Al-Anews

Our Newsletter

Fall, 2008

(Available as PDF)

Editions

2008
2007

Subscribe

Do we have an e-mail address for your personal copy of the Al-Anews and other information coming from the Intergroup Office, District and WSO? Send us an e-mail and request to be put on our mailing list: alanon@houstonalanon.org

Al-Anon Family Group Service

The Intergroup Office provides the following services for Houston and Surrounding Areas (Districts 4, 5, and 7 of Texas East Area 53)

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (except holidays)

Office volunteers: Alice B., Becca H., Dorothy L., Marcia, Tina P., Wendy S.

Telephone volunteers: Leedell S., Ruby B., Chris C., Julie M., Kathy J., Rebecca S., Julie J., Anna D., Lonnee F., Lynn A., Dorothy B., Cindy L., Dianna R., Mary Lou L., Maureen H., Jane F., Ruby H., Ginger F., Ruth W., Ophelia P., Stephanie W., Robin OM., Jennie D., Susan J., Terri D., Jennifer L., Joy D., Dorothy K., June W., Suzy R., Alice B.

Group Contributions: Alamo Club, Bear Creek Community Center Care Bears, Champions Group, Chapelwood Discussion Tues 8 PM, Crossbridge Christian Church, District 5, First Presbyterian Blue Dolphin Thurs. 8 PM, First United. Methodist Sugar Land, First Unitarian Universalist Church, Foundry Methodist Church, Genesis AFG, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Grace Lutheran-Jackson Hill Gang, Grace Presbyterian Church, Group Unidad, Heights Group, Holy Name, Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, Kingwood Club, Lambda Center, Memorial Dr. Presbyterian-Parents, Memorial Dr. United Methodist, Messiah Lutheran Church, New Life (St. Stephen’s) Pearland, Rose-Rich Center, San Jacinto Methodist Hospital Baytown, Second Baptist Church Kingwood, South Montgomery Community Center Woodlands, Spring AA Club, St. Luke’s United Methodist, St. Paul’s Methodist Church, St. Peter’s United Katy, St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church, The Right Step, Trinity Episcopal Church Woodlands, Trinity Episcopal Church, Unity Church, University Baptist Church Women’s, University Baptist Church Clear Lake, Up The Street Hopeful, Westbury Methodist Church, Woodforest Baptist Church Northshore, The Woodlands United Methodist Church.

Thank you for supporting the Al-Anon Intergroup Office so we can support you. It is a joy to give back what was so freely given to us.

Intergroup Office

Intergroup Office Highlights

The Intergroup Office has a new face. Come by and meet Diane H. She joined us on July 28, 2008. We are very fortunate to have Diane, and Connie is very happy to have the help.

We are sad to say goodbye to Pat B. She served the Al-Anon office since 2003. We wish Pat many blessings in her future endeavors.

We are still in search of an office administrator. If you know of anyone with computer and administrative skills, have them look on our web site for the job requirements. The number one requirement is that the person must have been active in Al-Anon 4 years. They can also call Alice B. 713-447-7624.

Diane’s Reflections

Al-Anon slogans are for the most part easy to learn but harder to apply. One Day at a Time is one of the more difficult concepts for me to apply. Before I stepped into Al-Anon rooms, I tackled every aspect of my life fiercely determined to anticipate every possible problem and every conceivable solution. The end result: I never made a decision and I was trapped in fear. Gradually, I stepped out of this place, removed the word “but” from my vocabulary, and began to volunteer. Now I have been blessed with a position with the Intergroup Office and I have an opportunity to learn even more about this life-saving program.

Our Three Legacies

Al-Anon and Alateen Groups at Work, p. 15
SERVICE
Through
The Concepts		 UNITY
Through
The Traditions		 RECOVERY
Through
The Steps

Events

Face To Face

Becca H.

Hello Groups:

We are very excited about the Fall Face2Face and hope you are, as well. We are in a new location and have innovative topics and excellent speakers lined up. We have stepped “out of the box” and brought in two professionals to speak at the engagement. Dr. Jason Powers will speak on Addiction 2008 and Chris Davis will cover The Progressions of Addiction, The Addiction Cycle and Codependency in the Dysfunctional Family System. As Al-Anons, we are urged to get all the facts on the disease of alcoholism. This is a great opportunity to do just that.

We are bringing back our Silent Auction that has been so successful at recent conferences. We need donations of art, gift baskets, massages, facials, trips, meals, cooking lessons, and tickets to sporting events, seats to the orchestra or to the theatre. Any creative ideas you have as a group that might bring in funds are greatly appreciated. Please include a placard or note, with the item description and a dollar value (to determine starting bid), and bring it with you the day of the event.

Thanks so much for everything you do to support the Houston Intergroup Service Office.

Becca H.

Call the office or mail your registration for Face to Face. Seating is limited. The deadline for pre-registration is Sept. 17.

$200 worth of books for the group that registers the most people.

Upcoming Events

See our events page

Literature

Book Review
Discovering Choices (B-30)

By Connie F.

I was asked to read and review the newest book Discovering Choices (B-30) for the Al-Anews. I agreed to, yet felt hesitant because of fear. The last new book I had read startled me and brought up issues I was not ready to face. I put that book away and now, 8 ½ years later, I still haven’t had the courage to pick it back up.

Discovering Choices has been a pleasant surprise! I take it everywhere I go and have a hard time putting it down. Many of the topics addressed in meetings are discussed in this newest addition to our literature. Last night, at my home group, we used a topic from it and a lively discussion ensued.

Issues such as abandonment, acceptance, boundaries, communication and detachment are just a few of the topics addressed. Our understanding versus the alcoholic’s understanding is a great feature in the book. I have found the discussions at the beginning of each chapter enlightening and informative. The personal stories are current and interesting. I find myself reading them over and over again. The end of each chapter has a short list of questions to spark your thinking. Since this book came out, I feel like I have a “meeting in my purse” at all times.

Each member of Al-Anon, no matter at what level of recovery, will find this a “must read.” No matter whether you are a spouse, child or parent, you’ll find that this book speaks to you in a very special way.

Meetings

Group History:
Saturday Night Serenity Group

About 10 years ago, Lynn D. announced that she was starting a new Al-Anon meeting. The meeting is held on Saturday night at 8 PM at Grace Presbyterian Church, at Beltway 8 and Westheimer. Lynn passed out flyers at several meetings, including one that she and I attended. I went to the first meeting in support of Lynn, and also because the meeting I had attended on Saturday night had shut down.

At the first meeting, we decided on a format that has remained pretty much unchanged. The first meeting of each month is a step study. We read from Paths to Recovery, passing the book around and sharing on what we have read. The rest are discussion meetings. At each meeting we read the “Opening,” and then pass around the “12 Steps” and each person reads one. Someone also reads 3 of the “12 Traditions,” 3 of the 12 promises from From Survival to Recovery and the “Do’s and Don’ts.”

Our first meeting was held in a classroom on the second floor of the school building. We sat in student desks which were much too small for most of us. Then we moved to the first floor to the Pre-K classroom, fondly called the “Frog Room” because of the pictures and stuffed frogs. We sat in small children’s chairs which were still much too small. The A.A meeting was next door. Both meetings moved to the second floor of the church building for a while and now we are both on the first floor in rooms with two couches and regular chairs. We are at last very comfortable!

This meeting has a good mix of people: a lot of recovery, newcomers and in-betweens. There are couples and singles of all different ages, situations, and qualifiers. But we all have the same feelings since we have all been affected by the disease of alcoholism. People often have plans on a Saturday night so the same people don’t attend every meeting, but there is a core group that attends each week.

Desire chips are given out at each meeting and Al-Anon birthdays are celebrated the last Saturday of each month.

A group usually goes out for coffee after, and sometimes has dinner before, the meeting. This gives everyone a chance to get to know each other outside the meeting and strengthens the group. We usually have 20 to 25 people at each meeting which is a nice size.

We have an Intergroup Service Representative, follow the Al-Anon “Traditions” and look to the World Service Organization external when we have questions.

I asked some of the regulars why they like the meeting and keep coming back.

  • Lisa said: “Healing is in the hearing. I enjoy listening to the wisdom of the group, sitting back and soaking it all in.”
  • Fran said: “I was looking for a meeting when I moved from Sugar Land to Cypress. I searched for a year, going to various meetings until I found this one. It was just right.” There are others besides Fran who come from far away because they like the meeting so much.
  • Lynn said there are a lot of newcomers who are feeling scared and lonely on the weekend who need to reach out to people who understand the disease of alcoholism.
  • Ken said that he feels more relaxed on the weekend when he hasn’t had a stressful day at work. He thinks he gets more out of the meeting because of that.
  • Others said that there weren’t a lot of meetings on Saturday night. They realize that they are much better off attending the meeting than they are sitting at home feeling sorry for themselves because they are alone.

We always welcome newcomers and visitors and invite all who are reading this to join us on any Saturday night at 8:00.

Barbara P.

Wanted:
Al-Anon's To Support These Meetings

Hermann Memorial PARC
1550 La Concha, Houston, TX 77054
Monday 7:00 PM
Thursday 7:00 PM
Contact Alice 713-666-6969 after 10:00 AM

First United Methodist Church (UMC)
1062 Fairmont Pkwy @ Young St., Room 111,
Pasadena, TX 77504
Tuesday 12:00 – 1:30 PM
Thursday 12:00 – 1:30 PM
Contact Delilah 713-946-3686

Lamb of God Lutheran Church
1400 FM 1960 East Bypass
(wooden building behind church)
Humble, TX 77338
Saturday 9:00 AM
Contact Judy 713-202-1316

Park Place United Methodist Church (UMC)
3827 Broadway, Houston, TX 77017
Thursday 10:00 – 12:00 AM
Contact Rita 713-645-6461

Memorial Hermann PARC
3033 Gessner, Houston, TX 77080
Tuesday 7:00 PM Newcomers
Contact Cathy W. 281-620-9232

GLBT Al-Anon
707 Tremont @ 23rd, Galveston, TX 77550
Wednesday 7:00 PM
Contact Michael 832-435-6712

Gulf Coast Club
14540 Minetta St., Houston, TX 77035
Friday 6:30 PM

River Pointe Church
5000 Ransom Road, Richmond, TX 77467
Wednesday 12:15 PM (starts Sept. 10, 2008)
Contact Sheryl 281-639-3989

Champions FM 1960 Club
14340 W. Sylvanfield Dr., Houston, TX 77014
Wednesday 6:30 PM & 8:00 PM

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
502 Church St., Galveston, TX 77550
Tuesday 6:30 PM Moving Forward Al-Anon Adult Children

Service

We welcome aboard our newest Board members:

John C. and Norma W.

New Chairman is Orville B.

Alice B. - Treasurer

Tina P. - Secretary (Non-voting member)

Becca H. - Fall 2008 Face2Face Chairperson

Upcoming Opportunities To Serve In Our Communities:

  • Alateen Young Adult to speak and answer questions from a Junior High Audience in the Spring Branch Area, September 2008. Contact the office for more details.
  • Several individuals are needed to hand out materials for the 2009 Catholic National Council on Alcoholism and Related Addictions Expo, March 11-14, 2009. (This is a 4 day event and many English and Spanish speaking Al-Anons are needed.) Contact the office for more details.

Wanted

Submissions For The Al-Anews

All articles must be submitted by December 15th for the January, 2009 Newsletter. Articles must be in Word document format. They may be emailed to alanon@houstonalanon.org.

Let It Begin With Me

When anyone anywhere reaches out for help Let the hand of Al-Anon and Alateen always be there, and – LET IT BEGIN WITH ME.

From the Board of the AFG

Concern about Professional Speakers at Face to Face

See page

What is an Intergroup Service Representative (ISR)?

See page

Intergroup Statement

Houston We Have A Solution!

See page