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1. Our common welfare should come first;
personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.
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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.
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3. The only requirement for A.A. membership
is a desire to stop drinking.
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4. Each group should be autonomous except in
matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.
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5. Each group has but one primary purpose--to
carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
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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.
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7. Every A.A. group ought to be fully
self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
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8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever
nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special
workers.
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9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized;
but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to
those they serve.
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10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on
outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public
controversy.
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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.
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12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of
all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before
personalities.