July, 1950 First International Convention at Cleveland. Dr. Bob's last appearance. The Twelve Traditions adopted by the movement.
The following comes from the book A.A. Comes of Age, pages 212-213 Alcoholics Anonymous had taken another step toward world-wide unity and function. In the summer of 1950 we held our first international convention in Cleveland, Ohio. About 3,000 were in attendance. The highlights of this occasion were Dr. Bob's last appearance and the confirmation of our Twelve Traditions by the Convention as the permanent platform of unity and function on which our fellowship would hence­forth stand.
The Twelve Traditions had already been reduced from the old "long form" of 1946 to capsule statements which in length matched our familiar Twelve Steps of Recovery.
This had been done at the wise suggestion of Earl T., founder of our Chicago group. One day in 1947, or thereabouts, he turned up at my home with this excellent idea. After a week of wrestling with the problem of cutting down the "long form" we came up with a first draft which much resembled the Twelve Traditions as they are today. After several months more of consultation and refining, the final draft was ready. The Grapevine commenced to carry the newly stated Traditions in every issue and thus the average A.A. member was made Tradition-conscious. By the time the Cleveland Convention met, the undemanding and approval of the Traditions had become general throughout our society.
At the Cleveland Convention we sensed that Dr. Bob was soon going to leave us and that many another early A.A. would soon follow him. The old order was changing. In the future we could no longer depend upon the authority and influence of our pioneering people for A.A. unity. Henceforth we would have to rely upon spiritual principles, as set forth in the Twelve Traditions.
Several speakers presented the Twelve Traditions to the Convention. I then summed them up and asked the Convention for final approval. Today one can still listen, by means of a recording, to the Convention's unanimous voice of consent. It was a fine hour in that month of July, 1950. Alcoholics Anonymous had passed its fifteenth milestone; its Second Legacy of Tradition was secure.
Reprinted with permission from A.A. World Services, Inc.