The Twelve Traditions
The Twelve Traditions guide how Al-Anon groups relate to one another and to the world outside. While the Steps help individuals recover, the Traditions keep the fellowship unified and focused on its primary purpose.
- 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.
Why Do the Traditions Matter?
The Traditions protect the fellowship from the very human tendencies that can pull groups apart: ego, money, power, and outside controversy. By following these simple guidelines, Al-Anon groups remain a safe place where anyone affected by someone else’s drinking can find help.
Many members find that the Traditions also offer wisdom for personal relationships — principles like anonymity, autonomy, and placing the common good above individual desires are as useful at home as they are in a meeting room.
The Twelve Traditions are adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous and used by Al-Anon Family Groups. For the official text, visit al-anon.org.