Avoiding distraction
AS a newcomer I did not know about Traditions let alone Tradition Six, but as the months passed and I began to pay attention by listening more, I could easily have been troubled by any distraction groups could experience if they were engaged in any other purpose than the primary purpose of carrying the message to the alcoholic who still suffers. This distraction would have watered down the message to me about how to get and stay sober. By supporting or endorsing, financing or lending the AA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, there could have been conflict in my mind if a cause supported by any of the meetings I attended opposed my views. This could have ultimately sent me into another drink. Have I been conned about what AA is and what it’s not? Acting against the principles of Tradition Six could also weaken our position within the community and hamper our chances in helping the would-be AA member find a way out of the drudge of active alcoholism.
As I understand it, there are good ideas in organisations outside our Fellowship which offer help to people with a drink problem and these can work well, but recognising this help is very far from endorsing it. AA has a unique Fellowship wherein we offer help from those who have suffered too. Linking ourselves in any way to other organisations could easily be seen as endorsement and in time weaken our ability to help the alcoholic who still suffers, our experience could become lost in other ideas. Problems could also arise from ignorance of the true foundation of any project we became linked to, therefore the possibility of bringing our Fellowship into controversy could arise. Through prejudice, this could interfere with our ability to bring our solution to the wider community.
Through heeding the lessons learned from the Washingtonians, our early Fellowship members discovered it’s best we stick to what we do best, the way we do it, therefore strengthening the unity of AA. Our Fellowship cooperates with many organisations, but we do not become involved with them. That way we can stick to carrying our spiritual message of recovery as we have done for decades worldwide. I thank my Higher Power for our uniqueness.
ANONYMOUS, Eastleigh
