The 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous

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 non-professional, but our service centres 
         may employ special workers.

9).     A.A. as such ought never be organised; 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.