Monday 8pm - Technical Information

There is helpful information for chairing meetings at: http://phonemeetings.org/information.htm

 

 

Monday 8pm From Surviving to Thriving

 

Welcome to the From Surviving to Thriving Al-Anon Monday night phone meeting. Our meeting lasts for 1 hour and 15 minutes. We read from our book From Survival to Recovery.

 

 My name is ____________, a grateful Al-Anon member and your Chair for this meeting.

 

Let’s open with a moment of silence for those family members still suffering inside and outside of these rooms, followed by the Serenity Prayer…

 

 

1. PHONE ETIQUETTE:

----You’ll enter the meeting being muted

----Un-mute and mute with *1 keys

----Do not share on a speaker phone

----Please stay muted at all times unless sharing

 

 

2. READINGS: May we have volunteers to please read:

 

a.   The Suggested Al-Anon Welcome (How Al-Anon Works p.8 or the Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual on pp.11-12.)

b.   “Preface” From Survival to Recovery (page after the Table of Contents)

c.   Preamble to Al-Anon’s 12 Steps, From Survival to Recovery (page before the Table of Contents)

 

d.   Twelve Steps (with the introductory paragraph please From Survival to Recovery p.291 or 293 in the newer edition)

e.   Tradition of the month (with the introductory paragraph please From Survival to Recovery  p.293 or 295 in the newer edition)

 

f.     Concept of the month (with the introductory paragraph please From Survival to Recovery p.295 or 297 in newer edition)

 

g.   “A Special Word to Anyone Confronted with Violence” and “Tapping Other Resources” (From Survival to Recovery p.9)

 

 

   3. ANNOUNCEMENTS:

 

a.    7th Tradition:  Al-Anon is fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.  We ask that you send your contributions directly to Al-Anon’s World Service office stating it is from our From The Surviving to Thriving meeting, WSO ID 30734806 or give to regional offices, Area offices or at your local meeting.)

 

b.   Please note the meeting schedule will be read at the end of the meeting, after telephone numbers are given out. Announcements for meetings on other phone lines also occur at that time. Are there any Al-Anon related announcements?

 

c.   Al-Anon literature is available by calling the World Service Office at 757.563.1600, on Al-Anon’s website www.al-anon.org, at your local face to face meetings or literature depot.

      d.  Our business meeting is on the 1st Monday of the month. A Suggested Business Meeting Format is at the end of this meeting’s format.

 

 

4. INTRODUCTIONS: Let’s go around the globe and introduce ourselves.

Hi, I’m ___________________(Name) from____________________(State)

 

Do we have any Al-Anon newcomers today?  Either new to Al-Anon or to this phone line?  Please give us your first name so we may greet you.

 

Do we have a volunteer on the line today that can stay after the phone meeting and greet the newcomers and provide information of the phone etiquette or on Al-Anon?

 

 

5. MEETING TOPIC: By group conscience, this meeting’s format shall be as follows:

1.    We will read one story followed by open sharing.

 

2.    If time permits, we will read a second story.

 

3.    The reading will be seamless.  Each person reads one paragraph until the reading is completed, before we open up for individual shares.

 

4.   May we take a quick count of the number of books available on the line today?

 

6. SHARING: In Al-Anon, this is a gentle reminder that we speak from our own experience and ours is derived from living with the effects of alcoholism. We ask those who are members of other Twelve Step programs to maintain their anonymity and identify with the Al-Anon approach for the family illness.  Ours is a different experience and calls for a different interpretation.

 

There is a three minute time limit for shares.  When the Spiritual Timekeeper says “time” it means please wrap-up your share.  Who would like to be our Spiritual Timekeeper?  Would our Spiritual Timekeeper like to share first?

 

At 9:00: We are now at 15 minutes before the close of the meeting. We now open up the sharing for newcomers or for those members who do not regularly share.

 

(Begin the close of the meeting at 10 minutes after the top of the hour, when the last share is completed.)

 

7. At 9:10 - CLOSING: Read From Survival to Recovery pp.269-270 or on pp.267-268, depending on edition. Starting with, "If we willingly surrender ourselves...” read through to the end of the section.

 

We will now recite Al-Anon's Declaration (Paths to Recovery Roman Numeral page IX (9) or Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual p.20) followed by the Serenity Prayer:

 

 

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.

(Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual p. 11)

 

 

8. CONTACT INFORMATION:  Would anyone like to request contact information from another member or leave their information for outreach?

 

 

9. MEETING INFORMATION:

a.   Information on all registered meetings can be found on Al-Anon’s website: al-anon.org or by calling our World Service Office (WSO) at (757) 563-1600.  For face-to-face meetings call WSO’s automated phone number: 888-4AL-ANON (888-425-2666).

 

b.   Meeting schedules and formats for this phone line can be found at phonemeetings.org.  If the line goes down, the backup number is (425) 436-6200 PIN: 335289#. Press*6 to mute and unmute.  For members without web access, meeting schedule information for this line can be found at (712) 432-8733 PIN: UNITY411#. The backup number for the meeting schedule information is (425) 436-6202, PIN: 335289#, Reference Number: 1#.

 

c. Format changes and website postings can be emailed to phonemeetingsweb@yahoo.com. General questions can be sent to phonemeetingsinformation@yahoo.com. For inquiries regarding leader codes, dashboard monitors and technical issues with the phone line, email phonemonitorteam@yahoo.com. For workshop ideas, suggestions and concerns, email phonemeetingsforum@yahoo.com.

 

d.   Would anyone like to announce any other Al-Anon phone meetings?

 

Chairperson states: The meeting is now formally closed.

 

Chair turns the meeting over to the newcomer greeter for approximately 25 minutes after the meeting closes. After-meeting fellowship begins after that.

 

 

10. SUGGESTED NEWCOMER GREETER INFORMATION (suggestions for the Newcomer Greeter):

+ Role of Newcomer Greeter (should have at least a year of Al-Anon recovery):

1.   Say: As a Newcomer, you may feel that you are here for the alcoholic. That your presence here may teach you how to stop the alcoholic from drinking. The truth is that you are here for YOU, and not for the alcoholic.  You will learn that you did not CAUSE the alcoholic to drink, you cannot CONTROL the alcoholic's drinking and you cannot CURE the alcoholic.  This is YOUR program to help you to recover from the effects of living with, or having been affected by, an alcoholic.

2.   Say: Al-Anon suggests you try six different meetings before deciding whether or not Al-Anon is right for you.

3.   The 3 C's…we didn't Cause it, we can't control it and we can't cure it

4.   Say: Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature (CAL) can be purchased at face-to-face meetings or in the Online Store on the official Al-Anon website: al-anon.org

5.   Can speak about the books to purchase

6.   Ask for questions from Newcomers

7.   Conduct Q & A with Newcomers

8.   Invite Newcomers to share

 

 

11. SUGGESTED BUSINESS MEETING FORMAT:

 

Let’s open with a moment of silence followed by the Serenity Prayer:

             God grant me the ...

          Serenity to Accept the things I

          cannot change,

          Courage to change the things I

          can, and     

          Wisdom to know the Difference.

 

Who can volunteer to keep minutes for our business meeting?

 

Old Business

1.    Secretary do we have any old business to revisit from last meeting?

2.   We open up the floor for discussion on these items.

3.   Do we have a motion on this item?

4a.   Do we have a second?

5a.   Secretary please read the motion.

                   Ask if there is any further discussion before we vote.

5b.   We now go to voting…

5c.   All in favor say “Aye” and state the order of “Aye’s” Like “Aye  one” and then “Aye two” and so on.

5d.   Any opposed?  Say “nay one” and so on.

5e.   Any abstentions?  Say “abstaining one and so on.

5f.   The motion is now carried or opposed with __#___in favor,

____#____opposed and _____#_____abstentions.

 

New Business

1.    Is there any new business that the group wants to bring up?

2.   (if so) So our first order of business is ___________.

3.   We open up the floor for discussion on this item?

4.    Do we have a motion on this item?

          4a.   Do we have a second?

          4b.   Secretary please read the motion.

                   Ask if there is any further discussion before we vote.

   4c.   We now go to voting…

          4d.   All in flavor say “Aye” and state the order of “Aye’s…like, “I

                   one” and then “Aye two” and so on.

   4e.   Any opposed?  Say “nay one” and so on.

   4f.  Any abstentions?  Say “abstaining one and so on.

          4g.   The motion is now carried or opposed with __#___in favor,

                   ____#____opposed and _____#_____abstentions.

 

 

Are there any other items anyone would like to bring up?

Time permitting, these items can be discussed today. Or, tabled and brought up under Old Business at next month’s business meeting.

 

Closing: Serenity Prayer

 

The business meeting is now closed.