ollowing
is the definition of A.A. appearing in the Fellowship's basic literature and
cited frequently at meetings of A.A. groups:
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.
Copyright © by the A.A.
Grapevine, Inc.; reprinted with permission.
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.
Currently, women make up 35 percent of the
total membership.
