"For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority - a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern." Tradition Two builds on the practical foundation of Tradition One. We begin with unity, founded on the strength of our commitment to recovery in Narcotics Anonymous. Our commitment is reflected in service that builds our common welfare: supporting a meeting, sharing with other members, sponsorship, any of the ways in which we reach out to other addicts. As groups, too, our purpose is to serve, to carry the message. Everything we do in service to NA is related to that purpose. Without direction, however, our services might lack consistency. To guide us in serving others, we seek direction from a Higher Power.
Personal service arises from the application of principles. Ideally, personal service is founded in a relationship with the same Higher Power that guides our personal recovery. This Higher Power also guides the various elements of our fellowship. Our direction in service comes from a God of our understanding, whether we serve as individuals, as a group, or as a service board or committee. Whenever we come together, we seek the presence and guidance of this loving Higher Power. This direction then guides us through all our actions.
Everybody has opinions on how to serve more effectively. When we each propose a different plan for any course of action, how do we choose among them? Who has the final say in our discussions? Our answer is that a loving God, the source of our unity, has the final say - the same Higher Power that guides our personal recovery.
If we are to find guidance from an ultimate authority, we need to find means of hearing that guidance together. The mechanism we use is group conscience. The success of the group conscience process depends on our willingness as individuals to seek guidance from a Higher Power on a personal level. We then bring that willingness into the group setting.
Something happens when we practice the steps and learn to apply principles in our individual lives. We develop an awareness of our behavior and its effects on ourselves and others. In other words, we develop a conscience. This conscience is a reflection of our relationship with a Higher Power. It reflects the guidance we receive from the God of our understanding and our commitment to follow that guidance. Whenever we come together in our groups, a similar process may occur: A collective conscience develops. That conscience reflects the relationship of our members to a loving Higher Power. When consulted regularly, that collective conscience guides us in fulfilling our primary purpose while preserving our unity and common welfare.
Group conscience can be thought of in much the same way as personal conscience. Group conscience reflects a collective awareness of, understanding of, and surrender to spiritual principles. The conscience of a group takes shape and is revealed when its members take the time to talk with each other about their personal needs, the needs of that group, and the needs of NA as a whole. Each member draws upon his or her relationship with a Higher Power when sharing with the group. As members listen carefully to each other and consult their personal understanding of a loving God, something happens: Solutions to problems become apparent, solutions that take into consideration the needs of everyone concerned. In developing a group conscience, a clear mutual understanding or consensus arises. Based upon the understanding gained by sharing group conscience, a group may move on to a vote in order to make decisions. In the best of circumstances, however, the group continues discussion until it reaches unanimity. The resulting solution may be so obvious that no vote is needed.
Group conscience is not fixed and inflexible. We know that personal conscience changes as an individual's relationship with a Higher Power grows and strengthens. In the same way, the conscience of a group evolves as its members mature in recovery, new members arrive, and the group's situation changes.
Group conscience is a process that may work differently under differing circumstances. It's not reasonable to expect that today's solution to one group's needs will always be sufficient for every group; in fact, that solution may not even apply to the same group at a different time. The principles involved in group conscience are always the same, but the times and conditions our conscience guides us through are constantly changing, requiring our conscience to tell us different things in different settings. It's important for us to continue cultivating our group conscience, seeking the guidance of a loving Higher Power whenever a question arises.
A surrender to group conscience means we allow our fellowship to be shaped by a loving Higher Power. We are tempted sometimes to take control of the daily affairs of our group, our service board, or our committee, believing that our great concern for the fellowship's welfare could never lead us astray. However, as we become more trusting, we realize that the group is directed by a loving Higher Power. Our reliance on that Higher Power is demonstrated by our willingness to carry out the direction expressed in our group conscience, believing that all will be well.
Any group, board, or committee can become bogged down in disagreement or sidetracked by seemingly insurmountable problems. In these situations, it's important to focus our attention on the principles of the program and the solutions they point toward, not on our problems. Agreement is reached when we step out of the way and allow a loving Higher Power to direct us.
Only when we listen for the direction of a Higher Power are we able to hear it. The conscience of a group is most clearly expressed when every member is considered an equal. A Higher Power works through all of us, regardless of clean time or experience. Group conscience always exists, but we are not always willing or able to hear it or allow its expression. Hearing group conscience may take time and patience. A flexible approach invites a loving Higher Power into our group conscience process.
In our personal recovery, our thoughts and actions change as we stay clean and grow spiritually. We don't get better overnight, and sometimes our growth is sporadic and uneven. This same pattern of growth and maturation also occurs in our fellowship. As our groups grow and evolve, our resources change and so do our needs. Groups may change trusted servants, meeting format, or location, depending on their resources and their needs; service committees may expand their subcommittees, reach out into new territories, or combine their efforts with other committees. These changes may not always feel like progress. Just as our personal recovery doesn't always develop in an orderly fashion, our fellowship doesn't always evolve as we would expect. As groups and committees go through this growing process, their collective conscience often evolves as well. Changes in the group conscience are not a cause for alarm, merely part of the growing process.
When a group or committee has sought direction from a loving Higher Power, it may ask some of its members to help carry out that direction. When we ask members to serve, we don't set them apart as being somehow better than the rest of us. Leadership in NA is a service, not a class of membership. For this reason, we call our leaders trusted servants.
When we choose a member to serve us in some capacity, we exercise mutual trust. We trust the conscience that influenced our selection since it reflects our collective relationship with a loving Higher Power. We extend that trust to the members we have selected to serve. We have faith that they will apply principles in their actions, seek and share the most complete information available, and work to further the group's well-being and our fellowship's common welfare. The relationship of trusted servants to the group is reciprocal. Members chosen to serve are asked to do so with dedication and fidelity, and those who've chosen them are responsible to support their servants. When we are asked to serve, we understand that we are responsible to a loving Higher Power as expressed in the group conscience. We acknowledge this responsibility when we approach service with a selfless and loving attitude. The principles embodied in the traditions apply to all our actions.
We can look to our individual conscience as well as the collective conscience for guidance in all we must do in fulfilling our responsibilities. This connection with the group conscience is enhanced when, as trusted servants, we carry a continuous flow of information that is honest and open; it is further strengthened when we seek to serve, not to govern. We help form the conscience of our group or committee, through the direction of a Higher Power, by presenting a complete and unbiased stream of information. The ideas and direction of the group, then, are conveyed in our representation of that conscience.
Our trusted servants lead us best when they lead by personal example. Ideally, we choose them for the principles of recovery we see at work in their lives. We encourage our trusted servants to remain open to new ideas, to become knowledgeable about all aspects of service in NA, and to continue to seek personal recovery. All of these attributes are essential to their ability to serve us well.
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"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
APPLYING SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES OF TRADITION TWO We noted earlier in this chapter that personal service arises from the practice of principles. By applying these principles, we learn to seek direction. We talk to our sponsor, share with our NA friends, and listen for a Higher Power's guidance. Some of the principles that seem to be important in Tradition Two include surrender, faith, humility, open-mindedness, integrity, and anonymity. We begin with surrender to our ultimate authority, the God of our understanding, with whom we have developed a personal relationship. In this case, we surrender to the direction of that Higher Power as it is revealed in our group conscience. We renew our commitment to the common welfare of NA when we place the needs of the fellowship ahead of our own desires.Faith is our reliance on a loving Higher Power put into action. The application of this spiritual principle lets us surrender to the group conscience with hope instead of fear. It is a constant reminder that our direction comes from a Power greater than our own. Faith demands courage, since we often practice an active demonstration of faith in spite of our anxiety. Our faith is strengthened through the experience of seeing a loving Higher Power work in our fellowship. Humility in practice is the honest assessment of our strengths and weaknesses. That kind of assessment is a necessary ingredient in our willingness to surrender. Humility prepares us to set aside our personal wishes so that we can effectively serve our fellowship. We look to humility, first, to remind us that we aren't personally capable of guiding the affairs of Narcotics Anonymous. We are reminded of our source of strength: a loving Higher Power. By practicing humility in our efforts to serve, we make room for open-mindedness. We remember that, just as we need the experience of other addicts to recover, so do we need their direction and ideas in order to serve. We learn to actively cultivate our listening skills, using our ears more than our mouths in conversation. When we are open-minded, we hear and accept solutions offered by others in the development of group conscience. Application of this principle teaches us to set aside our prejudices in order to work with others. By practicing open-mindedness, we nurture an attitude of goodwill toward others and become willing to serve with our common good in mind. Only with an open mind can we recognize the guidance of a loving Higher Power. Integrity is the consistent application of spiritual principles, no matter what the circumstances. Leaders who demonstrate this quality inspire our trust. We serve best when we display an honest respect for the trust placed in us by others. Fidelity and devotion to that trust reflect the personal integrity of our servants. When we choose members to serve us, we often look for integrity as a sign that they are trustworthy. The spiritual principle of anonymity reminds us that we are all equal in Narcotics Anonymous. No one member or group has a monopoly on the knowledge of a Higher Power's will. We practice anonymity by offering our love, attention, and respect to everyone, regardless of our personal feelings toward any individual. Every member has a part in the development of group conscience. We are all equal in the expression of a conscious contact with a Higher Power of our understanding. Tradition Two offers guidance for our relationships with others. A loving Higher Power is the source of direction for NA as a whole. This Higher Power is also the source of the principles that we apply when we serve. We can use these principles when we seek direction as individuals, groups, service boards, or committees. Service is for those we serve. Our best talent in service is the ability to reach other addicts, offer identification and welcome, greet the addict walking in the door for the first time, and help ensure that newcomers return again and again. Any one of us is capable of offering that service. With the guidance of a loving Higher Power, we become better able to help others.
Service to the Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous has its own rewards. When we practice spiritual principles in our daily lives, a stronger relationship with our Higher Power develops. Our relationship with our group and the fellowship grows stronger, too. Service in NA is a learning experience that allows us personal growth. We begin to look beyond our own interests, setting aside our self-centered view of life in order to better serve the whole. We benefit spiritually in return for our unselfish service.
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"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
Why is it important that we invite God into that process?
What is a trusted servant?
Are we governed by any of our chosen leaders? Why?
What is effective service?
How can I serve?
Who is the ultimate authority?
What is the difference between ego and egotism?
How can I keep my ego from interfering with the groups conscience?
What is meant by unfounded pride?
If self-will destroys the group, how does selflessness put us in line with a God consciousness?
How can I apply God consciousness in my other relationships outside the Fellowship?
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"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
Here is another addict's outline. Reconcile with the lit.
Addicts making decisions.
The problem:
"Higher mental and emotional functions, such as conscience and the ability to love, were sharply affected by our use of drugs." ("Who Is An Addict?" page 4)
"By nature, we are strong-willed, self-centered people, who are thrust together in NA. We are mismanagers and not one of us is capable of consistently making good decisions."
"There is often a vast difference between group conscience and group opinion, as dictated by powerful personalities or popularity."
"We must constantly be on guard that our decisions are truly an expression of God's will." ("Tradition Two" pages 60 & 61)
Our solution:
"By working the Steps, we learn to depend on a Power greater than ourselves, and to use this Power for our group purposes." ("Tradition Two" page 61.)
One ultimate authority -- a loving God.
Having God as our ultimate authority frees us from having addicts call the shots.
By limiting that authority to "God as He may express Himself in our group conscience," we force our leaders to avoid doing anything alone.
Our understanding of our ultimate authority is deliberately ambiguous. Since NA has no opinion about who God is -- or who God isn't -- no individual or group has the right to define which particular God is in charge.
The Second Tradition does not place any limitations on my personal understanding of Higher Power.
The "Basic Text" does not require that my personal understanding be that of a loving God -- this is only a suggestion.
In matters regarding the NA community, I can agree to think of "our Higher Power" as loving, setting aside my personal understanding of Higher Power.
Conscience (gleaned from various "Twelve Concepts" drafts)
What is conscience?
Our innate sense of right and wrong.
That internal compass we each may consult when reflecting about the best course to take.
Conscience in an individual.
By working the Steps:
I revive my conscience.
I learn how to exercise my conscience.
By consistently applying spiritual principles:
I become increasingly less motivated by self-interest.
I become more and more motivated by what conscience tells me is good and right.
Conscience in a group setting.
People whose consciences have been awakened, come together to consider and resolve service-related questions.
This is the most obvious example of bringing the spiritual awakening of our Twelve Steps directly to bear in the practice of our Twelve Traditions.
Our group conscience.
We want the benefit of hearing as many opinions as possible before making any decision.
We need to place principles before personalities:
Because this is everybody's fellowship.
Because the idea itself is more important to the discussion than whose idea it is.
We need to give equal access to the decision-making process:
So that we can all benefit from good decisions.
So we can each contribute toward making good decisions.
We should accept the outcome of any decision until the decision can be overturned (borrowed from ancient Pharisaic tradition)
Acceptance promotes NA unity.
Acceptance underscores the importance of access to the decision-making process.
If we have a greater number of people involved in the process, we are more likely to make acceptable decisions in the first place.
It is easier for me to accept a decision if I had ample opportunity to express my opinions.
If I still disagree, I can always rest on the hope that the decision may someday be overturned.
Our leaders.
Tradition Two takes it for granted that we have leaders.
Our tendency to oppose NA leaders.
Opposition to leadership in general.
(What can I say about that?)
(Work the Steps?)
(Outside issue??)
This is a very real situation in NA service.
We need to recognize when this is happening.
Besides seeing it, there is little else we can do.
Opposition because of the quality of work being done.
Demonstrates a need to get involved in the process.
Demonstrates a need for a personal moral inventory.
Can I or someone else really do better?
Is it really the job they're doing?
Are there important factors other than quality?
Gives that person an opportunity to get involved, and possibly learn
What if the poor job is being done by a close friend? or (gasp!), a sponsor or sponsoree?
Opposition to the individual in the leadership role.
Compromise of "principles before personalities."
Doesn't give our Program much credit for its ability to change people's lives.
Our need to support leaders.
No one can effectively serve the fellowship by themselves.
What we could never do alone.
The therapeutic value of one addict helping another.
Our support will help trusted servants do a better job.
They will have an easier time serving.
We will get better results from their efforts.
The place of leadership in the NA service structure, as practiced by our Twelve Traditions, does not contradict the idea that no member is greater or lesser than any other member.
Leadership qualities
Some examples:
Humility
willing to ask for help
willing to take suggestions
leads by example, rather than mandate
Integrity
willing to listen
able to compromise
able to stand fast on sound principle
Skills that are helpful in some cases
communication skills
organizational skills
discernment and foresight
Why does it matter?
We delegate responsibility to these leaders.
Our leaders should be able to carry out responsibilities
We need to be able trust that the job will be done effectively.
We delegate the authority needed to carry out responsibilities.
Our leaders should be less likely to abuse authority.
We need to be able trust that the job will be done responsibly.
Servants do not govern.
Governing
Some examples:
taking things into my own hands
exerting my will over the expressed will of the group
doing service work my way in spite of the group's will
No trusted servant has any authority that we don't give them.
A trusted servant who pretends to "lord it over" other N.A. members does not appear to be taking the service position in trust. When this happens we need to:
Take inventory first.
Don't get judgmental.
Things are not always as they appear.
Trusting
A trusted servant who pretends to "lord it over" other NA members does not appear to trust the Program's ability to change people. (Maybe they do, but it sure doesn't look like it!)
We need to remember that service work is part of the recovery process:
The work itself is important...
...but it's not that important!
Delegation of authority and responsibility.
We can learn from the differences between NA and AA.
AA needed to move away from delegated leadership and toward the democratic process.
Bill W. and Dr. Bob successfully led the Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship for many years.
After Bob died, it took Bill a long time to convince the Fellowship to let go of his (Bill's) leadership.
The Fellowship eventually took control of the AA Assembly in a democratic process.
Conversely, it is taking Narcotics Anonymous many years to let go of the purely democratic process.
We were born in the middle of this phase of AA's leadership struggle.
We deliberately had no personalities as leaders.
As a small Fellowship, at first, we had the luxury of being able to let each group vote on each issue.
As we grew in the 1980s, we find it necessary to learn to trust our servants to make decisions on our behalf.
The Twelve Concepts, if approved, will thoroughly address the issues of delegation and representation.
In my own experience with "Group Concience" is that many times it never did feel right,,, the funny thing is how during one on one discussion people think differently than when they are in the "herd". The herd instinct has many time been used as a Group Concience,,,,,, the result as i see it is that many important things that should have been done long ago in my area here are still pending,,, and many a time,,, being a lone objector and user of the 10 Concept earned me titles such as lunatic,,trouble maker etc,,, whereas i always thought of myself as a sane and serene trouble shooter !!!
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Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
and then my sponsor told me= living life on lifes terms means living beyond what you think of yourself in negatives and what others think of you in negatives. remember that addiction and withdrawl distort rational thought,, stop being offended and believe very strongly in the Power Of Goodness !!!! ( the three smileys are= Speak no evil,,, Hear no evil See no evil )
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Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
In recovery, we develop morality and a conscience; we use these as a guide for our actions and help us make our decisions. We utilize this same principle when we gather together in the group setting. Group conscience is the collective understanding of, awareness of, and surrender to spiritual principles within the group; it is the basis of our decision making process. As individuals we are many things; as members of an N.A. group we are all equal. The idea of personal power contradicts our principles. We each have an equal voice in our group decisions, no one member is more important than any other member. To be considered special, better than, or more important is a "death sentence" for an addict; it feeds our self-obsession and separates us from the group. In N.A., leadership comes from within the group, we are all leaders when we serve.
[From the NA Booklet "Paths Of Recovery"]
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"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
another checklist for Group Conscience vote= Is my vote based on Conscience Guided by A loving God,,, or is it based on gossip !!! More over the Ultimate authority concept is there in the Second Tradition simply to protect ourseleves from ourselves,,,, at least in my area ive seen many times important and vital work that needs to be done and the obvious next course of action for the area that was stalled by what I experienced as so called Group Opinion !!! Till this day we have done nothing about two imprttanat tasks for our area= translations into the local language thats been going on for 10 years now to do the IP no.1. The other one is the OUTREACH committee,,,, that too has been stalled because a few members thought too much about the Tradtions ,,, whereas in the GTLS we are cleary guided to look at function rather than form,, what happens to the desperate ,dying addicts that need NA ??????
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Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
Conscience is an essentially spiritual faculty. It is our innate sense of right and wrong, an internal compass that each of us may consult in our personal reflections about the best course to take. Our Basic Text refers to conscience as one of those higher mental and emotional functions which was sharply affected by our use of drugs. By applying our steps, we seek to revive it and learn how to exercise it. As we steadily apply spiritual principles in our lives, our decisions and actions increasingly become less motivated by self-interest and more motivated by what our conscience tells us is good and right.
When addicts whose individual consciences have been awakened in the course of working the steps come together to consider service-related questions, either in their NA group or in a service committee meeting, they are prepared to take part in the development of a group conscience. The exercise of group conscience is the act by which our members bring the spiritual awakening of our Twelve Steps directly to bear in resolving issues affecting NA.
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"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
