WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Slogans are reminders of choices. 2. I have 2 favorite lines from this booklet (that I almost forget was written by Alateen members because it was so wise!): From page 26: “I am happy today because: I have today to be happy in.” From page 23: “As I search with courage…
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CAL – Literature Distribution Centers (Item # G-18)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. I used to think “LDC” stood for Literature Distribution Chairperson, but according to this guideline, the “C” stands for Center because CAL can be sold through Al‑Anon Information Services, Intergroups, or other entities. 2. Also per this guideline, I’m supposed to post a disclaimer on my electronic literature order form that’s available…
CAL – Alateen Talks Back on: Serenity (Item # P-69)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Ahhh, put on some soothing music & light a candle because today I read about Serenity (and yes, that’s with a capital “S”)! At the end of this booklet are ten questions for meeting topics on Serenity & the last one, “Is Serenity contagious?” really made me think. I know I’ve…
CAL – District Meetings (Item # G-15)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Just like group meetings, district meetings can vary widely. Hence the autonomousness nature of the program (see Tradition 4). 2. FYI: The Greek word autonomos means “having one’s own laws,” from autos: “self” & nomos: “law.” That’s your word origin of the day! 🤓 ━━━━━▼━━━━━ **UPDATE (5/5/17): This guideline was revised…
CAL – Alateen Talks Back on: Acceptance (Item # P-68)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. If you want to see any poetry in Al-Anon, Alateen is the only place you’ll find it published. Specifically, in a series of booklets called “Alateen Talks Back On…” that are compilations of prose, poetry, drawings, & sharings previously submitted to the Alateen Talk (no item #) newsletter. 2. Acceptance is many things,…
CAL – Services in Correctional Facilities (Item # G-14)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Inmates sharing a Fifth Step with an Al-Anon member is not considered “privileged,” however it is “protected communication” if done with a person of the clergy. …It makes me think of all the privileges I take advantage of in the program. 2. Come to think of it, couldn’t the term “inmate” be relative? I…
CAL – Suggested Programs for Meeting (Item # G-13)
WHAT I LEARNED: I’ll never be without a meeting topic again now that I’ve seen the second page of this guideline with 23 options to choose from! ━━━━━▼━━━━━ **UPDATE (5/5/17): This guideline was revised in 2013. The title has changed slightly because an “s” has been added to the word “Meeting” to make it plural. …
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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – Area Literature Coordinators (Item # G-6)
WHAT I LEARNED: Much like any of the guidelines that are job descriptions, I always learn that the position entails a lot more than I thought! Area Literature Coordinators interact not just with World Service Office & LDC’s (Literature Distribution Centers – like yours truly!), but also Website Coordinators, Information Service or Intergroups, Newsletter Editors,…
CAL – Alateen Meetings in Schools (Item # G-5)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. I thought there were only 2 general meeting types, open or closed. However, there is a third: limited access meetings, which is what Alateen meetings often are when they’re held in a school. 2. Schools are required by law to report certain types of abuse, so I’ve often wondered how a meeting can…
CAL – Al-Anon Information Services (AIS) (Item # G-4)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. For quite some time there was confusion in the fellowship about the responsibilities, boundaries, & differences between information services, Literature Distribution Centers (LDCs), intergroups, & information service liaisons. The World Service Office responded by creating this particular guideline & a separate one titled “Literature Distribution Centers” (item # G-18). 2. Any…
"CAL Chat" Blog ~My journey in Al-Anon~ 