CAL – Did you Grow up With a Problem Drinker? (Item # S-25)

WHAT I LEARNED: This is the sixth item in the Adult Children of Alcoholics Newcomer Packet (item # K-21) & is a personal favorite of mine.  When I first came into the program I was given this leaflet & I remember secretly answering “Yes” to all 20 questions.  It spooked me because I thought “How…

CAL – Al-Anon Sharings from Adult Children (Item # P-47)

Last week I finished reading the entire general Al-Anon Newcomer Packet (item # K-10), so now I’m starting on the next one that fits me best: the Adult Children of Alcoholics Packet (K-21). WHAT I LEARNED: In this pamphlet, I’m glad to see that a couple of the sharings were from Alateen members, but the…

CAL – Just for Today Bookmark (Item # M-12)

WHAT I LEARNED: This is the ninth item in the general Al-Anon Newcomer Packet (item # K-10) & I must admit, I have a favorite side of this bookmark – it’s the one with the St Francis prayer on it.  So it’s been a long time since I actually turned it over to read the other side…

CAL – Al-Anon Spoken Here (Item # P-53)

WHAT I LEARNED: 1. This is the seventh pamphlet in the general Al-Anon Newcomer Packet (item # K-10) & is the only one marked “Service” on the front (instead of “Recovery”).  I imagine that’s because this pamphlet is also used as outreach literature. 2. This pamphlet addresses 15 common Frequently Asked Questions – especially regarding…

CAL – Understanding Ourselves & Alcoholism (Item # P-48)

WHAT I LEARNED: This is the third pamphlet in the general Al-Anon Newcomer Packet (item # K-10) & I think it could’ve easily been named “Been There, Done That!”  It lays out the predictable patterns of both the alcoholic & the non-alcoholic with such precision it seems it could be a science.  This pamphlet doesn’t sugar-coat…

CAL – Information for the Newcomer (Item # S-4)

WHAT I LEARNED: In my view, this pamphlet is a short breakdown of each part of the preamble read at the beginning of meetings.  I can see why, of the 6 different types of Packets available, this is the first pamphlet of the most popular one: the general Al-Anon Newcomer Packet (item # K-10).  It answers 11 frequently asked…

CAL – Al-Anon’s World Service Office (Item # S-30)

WHAT I LEARNED: 1. The World Service Office has a fitness room!!  Where else would I learn this type of info?  Ha ha 😜 2. It seems every department, with the exception of Administration, is supported by 1 or more volunteer committees.  The Membership Outreach (not to be confused with Public Outreach) department has the most at 4. ━━━━━▼━━━━━…