The book was written by a large group of Recovering Addicts through workshops across the United States from 1979 to 1981, though this effort began in 1972 and a portion was published as far back as 1956. The Approval form of the Basic Text was sent out to the Fellowship and approved at the WSC '82. In November 1982 a meeting of Three people changed the original 4th and 9th Traditions, the Chairperson of the BOT, the Conference Chair and the manager of the WSO. The altered version was then printed around March 1983. This altered version was our First Edition.
In April 1983 at the annual WSC the Fellowship demanded that the Basic Text be printed as it was originally approved. This printing was our Second Edition.
At WSC '84 the chairperson of the BOD made a motion that the WSO be given 60 Days to poll the Groups regarding the 4th and 9th Tradition changes. The chairperson of the BOD said that a Group in Nebraska sent a letter to WSO asking for the poll. WSO claimed the Groups said to change the 4th and 9th Traditions back to the altered version. This Book became our Third Edition. Documentation of the letter from the Group in Nebraska and the results of the poll were not available until 1991.
At the end of WSC '85 the WSC Literature Chairperson made a motion "That the WSO be instructed to have the Basic Text professionally edited to ensure consistent, and correct use of capitalization, verb tenses, gender, singular/plural endings, and other grammatical errors, and that the edited text he returned to the Literature Review committee for acceptance and approval prior to printing and distribution."
At WSC '86 the Fellowship voted to change the "Little White Book" 'and factor these changes into the Basic Text. The changes had to do with changing Recovered to Recovering, changing specific drug names to just drugs and changing types of using to just using. This Basic Text was our Third Edition Revised.
In late 1987 the Fourth Edition of the Basic Text was released. This was a result of the WSC '85 motion to have the Book professionally edited. Unfortunately 25 lines were left out "unintentionally" and 2 lines were left out "intentionally". Also many Addicts felt that a lot of concepts were changed and that the editing went beyond the limits of the WSC '85 motion.
At WSC '88 the conference decided to insert the missing lines and create the Fifth Edition. This was not in any of the options up for consideration by the Fellowship. Included in the same motion that created the Fifth Edition was a rule that the Basic Text could not be changed for Five Years thus insuring that the changes would not be challenged. I guess they thought we would soon forget. Well we didn't.
After WSC '88 we started printing the Basic Text Third Edition Revised. This was followed by the printing of the Baby Blue Basic Text in 1990. This Free Book is the originally approved Basic Text with the "Little White Book" changes that were approved by the Fellowship in 1986. Or it can be said to be the Third Edition Revised with original 4th and 9th Traditions.