off the mortgage on our home and make some needed improvements. The
Foundation also granted Dr Bob and me each a royalty of 10% on the
book Alcoholics Anonymous, our only income from AA sources. We are
both very comfortable and deeply grateful." (LOH 62-66)
December, the Grapevine carried a notice that an important new 48-page
pamphlet titled "AA Traditions" was sent to each group and that
enough
copies were available for each member to have one free of charge.
1949
As plans for the first International Convention were under way, Earl T
suggested to Bill W that the "Twelve Suggested Points for AA
Tradition" would benefit from revision and shortening. (AACOA 213 says
it occurred in 1947) Bill, with Earl's help, set out to develop the
short form of the Twelve Traditions. (AACOA 213, PIO 334)
November, the short form of the Twelve Traditions was first printed in
the AA Grapevine. The entire issue was dedicated to the Traditions in
preparation for the forthcoming Cleveland Convention. Two wording
changes were subsequently made to the initial version of the short
form of the Traditions: "primary spiritual aim" was changed to
"primary purpose" in Tradition 6, and "principles above
personalities"
was changed to "principles before personalities" in Tradition 12.
(LOH
96) The date that these changes were adopted is difficult to determine
precisely and appears to have occurred with the publication of the
book "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" in 1953.
1950
AA's 15th anniversary and 1st International Convention took place at
Cleveland, OH from July 28-30, 1950 (AACOA 43, LOH 121, PIO 338). Bill
W chronicled the proceedings in a September 1950 Grapevine article
titled "We Came of Age" which is preserved in the book "The
Language
of the Heart." (LOH 117-124)
The Traditions meeting of the Convention was held in the Cleveland
Music Hall. Bill W was asked to sum up the 12 Traditions for the
attendees. Bill did not recite either the short or long form of the
Traditions as we know them today or as they were first published.
Instead he paraphrased and summarized a variation of the Traditions
that is preserved in the book "The Language of the Heart" (LOH
121).
Following Bill's summation, he asked if anyone had any objections to
the 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. Hearing none he offered the
Traditions for adoption. The attendees unanimously approved their
adoption by standing vote.
Bill later noted in "AA Comes of Age" (AACOA 213) "It was a
fine hour
in that month of July 1950. Alcoholics Anonymous had passed it
fifteenth milestone; its Second Legacy of Tradition was secure."
1952
In September, Al-Anon Family Groups (AFG) adopted and adapted the
Twelve Traditions of AA. The version of the Traditions they used was
the original wording of the short form of the Traditions that appeared
in the November 1949 Grapevine. AFG Traditions continue to use the
term "primary spiritual aim" as opposed to "primary
purpose" in
Tradition 6, and the term "principles above personalities" as
opposed
to "principles before personalities" in Tradition 12.
1953
June, the book "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" was published.
Bill W described the work as "This small volume is strictly a textbook
which explains AA's 24 basic principles and their application, in
detail and with great care." Betty L and Tom P helped Bill in its
writing. Jack Alexander also helped with editing. It was published in
two editions: one for $2.25 ($15.50 today) for distribution through AA
groups, and a $2.75 ($19 today) edition distributed through Harper and
Brothers for sale in commercial bookstores. (AACOA ix, 219, PIO
354-356)
1955
July 1-3, AA's 20th anniversary and 2nd International Convention at St
Louis, MO. Theme: Coming of Age. (AACOA viii, SM S2) Bill W claimed
attendance of 5,000. It was actually closer to 3,000. On July 3, by
resolution, Bill W and its old-timers turned over the stewardship of
the AA society to the movement. The Conference became the Guardian of
the Traditions and voice of the group conscience of the entire
Fellowship. The resolution was unanimously adopted by the Convention
by acclamation and was approved beforehand by the General Service
Conference subject to approval by the International Convention. (AACOA
ix, 47-48, 223-228) Note: this was one of two instances when the
Conference did not convene in NYC. The Conference first convened in St
Louis in late June and concluded on July 3.
The 2nd edition Big Book was introduced at the international
convention. 30 new personal stories were introduced. A new appendix
was added to the Big Book containing the short and long form of the 12
Traditions. During the 1950's there was confusion in this appendix
because it listed the short form of the Traditions that appeared in
the November 1949 Grapevine and not the version that was contained in
the 12and12 in 1953. Eventually, the wording of Tradition 6 was
corrected in the 3rd printing of the 2nd edition Big Book and the
wording of Tradition 12 was corrected in the 6th printing of the 2nd
edition Big Book in 1963.
1957
Bill W, suggested, and the 1957 Conference approved, that the
Conference Charter be amended to read: "But no change in article 12 of
the Charter or in AA tradition or in the Twelve Steps of AA may be
made with less than the written consent of three-quarters of the AA
groups (SM S87).
1958
The 1958 General Service Conference approved removing the word
"honest" from the term "honest desire to stop drinking"
in the "AA
Preamble." It also changed the term "AA has no dues or fees"
to "There
are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through
our own contributions." The wording of the Conference advisory action
can give the misleading impression that the Traditions were changed.
The advisory action reads: "The General Service Conference recognize
the original use of the word 'honest' before 'desire to stop drinking'
and its deletion from the Traditions as part of the evolution of the
AA movement. Any change to be left to the discretion of AA Publishing,
Inc." The advisory action did not change the Traditions. AA legend
will sometimes erroneously state that the word "honest" was
removed
from Tradition 3. Tradition 3, in either its long or short form, never
contained the word "honest." The term "honest desire to stop
drinking"
comes from the Foreword to the 1st edition Big Book which still
contains the term.
1976 Conference Advisory Action
"It is resolved by the 1976 General Service Conference that those
instruments requiring consent of three-quarters of the responding
groups for change or amendment would include the Twelve Steps of AA
should any such change or amendment ever be proposed."
"In case a change is needed in the Twelve Traditions, the Twelve
Steps, or the Six Warranties of Article 12, wherever the words
"registered AA groups of the world", "registered groups"
or
"directory-listed groups" appear in the "AA Service Manual
and Twelve
Concepts for World Service" a bracketed sentence be inserted to state,
"This would include all AA groups known to the General Service Offices
around the world."
The 1976 Conference Advisory Actions (and their predecessors)
effectively make any notion of a change to the Steps, Traditions and
Warranties (i.e. Article 12 of the Conference Charter) a virtual
impossibility (even so much as adding or removing a comma).
Cheers
Arthur
-----Original Message-----
From: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of John Lee
Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2006 1:51 PM
To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [AAHistoryLovers] The Traditions/cross talk
It's interesting to note that, as set forth in 12and12, most of the
Traditions developed as the result of "cross-talk", whether it was
taking a job at Towns Hospital or considering a position as an
"AA"
spokesman for the liquor industry. Cross- talk has a rich history in
the Fellowship. It's been given an undeserved bad name by
therapy-based practicioners in the treatment industry.
john lee
where the Allegheny meets the Monongahela, to form the Ohio
johncseibert wrote:
I was recently asked about the text of tradition two in the
12x12.
Specifically I was asked if I knew who it was Bill was referring to
when he wrote: "Almost timidly, one of my friends began to speak."
pg
137 Also they were curious as to why Bill mentions this story about
being offered a position at Townes Hospital in the text of tradition 2
instead of either tradition 6 (Never endorse, finance, or lend the
A.A.
name to any related facility or outside enterprise etc.) or tradition
8 (Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional etc.)
unless it's to emphasize the point of a "Loving God as he may express
himself through our group conscience" being the guiding forcxe of A.A.
Can any of you learned folks answer these two questions?
Service is Love
John S.
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Next-gen email? Have it all with the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Links
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++++Message 3618. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Cross Talk
From: Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . 7/30/2006 3:38:00 PM
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Perhaps our early timers did not think of "cross talk" as it is
sometimes
practiced these days.
Here are three variations:
1) Angry (cross) talk. This is a joke based upon two meanings of cross -
angry
and exchanging.
2) Spontaneous ejaculation. Please don't be aroused. Ejaculation here means
the
explosive outpouring of a sound or speech. These folks choose to interrupt
the
meeting to demonstrate that they insist upon every speaker identifying
themselves as alcoholic. So, when a newcomer or a really preoccupied member
does
not say, "My name is abc, and I am an alcoholic", these keepers of
the faith (as
they see it) shout forth with, "Who are you?" or "What's your
name?". If the
original contributor is not known in the meeting, it might be appropriate
for
the leader to make such an inquiry unobtrusively, or if they are known, they
can
be taken aside afterwards and enlightened.
3) Elaborating upon prior statements. It is very tempting to offer one's own
experience pertaining to a question or an experience somebody else has just
described in a meeting. If the meeting is smaller or most of the attendees
know
each other, I think such exchanges are both appropriate and productive. I
temper
my doing this, however, by avoiding public criticism or negativity - these I
do
in private, if ever.
So, with our current chapter of AA history.
Love,
Thomas
----- Original Message -----
From: John Lee
To: AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2006 11:51 AM
Subject: Re: [AAHistoryLovers] The Traditions/cross talk
It's interesting to note that, as set forth in 12and12, most of the
Traditions
developed as the result of "cross-talk", whether it was taking a
job at Towns
Hospital or considering a position as an "AA" spokesman for the
liquor industry.
Cross- talk has a rich history in the Fellowship. It's been given an
undeserved
bad name by therapy-based practicioners in the treatment industry.
john lee
where the Allegheny meets the Monongahela, to form the Ohio
johncseibert wrote:
I was recently asked about the text of tradition two in the 12x12.
Specifically I was asked if I knew who it was Bill was referring to
when he wrote: "Almost timidly, one of my friends began to speak."
pg
137 Also they were curious as to why Bill mentions this story about
being offered a position at Townes Hospital in the text of tradition 2
instead of either tradition 6 (Never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A.
name to any related facility or outside enterprise etc.) or tradition 8
(Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional etc.)
unless it's to emphasize the point of a "Loving God as he may express
himself through our group conscience" being the guiding forcxe of A.A.
Can any of you learned folks answer these two questions?
Service is Love
John S.
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Next-gen email? Have it all with the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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++++Message 3619. . . . . . . . . . . . Sally M., Fitz M., and Jimmy B.
From: Shakey1aa@aol.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 7/29/2006 11:18:00 AM
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Glenn,
Please post the following response and attachment
(from WAIA Archives)to clear up an inaccuracy.
t/y shakey mike
_________________________
Sally M. is the daughter of Marjorie M. and Churchill M.
Churchill was Fitz's best friend and Marjorie is
Jimmy B's sister.
See attached from Wash. Area Intergroup Association
Yis,
Shakey Mike Gwirtz
___________________
"Jimmy and Fitz
Remembered notes from interview with Sally M. in
Cumberstone, Md. Jimmy Burwell was Sally's
Uncle. Fitz Mayo was her father's best friend."
Above is cover from waia archives
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IN RESPONSE TO A COMMENT FROM KILROY:
Good looking out. But speaking of inaccuracies, if I'm
not mistaken and I don't think I am, Sally M. is the
sister of Fitz M. not Jimmy B. I went to that workshop
at the church about 6 or 7 years ago and she told the
story.
Kilroy W.
4021 Club
Philadelphia PA
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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++++Message 3620. . . . . . . . . . . . Passing of Jim Houck
From: Cindy Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/1/2006 9:28:00 AM
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James Houck got sober the day after Bill W. on
12/11/34 - so that makes 71.5 years.
He was NOT an AA member tho.
>
>
>
>
> HOUCK, SR., James W. On July 30, 2006, JAMES W. HOUCK,
> SR.; beloved husband of the late Mary E. "Betty" Houck
> (nee Brinley); loving father of James W. Houck, Jr.
> and his wife Barbara, Frank W. Houck and his wife
> Wendy and Bet-C Sammis and her husband Bud; cherished
> grandfather of Janet Kines, James W. Houck, III, Beth
> Svoboda, Patty Dawson, Heather and Mary Houck, Sharon
> Hyde, Tonya Houck, Skip, Frank and Michael Sammis.
> Also survived by 17 great-grandchildren. The family
> will receive friends in the LEMMON FUNERAL HOME OF
> DULANEY VALLEY, INC, 10 W. Padonia Road, Timonium,
> 21093 on Thursday, 7-9 P.M. and Friday, 2-4 and 7-9
> P.M. Funeral services will be celebrated in the
> funeral home on Saturday August 5 at 11 A.M. Interment
> Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. A memorial service
> will be celebrated in the Towson United Methodist
> Church, 501 Hampton Lane on Saturday August 19 at 11
> A.M. Expressions of sympathy may be directed in Jim's
> memory to the Rotary Club of Hunt Valley, James W.
> Houck Foundation, Inc., C/O Rotary Club of Hunt
> Valley, PO Box 94 Hunt Valley, MD 21030.
> Published in the Baltimore Sun on 8/1/2006.
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++++Message 3621. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: How do we meditate according to
the 11th Step?
From: jenny andrews . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/1/2006 1:14:00 PM
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Google comes up with 69 million plus references to
meditation. But why look in the crystal ball when
you can read the book? Bill W. elaborates on Step
Eleven meditation in his essay on Step Eleven in
the 12 and 12.
___________________________
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (bottom of page
98 to the top of page 102).
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++++Message 3622. . . . . . . . . . . . Re: Passing of Jim Houck
From: kilroy@ceoexpress.com> . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/1/2006 2:10:00 PM
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Cindy, don't believe everything you read...Jim said
that he was sober and leading the meeting at Calvary
mission the day Bill walked in to his first mgt.
_________________________
From: Cindy Miller
To: aaHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [AAHistoryLovers] Passing of Jim Houck
Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2006 09:28:53 -0400
James Houck got sober the day after Bill W. on
12/11/34 - so that makes 71.5 years.
He was NOT an AA member thoough.
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++++Message 3623. . . . . . . . . . . . Fwd: BB Authors, 3rd edition --
Sackville, Dublin, IR. "The Career Officer."
From: funen99 . . . . . . . . . . . . 8/6/2006 6:01:00 PM
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--- In AAHistoryLovers@yahoogroups.com, NMOlson@... wrote:
From: They Lost Nearly All
The Career Officer -- Sackville, Dublin, Ireland.
(p. 523 in 2nd, p. 517 in 3rd editions.)
Heading: "A British officer, this Irishman -- that is, until brandy
'retired' him. But this proved only a temporary setback. He
survived to
become a mainstay of mainstay of A.A. in Eire."
Sackville attended his first A.A. meeting on April 28, 1947, and
never took
another drink. He was a "retired" major from the British Army, in
which he
served for twenty-six years. He had been discharged on medical
grounds. This
meant, of course, alcoholism. In a talk he gave in Bristol, England,
in 1971,
he said he received a letter from the Army saying they had accepted
his
resignation. But he didn't remember having sent it in.
He was living with his parents in Dublin, existing on his retirement
pay.
His long-suffering mother finally ordered him to pack his bags. He
then
remembered seeing something about A.A. in the Evening Mail, and told
her he
would try A.A. His parents agreed that if A.A. could help him he
could live
at home. But he would be on probation. He arrived at his first
meeting that
night, drunk on gin and doped up on Benzedrine and paraldehyde.
His first meeting was at the Dublin group. It was the first A.A.
group in
Europe, founded by Conor Flynn in November of 1946. Conor had got
sober in
Philadelphia three years earlier, and was on vacation in Ireland. It
was
known as the First Dublin Group or The Country Shop Group, the name
of the
restaurant where they met. Sackville found what looked like a large
group
when he went to his first meeting. But it was the big Monday night
open
meeting, to explain A.A. to newcomers and their families as well as
doctors
and social workers.
Getting off to a shaky start, the secretary and a dozen others got
drunk in
the summer of 1947. Three remained sober, among them Sackville, who
had
joined in April. They re-formed the group in August with Sackville
as
secretary.
Sackville was a good organizer who had clear and definite ideas of
what they
should do. He suggest they switch the open public information
meeting from
Friday to Monday, the better to catch men coming off a weekend
drunk. He
also worked hard to get information about A.A. to the newspapers.
Since the vast majority of the Irish population was Roman Catholic,
Sackville
knew it was important to win the goodwill of the Catholic clergy. He
convinced a professor of theology at St. Patrick's College, Mayhooth,
to
publish an article favorable to A.A. in the college paper The
Furrow. Bill
Wilson later referred to the publication of this article as an
impressive
step forward in A.A.'s relations with the churches.
Bill Wilson visited them in 1950, and held a press conference in the
Mansion
House (Lord Mayor's house). Many years later Jimmy R. took great
pride in
showing the kitchen sink in his basement apartment into which Bill
had
knocked his cigarette ash as they sat around and talked for hours
following
the press conference. Sackville, in his 1971 talk, spoke of what a
great man
Bill Wilson was.
In 1948 Sackville began a small paper, The Road Back, which did much
to give
the group a sense of identity. A bimonthly group newsletter
celebrating
birthdays and group news, it also carried recovery sharing in a
simple
unpretentious five-page format. He edited it for more than twenty-
eight
years.
Sackville updated his story for the March 1968 Grapevine. It was
titled:
"Living the Program In All Our Affairs." He hoped that what he
wrote
would
not be taken as the view of an Angry Old Man. But he complained of
those who
give only lip service to the slogans and the steps.
He urged realism, with its frequent reminders of humility; faith,
anchored to
some unchanging norm of goodness (God, as I understand him);
atonement;
patience; and thinking with spiritual discipline.
He complained of those who tell a newcomer that he only has to stay
dry for
today and to come to meetings. He said the meetings were necessary,
but
would not practice the Steps for anyone. Even the most meeting-minded
member
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