Straight Hope masthead: The Montgomery Area Newsletter, a meeting in print. Priceless.

Volume 110PO Box 8214, Gaithersburg, MD 20898November 2026

November 2026 · Print page 2

Tradition of the Month: Tradition 11

Tradition 11: “Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.”

Cartoon: four women in full burqas stand at a 12-Step Afghan Women's Meeting, each wondering who the others are, as the leader says, “Who you see here, let it stay here…”
Cartoon by Ben C.

Personal anonymity and avoiding sensational advertising are key points to practicing Tradition 11. The best attraction to recovery is how it works, not who I am or what I have done or not done. NA meetings can now be found all over the world, and meetings are spoken in most every language. The truth is powerful enough; any attempt to exaggerate the truth takes away from this evidence. — Ben C.