AA Primary Purpose

Bill Wilson speaks on our primary purpose in AA - 1957

AA Preamble

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. Copyright © The A.A. Grapevine, Inc.

Our 12th Step, carrying the message, is the basic service that the AA fellowship gives. This is our principal aim and the main reason for our existence. Therefore, AA is more than a set of principles. It is a society for alcoholics in action. We must carry the message, else we ourselves can whither and those who have not been given the truth may die. Bill W. - Co-founder of AA What is the Third Legacy - AA Grapevine July 1955

OUR SINGLE PURPOSE “There are those predict that A.A. may well become a new spearhead for a spiritual awakening throughout the world. When our friends say these things, they are both generous and sincere. But we of A.A. must reflect that such a tribute and such a prophecy could well prove to be a heady drink for most of us – that is, if we really came to believe this to be the real purpose of A.A., and if we commenced to behave accordingly. Our Society, therefore, will prudently cleave to its single purpose: the carrying of the message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Let us resist the proud assumption that since God has enabled us to do well in one area we are destined to be a channel of saving grace for everybody.” Bill W. – A.A. COMES OF AGE, pg. 232

DAY OF HOMECOMING (Bill Wilson) “As sobriety means long life and happiness for the individual, so does unity mean exactly the same thing to our Society as a whole. United we live; disunited we shall perish.” Letter, 1949 “We must think deeply of all those sick ones still to come to A.A. As they try to make their return to faith and to life, we want them to find everything in A.A. that we have found, and yet more, if that be possible. No care, no vigilance, no effort to preserve A.A.’s constant effectiveness and spiritual strength will ever be too great to hold us in full readiness for they day of their homecoming.” Talk, 1959

THE PRIMARY PURPOSE “BLUE” CARD THIS IS A CLOSED MEETING OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS This is a closed meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. In support of A.A’s singleness of purpose, attendance at closed meetings is limited to persons who have a desire to stop drinking. If you think you have a problem with alcohol, you are welcome to attend this meeting. We ask that when discussing our problems, we confine ourselves to those problems as they relate to alcoholism. (The 1987 General Service Conference made this statement available as an A.A. service piece for those groups who wish to use it.) General Service Office, Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163. THIS IS AN OPEN MEETING OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS This is an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. We are glad you are all here--especially newcomers. In keeping with our singleness of purpose and our Third Tradition which states that “The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking,” we ask that all who participate confine their discussion to their problems with alcohol.” (The 1987 General Service Conference made this statement available as an A.A. service piece for those groups who wish to use it.) 50M 9/91 (M.P.I.) F-17 From Alcoholics Anonymous Information Bulletin F-2 Many treatment centers today combine alcoholism and drug addiction under “substance abuse” or “chemical dependence.” Patients (both alcoholic and nonalcoholic) are introduced to A.A. and encouraged to attend A.A. meetings when they leave. As stated earlier, anyone may attend open A.A. meetings. But only those with a drinking problem may attend closed meetings or become A.A. members. People with problems other than alcoholism are eligible for A.A. membership only if they have a drinking problem. Dr. Vincent Dole, a pioneer in methadone treatment for heroin addicts and for several years a trustee on the General Service Board of A.A., made the following statement: “The source of strength in A.A. is its single-mindedness. The mission of A.A. is to help alcoholics. A.A. limits what it is demanding of itself and its associates, and its success lies in its limited target. To believe that the process that is successful in one line guarantees success for another would be a very serious mistake.” Consequently, we welcome the opportunity to share A.A. experience with those who would like to develop Twelve Step/Twelve Tradition programs for the nonalcoholic addict by using A.A. methods.

A Singleness of Purpose Amend

I recently completed the Eighth Step and have decided that my first amends should be to Alcoholics Anonymous itself, which I believe I have harmed to some extent by violating its singleness of purpose. I used to identify myself as an alcoholic and an addict. I do not anymore because I now believe other addictions are irrelevant at AA meetings. But, aside from that, I also used to insist on talking about my other addictions beyond what was necessary to relate them to alcohol. I justified this by saying that alcohol was just another drug and so it was unfair to expect me not to talk about all my addictions. And refused to attend any other fellowship because I claimed to prefer the wisdom and sobriety in AA. I realize now how inconsiderate and self-centered this position was. It is not a question of what is fair or whether alcohol is just another drug. The Traditions and primary purpose of AA are what they are whether I agree with them or not. In the past, when I was active, I often had dinner at the homes of people who did not use drugs, but who did drink. I never considered insisting that I had the right to smoke a joint at their dinner table because they were drinking wine. And imagine if I had, and then added insult to injury by saying: "And not only do I have a right to use any drug I want to around here if you're going to drink, but I'm going to keep coming back and I'm going to keep using any drug I want to in your home because I like the food you serve and your company better than the food and company I find in the homes of my drug addict friends. And I have the right to do this because all drugs are the same and I don't care what the rules or customs of your home are. Such a gross abuse of hospitality sounds preposterous, but that is essentially what I was doing by insisting that I had a right to violate AA's singleness of purpose. I was abusing the hospitality of this Fellowship. This is not an apology. I was too sick to realize how selfishly I was acting, and a mere apology is not necessarily an amends. I am hoping to amend the harm I did by stating clearly what I did, for the benefit of others, and, further, by not doing it again. H.D., New Medford, N.J.