When starting new Al-Anon and Alateen groups, members may look for publicly accessible, inexpensive meeting spaces to rent. Places of public worship, clubs, hospitals, and schools are common locations. Common spaces for electronic meetings include Zoom, Skype, and WhatsApp.
Tradition Three states, “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.” Group members may be employees, members, or volunteers at these meeting locations, but that bears no influence on nor implies any affiliation with the meeting space.
Dictionaries define “affiliation” as “being closely associated with a particular company.” When sharing meeting information with newcomers, some may shy away from recommending particular venues, believing we have some kind of vested interest in supporting them. This is not the case. Thus, it may be helpful to share in our meetings what member contributions and group funds do and don’t support when “passing the basket” to fulfill our Seventh Tradition of self-support.
Each group meets its expenses according to the “Use of Group Funds” Policy found in the “Digest of Al‑Anon/Alateen Policies” section of the current Al‑Anon/Alateen Service Manual (P-24/27) on al-anon.org. The many ways the World Service Office supports each group are listed on the back of each Quarterly Appeal Letter, which is read aloud in meetings by the trusted servant who holds the Current Mailing Address (CMA) position for the group.
The Forum, March 2025
“Inside Al-Anon Family Groups” presents news, policy, and commentary from volunteers, staff, and readers sharing experience through service. Please feel free to reprint these articles on your service structure website or newsletter, along with this credit line: Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.