The principle of "attraction, not promotion" has been a foundational tenet guiding Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) since its inception. This principle emphasizes AA's inherent value and effectiveness, drawing individuals seeking help through the power of personal testimony and -genuine connection. This principle has played a critical role in AA's success and provides concrete examples of its application within AA groups. The Historical Roots of "Attraction, Not Promotion" The principle of attraction … [Read more...]
2024 Mountain Top Round-Up Recordings
The 2024 Mountain Top Round-Up featured six speakers. It was held at Guntersville State Park again this year, and it featured a beautiful view and great fellowship for three days. In addition to six speakers, there were two meetings each day, a couple of workshops, and a hospitality room with refreshments from morning to night where folks could eat and chat. Speakers included: Al-Anon Susie R. from Birmingham, AL. Marissa W. from Sandy Hook, CT. Alateen Stephen W. from Sandy … [Read more...]
AA Traditions Checklist
AA Traditions Checklist 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. Tradition One: Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon AA unity Am I in my group a healing, mending, … [Read more...]
Grapevine Price Increase April 15, 2024
If you have wanted to subscribe to the Grapevine Magazine or need to renew, now is the time to do it before the price increase on April 15th, 2024. Here's the official announcement: AA GRAPEVINE, the international journal of Alcoholics Anonymous, will increase the price of its print magazine for the first time in over 12 years. The new price for a yearly subscription is $36.00, effective April 15, 2024. Grapevine has held the print magazine price steady through challenging times over the … [Read more...]
Should we change the Big Book?
The trustees' Literature Committee needs your feedback. And the big question is whether we should encourage or discourage the organization to change the literature. It's a loaded topic and there's lots of opinions on both sides. This is your chance to be heard. The letter below is from the Committee. At the end, you'll see a button linked to the questionnaire. Input your responses and click save. That is saved anonymously in a spreadsheet. We'll send that spreadsheet with your responses to … [Read more...]
District II CPC Outreach Exploratory Meeting
On Sunday, July 23rd, the District II CPC (Cooperation with Professional Community) committee held its first exploratory meeting. The goal was to gauge the interest in carrying the message to the professional community for the alcoholic who still suffers and offer an opportunity to be of service to the current members. While it's always important to remember we get new members with attraction rather than promotion, it is important to make sure the community knows that AA is … [Read more...]
Speakers: Best of Chuck C.
** These recordings are pulled from Youtube and may contain advertising. If advertising is present, it does not mean that AA District 2 endorses any product or outside institution as prescribed in our 6th Tradition. … [Read more...]
Recommended AA Group Contribution Guidelines
A couple of considerations should be in place for the contribution process. The first is setting your Prudent Reserve for your group. Prudent Reserver from the AA literature: "Most groups try to hold a certain amount of money in reserve. There is no predetermined amount for such a reserve, but most groups try to put aside enough money to cover at least one to three months’ operating expenses. The group itself usually determines the actual size and scope of the prudent reserve. Our … [Read more...]
Speakers: Best of Earl H.
** These recordings are pulled from Youtube and may contain advertising. If advertising is present, it does not mean that AA District 2 endorses any product or outside institution as prescribed in our 6th Tradition. … [Read more...]
Speakers: Best Women AA Speakers
To view all recordings, click the small menu icon in the upper left of the video image below. ** These recordings are pulled from Youtube and may contain advertising. If advertising is present, it does not mean that AA District 2 endorses any product or outside institution as prescribed in our 6th Tradition. … [Read more...]
Speakers: Best of Scott R.
** These recordings are pulled from Youtube and may contain advertising. If advertising is present, it does not mean that AA District 2 endorses any product or outside institution as prescribed in our 6th Tradition. … [Read more...]
The Original “Bill’s Story”
This is the first printed draft of the Big Book, which was mailed to various individuals for their comments and also as a fund raising tool. It is unclear at what time during the writing of the Big Book "Bill's Story" became chapter one. The language in this draft is in many ways different than the final manuscript. This illustrates the process of having many individuals add their opinions to the contents. [archivist's note: All pages are 8.5" by 14"; marked text (underlined) means more than … [Read more...]
“Pre-original manuscript” draft of chapters in the Big Book.
(This is another "pre-original manuscript" draft of chapters in the Big Book. Please notice that the order of these first two chapters are reversed. Also, part of the Rowland Hazard/Dr. Carl Jung story is moved to the front of "There Is A Solution", and the end of the same chapter mentions that they were planning for the next few chapters to be personal narratives. God bless and take it easy! - Barefoot Bill) ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS CHAPTER #1 THERE IS A SOLUTION "I have never seen one … [Read more...]
List of 12-Step Groups from 1997 Database
This is an old list of 12-step programs. The interesting aspect is that there are so many different groups. And this is by no means comprehensive. People are always starting and adapting groups that meet their needs. So please understand this is a very rough draft list of 12-Step groups (and other groups that adapt the 12-steps or use "anonymous" or have adapted the steps in different ways to different issues). Please note that the figures on the numbers of local groups are a rough … [Read more...]
Grapevine
The AA Grapevine magazine has been going strong since 1944. And it's moved into this century with a fully digital version including a searchable archive of previous stories by topic. If you're interested in submitting your writing or photography to the Grapevine, the submission criteria are on this page too. You can explore the AA Grapevine at the link below. Click here to directly to the site! … [Read more...]