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.
Thank you Hotrod! Everything there is so helpful, especially the format. I think that is my immediate worry - putting together something that looks and feels like a genuine meeting. I've also since found the al anon manual, which is great. I'm beginning to believe I can do this.
I'm trying not to worry about the cultural differences. As far as I can see, al anon is 100% applicable in all cultures, but my boyfriend has had difficulty with his AA group. He says rock bottom seems to be far, far lower here. For example, beating up your wife isn't the end of the world.. These worries are going round and round in my mind. But I also know that the programme can speak for itself, and it's not really up to me to 'make people understand'. I'm just another recovering co-dependent..
Those promises are amazing. I've never seen them before. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
-- Edited by Loubelou on Wednesday 17th of April 2013 10:01:12 AM
I live in Uganda, and as far as I know there are no face to face groups in the country, or at least nowhere close enough that I could get to regularly. I come to online groups on and off, but I'm not very committed to my programme. I'm from the UK, where I've only been to 3 or 4 f2f groups when home.
Essentially, I don't really know very much about the programme and I'm not very committed to my own recovery. But clearly God had something to say about that, because in the same day two people came to me to talk about their problems with alcoholic family members, and I found myself saying 'Why don't we start an Al Anon group?'
I feel like I've dropped myself in hot water. I'm not in any place to be anyone's sponsor and I'm not really familiar with the normal format of a face to face meeting. It's very hard for us to get literature out here, though we are blessed to have a very good library at my counselling school, where we have the big book and a couple of other al anon and AA books. But there's nothing there about how to start and run a group.
ESH would be very much appreciated here, especially experience! We are having our first meeting on friday, which I will have to lead, and I have no idea what to do.
However, thank God my HP finally stepped in and got me to rethink and commit to my recovery. I seem to have no choice in the matter!
It wonderful that you are interested in starting a group. Alanon has a World Service Organization that would be very helpful to you in your efforts. Here is the link
Links to meetings worldwide, recovery resources, purchase literature on-line, Al-Anon/Alateen resources in English, Spanish and French.
Since your first meeting is Friday I will give you a brief outline of how the meetings usually proceed:
In NYC many meetings open with the reading of a Welcome to everyone. This welcome explains the purpose of alanon( to recover from the effects of another's drinking.) We give an overview that in alanon we do not give advise but share our experience, strength and hope with each other in order to recover. What is said at the meeting remain at the meeting and who you see at the meeting is not revealed. This is called anonymity
We then go around an introduce ourselves First name only
The topic of the meeting is introduced. It could be a Step, Tradition , a Slogan. Our steps, and traditions and many slogans are the same as AA. If you do not have any alanon literature you could do a reading on the topic from the Big Book. The talk or reading regarding the topic of the meeting lasts about 15 minutes and then the room is opened up to members to share. Each person is asked to speak honestly. If it is large group shares are timed to 3 minutes If a small group then no time limit is necessary
Don't stress so much Lou...you cannot "screw up" a meeting because whatever happens it will be helpful and meetings are therapeutic just because of 1 person or more talking and sharing experience strength and hope with others. So...without your efforts, there would be no meeting. With your efforts, no matter how it exactly turns out, you and those other folks are better off.
As Mark said, you will do fine So glad that you found the manual HP is certainly nudging you
Remember that alanon is all about the attitudes and negative feeling that are generated in a family where alcoholism resides The tools work regardless if the alcoholic is drinking or not
Two things I forgot to mention is that
In the meeting , members can share by raising there r hand or ,my favorite Go around the room beginning with the first person who shares.
AND
I also forgot to mention that there are no dues or fees but alanon has expenses (maybe paying rent on your meeting place, donating to World Service, Purchasing literature. So a small contribution is asked for .
The usual saying is "We have no due or fees, but have expenses, give what you can, if you cannot give please keep coming back, we need you more than your money
Again good luck and please come back and share how it went.
Lou if you have an email address...PM (private message) it to me and I will reply with an attachement of the format we use for our local Big Island meetings. You can then open and copy (one for each person who attends...or make 10 copies so that some will be ready for the members who attend and you're off to the races...Pinkchip already mentioned the human factor...there is lots of that in our face to face groups so again...don't worry. We will help you get started. I've co-founded several myself...so there!! Keep coming back. ((((hugs))))
