This is the Responsibility Pledge of Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as the Declaration of Responsibility. It was written in 1965 by Al S., onetime editor of A.A.'s Grapevine magazine who served several other high positions in the A.A. service structure. He wrote the pledge for A.A.'s International Convention of 1965 in Toronto, Canada. The theme of the convention was "Responsibility," and the recitation of the pledge was the keynote of the occasion.

Ironically, as editor of the monthly Grapevine magazine in 1949, Al S. wrote several entire issues by himself. But he wrote them as if they had been written by a variety of contributing authors, signing each article with bogus initials and residences of authors.

The A.A. Grapevine was a struggling publication in 1949, and due to a lack of written contributions by the A.A. membership, Al S. was faced with the responsibility of keeping the mission afloat. Evidently there was not a dissenting group conscience on the Grapevine committee.

[Source: Yahoo!® Groups. AA History Lovers, message 2485.]

Many A.A. groups stand and say the pledge in unison to this day. One large open meeting in my area leads over 200 people each week in the pledge followed by the Lord's Prayer.