08:20.681] in any fight.

[01:08:20.681 – 01:08:21.941] Even a worthy one.

[01:08:21.941 – 01:08:31.061] We must remember, however, that this reluctance to fight one another or anybody else is not counted on as a special virtue which makes us feel superior to other people.

[01:08:31.061 – 01:08:41.371] Nor does it mean that individual members of AA who are now being restored and who will be restored as citizens of the world are going to back away from their individual responsibility

[01:08:41.371 – 01:08:45.221] as citizens to act as they see on the right of the issues of my time.

[01:08:45.221 – 01:08:51.541] I am so thankful of my sponsor, and I’ve got one of the meanest sponsors but the fairest sponsor that anybody can have in Alcoholics Anonymous.

[01:08:51.541 – 01:09:01.741] And he said, David, don’t you ever let me catch you using your name and Alcoholics Anonymous right after it to get anything in this world, whether it be a bank loan, whether

[01:09:01.741 – 01:09:05.221] what the heck it is to buy furniture or credit or anything else.

[01:09:05.221 – 01:09:15.261] Don’t you ride on the name of Alcoholics Anonymous because you can’t guarantee who you’re going to borrow it from on the credibility that you’re a member of AA that you’re going to be sober

[01:09:15.261 – 01:09:16.721] next week, next month, next year.

[01:09:16.721 – 01:09:20.601] They don’t understand one day at a time.

[01:09:20.601 – 01:09:26.241] That’s the reason why they make 36-month notes when you buy a car and a balloon note.

[01:09:26.241 – 01:09:28.270] That ain’t one day at a time, you know.

[01:09:28.270 – 01:09:30.941] No, that ain’t one day at a time.

[01:09:30.941 – 01:09:33.101] And that’s exactly what he told me.

[01:09:33.101 – 01:09:39.441] And so does it mean that, you know, and so we as long as we don’t use the two words Alcoholics Anonymous in it.

[01:09:39.441 – 01:09:49.581] You know, one of the greatest examples of what happened, and this is one of the reasons this tradition was written, what happened to the Washingtonian movement, a group of alcoholics who got sober over a century

[01:09:49.581 – 01:09:50.341] and a half ago.

[01:09:50.341 – 01:09:54.201] And in two years’ time, they grew to be 500,000 alcoholics.

[01:09:54.201 – 01:10:04.251] When I got sober in April of 1967, they estimated at that time, not counting the ones that got sober and passed away sober, but at that time in Canada and the United

[01:10:04.251 – 01:10:08.550] States, there was only approximately 375,000 members of AA.

[01:10:08.550 – 01:10:15.120] AA got started in 1935, and here it was 67, 32 years later, 375,000 members of AA.

[01:10:15.120 – 01:10:17.781] And the Washingtonians in two years had a half million.

[01:10:17.781 – 01:10:23.001] Had the Washingtonians stuck to their primary purpose, they might have found the answer.

[01:10:23.001 – 01:10:31.101] But no, instead the Washingtonians permitted politicians and reformers, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, to use their society.

[01:10:31.101 – 01:10:37.121] They got non-alcoholics to come to their meeting and share things that the alcoholics did not understand.

[01:10:37.121 – 01:10:40.821] And as a result, they were trying to become all things for all people.

[01:10:40.821 – 01:10:44.661] They took violent sides on the slavery issue.

[01:10:44.661 – 01:10:47.221] Some Washingtonians became temperance crusaders.

[01:10:47.221 – 01:10:53.271] And within a very few short years, they had completely lost their effectiveness in helping alcoholics.

[01:10:53.271 – 01:10:54.001] And what happened?

[01:10:54.001 – 01:10:55.161] The society collapsed.

[01:10:55.161 – 01:10:59.621] Many think that AA is the first one to get this deal going for alcoholics.

[01:10:59.621 – 01:11:00.341] Uh-uh.

[01:11:00.341 – 01:11:01.341] There have been hundreds.

[01:11:01.341 – 01:11:03.841] They came over here on the Mayflower with programs.

[01:11:03.841 – 01:11:05.261] What happened to them?

[01:11:05.261 – 01:11:06.761] They all got involved.

[01:11:06.761 – 01:11:09.161] They invited outside thinking to come in.

[01:11:09.161 – 01:11:11.621] They weren’t taking care of the inside.

[01:11:11.621 – 01:11:14.501] And what happens if you don’t take care of the inside?

[01:11:14.501 – 01:11:17.061] The foundation just crumbled and they’re gone.

[01:11:17.061 – 01:11:18.781] They’re absolutely gone.

[01:11:18.781 – 01:11:21.021] Why has AA outlived them all?

[01:11:21.021 – 01:11:23.941] Because it has stuck to the primary purpose.

[01:11:23.941 – 01:11:27.061] AA throws it right to responsibility to me.

[01:11:27.061 – 01:11:33.201] Either I’m going to let God through the program heal me or I’m going to let alcohol kill me.

[01:11:33.201 – 01:11:36.801] And baby, I lost that power of choice long ago.

[01:11:36.801 – 01:11:44.211] In AA, we either do this deal and face the consequences or we don’t do the deal and face the consequences.

[01:11:44.211 – 01:11:49.841] An AA group either lives by the traditions and face the consequences or don’t live by them and face either way around.

[01:11:49.841 – 01:11:52.781] We got to face the consequences.

[01:11:52.781 – 01:11:54.101] Tradition 11.

[01:11:54.101 – 01:11:57.549] Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion.

[01:11:57.549 – 01:12:01.929] We need always maintain anonymity to the level of press, radio, and film.

[01:12:01.929 – 01:12:11.129] There are naught but three absolutes in Alcoholics Anonymous: absolute abstinence from alcohol, the absolute freedom for any alcoholic to become a member of A.A.

[01:12:11.129 – 01:12:14.589] or leave A.A., and absolute anonymity on the public media.

[01:12:14.589 – 01:12:22.129] Now, we hear it read all the time that, uh, the anonymity to the press or ra- uh, uh, uh, press, radio, films, and they’ll add TV.

[01:12:22.129 – 01:12:26.289] The two letters TV have not been added to this tradition.

[01:12:26.289 – 01:12:37.369] The only way that anything can be deleted from our 12 steps, our 12 traditions, and now our 12 concepts in the short form, is that all

[01:12:37.369 – 01:12:42.929] the groups that are in correspondence worldwide have to vote on it.

[01:12:42.929 – 01:12:49.049] And three-quarters of the groups have to vote for the change.

[01:12:49.049 – 01:12:54.949] And a minimum of six months’ time has to allow, uh, to be given so they can all vote.

[01:12:54.949 – 01:12:57.729] It doesn’t mean they can’t be changed.

[01:12:57.729 – 01:13:03.829] But if you’ve been to one of your group business meeting, now they call it a group conscience meeting.

[01:13:03.829 – 01:13:07.279] How many, how can you get s- …

[01:13:07.279 – 01:13:11.529] The only time you can ever get 75% to agree on anything in A.A.

[01:13:11.529 – 01:13:14.949] is when it’s time to go see the Monday Night Football game and you don’t want to be late.

[01:13:14.949 – 01:13:15.899] Out they go, you know?

[01:13:15.899 – 01:13:16.509] Yeah.

[01:13:16.509 – 01:13:17.829] Oh, yeah.

[01:13:17.829 – 01:13:23.109] You want to keep them there at your meeting when you have a, when you have a group conscience meeting, you can get every one of your members there.

[01:13:23.109 – 01:13:24.769] Tell them you’re gonna give them a free meal.

[01:13:24.769 – 01:13:26.209] They’ll show up.

[01:13:26.209 – 01:13:29.209] Something about, and particularly, if they’re gonna have ice cream.

[01:13:29.209 – 01:13:30.649] They’ll show up.

[01:13:30.649 – 01:13:31.209] Yeah.

[01:13:31.209 – 01:13:35.969] And so, as a result, it hasn’t been added.

[01:13:35.969 – 01:13:39.829] But a lot of times we’ll get a little slipshod in what we do.

[01:13:39.829 – 01:13:48.369] Now, the alcoholic who has recovered, is recovering, and will recover through our program is himself or her still the strongest attraction that A.A.

[01:13:48.369 – 01:13:48.709] has.

[01:13:48.709 – 01:13:49.929] It’s interesting.

[01:13:49.929 – 01:13:51.329] Read our last survey.

[01:13:51.329 – 01:14:01.389] 67% of the members of Alcoholics Anonymous at that time were either brought in by another member

[01:14:01.389 – 01:14:11.469] of A.A., they saw the ads on television, family physicians suggested that they go, family members suggested

[01:14:11.469 – 01:14:12.089] that they go.

[01:14:12.089 – 01:14:15.289] They did not come through a treatment modality.

[01:14:15.289 – 01:14:16.149] Thank you.

[01:14:16.149 – 01:14:18.369] They didn’t come through a treatment modality.

[01:14:18.369 – 01:14:20.029] Only 30 some odd percent.

[01:14:20.029 – 01:14:21.669] And I’ll tell you something else.

[01:14:21.669 – 01:14:27.849] Only 3% of our membership are 21 years in age younger.

[01:14:27.849 – 01:14:30.949] The biggest bulk of the members of A.A.

[01:14:30.949 – 01:14:34.609] are from 30 years old to 54.

[01:14:34.609 – 01:14:42.229] And 41%, and, and the average age of the members of Alcoholics Anonymous are 41 years old.

[01:14:42.229 – 01:14:45.469] And it’s been like that.

[01:14:45.469 – 01:14:47.529] It’s utterly amazing.

[01:14:47.529 – 01:14:48.279] A.A.

[01:14:48.279 – 01:14:52.929] only grows in proportion to the number of alcoholics that are uncovered, period.

[01:14:52.929 – 01:15:03.809] If we can keep the younger members that are younger in years negatively five years, if we can then say, we got a good shot at them staying five years, that

[01:15:03.809 – 01:15:06.269] is experience in Alcoholics Anonymous.

[01:15:06.269 – 01:15:13.169] And to see them come in today, man, 14, 15, 16, 17 years, it is a joy to me.

[01:15:13.169 – 01:15:14.849] It is absolutely a joy.

[01:15:14.849 – 01:15:22.529] It wasn’t around when I was 14, 15, 16, laying on skid rows and drinking wine and doing them other things.

[01:15:22.529 – 01:15:23.969] No, sir.

[01:15:23.969 – 01:15:24.569] No, sir.

[01:15:24.569 – 01:15:26.749] When I was 14 years of age, A.A.

[01:15:26.749 – 01:15:28.829] wasn’t even started.

[01:15:28.829 – 01:15:32.879] It was started when I was 15 years of age, so you can figure out how old I am.

[01:15:32.879 – 01:15:34.029] No big deal.

[01:15:34.029 – 01:15:35.489] No big deal.

[01:15:35.489 – 01:15:36.169] Yeah.

[01:15:36.169 – 01:15:40.569] Yeah, if I’d have known I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.

[01:15:40.569 – 01:15:41.428] I don’t mind telling you.

[01:15:41.428 – 01:15:46.189] Now, supposing a sick alcoholic never, uh, oh.

[01:15:46.189 – 01:15:53.029] Now, our chances would have been slim if the groups had remained in hiding.

[01:15:53.029 – 01:16:03.089] Many of us told to tell our friends, our neighbors, our employers, our coworkers, our physicians, our clergymen that we are in A.A., and when we do so, we are not breaking the anonymity

[01:16:03.089 – 01:16:04.369] in the meaning of this tradition.

[01:16:04.369 – 01:16:11.729] This tradition is talking about our public relations policy on the public level of press, radio, and film.

[01:16:11.729 – 01:16:16.699] Suppose a sick alcoholic doesn’t have the good fortune to find A.A.

[01:16:16.699 – 01:16:17.909] How are they gonna find us?

[01:16:17.909 – 01:16:23.149] His or her search will be futile and difficult if the local group thinks it should be anonymous, too.

[01:16:23.149 – 01:16:25.889] The tradition is talking about personal anonymity, remember?

[01:16:25.889 – 01:16:28.309] No alcoholic will be attracted to A.A.

[01:16:28.309 – 01:16:34.699] if he or she does not know that it exists or if he or she has a distorted idea or impression about A.A.

[01:16:34.699 – 01:16:36.179] Now, information about A.A.

[01:16:36.179 – 01:16:43.789] is being offered to the public on all the communication media, in print and over the air, and over radio it’s easy to guard one’s anonymity.

[01:16:43.789 – 01:16:45.649] But television is another matter.

[01:16:45.649 – 01:16:47.959] According to our conference experience, that’s A.A.

[01:16:47.959 – 01:16:57.629] all experience all over the world, a member is breaking his or ana- ana- his or her anonymity when he or she is identified on television as a member of A.A.

[01:16:57.629 – 01:17:03.369] and their face is shown, whether or not their name is given, because it’s the face that breaks the anonymity.

[01:17:03.369 – 01:17:07.709] And I’m gonna share, and yet with this medium w- and this vast audience cannot be ignored.

[01:17:07.709 – 01:17:11.809] Now, if you don’t want to break your anonymity on the public media, don’t get up on the public media.

[01:17:11.809 – 01:17:13.189] That’s how simple that deal is.

[01:17:13.189 – 01:17:15.869] I’m gonna share two experiences with you, got in a few minutes.

[01:17:15.869 – 01:17:26.069] I was on one of them radio talk shows, you know, and they got a host, and they got a member of A.A., and they got a member of Al-Anon, they’ll have an Alateen, you know, and, and they, and, and, they,

[01:17:26.069 – 01:17:28.709] people call in questions from all over everywhere, you know.

[01:17:28.709 – 01:17:32.529] And they’ve got drunk drunks calling, they’ve got the religious fanatics out there.

[01:17:32.529 – 01:17:33.339] Why do you have to go to A.A.?

[01:17:33.339 – 01:17:35.929] Why don’t you just grab Christ, come to church?

[01:17:35.929 – 01:17:37.348] And then you’ve got members of A.A.

[01:17:37.348 – 01:17:40.589] who disguise their voices and try to give trick questions to you.

[01:17:40.589 – 01:17:44.309] And, and I always say, I never tell them what I do for a living.

[01:17:44.309 – 01:17:45.089] My name is David.

[01:17:45.089 – 01:17:49.109] And well, about 11:30 at night, there’s a little youngster supposed to be sleeping.

[01:17:49.109 – 01:17:53.049] He was listening to the radio, and he ran in about a quarter to 12, and he woke up his mama.

[01:17:53.049 – 01:17:54.009] He says, “Mama, wake up.

[01:17:54.009 – 01:17:59.469] Our dentist is on television,” I mean, radio, “and he’s a drunk.” He recognized my voice.

[01:17:59.469 – 01:18:03.609] About two and a half weeks later, that little monster had an appointment with me.

[01:18:03.609 – 01:18:05.729] And his mama come dragging him in.

[01:18:05.729 – 01:18:07.329] She says, “I, I want to ask you a question.

[01:18:07.329 – 01:18:11.549] How long have you been a sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous?” At that time, I think it was 14 years.

[01:18:11.549 – 01:18:21.709] She said, “My father, and your little patient’s grandfather, passed away last December, and he was 19 continuous years sober in Alcoholics Anonymous.” And I want to just firmly

[01:18:21.709 – 01:18:27.229] believe that if we’re willing to live this deal as it’s been given to us, we only hear good things back.

[01:18:27.229 – 01:18:33.649] Now, on another one, back when Carter and Ford were locked in to see who’s president of the United States, no one really knew.

[01:18:33.649 – 01:18:37.729] And every Wednesday morning, I go down to the barbershop, and I have to get up about 5:30 in the morning.

[01:18:37.729 – 01:18:42.209] And so I turned on the television because I didn’t want to feel like I’m a dummy down there, you know.

[01:18:42.209 – 01:18:44.309] You mean you don’t know who’s president, et cetera, and et cetera.

[01:18:44.309 – 01:18:46.509] No drunk likes to let everybody know he’s stupid.

[01:18:46.509 – 01:18:49.049] We’re sensitive, not stupid, you know?

[01:18:49.049 – 01:18:56.849] And so I’m in there, and I’ve run the hot water and got my face lathered, and right when the razor starts to come down, I hear two female voices.

[01:18:56.849 – 01:19:02.509] One is a strange voice I never heard before, and the other one sounds like my wife.

[01:19:02.509 – 01:19:08.469] So I stuck my head around to the television, and there is this moderator, you know, her full face.

[01:19:08.469 – 01:19:09.629] That was a strange voice.

[01:19:09.629 – 01:19:13.389] And the other had the back of the head and shouted out.

[01:19:13.389 – 01:19:20.769] And I said, “That’s my wife,” because I am more familiar with my wife’s backside than I am her front side, I might tell you.

[01:19:20.769 – 01:19:23.149] And they’re talking about me.

[01:19:23.149 – 01:19:33.079] And so the moderator says, “From what you tell me about the kind of home active alcoholic lives, home you’ve been living, that your husband must have been

[01:19:33.464 – 01:19:37.403] A terrible, incorrigible, drinking alcoholic.

[01:19:37.403 – 01:19:47.464] And my wife sort of said, “When you talk and describe him in that manner, you’re being very kind.” So I’m

[01:19:47.464 – 01:19:55.483] driving down to the barber downtown and I’m resentful, and I walk into the parking garage and say, “Hey, David, saw on Her Grace on T-

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