12 Traditions

Our common welfare should come first; personal
recovery depends upon A.A. unity.

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.

The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to
stop drinking.

Each group should be autonomous except in matters
affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.

Each group has but one primary purpose - to carry its
 message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

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.

Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting,
declining outside contributions.

Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-
professional, but our service centers may employ special
workers.

A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may
create service boards or committees directly responsible
to those they serve.

Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinions on outside
issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into
public controversy.

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.

Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions,
ever reminding us to place principles before
personalities.