Thoughts on Tradition Three from the Shropshire (UK) Intergroup:

Short form

The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.

Long form

Our membership ought to include all who suffer from alcoholism. Hence we may refuse none who wish to recover. Nor ought A.A. membership ever depend on money or conformity. Any two or three alcoholics gathered together for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided that, as a group, they have no other affiliation.

Tradition Three Discussion Questions

1. In my mind, do I judge the sincerity of some new AA members?
2. Is there some kind of alcoholic whom I privately do not want in my AA group?
3. Do I show prejudice against those who have other problems?
4. Do I let language, religion, race, gender, sexuality, education, age, fear or other such things interfere with my carrying the message?
5. Am I over impressed by a celebrity? By a doctor, a clergyman or an ex-prisoner? Or can I just treat this new member simply and naturally as one more sick human?

Thoughts on Tradition Three

This tradition has an old pedigree and can be seen in the foreword to the first edition of the 'Big Book', Alcoholics Anonymous.

There are two stories that are frequently intermingled in AA lore. The first, and perhaps the most pertinent as it is mentioned in both the The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions but also Doctor Bob and the Good Oldtimers, is the story of the man with another addiction even worse stigmatised than alcoholism'. The group was frightened, after all these were the early days of AA and an AA group was a very precious and rare thing. So they approached Doctor Bob to ask for guidance. His answer was simple; what would the Master do?

The second story can be found in Pass It On and is of a guy who turned up at the 41st street clubhouse in New York who was a black, ex-con with bleach-blonde hair wearing women's make up and admitted to being a 'dope fiend'. And to think so many of us had fears of being rejected when we finally found our way to AA! The group was deeply perturbed by this guy but Bill managed to persuade them that as he was a drunk, he was welcome.

When Bill was writing the Twelve Traditions he asked the groups to send in their lists of rules. A large number of them were about who could attend. This tradition clears them up and opens us up. Put simply, you are a member when you say you are and AA can't keep you out. There are plenty of members of AA I've met who don't believe in God, who refuse to do the steps then just as stubbornly refuse to get drunk again, many who think that the whole program is nonsense. We cannot and should not stop them from attending meetings and calling themselves members.

It's also a challenge to us as individuals within our groups of who we make welcome at our meetings. I admit to being more inclined to talk to man of roughly my age who I have things in common with than a seventy year old woman who carries all her possession in one bag and smells! I have to be aware of that. It's not alcoholic, it's human. But carrying the message does not and should not depend on money or conformity, after all, I am responsible.

The second part of tradition three that is sadly omitted from the short form. It gives guidance on what can constitute an AA group. It's incredibly simple. Any two or more gathered together for sobriety MAY call themselves an AA group.

And what about affiliation? The answer to this actually lies in the tradition four essay. It's because of this tradition that we don't have Labour groups, Conservative groups, Christian or Muslim groups. These are things which have the potential to divide us and perhaps prevent a person from joining their local group. It is worth considering the value in groups who currently either discriminate by gender, sexuality or profession. Are these truly unifying? It's a difficult question to answer and it's worth noting that Bill never had a problem with them. He called them 'special interest groups'.

 

More at the link: Shropshire (UK) Inregroup on Tradition Three