The Twelve
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 the
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.
*Reprinted with permission
of the A.A. World Services Inc.
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