The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
Good evening all. I want to thank you all for being here, for I come tonight with a heavy heart.
As many of you know, I discovered MIP over a year ago when looking for online meetings I could attend while traveling on business.
Since walking through these virtual doors, I have made many friends here, and am very thankful for each individual, and the group, as a whole.
When the opportunity to serve by co-chairing a meeting presented itself, I happily jumped at the chance, and have been learning to serve in that capacity for a number of months now.
It has come to my attention over the last few months that MIP is not appropriately registered with the Al-Anon WSO, and this has concerned me greatly.
While the 12stepforums website professes it's intentions to register with the WSO, I have seen no discernible proof of this intent.
If MIP is not properly registered with the WSO, then how can we call ourselves an Al-Anon group, let alone have a bookstore?
I ask this as, it is my understanding that, MIP meeting chairs / ops are not supposed to quote Al-Anon materials verbatim in meetings, etc., because of the lack of registration.
What is the reason for this lack of proper registration? Is a matter of how the groups at the 12stepforums website are associated? Perhaps proper accounting practices for funds collected by members of 12stepforums groups?
Until these questions are asked, answered and the necessary steps taken to address this issue, I cannot, in good faith, continue as a meeting co-chair for MIP.
I would still like to be able to attend meetings in the future, and if MIP does receive WSO registration, perhaps I can return to further serve this dynamic group of people.
I read somewhere that Al-Anon's leaders are but trusted servants. If the questions I have asked, or the concerns I have raised tonight cause me to be banned from the 12stepforums website or IRC channels, what would that say about the leadership of the 12stepforums site? I leave these matters up to this group conscience.
I have been here for a couple of years now. It has never been any secret that MIP is not registered with WSO. I did hear an explaination at one point.
I take what I like and leave the rest. As a group we stick close to Alanon suggestions. The meetings feel like IRL meetings. All the same care is given and steps followed.
I hope you continue to find ESH in the meetings when you attend.
I love this post... posted by someone I have never seen in the room and who has only posted on this message board two times. Now, they want to tell people who have been here for numerous years (many double digit years) how things should be done. LMAO! ***************
Not sure who I'm addressing this to, but it really doesn't matter, hope you will read it and better understand;
I welcome the group to take its own position regarding WSO registration. Should it elect to do so, then someone other than myself should be willing to pursue it and bring about the nescessary changes. We were registered until 2 years ago or so.
Our group was registered with WSO on February 21, 2003. Our registration # was 067088. I will gladly post a scanned copy of this registration online for your viewing. It was not an "intention" to register, it was done.
When I was informed that our registration had expired by another group member, I looked into the situation, and reported my findings to the group during a group business meeting. Many things had changed regarding online policy by WSO since we were orginally registered. Being one of the very first online groups to register, WSO had not fully worked out all the kinks and details that came about in Conferrences since the start of online meetings. Once they had (over several years), and started to impliment them as policy, it was determined by the group that many f2f Al-Anon groups are not registered, and the conditions set for us to register the "online" group would actually do it (the group)more harm than good. Such as; To register the group, it would have to be on an "independent" website, not affiliated or associated with any other. Each group on MIP is a separate enitity, and is not affiliated or associated with any other group on the site, nor is it affliated with the site any more than a group is affliated with a church. The site provides the space for the groups to hold their meetings. Our group is not any more affiliated or associated with the site, any more than a Al-Anon group that gathers were other 12 step groups gather for meetings in a church, alano club, etc. besides the fact that they all have the 12 step recovery method as a modality. We are not even affiliated with the AA group, we would mostly likely work with them in a spirit of cooperation, as suggested by the WSO (if need be) but that would not constitute an association with their group.
Next, type "online al-anon meetings" on your google search engine. Our group comes up twice on the first page of results. It takes a great amount of work and a very long time (approx 2 years) to get such a high ranking on the internet. People do not look at page 47 of search engine results, they rarely will look past the first 2 pages of results. We are in the first 10 results on the first page(twice) out of 267,000 possible search matches. What good are we as a group if we can't reach the online community and the newcomer can't find us? I personally would not be willing to reinvest my energy or time in doing twice what I have done very successfully once. I however would not balk at anyone else who wanted to do so. However, MIP's room would remain open and available to Al-Anon's that wanted to enter it, attend meetings in it, provide service work in it, and help the newcomer in it. It is strickly for the use of Al-Anon members, old timers and newcomers alike that want to utilize it as a safe haven, a place to care and share.
Secondly, as for books... even when we were registered, WSO asked that we not put "graphics" of their books on our site because it somehow cut into where WSO makes the majority of their funds.. from the literature. However, the books are being sold through one of their own "authorized distributors"...Amazon.com which provides the graphics. The books being sold on our site does not take one penny from them any more than the books bought in a Books a Million store, or Barnes & Noble bookstore. So, we would be registered, not be given permission to quote any thing more than we can legally to start with, and while being registered and reconized as a Al-Anon group at the WSO level, we still would not be allowed to put graphics of al-anon literature on our web page?? We would be registered, but still not able to quote anything more than a paragraph in a meeting, and not be able to provide our members to easy access to CAL literature by using the same graphics that authorized distributors use and who our books are sold through, to attract the potiential buyers attention to them. In short, WSO will register us, but keep our hands so tied that as a group we are not able to be any more effective in carrying the message of Al-Anon than an unregistered group is. Unfindable, grossly limited in what can be quoted of the literature in online meetings, and not given easy, user friendly access to the CAL to purchase online.
When you understand what they give "permission" for us to quote in meetings... we don't need their permission to do so, simply because it does not violate any copyright to quote the "small exert" that they grant permission for, so long as they are not able to be compilled, combined and printed equalling a single full page of text. There is not any book in the world that a paragraph, (what WSO gives permission for) being quoted "in a chatroom" would violate the copyright of. Quoting a exert from a book that doesn't allow a full page of it to be "reprinted" doesn't constitute a copyright violation. What we are doing online is communicating, not publicating or reproducing. We can be registered, but we still are not allowed to utilize any more of the CAL than an unregistered online group legally can.
In short, f2f Al-Anon meetings are held in the same churches, often on the same dates and at the same time as AA meetings. Yet, they arn't required to find an independent place to hold their meetings. Nor are they required by WSO to be registered. Each groups desire to register with WSO is a group decision, provided it does not adversely effect another Al-Anon group or Al-Anon as a whole (Tradition 4). Only then can WSO ask that we not utilize the name Al-Anon. Even its CAL literature states any time 2 or more family members or friends of alcoholics gather they can call themselves an Al-Anon Family Group, provided that, "as a group" they have no other affiliation. The only requirement for membership is that there be a problem of alcoholism in a relative or friend. (Tradition 3).
Regarding the insinuation that it is possibly the accounting of funds. In all of 2008, 2 Al-Anon members made contributions to MIP for rent and services provided. One for 25.00 and one made two payments of 20.00. This does not even cover the cost of the Al-Anon group home page, the Al-Anon groups message board, or meeting room entrance pages. Not even one of them. All of which incure a separate monthly expense. In fact; in all of 2007 and 2008, not enough was "collected" (which isn't "collected or solicited for" at all and hasn't been in over 4 years) was sufficient to pay even 1/2 a year of the expenses. How did it all get paid for? I paid the remaining funds from my own pocket and will continue to do so, whether the group is registered or not, whether you continue to chair or not, or you utilize the room, message board, and all the other goodies that are available to you on the site or not. You might want to read Tradition 7 and 8, and then determine how you would viably make this a registered group that is effective, available, more user friendly, and then how you would pay for it to be done.
Sincerely, John F. - A very grateful member of Al-Anon and of this online group, registered or not.
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" And what did we gain? A new life, with purpose, meaning and constant progress, and all the contentment and fulfillment that comes from such growth."