From all walks of life, we enter the rooms of Al-Anon, find belonging and membership, and embark on a recovery journey. Our common bond is that we’ve all been affected by someone else’s drinking. Once we become a member of a group and participate in its business meetings, we are introduced to the links of service.
These links form a chain—not one of command, but one that functions as a flexible conduit of information and ultimately leads the future of Al‑Anon. The first link is the Group Representative (GR), who links the group to their District and Area via an Area Assembly. An Area is typically an entire state or province or a segment of one.
Group Representatives elect District Representatives (DRs) and Delegates to serve at the Area level. Each Area is represented at the World Service Conference (WSC), Al‑Anon’s annual business meeting, by its Delegate. Delegates can bring knowledge of their Area’s conscience to the WSC because it has been communicated through the links of service. Without these links in place, members risk not being able to carry out their responsibility and authority as described in Concept One: “The ultimate responsibility and authority for Al‑Anon world services belongs to the Al‑Anon groups.”
Are we linked?
- Does our group have an active GR?
- Does our District have an active DR?
- Is there participation and communication throughout our links of service?
- Is there regular rotation so that many members have the opportunity to experience service?
Download the free pamphlet Links of Service (S-28), and check out the WSC Structure diagram for how these links function in the World Service Conference Structure.
The Forum, August 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.
It’s great to get the notices of these new posts on my phone’s Al-Anon Mobile App! This past weekend, I attended my first-ever Area AA Convention with Al-Anon Participation. It was interesting and heartening to see Al-Anon’s Links of Service at productive and spirited work, in a different setting. I sometimes take for granted the people and the work that goes on to enable us to “keep coming back.”