Background – Major General Service Conference Issues

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Answering FAQs related to the Plain and Simple Language Big Book and Changes to the 12 & 12 and the Preamble

Is it true that the Plain and Simple Language Big Book was fast tracked during the Covid pandemic?

  1. The idea of creating a simplified language Big Book came from the Literature Conference Committee in 2016 when they asked the Trustees’ Literature Committee to explore the need for “plain-language” recovery literature. (2016 Final Conference Report.) 
  2. In 2019 the Trustees’ Literature committee recommended forming a committee to explore accessibility to the Big Book. 
  3. In 2020 the committee reported to the Conference their findings. 2020 had multiple requests from multiple areas to consider the development of a plain language Big Book. 
  4. In 2021 the Conference voted to create a draft. In 2022, samples of the draft were presented and given the go-ahead to continue the work by the Conference. (71st GSC Advisory Actions)
  5. In 2023, chapters were presented and read by Conference Delegates and given the go-ahead to continue the work of the draft with a working title of “A.A. in Plain Language: A Tool for Accessing the Big Book.”
  6. Though it is deemed a translation, it will go through the full Conference approval process. (Southeast Regional Trustee)


Is this a way to take God out of the Big Book?

  • The Conference read actual draft chapters. God was definitely there in the draft chapters, in fact I saw the word “God” more in the draft than in the Big Book. (2023 Delegate’s Report)
  • Comments from the Plain Language Sharing session at the 73rd General Service Conference include:
    1. “I am glad the 3rd and 7th step prayers were not changed.” 
    2.  “God is in the book.” 
    3. “I am grateful for this tool; it is a plan to find a Higher Power.”  
    4. “My Area is concerned that this would be the watered-down new way of A.A.  I am surprised that this does not.” 

Why were changes made to the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions?

  1. The first letters to request the changes in the 12 & 12 came from a group in Florida and Area 07 (California Northern Interior) in 2019 for the 2020 General Service Conference. (Literature Item E Background Material 71st GSC)
  2. Due to the overwhelming workload for the Conference Literature Committee, this Conference Agenda Item was pushed to 2021. The committee recommended, and the Conference approved with substantial unanimity, the following changes to the 12 & 12:

    – A revision be made to page 117 in the book, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, replacing the phrase “opposite sex” with the word “partner” … and that a footnote be added to provide context to the change as it relates to inclusivity.

    – The sentence which includes the phrase “lustful enough to rape” in paragraph one on page 66 in the chapter “Step Six” of the book, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, be revised to refer to the Seven Deadly Sins without specific mention of examples that are severe in nature as follows, and that a footnote be added to provide context as to the basis for the change:
    The text on page 66 which currently reads:
    “No one wants to be angry enough to murder, lustful enough to rape, gluttonous enough to ruin his health.”
    Be revised to read:
    “No one wants to commit the deadly sins of anger, lust or gluttony.”

    (71st GSC Advisory Actions)
  3. 2022 – The committee discussed the changes to the text of the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions resulting from Advisory Actions of the 71st General Service Conference and took no action. The committee noted that there does not appear to be a consensus on the changes among A.A. members at the local level. (72nd Literature Committee Considerations)
  4. 2023 – EDW plan Finance Conference Committee – 26 PAIs submitted to return the text to the original form: 7 A.A. Members, 13 Groups, 4 Districts, 2 Areas (KY, AL).  The committee considered a request to discuss proposed agenda items related to changes to the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. The committee suggested that the Trustees’ Literature Committee seek input from the Fellowship (including but not limited to Area delegate feedback) regarding any possible future changes to literature written by A.A.’s founders. The committee requested that a progress report be brought back to the 2024 Conference Committee on Finance. (Mindful of budgetary restraints, the committee suggests financial prudence when determining how best to obtain Fellowship sharing.) 

Questions to be considered might include:

  • Should suggested revisions be subjected to a two-year Conference review process. 
  • Should any future suggested changes retain the original writing with footnotes for text being updated or should the founder’s writings remain unchanged?
  • Should there be a threshold for review (group, district, area)? 
  • Should the changes to the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions by the 2021 General Service Conference remain?
  • Should a new policy regarding Bill W.’s writing be created as a guide to future changes? (2023 Finance Conference Committee Final report)

We will see what the Trustees’ Literature Committee does with this. Might be back in 2024.

Preamble Changes

Was the A.A. Preamble changed from “men and women” to “people” without Fellowship involvement?

  1. 2018-2019 AA Grapevine received six requests to revise the A.A. Preamble.
  2. 2020 – The Grapevine Board divided those requests into 2 categories: 1. Consider using gender-neutral pronouns and 2. Consider replacing the words “men and women” with the word “people.”  The Grapevine Conference Committee took no action on the request to change the language of the Preamble and requested that the Grapevine Board consider developing examples of generalized language options and a progress report or draft versions be brought to the 71st General Service Conference in 2021.
  3. 2021: The Grapevine Conference Committee considered the gender-neutral language for the Preamble and decided that they needed more information to make a decision. The committee requested that the Grapevine Board gather additional shared experience from the Fellowship related to the topic of gender-neutral language options for the Preamble and bring back the results to the 2022 Conference. (Grapevine History and Actions)
  4. Three floor actions occurred at the 2021 GSC to go ahead and make the changes. (71st GSC Conference Advisory Actions and 2021 Final Conference Report)
  5. Letter to the Fellowship from Josh E. (Grapevine Board Chair) regarding the changes to the preamble starting June 2021. (May 28, 2021)
  6. 2022: The Conference asked for feedback and discussion on the wide-ranging impact of the Preamble change on the Fellowship. The Grapevine Conference committee discussed the feedback and after careful consideration said it would be premature to quantify the impact when many A.A. members are still either uninformed or ambivalent about the change. (2022 Final Conference Report)
  7. 2023: Grapevine Conference Committee did not discuss anything related to the Preamble. (Julie R., Panel 73 delegate for Area 51, North Carolina, who is assigned to the Grapevine Committee)
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