Recently, I was listening to a tape from a recent International Conference. The speaker on the tape talked about things they found helpful in their recovery. They spoke of attending meetings, having a sponsor, Step work, phone calls, etc. This all seemed, to me, like good SA information.

Then the speaker said, “I know the Sixth Tradition says, ‘An SA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the SA name to any related facility or outside enterprise.’ But…” Then the speaker went on to give their opinion on mental illness, depression, medication, their favorite therapist’s books, their favorite spiritual writer and so on.

I wondered if there exists an unwritten tradition that says a tradition can be broken, if it is first quoted? My strong belief is that outside issues belong outside. When a person leads an SA meeting, at an SA International Conference, which is taped, and sold with “SA” on the label, what that person says is easily believed to be true for all of SA. I certainly do not wish to enter into any arguments about the merits of outside issues. I simply want to see the SA message remain as simple and pure, for the next person, as it was when I received it.

I do not want to tell newcomers or anyone else for that matter that SA works if… if you read such and such book or see such and such therapist, etc. I think it is imperative that people know SA works when and only when you work SA’s simple Twelve Step program, as I have found. My firm belief is that our program can be found in the Big Book of AA, the Twelve and Twelve, and our own “White Book.” If we discuss other issues in SA meetings, we are no longer discussing SA. By doing so, we open the door to division, which compromises our First Tradition, unity, and our Fifth Tradition, singleness of purpose.

Most importantly, when we discuss outside issues, we confuse people. Remember Dr. Bob’s dying words to the fellowship, “Let’s not louse it all up with Freudian complexes and things that are interesting to the scientific mind, but have very little to do with our actual AA [SA] work.” As well as Bob’s last words to Bill W., “Let’s keep it simple.”

A New Dawn

Please update your records with this new information about the meeting in Clyde, NY.

What: Outdoor SA meeting
Name: A New Dawn
When: Meetings start one-half hour before scheduled sunrise at first light.

Meetings last one-half hour to one hour, depending on the number of attendees, who should dress appropriately for the weather. Meetings are held year-round.

I realize that one member cannot qualify as a group, but I remain hopeful that there will be more soon.

[Received on a day when the weatherman reported record amounts of snow in this area. Dawn shooting its rosy rays across the glistening diamonds of the hills of snow was an irresistible picture of members “willing to go to any length.”]

March 28th marks our one-year anniversary. We have grown from a struggling three-to-four to a steady nine-to-twelve and many newcomers monthly. Thanks for all your support.

Thank you for being there! We’re a small group, but we still want to chip in our share. God bless you!

Please accept our donation for the continuing work of SA everywhere. We are a small group—three permanent members—with under two years’ experience in our recovery movement. God bless you and support you always.