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.
Reprinted with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.