Frequently Asked Questions

Below there are frequently asked questions arranged by category.

No. A.A. does not keep membership files or attendance records. You do not have to reveal anything about yourself. No one will bother you if you don’t…
Asking for special favors because of A.A. membership is not in the spirit of the anonymity Traditions.
There are no “A.A. rehabs" or hospitals. Traditionally, no professional services or facilities are ever offered or performed under A.A. sponsorship.…
Most A.A.s are sociable people, a factor that may have been partially responsible for their becoming alcoholics in the first place. As a consequence…
No. The Clubhouse was closed in February of 1960 and was later razed to make room for a six-block West Side housing project. On the eve of its…
The "group conscience" is the collective conscience of the group membership and thus represents substantial unanimity on an issue before definitive…
Family members or close friends are welcome at “open” A.A. meetings as observers.
Bequests in wills are acceptable only from A.A. members, with a maximum of $10,000 from any one person, and only on a one-time basis — not in…
Reasons for starting a new group vary, but the ways to go about it are basically the same. Important to establishing an A.A. group is the need for…
This is entirely a personal matter, but it is usually best for all concerned to let the A.A. member decide who shall be told and when.
Learn more about the GSO Archives Policies and Procedures for conducting onsite research by visiting our page on information for researchers.
Group membership requires no formal application. As stated in Tradition Three, “The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking…