Tradition 08

(short) Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
(long) Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional. We define professionalism as the occupation of counseling alcoholics for fees or hire. But we may employ alcoholics where they are going to perform those services for which we may otherwise have to engage nonalcoholics. Such special services may be well recompensed. But our usual A.A. “12th Step” work is never to be paid for.

1. Primary principle(s): non-professional, willingness, responsibility
2. Other principles: altruism, consideration, generosity, integrity, modesty, selflessness, sacrifice, trust, understanding, rotation, responsibility matching authority, democracy

Readings:

• Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions pp. 166-171
• AA Comes of Age pp. 114-118
• “Professionalism and AA”, August 2004 AA Grapevine
• “Forever Nonprofessional”, August 2002 AA Grapevine
• Guidelines on Central Office/Intergroups G.S.O. Pamphlet

Grapevine traditions checklist:

1. Is my own behavior accurately described by the Traditions? If not, what needs changing?
   • Principles: responsibility, ownership
2. When I chafe about any particular Tradition, do I realize how it affects others?
   • Principles: open mindedness, willingness, generosity
3. Do I sometimes try to get some reward—even if not money—for my personal AA efforts?
   • Principles: humility, selflessness
4. Do I try to sound in AA like an expert on alcoholism? On recovery? On medicine? On sociology? On AA itself? On psychology? On spiritual matters? Or, heaven help me, even on humility?
   • Principles: humility, honesty, open-mindedness, modesty
5. Do I make an effort to understand what AA employees do? What workers in other alcoholism agencies do? Can I distinguish clearly among them?
   • Principles: ownership, responsibility
6. In my own AA life, have I any experiences which illustrate the wisdom of this Tradition?
   • Principles: generosity, integrity
7. Have I paid enough attention to the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions? To the pamphlet AA Tradition—How It Developed?
   • Principles: willingness