WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Al-Anon is many things to many people. It reminds me of the poem, “The Blind Men & the Elephant” by John Godfrey Saxe – only without the disputing of opinions! 2. My favorite line from the book study tonight is from page 107 from “Opening Our Hearts, Transforming Our Losses” (item #…
Tag: District
CAL – Starting an Al-Anon Group (Item # G-12)
WHAT I LEARNED: According to this guideline every new group is sent 3 packets of literature from the World Service Office (WSO), however it’s spread out over one year – not given all at once upon startup like I thought. What pieces are they given? To find out, you could start your own group –…
CAL – Group Representative (Item # G-11)
WHAT I LEARNED: Back in the day when I was a GR (Group Representative), I was given this guideline as a hardcopy but I must have only read the front side. Now that I’m reading it electronically, I finally see the second page with the Sample Agenda for a Group Business Meeting & the GR…
CAL – As We Understood… (Item # B-11)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Based on its size, this book looks like it might be a daily reader, but it’s not designed that way. The purpose of the book was to share members’ sense of the spiritual (not religious) nature of the program. It doesn’t focus on any one particular Step & I’m glad for…
MTG – Wildwood – “Wildwood AFG”
WHAT I LEARNED: My freedom comes when I look at me.
N. FL Spring Assembly 2014 – Day 2 of 3
Breaking news! There’s a brand new booklet coming out soon: “Talk to Each Other – Resolving Conflicts Within Al-Anon” (item # S-73). This is a service tool that will also be sold as a combo set as item # K-70 that will include 2012’s “Conflict Resolution – Wallet Card” (item # S-71) & 2013’s “Using…
WORKSHOP – Melbourne – Day of Service Workshops
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. The main reason I went to this event was to attend a Forum Writing Workshop lead by our Area Alternate Delegate. I thought, “Well, I’ll go, but I don’t have anything to write about.” Then she mentioned the topic to write about was service work & how whatever I come up with…
CAL – Outreach to the Public/Media (Item # G-10)
WHAT I LEARNED: The last revision to this guideline was in 2004 & I think it’s due for an update because when I read the title regarding “media,” I thought there might be info in this that includes social media as well, but there wasn’t. …Maybe a whole new separate guideline needs to be created…
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…
MTG – Winter Park – “Winter Park Winners AFG”
WHAT I LEARNED: Time takes time.
CAL – Outreach to Institutions (Item # G-9)
WHAT I LEARNED: Question #1: What type of Al-Anon/Alateen meeting is NOT allowed to have a Group Representative? Answer #1: An Institutions Group Meeting! Question #2: Want to know why? Answer #2: You’ll have to read this guideline… I’m not going to just give everything away on this blog! Ha ha 😜 ━━━━━▼━━━━━ **UPDATE (5/5/17): This…
CAL – Opening Our Hearts, Transforming Our Losses (Item # B-29)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. I won this book in a raffle basket many moons ago but I was afraid to read it because it was about grief & loss. I thought if I did, something bad would happen – which makes about as much sense as not making a last will & testament means I…
MTG – Winter Park – “Winter Park Morning AFG”
WHAT I LEARNED: Years from now, people won’t remember what I said or did, but they’ll remember how I made them feel.
CAL – Al-Anon & Alateen’s Role in Family Recovery (Item # AV-31DVD)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. I didn’t go to a meeting today, but playing this DVD made me feel like I was in one & I kinda think that’s the point. It’s an outreach DVD that brings the sensibility of a meeting to someone that hasn’t been to one. It has 3 sections: 1) Al-Anon, 2)…
CAL – Taking a Group Inventory (Item # G-8)
2011 Version WHAT I LEARNED: 1. In 2011, this guideline was expanded to be more inclusive of Alateen meetings & even though it is technically still 1 guideline (item # G-8), it was divided into 2 sections: G-8a which includes several lists of questions, & G-8b “Methods & Reflections” – which offer “how-to” suggestions on…
CAL – Al-Anon/Alateen Participation in an AA Area Convention (Item # G-7)
WHAT I LEARNED: Because Al-Anon is self-supporting, contributions from AA are considered “outside” & are therefore declined (see Tradition 7). In the case of AA Conventions where there is Al-Anon participation, AA is entitled to keep all monies from Al-Anon registrations, meals, & workshops. However, there is a little note in this guideline that Al-Anon…
"CAL Chat" Blog ~My journey in Al-Anon~ 