Those Blasted Traditions

Nobody wanted them. That is the part of this history that gets left out, and leaving it out makes the Traditions sound inevitable, which they were not. Bill W. on the reception (A.A. pamphlet P-44): "The first reception of the Twelve Traditions was interesting and amusing. The reaction was mixed, to say the least. Only groups in dire trouble took them seriously. From some quarters there was a violent reaction, especially from groups that had long lists of “protective” rules and regulations. There was much indifference." Only groups in dire trouble. Everyone else had no immediate use for a principle designed to prevent a disaster they had not yet had. And when Bill travelled to speak about them, the letters that came back were affectionate and entirely dismissive: "Bill, we'd love to have you come and speak. Do tell us where you used to hide your bottles and all about that big, hot-flash spiritual experience of yours. But for heaven's sake, please don't talk any more about those blasted Traditions!" It took years. Then several thousand members at Cleveland in 1950 made them the platform the fellowship stands on.