The 12 Steps

The Twelve Traditions

(Webmasters Note: On this page each step is a link to the corresponding page in the Twelve 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.

Click on the tradition to go to the corresponding explanation of that tradition as written by Bill W.

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.

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