Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institut...
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Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.
A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.
Alcoholics Anonymous can also be defined as an informal society of more than 2,000,000 recovered alcoholics in the United States, Canada, and other countries. These men and women meet in local groups, which range in size from a handful in some localities to many hundreds in larger communities.
A.A. traces its beginnings back to Bill W.’s 1935 meeting with cofounder Dr. Bob S., an Akron, Ohio, physician who also suffered from alcoholism. After Dr. Bob took his last drink on June 10 of that year, the two men set about to aid other alcoholics. The Fellowship had about 100 members by 1939, when they published “Alcoholics Anonymous,” the society’s basic text, which is now in its fourth edition and has been published in 58 languages. By 1950, the year of Dr. Bob’s passing, A.A. had 100,000 members and was reaching out to many countries. Bill W. authored the now-famous Twelve Steps as well as the Twelve Traditions which serve as A.A. guidelines.
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