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Miracles In Progress 12 Step Recovery Forums -> Step Work -> Step Work -> Tradition One AA
Post Info TOPIC: Tradition One AA
Dan B 76


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Tradition One AA
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Tradition One AA

Short Version One--Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.

Long Version One--Each member of Alcoholics Anonymous is but a small part of a great whole. A.A. must continue to live or most of us will surely die. Hence our common welfare comes first. But individual welfare follows close afterward.

Our common welfare to me is defined as the well-being, health and general happiness of the community.  Our 12 steps promise that as individuals we will have these and much more if we work our programs.  Through working this program we rid ourselves of self and take on a selfless attitude.  This is the how and why of the first tradition.  As we lose self and gain selflessness we become an integral part of the whole of AA. 

We deal with alcohol cunning, baffling and powerful.  Divide and conquer.    That is what alcohol wants to do to the unity of AA.  We all need each other if there is dissention in a group the group will likely fall, alcohol will win.  As the group goes the individuals go.

I recall my first AA meeting and the feeling of the fellowship it reminded me of the first time I was able to use in the manner in which I wanted to use.  I felt as I belonged, I was a part of something.  However with using that feeling diminished until it became isolation.  In this program it continues to grow and that to me is the spirit of the first tradition.  As long as there is group unity first, I have a place to go and the fellowship lives on.  When as in using we put ourselves before the group we and the group are destined to fail.  If the program of Alcoholics Anonymous fails surely most of us will relapse. 



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There but for the grace of God go I
DavidG


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 Hi Dan,

I am not an AA member... but since i can see your share

am I right in guessing that this takes the form of an open

meeting?

My first contact with AA was at the age of 15. A man, who

was then a young family man came to my school. it was for

boys only- so there must have been 12 or 15 of us.

This was a big eye opener for me... to hear a local male

open up and talk about his life- about this drinking...

...I will relish and remember this experience until the

day i die...

 

...these comments are most likely not 'on topic'. I first

studied the Steps and Traditions inside of an open AA

and Alanon Steps meeting...

...it had to be like this because at that time our community

was fairly remote- and it was not a good idea to have people

sitting in seperate rooms on their own!

 

There were times I took my turn to chair a one person meeting...

but over time the group built up... and it is still going....

Unity inside of the 12 step family is important...

it isn't always easy, of course. But with courage, patience

and everlasting goodwill we will always make it.

I picked up my AA Big Book and read the early Trad 1.

From the pen and lips of Bill W. himself, I am sure...

I suppose the joiner is this, the Alanon 4th concept...

that someone high up there might read from time to

time... "Participation is the key to harmony."

On that note I think you for you time... and hopefully

for the chance to share.

 

DavidG.aww



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Participation is the key to harmony.
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