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 
of 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.