The Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous
- Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery
depends upon A.A. unity.
- 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.
- The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire
to stop drinking.
- Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting
other groups or A.A. as a whole.
- Each group has but one primary purpose-to carry
its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
- 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.
- Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining
outside contributions.
- Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional,
but our service centers may employ special workers.
- A.A., as such ought never be organized; but we may create
service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
- Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues;
hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
- 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.
- Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions,
ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.
(Reprinted from: A Brief Guide to Alcoholics
Anonymous, P-42, copyright 1972, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services,
Inc. with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.)