LAA
Love Addicts Anonymous
12
Traditions of LAA
Annotated
1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends
upon LAA unity. Each member of LAA is a small aspect of a larger
whole. Group welfare and support come first, with individual health
and safety coming in a very close second.
2. For our
group purpose there is but one ultimate authority; a loving God
as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders
are but trusted servants, they do not govern. This is God in whatever
form works for each group’s collective consciousness.
3. The only
requirement for LAA membership is a desire to recover from love
addiction. No one is turned away if they wish to overcome love
addiction and/or codependency. Still we must not disrupt meetings
for the sake of the whole group.
4. Each group
should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups,
or LAA as a whole. There is no centralized LAA authority that
affects individual groups unless the action of the group affects
other meetings. The common welfare is paramount.
5. Each group
has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to others
who still suffer from love addiction and codependency. Once the
message is delivered we must let our Higher Power take control.
6. A LAA group
ought never endorse, finance or lend the LAA name to any related
facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property
and prestige divert us from our primary purpose. LAA does not
give money or an endorsement to organizations outside the group’s
mission. The mention of our involvement in other 12- Step programs
is not an endorsement.
7. Every LAA
group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
Public solicitation of funds, to support the LAA group, individual
members, or the overall LAA movement, is unwise.
8. LAA should
remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ
special workers. The core of the group meetings is non-professional,
peer support. Sometimes, LAA hires members to perform specific
services that help the group or regional organization.
9. LAA, as
such, ought never be organized, but we may create service boards
or committees directly responsible to those they serve. Leadership
should rotate. There are some elected positions, including a secretary
for minutes and a committee, but these positions should frequently
cycle.
10. LAA has
no opinion on outside issues, hence the LAA name ought never be
drawn into public controversy. LAA as a whole should not use the
group identity to express support or opposition to issues outside
LAA itself. These include political views, sectarian religion,
or public reform. Individual members talking about such things,
do not represent LAA. Special-interest meetings are allowed.
11. Our public
relations policy is based upon attraction rather than promotion;
we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press,
radio, films [and other media]. Personal anonymity of members
is deeply important but not mandatory. If a member is working
with the outside community they can choose to break their anonymity.
12. Anonymity
is the spiritual foundation of the traditions, placing principles
above personalities. The principle of anonymity has spiritual
significance. Anonymity reminds members to practice genuine humility.
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