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1. In Heart t' Heart individual
recovery depends on the loving, supportive fellowship of the group.
Without acceptance and unity there can be no fellowship and thus no
recovery.
2. In Heart t' Heart there is only one ultimate authority--a
loving God who manifests His will for each group in our prayerful group
conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern.
3. The only requirement for Heart t' Heart membership is a desire
to stop participating in compulsive/addictive behaviors.
4. Each Heart t' Heart group is autonomous within the guidelines
of the steps and the traditions, encouraged only to practice these
principles in all its decisions.
5. Each Heart t' Heart group has but one primary purpose--to
carry its message of recovery from compulsive/addictive behavior to
those who still suffer.
6. A Heart t' Heart group ought never endorse, finance or lend
the Heart t' Heart name to any outside publications or
enterprise, lest problems of copyrights, money, property or prestige
divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every Heart t' Heart group ought to be fully self-supporting
through voluntary donations from members only.
8. Heart t' Heart should remain forever non-professional, but our
General service center may employ special workers.
9. Heart t' Heart, as such, ought never be organized. We may,
however create service boards or committees directly responsible to
those they serve.
10. Heart t' Heart has no official opinion on any outside issue.
Neither is its intent to promote any doctrine or policy contrary to The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hence, the Heart t'
Heart name ought never be drawn into any controversy, the opinions
expressed being simply those of the individuals who share them.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction, rather than
promotion. We need always maintain the spiritual foundation of personal
anonymity, acknowledging that all recovery comes through dedication to
the principles of the program.
12. Personal anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our
traditions--ever reminding us that this program is focused on principles
and not personalities.
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In 1938 when the Twelve Steps of
Alcoholics Anonymous were first introduced, it was already obvious that
they were a set of principles, which if taken to heart and acted upon,
could literally transform a person's life. Nearly 100 previously
hopeless alcoholics had been saved from the brink of insanity and death
by practicing these principles. That fellowship was to continue to grow
until today there are well over a million recovering alcoholics, sober
and restored to normal living because of the twelve-step program.
From 1938 to 1946, the fellowship of
A.A. struggled along on the organizational level. While individuals were
recovering in exponential numbers, the organization was staggering and
teetering. The group needed some firm guidelines for its
"life" as a fellowship of people who wanted as little
"organization" as possible and a loving God as their only
authority. How do you "organize" that degree of personal
freedom? The twelve traditions are the result of their effort.
THE TWELVE STEPS ARE THE PRINCIPLES
THAT ASSURE PERSONAL, INDIVIDUAL RECOVERY. THE TWELVE TRADITIONS ARE THE
PRINCIPLES THAT ASSURE THE SUCCESS OF A GROUP. JUST AS IT IS ESSENTIAL
TO PRACTICE THE STEPS ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, IT IS EQUALLY ESSENTIAL TO
PRACTICE THE TRADITIONS IN ANY GROUP THAT MEETS TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER
IN LIVING THE STEPS.
With the formation of Heart t' Heart, the original twelve
traditions were prayerfully reviewed and rephrased to reflect LDS
concepts. We highly recommend that each person participating in a Heart
t' Heart group, particularly as any kind of "leader," be
very familiar with both the original traditions and the Heart t'
Heart version. Our groups will not have the positive helpful effect
they are meant to have if these concepts are ignored.
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