Second Month - Second Tradition

[kremjk]

Our A.A. experience has taught us that:

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 (short form)

2.) For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority-a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. (long form)

Copyright ? The A. A. Grapevine, Inc., and Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing
(now known as Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.)

[kremjk]

My home group had it's monthly "Group Conscience" meeting last night. We started this with a plan to use the pamphlet titled "The AA Group" (P-16). We knew that there is a list of questions in this pamphlet for a 'Group Inventory' and intstead of just jumping to page 35 where the questions are listed we followed one members request that we read the pamphlet from page one, to see some description of the 'AA Group' prior to trying to answer those questions.

So, each 'first Thursday' we take a half hour, prior to the scheduled meeting to pick up where we last read. We did reach the questions a few months ago and we looked at the 6th question last night, concerning issues of anonymity and confidentiality.

New members have joined the group recently and accepted our invitation to join in this ongoing search for the answer to the big question: How is our group fulfilling the primary purpose of recovery? We had good participation from those in attendance last night. And each member's opinion carries the same weight, newcomer and oldtimer alike.

The new members have learned that they have a real say in the group and some have also joined in the Group Business meeting, on the last Thursday, where we discuss the treasury and the GSR links our group to AA as a whole. And thus we have a say, as a group, in decisions made at the state and national levels.

It is a good deal. jim k

[samf]

Our home group is pretty relaxed on group consciences, but we run along faily well, today.

This also seems to work well in realtionships and families.

[blossom]

I really like the idea of going through the pamphlet on the AA group, i might suggest that for my home group. We've been having regular conscience meetings lately due to a few issues that cropped up in my meeting and the secretary wasn't sure what to do. I think it's important to let everyone know how the conscience of a group works and why the second tradition is important to the maintenance of our group. I think sometimes that newcomers feel they are not allowed to speak in group consciences because either they haven't been around long enough or don't know the rules (even though the only rule is that there are no rules). And more often than not the secretary will not know either how or why we have group consciences. So maybe doing what your group has been doing Jim will help all of us understand a little better.

We have just done over the last couple of weeks in our group conscience the questions for conference where our GSR took down our view as a group in whole. Some members were disgruntled about the time it took, but i feel that it is important because fortunately no one person has the the power to make decisions for AA, but collectively we all put our views across and the conscience of AA as whole decides any decisions, but if we don't take the time to talk and then take are views onto intergroup, then we suddenly have no voice within our fellowship. Which for me leads me back to tradition one, do we truly have AA unity? If we practice tradition two, then i believe we do and have that, which i need because i also believe that my personal recovery depends upon that unity. Not sure if that makes sense, but i find it funny because up until about 12 months i never really looked at the traditions and when the we would do one at my step meeting every month, i would groan inside thinking why do we need to bother? How does talking about a tradition help stay sober on a daily basis, but i have started to learn about the traditions and how they are just as important as the steps i work in my daily program and that traditions are really important in keeping me sober daily, because without them there would almost definately be no meeting or fellowship for me to turn up to (i'm also starting to look at the concepts, but easy does it :P I've certainly learned also of late that there is no graduation ceremony in AA either ;) )

Love
Blossom

[kremjk]

My group and I have come to see this 2nd Tradition as more than just an ideal or a method. We have experienced the best of results occurring from what was a potential brouhaha.
A gathering of selfish, self seeking individuals who have been asked to form a consensus on a question or a proposal, all coming to the meeting with strong opinions which differ from the other's views. We open the meeting with prayer and look at each other with remembrances of the death to life experiences we have shared. The ego's settle down now, they began to weaken when we entered the parking lot.
By God's Grace the willingness has grown to let each have their uninterrupted time at the 'floor'
Not only do we not interrupt, we also listen with open minds and allow new information and additional concepts to filter in. We all begin to see the bigger picture come into view.Our strong opinions begin to soften. Some of us even begin see the wisdom in allowing a mistake to occur, knowing that lessons may be learned.
By the end of the meeting, after all have had their say, and new info has been further discussed, we look within to discover that we have new convictions about the question at hand. An evolution has occurred within each individual and somehow now the group is united in thought. We all agree. How did that happen?
A 'Loving God' expressed Himself. The first time we experienced this we were shook. We knew.
We once 'believed' but now we knew. And this amazing power is at the helm of AA.
All we needed to do is slow down enough to listen to each other with humility. But that also would not have happened without the Grace of a Loving God.
It's a WOW thing.

peace, jim k