Tradition 10 · October 1

Half a Million

Daily Traditions · October 1

The threat

A way out for half a million alcoholics died because it took sides in public fights, and the first thing it lost was the drunk. Bill W. told the story of the Washingtonians, a movement a century older than A.A. (A.A. Comes of Age): "At first the society was composed entirely of alcoholics trying to help one another." Their membership "passed the five hundred thousand mark." Then they "permitted politicians and reformers, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic, to use the society for their own purposes." Speakers took sides on slavery. Some became temperance crusaders, out to dry up the whole country. "Within a very few years they had completely lost their effectiveness in helping alcoholics, and the society collapsed." That is why the long form of Tradition 10 names "alcohol reform" by name (Big Book, p. 565). A drinker who hears that the rooms are for or against his party, his church or his bar has one more reason never to walk in. Today the pull comes as a campaign: a drinking law, a funding fight, and somebody speaking for "the recovery community" as if the people in the rooms had signed on. Test it tonight: ask whether your meeting's name appears anywhere outside the room, on anybody's side.

Sit with

Half a million sober alcoholics lost their power to help the next drunk once their society took sides in public. Is there a drinker who would stay out of my room because of a side it has taken?

Grounded in: A.A. Comes of Age (Unity: the Second Legacy — the Washingtonians); long form, Tradition 10 (Big Book, p. 565).

Tradition 10

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

Read the Long Form (pp. 563–566). The short form on pp. 561–562 is the one everybody quotes — but the Long Form is where the Traditions actually say what they mean. Tradition 3's "no other affiliation" clause, for instance, exists only in the Long Form. That single clause is why no treatment centre can own an A.A. group. Most of what circulates online skips it.

And a distinction worth keeping straight: the Traditions are governance, not theology. They bind A.A. groups and the Fellowship — not individuals, and not outside businesses. They were adopted in 1950 to keep A.A. from being owned or co-opted. They are not a rulebook for your personal life.

What the Traditions actually say → The Long Form, p. 563 → Search the Big Book → Every day this month →

Ask Recovery Einstein about Tradition 10 → Get the app →

←All of October Tradition 10All of October October 2 →As We Elect

Daily Traditions is an independent educational resource from Recovery Starts — not official A.A. literature, not affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, and not medical advice. The Twelve Traditions are the property of A.A. Page references are to Alcoholics Anonymous (the Big Book), 4th Edition: short form 561–562, long form 563–566. If you're in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).