|
The Twelve Traditions of A.A. |
| 1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity. |
| 2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority - a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern. |
| 3. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking. |
| 4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole. |
| 5. Each group has but one primary purpose - to carry its message to the alcoholic whole still suffers. |
| 6. An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose. |
| 7. Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. |
| 8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers. |
| 9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or special commitees directly responsible to those they serve. |
| 10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy. |
| 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. |
| 12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities. |