Alcoholics Anonymous

The 12 Traditions

1. "Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends on A.A. unity."

2. "For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority-- a loving God as he may express Himself in our in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern."

3. " The only requirement for A.A.  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 self - supporting declining outside contributions."

8. "Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, 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."