The Recovering Corker Column
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Dear Recovering Corker,
I recently attended our local AA Convention and was confused by everyone wearing name badges at a public venue. Based on our eleventh tradition – “our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity.” How does one remain autonomous if everyone is running around with a name badge announcing they are participating in this AA Convention?
A Puzzled Newcomer
Dear Puzzled,
In most instances, the name badges will utilize the first name and last initial of an individual - unless said individual requests their last name be listed as well. An individual also has the choice to not display their name badge if concerned about their anonymity and may show it to get into the main meetings at the convention as required. Puzzled Newcomer, you left out the real defining part of Tradition Eleven and that is “at the level of press, radio and films”. At most conventions a little blurb is read where we ask the press to respect our anonymity and to not use names or photographs of members if they write about our convention.
In Language Of The Heart, Bill wrote on Tradition Eleven – “we see that on breaking anonymity by press, radio or pictures, anyone of us could easily transfer the valuable name of Alcoholics Anonymous over to any enterprise or into the midst of any controversy. So it is becoming our code that there are some things no AA ever does, lest he divert AA from its sole purpose and injure our public relations. To the million alcoholics who have not yet heard our AA story, we should ever say, Greetings and Welcome. Be assured that we shall never weaken the lifelines which we float out to you. In our public relations, we shall, God willing, keep the Faith.”
Yours Truly,
Recovering Corker