The Twelve Traditions

The Twelve Traditions of Underearners Anonymous®

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon UA unity.

2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as is expressed in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern.

3. The only requirement for UA membership is a desire to stop underearning

4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or UA as a whole.

5. Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry the message to the underearner who still suffers.

6. A UA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the UA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, or prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

7. Every UA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

8. Underearners Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

9. UA, as such, ought never be organized, but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10. Underearners Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the UA 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.

Copyright © A.A. World Services, Inc. Adapted and reprinted with permission