Tradition 10 · October 14

However Good

Daily Traditions · October 14

How a group breaks it

A group cannot sign its name to any other cause, however good, and Bill W. wrote the good case into the refusal on purpose. The letter is true: a detox is closing, a program for drunk drivers is losing its money, and other organizations have signed. A member asks for the group's name too. Nobody wants the group's opinion; they want its standing. Bill W. answered in 1947 (A.A. pamphlet P-17, p. 24): "we can say quite emphatically that neither A.A. as a whole nor any A.A. group ought to enter any activity other than straight A.A. As groups, we cannot endorse, finance or form an alliance with any other cause, however good". However good. He knew every real request would be a good one; a line that bent for good causes would bend for all of them. Straight A.A. means the message carried to the drinker, and nothing else. The long form gives the reason (Big Book, p. 565): "The Alcoholics Anonymous groups oppose no one." A group that signs for one side of a funding fight has opposed the other, and some drinker is on the other side. Today it arrives as a sign-on letter or a coalition list. Test it tonight: ask whether your group's name is on any letter, list or coalition, and who put it there.

Sit with

Bill wrote "however good" into the refusal because every request that reaches a group is a good one. Has my group's name gone on anything that isn't straight A.A.?

Grounded in: P-17, p. 24 (Bill W., 1947); 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 →

← October 13Known Tradition 10All of October October 15 →A New Instrument for Social Action

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).