The Question:
Is it against Traditions for a meeting to have their meeting information listed on a non-SLAA website that clearly indicates it is NOT affiliated with SLAA (or any program)? The meeting has come to the decision by group conscience to have it posted there, and the non-SLAA website has helped many addicts find the meeting.
Response #1:
Interesting question. It concerns anonymity, autonomy, public relations, carrying our message, and the ultimate authority of group conscience. The Traditions are not rules or commandments but suggestions to guide us out of the darkness. We are not a secret society. We have an obligation to reach out to sex and love addicts who may be suffering. As long as anonymity at the public level is protected we are consistent with the Traditions. Not publicizing our meetings in the wider community would be contrary to the spirit of the Traditions.
Response #2:
I think that each group is autonomous so they get the right to make the decision to have it shared. It is still carrying the message to the sex and love addict. Also, it’s actually like this: if the church, recovery center, social media or newspaper is sharing meeting information they are choosing to affiliate with us. So, I totally support that.
Response #3:
There is nothing in the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions or Twelve Concepts that directly or indirectly prohibits posting a meeting time/location at any particular location.
From the information provided, it appears the meeting utilized Tradition Two and came to a group conscience decision.
They also exercised their autonomy as per Tradition Four. It seems unlikely that a meeting posting would affect another group and it even less likely that it would affect the fellowship as a whole, so the decision to post on a non-S.L.A.A. website would be in keeping with this Tradition.
Per Tradition Five, the primary purpose of the group is to carry the message to sex and love addicts who suffer. Getting the word out about a meeting is one of the best ways to help the still suffering addict that has not heard of our fellowship. So, the posting would seem to be in alignment with the intent of this Tradition.
Historically, before the internet and websites existed, many meeting locations were posted at the building / room they occurred in. A good example is an Alano Club. Alano Clubs are privately owned and managed. They are, by design, non-affiliated clubs that host meetings of many Twelve Step fellowships. Today, many meetings are included on the websites of those same Alano Clubs. I have never heard anyone express concern about these postings, either prior to the internet or since the internet.
