Throwback Thursday AA history/Literature post - Read Bill's 1948 Grapevine article on Tradition Two:

Tradition Two

Sooner or later, every AA comes to depend upon a Power greater

than himself. He finds that the God of his understanding is

not only a source of strength, but also a source of positive

direction. Realizing that some fraction of that infinite

resource is now available, his life takes on and entirely

different complexion. He experiences a new inner security

together with such a sense of destiny and purpose as he has

never known before. As each day passes, our AA reviews his

mistakes and vicissitudes. He learns from daily experience

what his remaining character defects are and becomes ever more

willing that they be removed. In this fashion he improves his

conscious contact with God.

Every AA group follows this same cycle of development. We are

coming to realize that each group, as well as each individual,

is a special entity, not quite like any other. Though AA

groups are basically the same, each group does have its own

special atmosphere, its own peculiar state of development. We

believe that every AA group has a conscience. It is the

collective conscience of its own membership. Daily experience

informs and instructs his conscience. The group begins to

recognize its own defects of character and, one by one, these

are removed or lessened. As this process continues, the group

becomes better able to receive right direction fro its own

affairs. Trial and error produces group experience and out of

corrected experience comes custom. When a customary way of

doing things is definitely proved to be best, then that custom

forms into AA Tradition. The Greater Power is then working

through a clear group conscience.

We humbly hope and believe that our growing AA Tradition will

prove to be the will of God for us.

Many people are coming to think that Alcoholics Anonymous is,

to some extent, a new form of human society. In our discussion

of the First Tradition, it was emphasized that we have, in AA,

no coercive human authority. Because each AA, of necessity,

has a sensitive and responsive conscience, and because alcohol

will discipline him severely if he back slides, we are finding

we have little need for man-made rules or regulations. Despite

the fact that we do veer off at times on tangents, we are

becoming more able to depend absolutely on the long-term

stability of the AA group itself. With respect to its own

affairs, the collective conscience of the group will, given

time, almost surely demonstrate its perfect dependability. The

group conscience will, in the end, prove a far more infallible

guide for group affairs than the decision of any individual

member, however good or wise he may be. This is a striking and

almost unbelievable fact about Alcoholics Anonymous. Hence we

can safely dispense with those exhortations and punishments

seemingly so necessary to other societies. And we need not

depend overmuch on inspired leaders. Because our active

leadership of service can be truly rotating, we enjoy a kind

of democracy rarely possible elsewhere. In this respect, we

may be, to a large degree, unique.

Therefore we of Alcoholics Anonymous are certain that there is

but one ultimate authority, "a loving God as he may express

himself in our group conscience."

Copyright © The A.A. Grapevine, Inc., January 1948