WHAT I LEARNED: 1. While perusing through some Al-Anon service tools in the Area Archives, I came across “My Journey in Service” (item # M-57). At roughly 60 pages, the booklet is designed as a journal so it has lots of lined paper & blank spaces for writing, plus it includes a CAL service-oriented quote…
Tag: Archives
CAL – Forum Favorites, Vol. 1 (Item # B-9A)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. As an Area Archivist once said, “I love my position because I get to time travel.” I too feel I get to step into the ‘Wayback Machine’ whenever I read discontinued Al-Anon literature. When this “Forum Favorites” book was first published in 1970 it was a hefty hard cover book &…
CAL – Forum Favorites, Vol. 3 (Item # B-9C)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. After I became the North Florida Area Literature Coordinator in 2015, I was “bequeathed” a lot of CAL & some were discontinued pieces. Whoo-hoo! So I’m slowly making my way through them & decided to start by reading the entire “Forum Favorites” series from most recent to oldest. (See my previous…
CAL – A Guide to Alateen Sponsorship – An Unforgettable Adventure (Item # P-86)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Here’s another instance of me sitting down to read a piece of literature & thinking “I won’t relate to anything in it” & then finding it so interesting! Topics are covered that I never even considered, such as: how to handle members with Attention Deficit Disorder, intrusive parents, reporting abuse, kids…
CAL – Area Archives (Item # G-30)
WHAT I LEARNED: Much like a library’s collection, archives grow continuously & are typically limited by physical space. This guideline focuses on the preservation of Al-Anon’s local history, but only from a standpoint of keeping paper items & audio tapes – which means we are relying on the Area Archivist (or a designated committee) to…
CAL – Forum Favorites, Vol. 4 (Item # B-9D)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. To see the early beginnings of this multi-volume book, we have to go back to an AA event, specifically the International Convention in 1970 where it made its debut as a hardcover book: “Al-Anon’s Favorite Forum Editorials” (item # B-2). (Side note: Al-Anon didn’t start having its own International Conventions until…
CAL – Homeward Bound (Item # P-8)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. This 48-page booklet was around only from 1993 to 2005 & was designed for newcomers that were introduced to Al-Anon through various treatment facilities. Member sharings answer 10 frequently asked “What now?” questions about sobriety & making the transition to a 12-Step recovery program. I’m glad Alateen sharings are also included…
CAL – Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism (Item # B-1)
To me, there’s something intriguing about reading discontinued books. I feel like I’m uncovering something they no longer want me to know. This is how I felt reading Al-Anon’s second book, “Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism” (item # B-1) that I got from our District Archives chairperson. 1. The first edition originally came out in 1965 at…
CAL – Having Had a Spiritual Awakening… (Item # B-25, eB-25)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. This is Al-Anon’s first e-book (item # eB-25) that came out recently, but I don’t own an e-reader, so I had to check-out the discontinued hardcover book from our District’s Archivist. We have so few books with pictures & this one does – but they’re all in black & white. The e-reader…
CAL – Purpose & Suggestions (Item # P-13)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Lois W. & Anne B. wrote this as Al-Anon’s very first pamphlet in 1951. Interestingly, its title used to be “Purposes & Suggestions.” According to “The Al-Anon Family Groups (Classic Edition)” (item # B-5), the title was changed in 1976 affirming only one purpose (see Tradition 5). …Makes me curious what…
CAL – Al-Anon: Then and Now (Item # AR-2)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Regional Service Seminars (RSS’s) were established in 1979 but I have never heard of these. 2. Apparently between the US & Canada there are 9 regions total & 3 RSS’s per year. I’m on the hunt to find out more about these & when the next one will be. 🕵️♀️ If…
"CAL Chat" Blog ~My journey in Al-Anon~ 