Some AA meetings ask members to limit their sharing to three minutes.
Others have no time limit.
Some read from the Big Book. Others invite speakers, discuss the Steps, or sit quietly in meditation.
Some meetings welcome pets.
Others would prefer that your golden retriever not participate in the Seventh Tradition collection.
Who decides these things?
For the most part, the individual AA group does.
What does AA literature say?
Tradition Four states that AA groups are autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or AA as a whole.
This is one of the remarkable features of Alcoholics Anonymous.
There is no national office issuing instructions about how long members may share, which readings must be used, or whether coffee should be served before or after the meeting.
AA groups generally make those decisions themselves.
And the mechanism for doing so is something we call an informed group conscience.
Does that mean anything goes?
Not quite.
AA groups are guided by the Twelve Traditions, including principles concerning membership, primary purpose, self-support, anonymity, and relationships with outside organizations.
A group may have considerable freedom in its meeting format, but its actions can raise broader concerns if they affect other AA groups or the Fellowship as a whole.
And there’s a difference between a group’s meeting customs and the basic principles of AA membership.
For example, a group can establish a sharing time limit. It cannot change AA’s Third Tradition to require a particular religious belief for membership.
Why does it matter?
Group autonomy allows AA to adapt to different communities and circumstances.
A small rural meeting may operate differently from a large urban meeting.
A meeting for young people may have a different atmosphere from one attended primarily by retirees.
And that’s perfectly fine.
AA’s unity doesn’t require uniformity.
It requires a shared commitment to carrying the message of recovery.
So if you encounter an unfamiliar meeting custom, you might ask:
“Is that an AA requirement, or is that how this group chooses to operate?”
It’s a useful distinction.
And occasionally, it’s a very good question for the next business meeting.
From AA’s Literature
For further reading, AA publishes:
The Twelve Traditions Illustrated, particularly the discussions about Tradition Four, also The AA Group …Where It All Begins.
Available through AA.org.
If you’re new, try a few different meetings. Your room is out there.