WHAT I LEARNED: 1. In keeping with the same printing schedule as the first “Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism 2007” that came out in September 2006, the subsequent annual edition, “Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism 2008,” debuted in the fall of 2007. (From 2007 to 2019, the outreach magazine had only 2 print runs each year, so Al-Anon members could…
Tag: Fellowship
CAL – My Journey in Service (Item # M-57)
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…
CAL – The Best of Public Outreach (Item # P-90)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. The guest for my next “CAL Chat” podcast show (Episode #7) chose this booklet, “The Best of Public Outreach” (item # P-90), as his favorite outreach piece. I’ll be posting that episode soon at calchatpodcast.com, but wanted to get my review in this blog first. This hardcopy booklet was originally printed…
PODCAST – Service Manual / Courage To Change (Item #’s P-24/27 / B-16)
EPISODE 3 of my “CAL Chat” podcast is now available to listen to! How can I give the gift of dignity to the alcoholic? What page is possibly read the least in each daily reader? How can my inner child voice be heard in a different way? Once again, I had such a great conversation…
CAL – Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual 2014-2017 (Item # P-24/27)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Originally, I only read the “Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual” on an as-needed basis, but when my next podcast guest said that this was her favorite book that she wanted to talk about on my “CAL Chat” show, I had to dust off my manual & put on my scuba reading mask to…
CAL – Sexual Intimacy & the Alcoholic Relationship (Item # P-77)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Well surprise, surprise, this is not an instruction booklet on how to have sex with an alcoholic! However, it does reassure me that I’m not the only one who has had difficulty in this area. Intimacy, especially sexual intimacy, is a topic rarely brought up in Al-Anon meetings. This must have…
MTG – Orlando – “Together Tuesdays AFG”
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. You can’t make sense out of nonsense. 2. Going to meetings are great, but it wasn’t until I did service work, that I discovered fellowship.
CAL – Alateen Safety Guidelines (Item # G-34)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. According to this Alateen guideline, any reporting of child abuse is done on a personal basis, not as an Alateen Sponsor or an AMIAS (an Al-Anon Member Involved in Alateen Service). This is done with Tradition 10 in mind to keep the fellowship out of public controversy! 2. Even though I’m not a certified…
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 – Outreach to Professionals (Item # G-29)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. This guideline mentioned a phrase that was very curious to me: “sponsoring a professional.” I had never thought of it that way before, but I guess a professional that isn’t aware of the program would be similar to a newcomer & would need a “go-to” person for guidance that was committed…
CAL – Al-Anon Speaks For Itself (Item # AV-10)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. In 1986, Al-Anon’s first outreach film “Al-Anon Speaks For Itself” (item # AV-10) helped carry the message to teachers, the clergy, the media, social workers, counselors, & other professionals. The 15-minute program featured stories from members from all walks of life & was broken into 5 sections: 1) The Way It…
MTG – Casselberry – “Recovery Through the Steps AFG”
WHAT I LEARNED: Although Tradition 10 has two negative words in it (“no” & “never”) & talks about what we shouldn’t do, the positive meaning behind it is about two main things we can do: focus on ourselves & carry the message to those that want it. To me, this Tradition is about acceptance. As a…
CAL – From Survival to Recovery (Item # B-21)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. For the fellowship, “From Survival to Recovery: Growing Up in an Alcoholic Home” (item # B-21) marked a major turning point in fully welcoming adult children of alcoholics in the mid 90’s. At 300 pages, it’s probably only a few pounds, but it felt so much heavier than that because of all…
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…
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 – 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 Chat" Blog ~My journey in Al-Anon~ 