Reply #58: LOL. Cult??? One of my favorite AA Tapes is "Bill tells AA"...

[Junkdrawer]

In later life, Bill Wilson recorded a speech about the founding of AA

Short version:

Bill found "religion" (recovery), then tried to make a career out of it through "a chain of recovery centers, paid missionaries, and a book". He went to John D. Rockefeller who held a dinner with Bill as the guest of honor. Bill had $$ in his eyes when John D. stood up and said: "This is a wonderful organization, and all the more wonderful because it needs no money". Bill was crest fallen as millions of dollars stood up and walked out of the room.

The rest of the tape is about how Bill learned to listen to the "group conscience" and thus found the Twelve Traditions. Here they are:

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.

2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

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

4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.

5. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

6. An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

7. Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.

12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.