12 Traditions

Service Material from the General Service Office

THE TWELVE TRADITIONS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

(SHORT FORM)

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.

Rev.5/9/02

The 12 Steps