1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

© Al-Anon’s Twelve Steps, copyright 1996 by Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal progress for the greatest number depends upon unity.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Each group should be autonomous, except in matters affecting another group or Al-Anon or AA as a whole.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Every group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

8. Al-Anon Twelfth Step work should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

9. Our groups, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10. The Al-Anon Family Groups have no opinion on outside issues; hence our name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

11. 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.

12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles above personalities.

© Al-Anon’s Twelve Traditions, copyright 1996 by Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.

1. The ultimate responsibility and authority for Al-Anon world services belongs to the Al-Anon groups.

2. The Al-Anon Family Groups have delegated complete administrative and operational authority to their Conference and its service arms.

3. The right of decision makes effective leadership possible.

4. Participation is the key to harmony.

5. The rights of appeal and petition protect minorities and insure that they be heard.

6. The Conference acknowledges the primary administrative responsibility of the Trustees.

7. The Trustees have legal rights while the rights of the Conference are traditional.

8. The Board of Trustees delegates full authority for routine management of Al-Anon Headquarters to its executive committees.

9. Good personal leadership at all service levels is a necessity. In the field of world service the Board of Trustees assumes the primary leadership.

10. Service responsibility is balanced by carefully defined service authority and double-headed management is avoided.

11. The World Service Office is composed of selected committees, executives and staff members.

12. The spiritual foundation for Al-Anon’s world services is contained in the General Warranties of the Conference, Article 12 of the Charter.

© Al-Anon’s Twelve Concepts of Service, copyright 1996 by Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.

In all proceedings the World Service Conference of Al-Anon shall observe the spirit of the Traditions:

1. that only sufficient operating funds, including an ample reserve, be its prudent financial principle;

2. that no Conference member shall be placed in unqualified authority over other members;

3. that all decisions be reached by discussion, vote and whenever possible by unanimity;

4. that no Conference action ever be personally punitive or an incitement to public controversy;

5. that though the Conference serves Al-Anon it shall never perform any act of government; and that like the fellowship of Al-Anon Family Groups which it serves, it shall always remain democratic in thought and action.

© Al-Anon’s Twelve Concepts of Service, copyright 1996 by Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.

In all proceedings the World Service Conference of Al-Anon shall observe the spirit of the Traditions:

1. that only sufficient operating funds, including an ample reserve, be its prudent financial principle;

2. that no Conference member shall be placed in unqualified authority over other members;

3. that all decisions be reached by discussion, vote and whenever possible by unanimity;

4. that no Conference action ever be personally punitive or an incitement to public controversy;

5. that though the Conference serves Al-Anon it shall never perform any act of government; and that like the fellowship of Al-Anon Family Groups which it serves, it shall always remain democratic in thought and action.

© Al-Anon’s Twelve Concepts of Service, copyright 1996 by Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.

Let it begin with me. When anyone anywhere reaches out for help let the hand of Al-Anon and Alateen always be there, and let it begin with me.

The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery.

Al-Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization, or institution; does not engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any cause. There are no dues for membership. Al-Anon is self-supporting through its own voluntary contributions.

Al-Anon has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps, by welcoming and giving comfort to families of alcoholics, and by giving understanding and encouragement to the alcoholic.

Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

These are the “official” slogans of Al-Anon. Short, simple, and sometimes all you need.

One Day at a Time

Easy Does It

How Important Is It?

Keep it Simple

Progress Not Perfection

First Things First

Keep an Open Mind

Let it Begin With Me

Just for Today

Think

Let Go and Let God

Live and Let Live

Keep Coming Back

Together We Can Make It

There But for the Grace of God

Sponsorship is a mutual and confidential relationship between two Al-Anon members. The focus is on using Al-Anon principles for growth.

These Al-Anon publications and pages offer some guidance about sponsorship.

-Sponsorship: Working together for recovery (M-78)

-Sponsorship: What it’s all about (P-31)

-Service Manual 2022-2025, Al-Anon/Alateen Page 45

-WSO blogposts: How I found my first sponsor.

-Service Sponsorship: Working smarter not harder (P-38)

Newcomers often hear about the “tools of the program.” These are practical actions we take to effect change in our lives. We’re always growing and our needs evolve. Everyone develops their own list of “tools.” This is a sample.

Attending Meetings

Studying the Steps & Traditions

Using Slogans

Doing Service

Working with a Sponsor

Practicing Detachment

Daily readers

Reading CAL (Conference Approved Literature)

Saying The Serenity Prayer

Sometimes the Al-Anon “lingo” can feel like a barrier for newcomers: Here’s are terms that are commonly used in Al-Anon groups and in service beyond the group level, and some common descriptive acronyms.

“AFG”: Al-Anon Family Group—the groups we attend for recovery in Al-Anon and the foundation of our program.

“AIS”: an Al-Anon Information Service is a local service established by one or more groups or districts located close enough to one another for easy access and communication. NYC Intergroup is an AIS.

“AMIAS”: an Al-Anon member currently certified through their Area Alateen process and therefore eligible to be directly responsible for Alateens, including service as an instant or temporary Alateen Group Sponsor.

“AWSC”: the Area World Service Committee meets quarterly and is composed of officers of the Area Assembly and District Representatives.

“CAL”: Conference Approved Literature has been authorized by the Conference. Al-Anon members, Delegates, WSO staff, and volunteers review the material before publication and/or production.

“DISTRICT”: a geographical segment containing groups located near one another.

“DR”: the District Representative, elected by the Group Representatives, to represent the District at quarterly Area Assemblies.

“INTERGROUP”: Another name for an Al-Anon Information Service (AIS). It serves as a vital communication link for groups in densely populated metropolitan areas. In some parts of the country, a representative to an Intergroup is called an “Information Service Representative” (ISR). In New York City we use the term “Intergroup Representative” (IR).

“KBDM”: Knowledge Based Decision is used to make decisions by establishing a thought process and reasoning behind a decision before it is offered as a motion. Here’s a link to a presentation.

“LDC”: A Literature Distribution Center (local Al-Anon book store) is how CAL was sold before the advent of online commerce. NY Intergroup is an LDC and still sells and distributes Al-Anon books.

“LEGACIES”: Al-Anon’s 3 Legacies are the 12 Steps, the 12 Traditions, and the 12 Concepts of Service. They cover the aspects of recovery, unity and service.

“ODAT”: One Day at A Time in Al-Anon, is the first daily reader published by the WSC. The language is a bit old fashioned but the principles still hold.

“PO”: Public Outreach educates the public about the existence of Al-Anon and how our program works.

“SPONSOR”: someone with whom a member can work the 12 Steps; discuss personal problems or questions; someone who willingly shares the experience, strength, and hope of the Al-Anon program.

“SERVICE SPONSOR”: guides a member in applying the Traditions and Concepts of Service while giving service to Al-Anon.

“WSC”: the The World Service Conference is an annual gathering of Delegates, Trustees, Executive Committees and World Service Office staff, where decisions are made that affect Al-Anon as a whole. It is the Worldwide Group Conscience.

“WSO”: the World Service Office is the principal service center of the fellowship. It publishes all Conference Approved Literature (CAL) and is the center, not the head; it serves but does not control or direct.