WHAT I LEARNED: I love going to a meeting & I’m given a suggestion for a new piece of literature that I can pass onto World Service. Every member has a voice!
Tag: WSO
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 – 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 – 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 – Alateen Talk Newsletter (Item # N/A)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. This is the eleventh & last item in the Alateen Newcomer Packet (item # K-18) & is a full issue of a newsletter – not an excerpt. The particular one in this packet is 8 pages total, has feedback on a writing workshop & an Alateen Conference, various sharings from members around…
CAL – Alateen Talk Subscription Form (Item # N/A)
WHAT I LEARNED: This is the tenth item in the Alateen Newcomer Packet (item # K-18). Every registered Alateen group should already be receiving a copy of this quarterly newsletter (that will be the next item I review), but individuals can also order their own personal copy using this form. As of this year, 2013, the…
CAL – Are You Troubled by Someone’s Drinking? (Item # S-17)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. This is the fourth item in the Professional Packet (item # K-30) & is one of my top selling outreach items – now I can see why. This questionnaire is written very broadly so it can apply to anyone affected by alcoholism – including adult children of alcoholics & kids that…
CAL – Has Your Life Been Affected by Someone Else’s Drinking? (Item # S-20)
WHAT I LEARNED: This is the third item in the Professional Packet (item # K-30) & is a leaflet of 20 questions that I’m presuming the professional would give to a kid to see if Alateen is for them. …If only the counselor I was forced to see back in my high school days would have given…
CAL – Fact Sheet for Professionals (Item # S-37ES)
Last week I finished the Men’s Newcomer Packet (item # K-23) since all the other items in the packet are ones I’ve already commented on. Time to move onto the next packet… WHAT I LEARNED: 1. This is the first pamphlet in the Professional Packet (K-30) & the Al-Anon program is not described as a…
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 Family Groups Welcomes Adult Children of Alcoholics (Item # S-69)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. In the Adult Children of Alcoholics Newcomer Packet (item # K-21), this is the third pamphlet & it features 10 mini sharings interspersed with other Al-Anon info. 2. This is the first pamphlet I’ve seen that shows separate info for a 2nd headquarters – in Canada! (Which looks like it just had an…
CAL – Getting Started (Item # S-15R)
WHAT I LEARNED: 1. This is the tenth & last item in the general Al-Anon Newcomer Packet (item # K-10) & it has a very special distinction that I just found out. As far as my research can tell, this item # S-15R is the only piece of active literature that is not listed on any…
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 – 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 Chat" Blog ~My journey in Al-Anon~ 