decade key tags

[charley l]

  In the spirit of anonymity I would like everyone to take a look at the concept of decade key tags. While I feel key tags are important to people early on in recovery as a tool of attraction, I believe that the premise of a "decade tag" is in violation of the last part of tradition twelve,I quote "No member is greater or lesser thah any other member. The drive for personal gain in the areas of sex, property and social position, which brought us so much pain in the past,falls by the wayside if we adhere to the principle of anonymity. Anonymity is one of the basic elements of our recovery and it pervades our Traditions and our Fellowship.It protects us from our own defects of character and renders personalities and thier differences powerless. Anonymity in action makes it impossible for personalities to come before principles." (Pg. 73 basic text ). Class division and ego or should I say the lack of it was instrumental in my early clean time. As someone with over a decade clean I see the decade tag as a way to allow some to propagate elitism and an insult to the integrity of the Fellowship. Furthermore purple has been traditionally been associated with royalty which is far from the concept of trusted servant or the principle of anonymity. In a spiritual program wouldn't one think the time itself gift enough? 

[Tony W]

Good point Charly. But....Something I have strived for in my early recovery, was getting to the point that I could posess a Black keytag, and lo and behold, after a few one days at a time, I got it! And, like some fellow members, lost it in a day by not doing the deal. That's another story. I thought it was so cool when I seen one of those purples, that, I knew, if I kept trudging on, something else to strive for in recovery. I have a few goals to go before i hit 50(44 now) yrs. old, and through the gifts of recovery, I know I can do those things, with perseverance and living my new life. Makin plans but not planning the outcome, one of the many gifts of recovery.Thanks for letting me share     With Love, Tony W.

[charley l]

        It is true goals are good, but it isnt my words , Tony . Will the posession of a piece of plastic make one better than before it was aquired? Better than a newcomer even? Recovery is based on spiritual growth, gratitude and fellowship. In those three, in my recovery I learned about honesty, acceptance,  tolerance, joy, freedom, courage, love, and humility. I am supposed to give all these freely to the newcomer. The newcomer failure rate is and has been over 90%. The real reward in this program for me is honestly sharing hope with the newcomer. I have found, thru experience that the "work the steps so you can be like me" program doesnt work. I have also found that regardless of my clean time my recovery can be strained. Working the steps and having an active program, and the rewards gained from are my only real rewards. the black tag seemed so unatainable when I first came here it was unimaginable. Early recovery was a steep hill, I worry that in the beating of the chest that can come from the decade tag we may inadvertantly make that hill steeper for the newcomer, the real purpose the are held.
                                               thanks charley l

[Carla D.]

Well put Charley.  that is why I love you.
 

[dor91]

Fud just when I THINK I know along comes someone who puts me n my place. Makes me (ok asks me to) think about something totally different then what my feelings are.
I get the point Charly and believe I might (LOL) agree with you. That is one of the things this program has taught me get ready to check your motives when making decsions. Be sure and attend the CAR workshop in Pittsburg KS Feburary 27th.  At this workshop we will be able to discuss this issue and make our decsion to give to our RD. They in turn will take our ideas to the World Conference in Apirl when it will be decided wither the fellowship will have a Decade Keytag.

[Luquee]

Dear Charley, I don't know that the decade keytags are conference-approved. Are they?
As far as elitism, etc., I was told a long time ago that we celebrate clean time not for our achievement, but to give newcomers hope; to show them that the lie is indeed dead; we do recover. But the achiement is not ours - it's by our Higher Power that we stay clean just for today, not our power. Our power took us to death's door. It is the oldtimer's responsibility to practice humility in celebrating clean time with their home group, those who helped them stay clean - to acknowledge to newcomers in the crowd how they got what they have; from their HP, other addicts, NA steps, NA meetings, NA literature, NA service, prayer and meditation, and to tell the newcomer the same is possible for them because we were once the same tired, sore, empty dope fiend. That's part of the reason I give my medallions back every year - I pass it on to someone else (and recycling saves the group a little money).
Someone gave me one of those "decade" keytags - I don't carry it because I don't think they're conference-approved yet, and since this is a program of attraction, I try (I don't always succeed), but I try to watch what I put out there where NA as a whole is concerned. We are a worldwide fellowship and I try to remember people are watching; people who may need us someday.
Well, I'd better get back to work.