The topic of today’s meeting is the 4th Tradition, which states:
“Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.”
Definition of au·ton·o·mous
- (of a country or region) having self-government, at least to a significant degree.
"the federation included sixteen autonomous republics"
- acting independently or having the freedom to do so.
"an autonomous committee of the school board"
synonyms: self-governing, self-ruling, self-determining, independent, sovereign, free, unmonitored
(in Kantian moral philosophy) acting in accordance with one's moral duty rather than one's desires.
Where else does any group/country/organization exi
I was told by an elder that getting a home group and a service commitment would help me. I only did it because I was finally somewhat teachable, and I just wanted to get and stay sober-so I took direction. I thought it was silly and beneath me. I actually got pissed off at someone for having the nerve to start the coffee pot before I got there-she was secretary, and was super early. Instead of me saying "Oh, thank you Gina for getting the coffee going" I said "Ummm....why am I coming early if you are gonna do the coffee??"
That vile attitude shifted quickly-thank God. I immediately felt bad about how I treated her and apologized. Before, I would have justified what I had said and would have found someone to agree with me. Now, I am held accountable by conscious, by God, which comes from autonomy. If I wasn't free to choose to make coffee, if I was ordered to make coffee, then I would have ended up quitting. That's just how I was...Undisciplined and entitled....not a good combo.
"Over the years, every conceivable deviation from our Twelve Steps and Traditions has been tried. That was sure to be, since we are so largely a band of ego-driven individualists.
Children of chaos, we have defiantly played with every brand of fire, only to emerge unharmed and, we think, wiser. These very deviations created a vast process of trial and error which, under the grace of God, has brought us to where we stand today. "
On Tradition 4 12X12 pg 146
Stubborn ego maniacs....Children of Chaos indeed!! LOL
Learning to be accountable to my group by making coffee turned into being accountable to my sponsees-from there I was actually suiting up and showing up for my family, coworkers, friends, strangers, life...not because I "had" to-but because I was acting in accordance to my moral duty, accountable to my soul. I learned this not from my parents, not from school, not from my religion-but from AA. God found me in AA and transformed me from how will "they" see me....into, how will "He" see me....
A women I sponsor is furthering her growth by doing more in depth Step work after completed the Steps by studying the 12x12. I asked her to send me her thoughts each week on what she is getting from each chapter. Here is an excerpt of her thought this week is and which pretty sums this up.....
"No one can be set in authority over one another because God is the authority over all of us. Since the Fellowship realizes this, they have less trouble with hierarchy. The Fellowship sees us all as the same. Drunks who need help. No one is better or worse than the other. -Lynette D. (fellow AA member who gave me permission to use her name)
Here are the Principles of this Tradition...
1. Do I insist that there are only a few right ways of doing things in AA/Home/Work?
2. Does my group always consider the welfare of the rest of AA/My Family/Co-workers?
3. Do I put down other AA members, members of my family, co-workers behavior when it is different from mine, or do I learn from it?
4. Do I always bear in mind that, to those outsiders who know I am in AA, I may to some extent represent our entire beloved Fellowship?
5. Am I willing to help a newcomer go to any lengths—his lengths, not mine—to stay sober?
6. Do I share my knowledge of AA tools with other members who may not have heard of them?
** These questions were originally published in the AA Grapevine in conjunction with a series on the Twelve Traditions that began in November 1969 and ran through September 1971. While they were originally intended primarily for individual use, many AA groups have since used them as a basis for wider discussion.**
Please share your thoughts, experience...or if you are really bold, your answers to the above questions as I think this would be wonderful to use thought provoking questions such as these as a basis for a wider discussion in our meetings. Questions like these really make me look at myself and where I am currently in my sobriety and my spiritual maturity. Question 1 has already got me looking at myself.... it might be time for me to go through the Step work again!!