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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]
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
++++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


IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
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
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
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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