Wednesday 10pm - Technical Information

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

FORMAT

Wednesday 10pm “Grief and Loss In the Journey Toward Recovery”

 Hi, my name is ________________, a grateful Al-Anon member and your secretary for the Wednesday 10:00 pm “Grief and Loss in the Journey Toward Recovery” meeting. This meeting lasts for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

 Phone Bridge Etiquette

When you dial in, you will start the conference being muted. Stay muted at all times unless you are sharing. You can un-mute by pressing your *1 keys.

Please do not use a speakerphone for sharing or we will all hear an echo.

To hear a menu of all the features—such as volume control or member count—simply press * by itself.

 Format starts here

1.   Serenity Prayer

We open this meeting with a moment of silence, followed by the Serenity Prayer.

 God grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

 2.   Suggested Al-Anon Welcome

Do we have a volunteer (or secretary) to read the Suggested Al-Anon Welcome?

(How Al-Anon Works p. 8 or the Al-Anon Service Manual pp. 11-12).

     3.   Our Three Legacies

Our Three Legacies in Al-Anon include:

Recovery through the Steps

Unity through the Traditions

Service through the Concepts—in particular the 4th Concept, which reminds us that participation is the key to harmony.

 a.    Who would like to volunteer to read the 12 Steps?

(How Al-Anon Works p. 44 or 397 or the Al-Anon Service Manual pp. 14-15 or in any one of the three Daily Readers pp. 367-368).

b.   Who would like to volunteer to read the 12 Traditions?

(How Al-Anon Works pp. 105-106 or 398-399, the Al-Anon Service Manual pp. 15-16 or in any one of the three Daily Readers pp. 367-368).

          Thank you to our readers

 4.   Announcements

a.     According to the 7th Tradition, Al-Anon is fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. We invite you to send contributions to the WSO and this meeting is registered as WSO ID#30731493, or you can make donations at your face-to-face meeting.

 

b.      Are there any Al-Anon related announcements?  Please note, announcements for meetings on other phone lines can be shared when all meeting information is given at the end of the meeting.

 

c.       The Business Meeting will be held on the 1st Wednesday of every month,  after the close of the meeting.

 5.   Introductions

We now go around the globe and introduce ourselves. If you are new to Al-Anon or to the phone bridge, please let us know when you introduce yourself so we can welcome you. After introducing yourself, please re-mute by pressing *1.

I’ll start:

Hi, I’m _______________ and I’m calling from________________.

 6.   Meeting Format

a.    This meeting focuses on the Al-Anon book Opening Our Hearts, Transforming Our Losses, which shows that “anyone who has been affected by alcoholism has faced loss, and probably many losses.” In this particular meeting, we apply Al-Anon tools to the challenging subjects of grief and loss. We read through the book in consecutive order in its ENTIRETY, reading one section each week (or more sections as determined by the moderator or group). We read the section that begins where we left off from during the previous week’s meeting.

5TH Wednesday of the month: Have a speaker share for five to ten minutes on his or her own experience, strength and hope related to grief and loss       

b.   Today’s reading begins on page_____ and the Section is titled ____________.

 c.    May we get a volunteer(s) to read?

 d.   Thank you to our reader(s).

 e.    Next week’s reading will begin on page _____ and is titled ________________. 

 7.   Anonymity Statement

Before sharing, we offer a gentle reminder that we speak from our own experience. We ask that you resist the desire to comment on or respond to another person's share. Also, we ask those who are members of other anonymous programs to try to identify with the Al-Anon approach to the family illness. Ours is a different experience and calls for a different interpretation.

 

8.   Timekeeping/Sharing

a.    As you listen to the meeting, please take note of the members who share and you could relate to their share. There will be an opportunity to request phone numbers after the close of the meeting.

b.  We reserve the last 15 minutes of the meeting especially for newcomers and those who don’t often share, however newcomers may share at any time.

c.   We have three-minute shares. The timekeeper is asked to stay muted at all times, except when to come in to gently say, "Time." We ask the person who is sharing to acknowledge the timekeeper.

d.    Can we have a volunteer to be our timekeeper?

e.   Would our timekeeper like to share, first?

f.    We are now open up for sharing.

              (Note: Thank sharer by first name after share)

g.  Fifteen minutes before the meeting closes (at the top of the hour):  We are now at fifteen minutes before the close of the meeting; we will now open up the sharing for newcomers or for those members who do not regularly share.

9.   Closing

First, I'd like to thank everyone who did service including our timekeeper, our readers, all those who shared and all those dialed in to listen.

       

a.    Now in the spirit of reminding us of why we are here, I will read a selection of Al-Anon literature:  pp. 267-268 in the new edition of the book "From Survival to Recovery" or the older version  pp. 269-270, beginning with “IF WE WILLINGLY SURRENDER …” and ending before LIVING WITH SERENITY.

 b.   Serenity Prayer

And now, would all who care to, please press *1 to un-mute and join together in saying 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

       

d.   Do we have a volunteer who is willing to stay on the line to welcome our newcomers and answer any questions they may have about Al-Anon or the phone bridge?

e.    Phone numbers—At this time would anyone like to request a phone number?

 

The Meeting is now formally closed.

 Those wishing to participate in fellowship are invited to stay on the line following Newcomers’ Welcome.

 Meeting Schedule

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 information for this line can be found at (712) 432-8733 PIN: UNITY411#. The backup number for meeting 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?

 

 

Chair passes off meeting to newcomer greeter and after-meeting fellowship