Good morning Everyone-

Todays reading is about taking inventory, examining our behavior and participating in our own recovery. The writer describes meetings when a group inventory was taken.  The writer felt impatient and anxious to get back to the meeting without the inventory.  He/she began to examin his/her own behavior and realized by taking a personal inventory that he/she had not been actively participating in meetings, not sharing, keeping everything internalized.  The writer decided that in order to get better active participation was necessary and over time, after sharing and feeling gratitude from others about the shares, the writers self esteem increased and the writer was able to enjoy the fellowship of meetings.

I remember being confused when a group inventory was taken, and it also took me a good while to actively participate in meetings.  I found when I did- whether it was being an active witness for someone elses share, sharing myself, helping to set up or read, I began to feel a greater investment in my own recovery.

I hope everyone enjoys their Sunday!

Mary

My home group has not taken its own inventory and I think it might be a good idea.  I love our group and I also think we have strayed a bit from the guidelines.  I believe I might raise the idea and see what happens!

Ellen

Thanks for sharing today's reading about group inventory ((Mary))  I have particpated in a number of these at various meetings. They seem to be pretty popular at the Alanon meetings where I  now live. Back home, I never attended a meeting that did a group inventory. I think it's helpful that the practice is structured with questions from the WSO concerning healthy meetings. I found one to be rather helpful because it opened up communication about a particular issue in our meeting. Since there was a question that implied a change might result in a healthier weekly meeting and it came as from guidance from the WSO, it seemed easier to have open dialogue and make a change for the better. I think when a meeting is really straying away from Alanon's primary purpose "to help friends and families of alcoholics," one of these structured inventory can help. It allows for each person to voice their feelings aloud or on paper or even electronically for each of the World Service Organization's guided questions and feel they have participated in the process of helping their meeting to be one that is guided by Alanon principles. I've found that my f2f meetings are much smaller here than back home. Although the intimacy of small meetings can't be underestimated, I think it can sometimes cause an issue of personalities over principles. This is where the formal group inventory can help resolve issues and promote unity.

Back home, our meetings were very large for the most part. Some even passed a microphone to attendees and you stood up to share. Meeting were very structured and Alanon principles practiced. Meetings still were somehow unique in flavor. Just as we share similarties but are inviduals such was the case with Alanon meetings. I don't recall ever participating in a group inventory then but business meetings were always on the calendar and many issues were covered and voted upon by those in attendance. 

I think it's an interesting topic and hope to read others experiences since we come from all over the world.  ((hugs)) TT

 Good topic Mary...

                             A group inventory, or a conscience meeting is a good thing.

Early on we had a meeting to change our venue. The reason was that some members wanted to smoke at a meeting. The interests of the non-smokers were not considered.

That would not happen today, of course! Some group inventories I regarded as "kangaroo courts" or "lynch mobs". But in the early days I could not really tell the difference between a good thing and a bad thing.

In this group I am a humble member, which I like. My idea of an ideal family is one where members will talk about stuff regularly, Where people had "catch-ups". Where stuff was talked through. In Alanon a lot of us have not had that experience- or not much, anyway. So we flounder a bit, initially.

I think is does take time for the ethos to develop.... If I have an issue or concern I prefer to go to the person concerned- the stakeholder- and work out, from there.

 ...  ...  ...

Thanks for posting the Alanon Group Inventory betty. It's a helpful reminder for me as a member to review this even when there is no group inventory planned. Reading the questions allowed me to consider changes I might want to make in myself to better contribute to the health and well-being of my Alanon groups. ((hugs)) TT

Thank you for the link, hotrod!  Makes it much easier to have a ready resource!

El

    www.alanon-maryland.org/pdf/guidelines/G8-groupinventory.pdf. 

I prefer not to quote members here. It was good to read through this link. Thanks Hotrod! 

I know this MIP group is not directly allied to Alanon GSO. But personally I try to stick to the guidelines- as I know them. And to be willing to learn...

No time limit to sharing here- which has goods and bads. [Mostly goods.]

Because we can walk in here and share 24/7 there are no boundaries between greeting time, sharing time and coffee time. So I tend to practise no cross-talk when I feel we are in sharing time. Then again- that depends how well I know the speaker- and I know some people here very well.

I have been to different meetings in the USA- Alanon, AA Open, and ACA, and was impressed with the AA clubhouses I saw in every state.

Here the Alanon group is by far the  largest group!

I loved it last year how people pitched in and formed the MIP combined Business Board. Service roles here are a little different from F2F groups. Extreme gratitude to those who step up and serve here, and help create the space. ...

Thanks.