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.
Reprinted with permission of The A.A. Grapevine, Inc. Alcoholics Anonymous