Thursday Noon - Technical Information
There is helpful information for chairing meetings at: http://phonemeetings.org/information.htm
Thursday Noon “Serenity Spoken Here” Meeting
INTRODUCTION:
1. Hi, my name is ____________________, a grateful Al-Anon member and your secretary for this meeting.
2. This is a one hour and fifteen minute meeting.
3. Phone Etiquette:
a. You’ll enter the meeting being muted.
b. Un-mute and mute with *1 keys.
c. Do not share on a speaker phone.
d. Please stay muted at all times unless sharing
4. Let’s open with a moment of silence for those family members still suffering inside and outside of these rooms, followed by the Serenity Prayer.
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)
READINGS:
Chairperson or volunteer reads:
Suggested Al-Anon/Alateen Welcome (How Al-Anon Works p.8-9)
Secretary ask for volunteers to read:
a. Preamble to Al-Anon’s 12 Steps (Two Pages before January 1 in all three meditation books)
b. Al-Anon’s 12 Steps (found one page after December 31in all three meditations books)
c. One Tradition & One Concept of the month (one and two pages respectively after the 12 Steps in all three of the meditation books. IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER PLEASE READ CONCEPT 12 AND ALL 5 GENERAL WARRANTIES
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
5. 7th Tradition: Our Seventh Tradition states we are fully self-supporting through our own voluntary contributions.
Contributions can be sent to our World Service Office stating that it is from our Thursday Noon “Serenity Spoken Here” Meeting meeting. Our World Service Office ID number is 503890. You may give electronically at al-anon.org under the Contributions page. Donations can also be made at your face-to-face meetings.
For expenses related to the maintenance of the phonemeetings.org website, donations can be made there under the Contributions page.
6. For any member interested in the tool of Sponsorship it is suggested that you read Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature (CAL) on Sponsorship before selecting a sponsor. For information on Service Sponsorship please refer to the pamphlet P-88 “Service Sponsorship, Working Smarter, Not Harder”. Are there any members who could answer questions about sponsorship or service sponsorship? You may leave your telephone number at this time.
7. 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?
ON THE FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH, CAN OUR VOLUNTEER NEWCOMER GREETER PLEASE LEAVE THEIR PHONE # AS WE HAVE A BUSINESS MEETING AFTER
Are there any newcomers today? You can press your *1 keys to un-mute yourself and state your name so that we may greet you.
We reserve the last ten minutes of the meeting especially for newcomers, as well as for members who normally are quiet, to share so that everyone at the meeting has an opportunity. However, you all may share at any time.
8. Meeting information will be read at the end of the meeting after numbers are given out.
9. Are there any Al-Anon related announcements?
10. Business meeting is on the 1st Thursday of the Month. A suggested business meeting format can be found at the end of this format.
11. Let’s go around the globe and introduce ourselves. Hi, I am ______(Name)_____ from (_______State___)
MEETING TOPIC:
12. MEETING TOPIC
We will read Al-Anon’s daily meditation books for today’s date. Our meditation or daily readers are: Alateen A Day At A Time, Living Today In Alateen,One Day at a Time, Courage to Change, Hope for Today and A Little Time for Myself. Can we have four volunteers to select today's date from any of our readers?
13. 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.
“Also, we avoid the use of terms and labels such as ‘qualifier,’ ‘qualification,’ ‘co-dependent,’ and 'crosstalk.' This is considered to be outside language not affiliated with Al-Anon. In Al-Anon we keep the focus on ourselves.”
14. Personal progress for the greatest number depends on the safety of the group.
· Please resist the desire to comment on another person’s share. Your intention may be to show support, and could be misinterpreted.
· Please remember to speak from the “I perspective” when you share.
15. We have three minute shares. Do we have a volunteer to be our spiritual timer? We ask the spiritual timekeeper to stay muted until it's time to call time, and please acknowledge the timekeeper. Would the spiritual timer like to share first?
Top of the hour: We now open up the meeting especially for newcomers, as well as for members who normally are quiet.
CLOSING (Ten minutes after the top of the hour):
This is a gentle reminder that we refrain from repeating details of others shares when requesting phone numbers. We ask for names only.
16. Please call out the names of members you would like telephone numbers from after we close the meeting?
Chairperson or volunteer reads:
Suggested Al-Anon/Alateen Closing (How Al-Anon Works p. 380 or p. 396)
17. The Al-Anon Declaration: (Paths to Recovery p. IX or Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual p. 22)
18. 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. 12)
THE MEETING IS NOW CLOSED
(Leader asks if anyone would like to hear information on all registered Meetings, Meeting schedules or The Unity Line)
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?
20. Secretary / Chair now turns the meeting over to the newcomer greeter. On business meeting day, please request that the newcomer greeter leave their phone number for members to call with any questions.
SUGGESTED MONTHLY 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. Our business meeting lasts for 30 minutes unless otherwise voted on.
4. Do we have a volunteer to time our business meeting?
4. Is there any old business?
5. We open up the floor for discussion on these items.
6. Do we have a motion on this item?
7a. Do we have a second?
7b. Secretary please read the motion.
7c. VOTING:
7d. All in favor say “I” and state the order of “I’s” Like “I one” and then “I two” and so on.
7e. Any opposed? Say “nay one” and so on.
7f. Any abstentions? Say “abstaining one and so on.
7g. The motion is now carried or opposed with __#___in favor, ____#____opposed and _____#_____abstentions.
NEW BUSINESS:
8. Is there any new business that the group wants to bring up?
9. (if so) So our first order of business is ___________.
10. We open up the floor for discussion on this item.
11. Do we have a motion on this item?
11a. Do we have a second?
11b. Secretary please read the motion.
11c. We now go to voting…
11d. All in favor say “I” and state the order of “I’s…like, “I one” and then “I two” and so on.
11e. Any opposed? Say “nay one” and so on.
11f. Any abstentions? Say “abstaining one and so on.
11g. The motion is now carried or opposed with __#___in favor, ____#____opposed and _____#_____abstentions.
Is there anything a member would like to add before closing?
Let’s join together saying the Serenity Prayer
THE BUSINESS MEETING IS NOW CLOSED.