[Businessmtg] Beginners' Resource

Mon Mar 27 17:01:06 PDT 2017

There is a newcomers page on the current member site, but I could certainly
add to it. This is the link: http://asp-afg.org/members/newcomers/ This is
the text on the page, but we could certainly add more if needed:

Welcome to Al-Anon. Welcome home.

This page contains some basic information for those who are new to
the Al-Anon program. If you still have questions or want to find a local
meeting, please consult Al-Anon's World Service website:
http://al-anon.alateen.org/. For any other questions you may have about
Al-Anon or *A Serenity Place*, please contact ASP's List Administrator at
list_administrator at asp-afg.org.

The Serenity Prayer and the Al-Anon Suggested Welcome open each of our
daily meetings here at *A Serenity Place*:

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.*

We welcome you to *A Serenity Place* online Al-Anon meeting and hope you
will find in this fellowship the help and friendship we have been
privileged to enjoy.

We who live, or have lived, with the problem of alcoholism understand as
perhaps few others can. We, too, were lonely and frustrated, but in Al-Anon
we discover that no situation is really hopeless, and that it is possible
for us to find contentment, and even happiness, whether the alcoholic is
still drinking or not.

We urge you to try our program. It has helped many of us find solutions
that lead to serenity. So much depends on our own attitudes, and as we
learn to place our problem in its true perspective, we find it loses its
power to dominate our thoughts and our lives.

The family situation is bound to improve as we apply the Al-Anon ideas.
Without such spiritual help, living with an alcoholic is too much for most
of us. Our thinking becomes distorted by trying to force solutions, and we
become irritable and unreasonable without knowing it.

The Al-Anon program is based on the suggested Twelve Steps of Alcoholics
Anonymous, which we try, little by little, one day at a time, to apply to
our lives along with our slogans and the Serenity Prayer. The loving
interchange of help among members and daily reading of Al-Anon literature
thus make us ready to receive the priceless gift of serenity.

Anonymity is an important principle of the Al-Anon/Alateen Program.
Everything that is said here, in the group meeting and member-to-member,
must be held in confidence. Only in this way can we feel free to say what
is on our minds and in our hearts, for this is how we help one another in
Al-Anon. We ask members of other anonymous fellowships to remain anonymous
and focus on the Al-Anon program.
Tools of the Program

Meetings <http://al-anon.org/how-to-find-a-meeting>
<http://asp-afg.org/twelve-steps/>Sponsorship
<http://asp-afg.org/members/sponsorship/>
12 Steps <http://asp-afg.org/twelve-steps/>
12 Traditions <http://asp-afg.org/twelve-traditions/>
12 Concepts of Service <http://asp-afg.org/twelve-concepts-of-service/>
Al-Anon Slogans <http://asp-afg.org/members/al-anon-slogans/>
Conference Approved Literature
<http://asp-afg.org/members/conference-approved-literature/>
New Member Podcasts

First Steps Podcasts for New Members
<http://al-anon.alateen.org/Podcasts/FirstSteps/>
Suggested Al-Anon Preamble To The Twelve Steps

*"*The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of
alcoholics who share their experience, strength and hope in order to solve
their common problems.

"We believe alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can
aid in recovery.

"Al-Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity,
organization or institution. It does not engage in any controversy, neither
endorses nor opposes any cause. There are no dues for membership. Al-Anon
is self-supporting through its own voluntary contributions.

"Al-Anon has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. We do this by
practicing the Twelve Steps, by welcoming and giving comfort to families of
alcoholics, and by giving understanding and encouragement to the alcoholic."

~Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual, page 53
To Those Confronted with Violence

"Al-Anon's gentle process unfolds gradually, over time. But those of us
facing violent, potentially life-threatening situations may have to make
immediate choices to ensure safety for ourselves and our children. This may
mean arranging for a safe house with a neighbor or friend, calling for
police protection, or leaving money and an extra set of car keys where they
can be collected at any time in case of emergency.

"It is not necessary to decide how to resolve the situation once and for
all---only how to get out of harm's way until this process of awareness,
acceptance, and action can free us to make choices for ourselves that we
can live with.

"Anyone who has been physically or sexually abused or even threatened may
be terrified of taking action at all. It can require every ounce of courage
and faith to act decisively.  But no one has to accept violence.  No matter
what seems to trigger the attack, we all deserve to be safe."

~*How Al-Anon Works*, Al-Anon Family Groups, copyright 2008, excerpt from
Preface, reprinted with permission.*

Jane

"It is easier to put on slippers than to carpet the world." ~Stuart Smalley

On Mon, Mar 27, 2017 at 2:44 PM, Steve Rankin <steve at serenitysys.com> wrote:

> Thanks Jerry!
>
> I like Jerry's page layout suggestions. Although I'm not quite 300%
> certain what Jerry means when he says "Steve's * content".
>
> What I think you are referring to is:
>
> =====================================
> * Some generic guidance for newcomers.
>   - Some of that guidance would be ASP-specific
>   - Some of that guidance would be more general to Al-Anon as a whole
> =====================================
>
> But I'm not clear on whether you meant to include the two parts of generic
> guidance.
>
> So Jerry could you plug in what you mean so we can look at the "page" as
> it might look in outline form.
>
> Unfortunately, the server strips away formatting so communicating this
> kind of thing is a bit challenging but I do have some tricks that we've
> used in the past.
>
> Hugs,
> Steve
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jerry [mailto:logmark at comcast.net]
> Sent: Monday, March 27, 2017 7:41 AM
> To: Steve Rankin; businessmtg at asp-afg org
> Subject: Re: [Businessmtg] Beginners' Resource
>
> I like how this is morphing into a real tool for newcomers. Pulling the
> many suggestions into one concept I end up with something like:
>
> (Title) Newcomers' Support Corner
>
> (Welcome)
> ~ Short welcome and contents page
> ~ Brief intro to ASP structure, history, and membership
>
> (Sub Title) How Do I Start?
> ~ Steve's first * content
>
> (Sub Title) Members' 1st Step Shares
> ~ 3-5 1st Step Stories rotating each month
>
> (Sub Title) What's Next?
> ~ Steve's second * content with guidance on making that first share on the
> topic of the day ~ Suggest reading [our Monthly Beginners' Meeting page -
> Short articles based on Al-Anon's Guidelines, CAL based] ~ Where to get CAL
> ~ Links to WSO podcasts
>
> Just a last though: let's avoid thinking 'Forum'. Online that infers
> interactive Q & A plus gabbing, etc. I don't think we want to have that
> confusion.
>
> Hugs,
> Jerry
> -
>
> On March 26, 2017, at 6:30 PM, Steve Rankin <steve at serenitysys.com> wrote:
>
> Hi ASPers,
>
> An interesting idea, Adele. Does this idea fit in with yours?
>
> I'm thinking of a "home page" for newcomers that would include:
>
> * Some generic guidance for newcomers.
>   - Some of that guidance would be ASP-specifc
>   - Some of that guidance would be more general to Al-Anon as a whole
>
> * A few sample shares of ESH from ASP on the home page
>
> * Links to other web pages or maybe PDF's that resemble the Forum,
>     i.e. monthly "collections" of ESH from ASP.
>   - Perhaps, ASP members submit 1-2 page ESH shares
>     to be a part of a monthly "collection" of ESH.
>     Say a half-dozen shares in each month's collection, similar to the
> Forum.
>   - I'm thinking a small standing committee that would administer the
> process.
>     I'd recommend that said committee be balanced
>     with both old-timers and relatively new members to Al-Anon and ASP.
>
> Hugs,
> Steve
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Adele Steirnagle
> Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2017 9:39 AM
>
> Jerry's idea would be like having our own Forum. I love that little
> magazine and we have enough people and stories to have an in-house form of
> our own.
> Adele
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> The ASP Instruction page is http://asp-afg.org/members/asp-instructions/
>
> The ASP web site for ASP members is http://www.asp-afg.org/Members/
>
> For assistance with other ASP issues, contact the List Administrator, at
> list_administrator at asp-afg.org
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
>
> _______________________________________________
> The ASP Instruction page is http://asp-afg.org/members/asp-instructions/
>
> The ASP web site for ASP members is http://www.asp-afg.org/Members/
>
> For assistance with other ASP issues, contact the List Administrator, at
> list_administrator at asp-afg.org
>
> _______________________________________________
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>