A.A. Traditions
During its first decade, A.A. as a fellowship accumulated substantial experience
which indicated that certain group attitudes and principles were particularly
valuable in assuring survival of the informal structure of the Fellowship. In
1946, in the Fellowship’s international journal, the A.A. Grapevine, these
principles were reduced to writing by the founders and early members as the
Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. They were accepted and endorsed by
the membership as a whole at the International Convention of A.A., at Cleveland,
Ohio, in 1950.
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.
While the Twelve Traditions are not specifically binding on any group or
groups, an overwhelming majority of members have adopted them as the basis
for A.A.’s expanding “internal” and public relationships.