Pat Moore Foundation - A.A. Traditions
The Pat Moore Foundation offers its residents access to on-site and off-site meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous and 12-Step Programs. Following is additional information on these programs, courtesy of Alcoholics Anonymous. For more detailed information please contact Alcoholics Anonymous directly.
Click here to return to the first part in the series, "Introduction to the A.A. Recovery Program".
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 selfsupporting,
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.
Click here to return to the first part in the series, "Introduction to the A.A. Recovery Program".
The above information is from "A.A. Fact File", prepared by General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous. This information is also available on G.S.O.'s A.A. Website: www.aa.org.
If you have any questions about Alcoholics Anonymous or alcohol treatment, please call us 24-hours at (888) 426-6086 or if you'd like us to contact you, send us a confidential e-mail by filling out our online form. |
