At a GlanceEach group of AA/NA is a fellowship of equals. Tradition 2 of 12 explains that no matter an individual member’s background, education, or professional expertise, no member has authority “over” the group. In this way, the fellowship reaches out to all who seek its comfort and provides an atmosphere of a sense of “belonging” to all members.

At a Glance

Each group of AA/NA is a fellowship of equals. Tradition 2 of 12 explains that no matter an individual member’s background, education, or professional expertise, no member has authority “over” the group. In this way, the fellowship reaches out to all who seek its comfort and provides an atmosphere of a sense of “belonging” to all members.

Tradition 2 in AA states,“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.”

This means that in 12-step groups, there is no such thing as individual authority (aside from a higher power). No one member “directs” or “controls” the actions of the other members of the group.

Group decisions are just that, group decisions. After discussing all aspects of a given situation,including the minority opinion, the group votes on the issue, and an agreement is reached with the majority vote. This vote is called a “group conscience.”

But There Are Leaders…

This tradition has been misquoted many times as “we have no leaders.” But it clearly states that each group does have its leaders, they just have no authority over the rest of the group. Whether they be the group’s representative to the area or district, or the secretary or treasurer, they have been entrusted with the responsibility to serve the group, not make decisions for it.

Here are the stories of those who have shared their experience with tradition 2:

A Sense of Belonging

Wendy: Before I came toAl-AnonI never really felt that I “belonged” to any group. No matter what committee, board of directors, steering committee, or whatever group I was a member of, I always had this feeling that everybody else “belonged” there, but I was somehow just visiting—or intruding even.

To compensate for my low self-esteem, I usually overcompensated. I always had to be the one who sold the most tickets, raised the most money, volunteered the most time or whatever.

This was my way of trying to get to the point where my membership in the group was “justified.” So that I would feel that I was truly a part of the team. But, it never really worked.

It was in Al-Anon that I learned the concept that the “meeting” did not belong to anyone, except those who showed up and participated. There was nobody who “ran” things. Nobody was “in charge.” Our leaders were but trusted servants, they did not govern.

As I keptcoming back to the various meetings, I discovered that Al-Anon really meant what it said. Every meeting I ever attended was just as much “my” meeting as it was anyone’s.

A Group Conscience as Necessary

The person in the chair was an Aussie bloke who called mostly males only to speak. After the first few men spoke, the females were getting restless. After the next few guys spoke, some of the women got really agitated. Then, after a few more mostly male calls, one of the women literally exploded.

She stood up and shouted, “No! That’s it, you sexist pig! Are we invisible? Not worth hearing?” Our chairperson said: “Look, I’m in the chair, and I’ll call whoever I am moved to pick, and it isn’t you, so sit down and respect the meeting!”

An old-timer jumped up, raised hands high, and yelled “Group Conscience, Group Conscience…” like a chant. A few others picked up the chant, and a momentary silence fell.

Tradition two on the banner there indicates that I as a member of this group can call for a Group Conscience meeting at any time and I call for one right now!

The woman was asked: “Please state your case to us all.” She did. She said that fairness required that women speakers alternate with men until the females had all had a chance to either pass or speak.

The man in the chair was then asked to please state his case. He said that he had determined that there were five times more men in the room than women, so he thought that it would be fair to call on women one-fifth of the time.

The woman’s “boy-girl” alternative method was overwhelmingly approved, and we all settled for a lovely second part of themeeting.

It’s not the first time I have seen a “Group Conscience” called forduring a meeting, but it was the most dramatic.

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