Saturday 8pm - Technical Information

There is helpful information for chairing meetings at: http://phonemeetings.org/information.htm

 

 

FORMAT:

Saturday 8pm “Sharing Our Experience, Strength and Hope Speaker Meeting”

 

Hi, my name is ____________________, a grateful Al-Anon member and your secretary for this meeting. This is a speaker meeting for families, friends and observers. It will run 1 hour and 15 minutes.

 

1)   PHONE ETIQUETTE:

----You’ll enter the meeting being muted

----Un-mute and mute with *1 keys

----Do not share on a speaker phone

----Please stay muted at all times except when sharing or reading

 

2) SERENITY PRAYER:

 Will all who care to join me, please press your *1 key for the 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.

                                            (Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual p.10)

 

Do we have someone with the leader code who can help keep our meeting quiet?

 

3) SUGGESTED AL-ANON/ALATEEN WELCOME Chairperson or Volunteer reads:  (found in How Al-Anon Works p.8 or Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual p.10)

 

4) Volunteers needed to read:

a. Suggested Preamble to the Twelve Steps (found page before Jan. 1 in all daily readers)

b. Al-Anon Twelve Steps (found in page after Dec. 31 in all daily readers)

c. Al-Anon Tradition and Concept of the month (found after the steps)

 

 

5) Let's go around the globe and introduce ourselves:

Hi, I am (Name) from (State)

 

 

6) ANNOUNCEMENTS:

 

A.  7th Tradition:  Al-Anon is fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.  We ask that you send your contributions to WSO on behalf of our Saturday 8pm “Sharing Our Experience, Strength and Hope Speaker Meeting” or make donations at face to face meetings. (WSO# for this meeting is 30731484).

B.  Do we have a volunteer who will stay on the line after the meeting to answer questions about Al-Anon or to explain the phone etiquette?   Are there any newcomers on the phone bridge today and you can press your  *1  key to unmute yourself and state your name so we may greet you?  We reserve the last ten minutes of the meeting especially for newcomers to share or for members who normally are quiet so that everyone on the phone bridge has an opportunity to share.

C.  Are there any Al-Anon related announcements?

D.  All meeting information will be read after the meeting closes, after telephone #’s are given.

E.  Business meeting is on the first Saturday of the month. There is a suggested business meeting format at the end of this format.

F.   This is a speaker meeting and we will need a spiritual timekeeper to time the speaker and then the 4 minute shares that will follow.  Do we have a volunteer to be our spiritual timekeeper?

 

8) MEETING TOPIC:

This meeting is a speaker meeting. The speaker will speak for approximately 10-15 minutes on a topic or step of their choice. After our speaker is finished we will open up the meeting for 4 minutes shares on a topic picked by the speaker. This meeting does not have a designated speaker. Could we have a volunteer to share their experience, strength and hope.

 

__(Speaker)_, how would you like to be timed?  Would you like a "heads-up? warning?

 

 

9) After they are done speaking:

 

Thank you _____________ (speaker) for your share. Would you (the speaker) like to give out your phone number?

 

 10) ANONYMITY STATEMENT:

In Al-Anon, this is a gentle reminder that we speak from our own experience and ours is derived from living with the effects of alcoholism.  We ask those who are members of other anonymous programs not to break their anonymity and to try and identify with the Al-Anon approach for the family illness.  Ours is a different experience and calls for a different interpretation.

 

11) SPIRITUAL TIMEKEEPER:

         We have four minute shares.  We DO NOT give a one-minute warning.  We simply call "GENTLE time" at the end of the 4 minutes.  Please acknowledge that you heard the timekeeper and wrap up your share. Would the spiritual timekeeper like to share first?  If you recently shared at this meeting, would you consider waiting a moment so that someone who has not had a chance to share recently may have a chance? (pause)

 

The floor is now open for everyone to share.

 

12) At the top of the hour, we now offer sharing time especially for newcomers or those members that don't regularly share.

 

13) CLOSING (Ten minutes after the hour):

 

CHAIRPERSON or VOLUNTEER READS SUGGESTED AL-ANON / ALATEEN CLOSING (found How Al-Anon Works p.380 old or p.396 new).

All who care to, join in saying:

AL-ANON DECLARATION ( p.IX(9) Paths to Recovery or Service Manual p.22)

SERENITY PRAYER

14) NAMES and TELEPHONE NUMBERS (ask members to call out names and then ask for numbers from those individuals also ask if safe line and times best to call)

 

THE MEETING IS NOW CLOSED

 

MEETING INFORMATION

a.   Information on all registered meetings can be found on Al-Anon’s website: al-anon.org or by calling our World Service Office (WSO) at (757) 563-1600.  For face-to-face meetings call WSO’s automated phone number: 888-4AL-ANON (888-425-2666).

 

b.   Meeting schedules and formats for this phone line can be found at phonemeetings.org.  If the line goes down, the backup number is (425) 436-6200 PIN: 335289#. Press*6 to mute and unmute.  For members without web access, meeting schedule information for this line can be found at (712) 432-8733 PIN: UNITY411#. The backup number for the meeting schedule information is (425) 436-6202, PIN: 335289#, Reference Number: 1#. 

 

c. Format changes and website postings can be emailed to phonemeetingsweb@yahoo.com. General questions can be sent to phonemeetingsinformation@yahoo.com. For inquiries regarding leader codes, dashboard monitors and technical issues with the phone line, email phonemonitorteam@yahoo.com. For workshop ideas, suggestions and concerns, email phonemeetingsforum@yahoo.com.

 

d.   Would anyone like to announce any other Al-Anon phone meetings?

 

Chairperson turns meeting over to newcomer greeter and fellowship.

 

SUGGESTED BUSINESS MEETING FORMAT

 

1. Let’s open with a moment of silence followed with the serenity prayer:

2. 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.

 

OLD BUSINESS

3. Secretary do we have any old business to revisit from last meeting?

4. We open up the floor for discussion on these items.

5. Do we have a motion on this item?

5a. Do we have a second?

5b. Secretary please read the motion.

          Ask if there is any further discussion before we vote.

5c. We now go to voting…

5d. All in favor say “I” and state the order of “I’s” Like “I one”, “I two” and so on.

5e. Any opposed? Say “nay one” and so on.

5f. Any abstentions? Say “abstaining one and so on.

5g. The motion is now carried or opposed with __#___in favor, ____#____opposed and _____#_____abstentions.

 

NEW BUSINESS

6. Is there any new business that the group wants to bring up?

7. (if so) So our first order of business is ___________.

8. We open up the floor for discussion on this item.

9. Do we have a motion on this item?

9a. Do we have a second?

9b. Secretary please read the motion.

Ask if there is any further discussion before we vote.

9c. We now go to voting…

9d. All in favor say “I” and state the order of “I’s…like, “I one”, “I two” and so on.

9e. Any opposed? Say “nay one” and so on.

9f. Any abstentions? Say “abstaining one and so on.

9g. The motion is now carried or opposed with __#___in favor, ____#____opposed and _____#_____abstentions.

 

Are there any other things someone would like to add before closing?

 

Serenity Prayer

 

The Business Meeting is now closed