WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Ever since this pamphlet first came out in 1970, its original subtitle was: “from the Other Side of the Family” but around 2010, it was updated to be: “Alcoholics Speak to the Family.” The image of this “white-circle” design pamphlet with this new subtitle is one of the rarest & hardest…
Tag: Literature
CAL – Al-Anon Basic Program Wallet Card (Item # M-7)
WHAT I LEARNED: This wallet card has been around for many moons & it can’t get more “basic” than this. It’s got a Al-Anon’s preamble, all the Steps, Traditions, Concepts, & Warranties you could want, with a little bit of Serenity Prayer mixed in there as well. Typically it’s the Newcomer groups that buy these…
CAL – Al-Anon Fact File (Item # P-36)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. For the professional community of the 70’s, they would have received this “Al-Anon Fact File” (item #P-36) in a PR kit as a coated sheet. To reduce costs in 1980, it became a “self-cover” & is still a good outreach tool that explains Al-Anon’s public relations policies by paraphrasing the Traditions…
CAL – Why Anonymity in Al-Anon? (Item # P-33)
WHAT I LEARNED: This pamphlet is a mini lesson on Traditions 11 & 12 & gives examples of anonymity from different angles. …How can I tell that anonymity is one of the most important principles of this program? When it’s broken… that’s how! ━━━━━▼━━━━━ **UPDATE (11/13/13): Keep a look out for an updated version of this pamphlet…
CAL – A Guide for Sponsors of Alateen Groups (Item # P-29)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Alateen started in 1957 – did I mention that already? Well, according to the Conference Summaries from the early 60’s, Al-Anon was going through the same issues that it’s still having… the need for more Alateen group sponsors. But back then, they had so few, that outsiders & AA members were…
CAL – Just for Today Wallet Card (Item # M-10)
WHAT I LEARNED: This wallet card has been around since 1954 & I thought, given its small size, it would have less on it than the bookmark version (item # M-12), but it actually has more. It has 2 extra sentences – one about the Seventh Tradition & the second refers to the 10 other…
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 – Alateen–Hope for Children of Alcoholics (Item # B-3)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Alateen began in 1957, but they didn’t have their first hardcover book until this one came out in 1973. Its origins were a pamphlet (which has been discontinued) & it was expanded to now have sections for Steps, Traditions, Slogans, Personal Stories, & an Alateen Timeline. 2. At 120 pages, it’s…
CAL – Living Today in Alateen (Item # B-26)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Unlike the other Alateen daily reader, “Alateen-a day at a time, (item # B-10), since “Living Today in Alateen” (B-26) is the newer one (from 2001) it includes quotes from “Courage to Change” (B-16), “From Survival to Recovery” (item # B-21), & “Paths to Recovery” (B-24). For some reason, I assumed…
CAL – What Do YOU Do about the Alcoholic’s Drinking? (Item # P-19)
WHAT I LEARNED: I’ve always misinterpreted the title of this pamphlet to be “What Can You Do…” & I thought it would be chock-full of helpful tips, but now that I’ve read through the whole thing I think the title could be re-named: “Crazy Things You Do to Control the Alcoholic.” It’s a list of 63 strategies & techniques that only…
CAL – Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism 2014 (Item # N/A)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Ok, I must admit, during all the years I’ve passed out this magazine for outreach purposes, I never fully read through one until now. I used to just read 1 or 2 of the articles & that was it. And perhaps, maybe that’s how it’s read by people in doctor or counselor…
CAL – Al-Anon, You, & the Alcoholic (Item # P-2)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. This pamphlet first came out in 1965 & is filled with 22 frequently asked questions & after reading it, I think it could definitely be used for outreach purposes – even though it’s not categorized that way on the World Service Office (WSO) website. 2. This is the first pamphlet where…
CAL – Alcoholism, a Merry-Go-Round Named Denial (Item # P-3)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. How great would it be to give a talk at an Al-Anon workshop & it goes over so well, they want to turn it into a pamphlet?! 😲 Well that’s what happened in 1968 to one non-member: the former director of the Charlotte Council on Alcoholism. This pamphlet was published a…
CAL – The Twelve Steps & Traditions (Item # P-17)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. Continuing on with my historical jaunt through the pamphlets… 1961 was a major year for Al-Anon. After being around for 10 years, they finally had their first trial Conference that year & the concept of having Conference Approved material was adopted — yet, at that time, groups were still allowed to…
CAL – Alcoholism, the Family Disease (Item # P-4)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. This pamphlet is another example of outside literature being “grandfathered” in. A big “Thanks!” goes out to a non-member, Harold Black, & the initial Kentucky & Arizona groups for their contribution to this one. Per “Many Voices, One Journey” (item # B-31) (pages 58 & 104), an early booklet version was…
CAL – Freedom from Despair (Item # P-6)
Last week I finished the Alateen Newcomer Packet (item # K-18). That means I’m done with all 6 types of packets (whoo-hoo!) & I’m moving on with other pamphlets. It seems going back to the beginning is a good place to start… 1. According to page 88 of the (discontinued) book “First Steps: Al-Anon–35 Years of Beginnings” (item…
"CAL Chat" Blog ~My journey in Al-Anon~ 