1. Board of Trustees… Big Question

2. OUR MEMBERS: OUR HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
The 2017 World Service Conference theme is Our Members: Our Hope for the Future. As we consider the title of this upcoming session,
<CLICK>

3. How can we empower our members in the use of our Legacies and policies when seeking solutions to issues within the Area, District and group?
“How can we empower our members in the use of our Legacies and policies when seeking solutions to issues within the Area, District and group?” Hopefully we all recognize the importance of empowering our members because they are our hope for Al-Anon’s future.
<CLICK>

4. Al-Anon/Alateen Resources
Three Legacies
Groups at Work
“World Service Handbook”
Members website
Guidelines and Alateen Service e-Manual
Digest of Al-Anon and Alateen Policies
Today many Areas are empowering members to use Al-Anon’s resources when seeking solutions and are doing a wonderful job.
Members are being encouraged to explore Al-Anon’s principles and policies, available to anyone who attends meetings:
Our three Legacies: the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts, with their guiding spiritual principles…
The Al-Anon and Alateen Groups at Work (P-24) booklet, with its Meeting Format Outline, history of Al-Anon/Alateen, and information about group service positions…
The “World Service Handbook,” defining terms commonly used in Al-Anon and explaining our service structure …
Information on our Members website such as our Service Guidelines and the Alateen Service e-Manual and…
Our Policy Digest, addressing such issues as anonymity, finances and Al-Anon as it relates to others
<CLICK>

5. The Policy Digest Offers…
Guidance, not rules or specific answers
Shared experiences from the fellowship
Interpretations of our basic guides:
Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts
All too often, however, members may consider statements in the Policy Digest as a set of “rules” to be followed rather than broad, general statements to guide discussions and decisions. If the “rule” isn’t in the Digest, people want to add another rule, even though the “Preface” of our Service Manual reminds readers that, “Members seeking answers to specific questions of special situations may well find guidance within these pages.” The “Preface” stresses “guidance,” but not specific answers.
Likewise, the “Introduction to the Policy Digest” (p. 79 of the Service Manual), reminds us that the policy statements contained in that section simply, “grew out of questions and experiences from the Al‑Anon fellowship worldwide. They are interpretations of our basic guides, the Twelve Traditions and the Twelve Concepts of Service.”
The “Introduction concludes, “As our fellowship grows, and many more ideas and questions are raised, changes and additions will be made as circumstances and our growth require,” but we are also reminded to “strive to live with and by what we have here….”
<CLICK>

6. Why Do Members Seek Solutions Outside Themselves?
May just be learning the Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts
Want to find a solution quickly
Hope to resolve conflict
Can’t find topic in Service Manual Index
Encounter a baffling situation
Despite our abundant resources, members often look to others in the fellowship or to the World Service Office for answers.
We puzzled over the reasons members look for answers outside themselves.
There are probably a variety of reasons—but these are a few:
Members who ask …
May just be learning about the principles in the Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts
Want to find a solution quickly in order to preserve Area, District or group harmony
Hope to resolve or mediate a potential conflict by seeking impartial, non-participant input
Can’t find the topic listed in the Service Manual Index
And, of course, ask because a new situation has arisen that is not specifically addressed in the Service Manual — times change.
Actually, most questions have remained the same over the years: issues about anonymity, outside literature, dominance at meetings, groups not following the Traditions, financial confusion and sometimes personality conflicts.
<CLICK>

7. Solutions to Issues Many answers are available.
Some solutions require more
in-depth research.
Others situations are new and need to be reasoned out.
We concluded several things:
Many answers to questions about these common topics are readily available in our resources.
Other questions don’t have clear answers, but workable solutions can be found with more in-depth research of our resources.
Some questions are about new situations, presenting an opportunity for members to strengthen their skills and expand their knowledge by reasoning things out using the Legacies and policies.
Do you think opening a conversation and discussion might help members come to an informed group conscience?
By and large, members have many Al-Anon resources to explore when seeking solutions to issues, including experience within their own District and Area Assembly.
<CLICK>

8. Headquarters’ Original Purpose
To carry out, for Al-Anon, what the groups or Areas could not on their own….
Another resource is our World Service Office. It can relate shared experiences of groups or provide appropriate references in existing service material.
From the very beginning, Lois and Anne, our co-founders, were thinking of Al-Anon’s future and its members. In 1951, the two pioneers formed a central office, or “Clearing House,” as it was then called. This Clearing House was “designed to initiate and maintain those special services for Al‑Anon as a whole that could not be performed by single groups or Areas.”
In 1954, Al-Anon incorporated under the name Al-Anon Family Groups Headquarters Inc. However, in 1967 a decision was made by the Policy Committee to discontinue using the word “Headquarters” when interacting or corresponding with the groups.
<CLICK>

9. World Service Office An arm of the Conference
Not a decision-making body
No longer using the term “Headquarters” emphasized that the World Service Office was an arm of the Conference and not a decision-making body in itself. It also stressed the far reach of the Clearing House and its work beyond our Conference structure to Al-Anon around the world.
Although Al-Anon Family Groups Headquarters Inc. remains the corporate name, today we know our headquarters as the World Service Office, or simply “WSO.”
<CLICK>

10. AUTHORITY WSO as Clearing House
The WSO was designed to be the source for special services to groups, but not the authority.
According to Concept One, “The ultimate responsibility and authority for Al-Anon world services belongs to the Al-Anon groups.”
<CLICK>

11. WSO’s Purpose
To provide services to help individuals and groups worldwide….
All of these special services for the fellowship are described in our “World Service Handbook” on pages of our Service Manual.
Some we are very familiar with.
The WSO:
Acts as the clearinghouse worldwide for inquiries about Al‑Anon and Alateen
Publishes and distributes our Conference Approved Literature
Maintains data of worldwide Al-Anon/Alateen groups
Others special services aren’t as well-known.
The WSO also:
• Registers Lone Members and electronic meetings
• Guides countries outside the United States and Canada in developing their structures
• Maintains translation review of Al‑Anon/Alateen literature into languages other than English, French and Spanish; and supervises the legal aspects of its distribution.
Special services such as these are provided for groups worldwide that are busy in their respective areas helping other relatives and friends of alcoholics and carrying the message of hope to prospective members who have not yet found Al-Anon and Alateen.
<CLICK>

12. Talk to each other Reason things out…
Since members are “our hope for the future,” how can we encourage them to trust themselves, to use Al-Anon’s Legacies and policies and to “talk to each other and reason things out?”
After all, members really are the ones most familiar with a particular issue for which they are seeking a solution and they have the available tools to address most situations that arise in their group, District or Area.
<CLICK>

13. “If two Al-Anon groups exchange a dollar, they still have but one dollar each, but when they exchange an idea, each group has two ideas.”
Many Voices, One Journey (B-31), p.139
Through loving interchange, members, groups, Districts and Areas can be empowered to find their solutions.
Time spent researching, discussing, and learning is not time wasted, as this quotation from Many Voices, One Journey (B-31), p. 139 reminds us:
“If two Al-Anon groups exchange a dollar, they still have but one dollar each, but when they exchange an idea, each group has two ideas”
(Many Voices, One Journey (B-31), p. 139)
 <CLICK>

14. Al-Anon/Alateen Resources
Our three Legacies
Groups at Work
The “World Service Handbook”
Our Members website
Guidelines and the Alateen Service e-Manual
Digest of Al-Anon and Alateen Policies
How do we, as experienced leaders in service, support our members and help them believe they are capable of finding their own answers if they use our Al-Anon and Alateen resources to seek solutions?
Newcomers at meetings are often told that if they just keep coming back they will find their own answers. These answers come from listening, learning, participating, and applying the principles of the program. The same is true for groups, Districts and Areas seeking solutions to important issues. These conversations and discussions among members lead to an informed group conscience.
<CLICK>

15. “The informed group conscience encourages us to talk to each other and reason things out. It embodies the spiritual principles found throughout our program, including our three Legacies, which are the Steps, Traditions, and Concepts of Service.”
Talk to Each Other—Resolving Conflicts within Al-Anon (S-73)
This “… informed group conscience encourages us to talk to each other and reason things out. It embodies the spiritual principles found throughout our program, including our three Legacies, which are the Steps, Traditions, and Concepts of Service” (From the booklet, Talk to Each Other—Resolving Conflict within Al-Anon
(S-73).
In doing so, we help each other to grow.
<CLICK>

16. NEXT: MEET IN BREAKOUT ROOMS
Next, we will be breaking into small groups to discuss our topic further and brainstorm strategies about empowering members to use their wisdom, engage in loving interchanges and explore Al-Anon’s abundant resources; and whenever possible, to find solutions to resolve their issues.
Then we will be coming back together in the Conference Room for discussion and a time of reflection.

17. Board of Trustees… Big Question
Welcome back to our Final Discussion Session…
<CLICK>

18. How can we empower our members in the use of our Legacies and policies when seeking solutions to issues within the Area, District and group?
And a time for reflecting on this big question: How can we empower our members in the use of our Legacies and policies when seeking solutions to issues within the Areas, District and group?
I hope you enjoyed the breakouts and are inspired to share your thoughts and strategies.
We have only 30-minutes for this discussion, so let’s begin by hearing your reflections on two questions.
<CLICK>

19. Big Question - Reflections:
What did you find beneficial in your breakout session?
What strategies can you suggest to empower members to use Al-Anon’s Legacies and policies when seeking solutions?
The mic is now open for you to share on the first question:
What did you find beneficial about the breakout session? (seven minutes) Would anyone like to begin this reflection session?
(Reminder: One time at the mic, and if someone has already said what you planned to say, please sit down.)
<CLICK>

20. Big Question: Reflections
What did you find beneficial in your breakout session?
What strategies can you suggest to empower members to use Legacies and policies when seeking solutions?
Secondly,
What strategies can you suggest to empower members to use Al-Anon’s Legacies and policies to seek their own answers?
(18 minutes) Please share just one idea when you come to the microphone.
Based on what we have just heard, our Conference has had a very productive conversation about “empowering members” to use
Al-Anon’s abundant resources to seek their own solutions. Our time for sharing is up.
<CLICK>

21. The Future of Al-Anon? Our members!
Thank you all for sharing ideas about empowering our members—the foundation of the Al-Anon Family Groups structure –our hope for the future!
<CLICK> End of presentation.