The Twelve Traditions
- Our common welfare should come first; personal progress
for the greatest number depends upon unity.
- For our group purpose there is but one authority—a loving
God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but
trusted servants—they do not govern.
- The relatives of alcoholics, when gathered together for
mutual aid, may call themselves an Al-Anon Family Group, provided that, as a
group, they have no other affiliation. The only requirement for membership
is that there be a problem of alcoholism in a relative or friend.
- Each group should be autonomous, except in matters
affecting another group or Al-Anon or AA as a whole.
- Each Al-Anon Family Group has but one purpose: to help
families of alcoholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps of AA
ourselves, by encouraging and understanding our alcoholic relatives, and by
welcoming and giving comfort to families of alcoholics.
- Our Family Groups ought never endorse, finance or lend
our name to any outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and
prestige divert us from our primary spiritual aim. Although a separate
entity, we should always co-operate with Alcoholics Anonymous.
- Every group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining
outside contributions.
- Al-Anon Twelfth Step work should remain forever
non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
- Our groups, as such, ought never be organized; but we may
create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they
serve.
- The Al-Anon Family Groups have no opinion on outside
issues; hence our name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
- Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather
than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of
press, radio, films, and TV. We need guard with special care the anonymity
of all AA members.
- Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our
Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles above personalities.