Frequently Asked Questions

Below there are frequently asked questions arranged by category.

If you provide your email address with your contribution, you should receive an email acknowledgment from us within a week. If you do not provide an…
No. The recording is of a one-man play called Moments, An Evening with Bill W., written in 1989 by an A.A. member. According to the playwright, an…
Realizing that anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, it is recommended that talks by A.A. members as members be given in…
Members and groups who participate in A.A.’s tradition of self-support often say the amount they contribute is secondary to the spiritual connection…
Publicly accessible aspects of the Internet such as websites featuring text, graphics, audio and video can be considered the same as publishing or…
No. Each A.A. entity — group, district, area, central office and GSO — provides a specific service and is autonomous. Contributions should be made…
Bill W. used "defects of character" in one Step and "shortcomings" in another Step because he felt the terms to be interchangeable, according to a…
Yes, if full-face photographs and other easily identifiable photos of A.A. members (who are described as A.A. members) are published or broadcast,…
Email archives@aa.org and we can assist in compiling a history of your group. Please note that the amount of information the GSO Archives holds on…
Learn more about the GSO Archives Policies and Procedures for conducting onsite research by visiting our page on information for researchers.
Bill W. was the author of the "To Wives" chapter. It is commonly thought that his wife Lois wrote it. But, as 'Pass It On' describes (page 200), Lois…