| 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 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. Reference
: The Big
Book
with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc. |
