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Recovery Literature » Al-Anon Literature » Al-Anon Meeting Formats and Group Readings » The Twelve Concepts of Service

The Twelve Concepts of Service

The Twelve Concepts of Service is one of Al-Anon’s three Legacies, along with the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. The Twelve Concepts of Service summarize the Al-Anon principles that have proven to help Al-Anon’s service organizations function effectively together.

Al-Anon’s books and pamphlets have a great deal to say about how Al-Anon members use the Three Legacies as a tool for spiritual growth. But the best way to come to understand the Legacies is to listen to members share at Al-Anon meetings.

Twelve Concepts of Service

  1. The ultimate responsibility and authority for Al-Anon world services belong to the AlAnon 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.

General Warranties of the Conference

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.