Tradition V

Short form: Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

Long form: Each Alcoholics Anonymous group ought to be a spiritual entity having but one primary purpose—that of carrying its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

Application in AA

What is a group?

The group is a spiritual entity ...

... comprising two or more alcoholics
... with but one primary purpose

'An AA group, as such, cannot take on all the personal problems of its members, let alone the problems of the whole world. Sobriety—freedom from alcohol—through the teaching and practice of the Twelve Steps, is the sole purpose of an AA group.' (Problems Other Than Alcohol, February 1958)
Whilst two readings are possible (we have one purpose which is primary OR we have one primary purpose and multiple secondary purposes) ...
... other material (e.g. the Bill Wilson quotation) indicates that the former is what was meant
(Seek to understand what an author meant, not to impose on the words one's own intention)
There are no other purposes, but there might be other effects:

Educating the local community about alcoholism
Providing a social structure for recovering and recovered alcoholics
But these flow automatically from taking the actions necessary to fulfil the primary purpose

AA groups cannot formally help other groups in other fellowships or their members

Tradition V applies to the group and to its members only in as far as they are acting on behalf of the group
AA members not acting on behalf of the group can help groups in other fellowships or their members

Open meetings

Open meetings may be attended by anyone—alcoholic or not
This serves our primary purpose
Because these visitors act as channels for carrying the message to the alcoholic who still suffers
They are often attended by non-alcoholic members of other fellowships
These members learn from AA and apply its lessons in their own fellowships
Non-AA members should not share
They cannot adequately carry the AA message
This requires identification:

'He gave me information about the subject of alcoholism which was undoubtedly helpful. Of far more importance was the fact that he was the first living human with whom I had ever talked, who knew what he was talking about in regard to alcoholism from actual experience. In other words, he talked my language. He knew all the answers, and certainly not because he had picked them up in his reading.' (Page 180, Alcoholics Anonymous)

There is no room for personal agendas
Decision-making

To remain a unified spiritual entity, a group must be able to make decisions in accordance with Concept XII (discussion, vote, substantial unanimity)
If the group is too big, it is hard to be unified and sometimes best to split
Dr Bob thought 35 or so was the cap. That's about right!

Why is Tradition V necessary?

Other purposes will water down the activities in favour of the primary purpose

E.g.

Sharing facts and narratives about my life other than to illustrate a particular Step, Tradition, or Concept
Sharing thoughts, reflects, insights, and musings other than to illustrate a particular Step, Tradition, or Concept
Sharing negative emotions to secure temporary relief
Sharing about politics, social issues, ideologies, or current affairs
Sharing about therapy, religion, yoga, and other therapeutic or spiritual pursuits
Sharing about other people, other groups, or other fellowships

The more purposes, the more the opportunities for discord
... the more discord, the less unity ...
Lack of unity threatens the existence of the group
If the individual requires the group, the individual is thus threatened
Alcoholism is fatal: the vessel for the solution must be protected.

'We have to confine our membership to alcoholics and we have to confine our AA groups to a single purpose. If we don't stick to these principles, we shall almost surely collapse. And if we collapse, we cannot help anyone.' (Problems Other Than Alcohol, February 1958)

Its message or the message?

Technically, each group can have its own message.
The original intention was for each group to carry the AA message.
That's set out on the dust jacket of the Third Edition: the contents of the Big Book up to page 164.

What is an alcoholic?

'In the preceding chapters you have learned something of alcoholism. We hope we have made clear the distinction between the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic. If, when you honestly want to, you find you cannot quit entirely, or if when drinking, you have little control over the amount you take, you are probably alcoholic. If that be the case, you may be suffering from an illness which only a spiritual experience will conquer.' (Page 44, Alcoholics Anonymous)
There are two conditions, which are alternative ('or if')
This suggests that either suffices for classification as an alcoholic
If you can't control the amount but can stay sober, you don't have a problem
If you can't stay sober but can control the amount, you don't have a problem
The conditions are therefore cumulative (read 'and' for 'or'), when applied at an individual level
The Big Book deliberately hedges its statements, however, in order to reach as many people as possible
Groups do the same: alcoholism, for practical purposes, is defined very broadly
Tradition Three is worded to encompass anyone who wants to stop drinking (which covers more than just alcoholics)
... although the core presumption is that anyone who wants to stop drinking and can does not need AA ...
... and anyone who wants to stop drinking and can't is by definition an alcoholic

Who still suffers?

This means

Alcoholics who have yet to find AA
Newcomers who have yet to recover
Longer-sober people who are suffering

Applying Tradition V to sharing

If the primary purpose is to carry the message, you have to have the message to carry it
But you do not have to have all the message
The group carries all the message
Each individual carries one part
Newcomer sharing:

Newcomers can carry the message, too, to the extent that they have acquired it
The sharing of newcomers also lets other members know who they're pitching to
It encourages a sense of participation, belonging, equality, and service

Share what you know and have experienced
Don't speculate on parts of the programme you do not have experience of

Application in life

Personal philosophy

My purpose is not the purpose of the group
My purpose is to contribute to the purpose of the group
My purpose is broader than the group's purpose but encompasses my contribution to it:

Stay close to God
Perform His work well (page 63, Alcoholics Anonymous)

I have a two-fold mission:

[Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps,] we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, ...
... and to practise these principles in all our affairs. (Page 59, Alcoholics Anonymous)

Other purposes must be eschewed

The seven areas of self ...

Pride: what you think of me
Self-esteem: what I think of me
Personal and sex relations: how you treat me
Pocketbooks, security, and ambitions: my finances, my needs, my wants

... become none of my business (except for information purposes)
The seven traps of the ego ...

Sex, money, power, prestige, comfort, thrills, and appearance

... cease to be my purpose(s)

If I fulfil the Page 63 conditions, I receive the seven blessings:

Health, happiness, harmony, love, joy, peace, and connection

Health, here, means spiritual health ...
... although my physical well-being in part reflects my emotional / psychological / spiritual / social well-being

Singleness of purpose is really attunement

'The new birth or second birth, or what you may be pleased to call it, means that you clearly understand and definitely accept the fact that nothing matters except attunement with God. When you can honestly say, "I realize now that nothing in life really matters except that I get my conscious attunement with God—because when I have that, everything else will rightly follow, and until I do get that nothing else can be right—and I am going to make everything else secondary to that," then you have really experienced the new birth whether the realization itself has yet arrived or not.' (Power Through Constructive Thinking, Emmet Fox)
Do not let the two elements of this ('the means') ...

Staying close to God
Performing His work well

... become merciless idols in their own right and obscure God ('the End')

God is then eclipsed
We end up worshipping:

our own ability to connect to God
our own competence in doing God's will

We end up disappointed and despairing because

... even though we come up to God's standards thanks to our sincerity of effort ...
... we can never come up to our own standards
Firstly because of a fundamental human inadequacy, with or without God's help:

'No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines.' (Page 60, Alcoholics Anonymous)
'Self-reliance was good as far as it went, but it didn’t go far enough. Some of us once had great self-confidence, but it didn’t fully solve the fear problem, or any other. When it made us cocky, it was worse. Perhaps there is a better way—we think so. For we are now on a different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves.' (Page 68, Alcoholics Anonymous)

Secondly because our notions of 'perfection' (= our own standards) are not God's and are fantastic and thus unattainable

Practical implementation

I practise Tradition V through practising Step Twelve
Home group membership

Service
Contribution
Consistency
Social element
Staying in touch
Decision-making

Sponsorship

Being sponsored
Sponsoring others

Service within the service structure
Carrying the message to the outside world
Being a walking Big Book: imbuing everything we do with the spirit of sobriety
Homes, occupations, and affairs
These must be in dynamic equilibrium

The mix constantly shifts
Try everything
Stick to what you're good at

What is success?

Sincerity of purpose
Honest effort
Results are in God's hands
We are not in a position to judge the merit of results

'3 In order to judge anything rightly, one would have to be fully aware of an inconceivably wide range of things; past, present and to come. 4 One would have to recognize in advance all the effects of his judgments on everyone and everything involved in them in any way. 5 And one would have to be certain there is no distortion in his perception, so that his judgment would be wholly fair to everyone on whom it rests now and in the future. 6 Who is in a position to do this? 7 Who except in grandiose fantasies would claim this for himself?' (A Course in Miracle, M-10.3.)

Review results, externals, etc. only to feed back into Step Eleven decision-making

Primary purpose vs the ego's purpose

The primary purpose is at the level of cause:

Connect with God (page 86, Alcoholics Anonymous)
Develop a vision of God's will (page 85, Alcoholics Anonymous)
Develop a sane and sound ideal for my conduct (page 69, Alcoholics Anonymous)
Implement
Review
Report back: Connect with God
[This process loops indefinitely]

In summary:

We act at the causal level
We review the effect
The effect is fed back into the decision-making algorithm

In a nutshell:

Primary purpose is about giving

The ego's purpose is at the level of effect:

Achieving external objectives in the seven areas of self (pride, self-esteem, personal relations, sex relations, pocketbooks, security, ambitions)
Achieving external objectives in the seven traps of the ego (sex, money, power, prestige, comfort, thrills, and appearance)

In a nutshell:

The ego's purpose is about getting

In progressing spiritually we move from:

Having demands, resentments, and fears ...

Monitoring to the world to see if demands are being met
If they are not

Getting upset
Plotting, scheming, controlling, manipulating, and bulldozing to get them met

Seeing myself as the principal rather than the agent

... to having a vision of God's will and a sane and sound ideal

Monitoring the world to see if the outcomes match those sought
Reporting back to God
In consultation with God:

Adjusting our actions
Asking others for help
Consulting others
Delegating to others

Seeing myself as the agent

Primary purpose vs comfort

Achieving the primary purpose involves: short-term pain vs long-term gain
Do you want relief or recovery?
You can't have both simultaneously
If you go for relief, you can't have recovery
If you go for recovery, eventually you'll get relief
If comfort is the primary purpose

Comfort is the measure of success
We beat ourselves up for failing if we're not comfortable
We look for easier softer ways
But there are none
But we try them anyway

Relationship

The primary purpose: for the spiritual entity of the relationship to thrive

The group (= the relationship) is more than the sum of its parts
To thrive means each individual and the family as a whole

Is effective, efficient, and harmonious
... in their individual endeavours ...
... in their joint endeavours.

This is achieved by:

Putting the common welfare first
Putting others first

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Tradition V