Page 13 - This is A.A. an Introduction to the A.A. Recovery Program

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We began to wonder what we had to do to
stay sober, what membership in A.A. would cost,
and who ran the organization, locally and world-
wide. We soon discovered that there are no
musts in A.A., that no one is required to follow
any formal ritual or pattern of living. We learned
also that A.A. has no dues or fees of any kind;
expense of meeting rooms, refreshments, and lit-
erature are met by passing the hat. But even con-
tributions of this kind are not a requirement for
membership.
It soon became apparent to us that A.A. has
only a minimum of organization and has nobody
giving orders. Arrangements for meetings are
handled by group officers who move on regularly
to make room for new people. This “rotation”
system is very popular in A.A.
Staying sober
How, then, do we manage to stay sober in such
an informal, loosely knit fellowship?
The answer is that, once having achieved
sobriety, we try to preserve it by observing and
following the successful experience of those who
have preceded us in A.A.
Their experience provides certain “tools” and
guides which we are free to accept or reject, as
we may choose. Because our sobriety is the most
important thing in our lives today, we think it
wise to follow the patterns suggested by those
who have already demonstrated that the A.A.
recovery program really works.

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