The 12 Traditions
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 who 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 committees 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.
