What is correct wording - Al-Anon Family Group

Mobirdie · Senior Member

What is correct wording

Dolphin123 · ~*Service Worker*~

Mo,

That is what I know. I have heard one other addition, at AA

Who you see here

What you hear here

Stays here!

Here! Here!

Yours in recovery,

Dolphin123

drucilla06 · Senior Member

Not sure if this correct wording but here in my town we say

What you hear here

Whom you see here

When you leave here

Let it stay here

Drives me nuts to hear different versions,I'm so used to this one, lol

drucilla

jonibaloni · Veteran Member

...followed, sometimes, by..

"Here Here!!!" :0)

Ria · Senior Member

Hi hun,

Here in the U.K at all meetings I've attended it's a yellow card, known as the Anonymity Statement and it says "Whom you see hear, what you hear here, when you leave here, let it stay here." I know it is itemised on our literature list as table cards, available for purchase through our General Service Office. Usually the group buys a set including the Serenity Prayer (blue), Keep the focus on our program (green) and Al-Anon Spoken Here (another yellow one)...maybe that's why you can't find it in the books? Hope this helps.

With love in the fellowship, Maria.

Mobirdie · Senior Member

Thank you Drucilla, that is the one I was looking for.

My church has asked me to chair a new Al-Anon group and since most of the new members will be church members I wanted to stress anonymity so I am making small cards the size of a business card to place on the table in front of each chair.

Our first meeting is this coming Tuesday and the feedback I have gotten has been awesome.

Ria · Senior Member

Hi me again!

At the online meeting it said "who you see here, what you hear here, what you say here, let it stay here." Just thought you may be interested. I didn't know there were so many variations! Live and learn.

Good luck with your new meeting. I think the business cards are a good idea. We dont have many members and they just put an A3 sized card in the middle of the table. It may be an alternative for you if cost becomes prohibitive. Also I don't know if it is relevant in this case but there was some talk of depriving GSO of income by producing our own list of local meetings only (newcomers were to be encouraged to buy the full directory). There are some copyright issues on literature and I'm afraid I don't know if they would apply here and how you would find out. Just a heads up. I wish you all the very best.

tea2 · ~*Service Worker*~

Morbirdie ~ It should be: Whom you see here, What you hear here, When you leave here, Let it stay here.

Congrats again on your new group, One place I have seen this is on a card my f2f and in our CAL pamphlet (s) P-82 is one

I would think the WSO would give you a supply of info for the initial setup and format. You can request these and ask them any other questions

For Information and catalog of literature write to the World Service Office for Al-Anon and Alateen:

Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.

1600 Corporate Landing Parkway

Virginia Beach, VA 23454

Phone: (757) 563 – 1600 Fax: (757) 563 - 1655

www.al-anon.alateen.org/members

e-mail: wso@al-anon.org

Jerry F · ~*Service Worker*~

Aloha Mobirdie!! Just a word of caution from the traditions. "...Al-Anon is not affiliated with any..." Read the whole tradition and talk it up with your sponsor and older members. My early group got into a bit of trouble when the church felt the authority to dictate how the meeting was to be run and who was allowed to attend etc.

Just some Experience Strength and Hope to keep Al-Anon...Al-Anon.

Jerry F

Mobirdie · Senior Member

Thank You everyone, the first thing I addressed when it was brought up was that we could have no affiliation with the church at all, they would have to rent us a room. I have talked to my sponsor, members of my regular FtF meetings and very nice people at the WSO and hopefully between all of us we have covered all of the bases. I have also told the minister and the counselors at the church that they are welcome to attend but when they walk through the door of that room they are members of an Al-Anon meeting not church members.

Ria · Senior Member

Good for you Mo!

Sounds like you've got it all in hand and setting boundaries from the get go. Hope you get lots of help and support to make your meeting a strong and successful one. I take my hat off to you.

With love in the fellowship, Maria

Mobirdie · Senior Member

The first meeting wasn't huge but we had 9 people there. Two new to Al-anon and both hurting so badly. They both left with a smile on their face so I feel like that was a success in itself. Outside of the two new people the others were members of my regular FtF meetings that came out to show their support. One couple can't make the regular meeting tomorrow night so they came tonight, another lady lives closer to this meeting so plans to start attending weekly.

I am fortunate because I have a fairly wide bank of experience to draw from and hopefully things will continue to go well.

Thanks for all of your good wishes, it does mean a lot.

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.