January 2020 Bits
New GR? CMA Correct? Time to Update Records
January is an excellent time for Groups to update their information with WA Area. In the past, you may have updated the Group information with WSO, but because of updated procedures, you are now directed to make all meeting changes at the WA Area website. Go to wa-al-anon.org. Log in or create a log in. Then go to RESOURCES > FOR MEMBERS > MAKE MEETING CHANGES. If you need assistance, you can find an instructional link on our AIS Members page, or you can contact your District Representative (DR). All changes made on the WA Area site will be sent to both WSO and AIS. So WA Area is now the one-stop-shop for all changes.
The two most common changes at the beginning of the year are the Group Representative (GR) information and the Current Mailing Address (CMA) changes. The GR information allows the DR to communicate with your Group.
The CMA is the address where WSO sends mail to your Group. If USPS mail is returned to WSO, your Group listing will be removed from the WA Area electronic meeting finder. That is the site that our Seattle AIS website links to and where many, if not most, new members find our meetings. Even if you are not changing your CMA, it is prudent to check whether your Group is listed on the WA Area site using their meeting finder. While there, you can check to see if the other details for your Group are listed and request that any outdated information be removed.
While you are updating your meeting information, please take the time to check the information in our printable AIS Meeting Directory, which is at the back of this newsletter. Check the time, address, and any special instructions and also the little codes below the day and time. Is the length of the meeting correct? Is your meeting open to observers? Is it handicapped accessible? Is it fragrance-free? Does it have a beginner’s meeting? Does it offer ASL interpretation? Is there an Alateen, AA, or Adult Children of Alcoholics meeting at the same time and place? Do you provide childcare? All of this information is especially helpful to newcomers. The meeting length is beneficial so that attendees can plan their schedules accordingly.
-Bits Editor Teresa H.
The two most common changes at the beginning of the year are the Group Representative (GR) information and the Current Mailing Address (CMA) changes. The GR information allows the DR to communicate with your Group.
The CMA is the address where WSO sends mail to your Group. If USPS mail is returned to WSO, your Group listing will be removed from the WA Area electronic meeting finder. That is the site that our Seattle AIS website links to and where many, if not most, new members find our meetings. Even if you are not changing your CMA, it is prudent to check whether your Group is listed on the WA Area site using their meeting finder. While there, you can check to see if the other details for your Group are listed and request that any outdated information be removed.
While you are updating your meeting information, please take the time to check the information in our printable AIS Meeting Directory, which is at the back of this newsletter. Check the time, address, and any special instructions and also the little codes below the day and time. Is the length of the meeting correct? Is your meeting open to observers? Is it handicapped accessible? Is it fragrance-free? Does it have a beginner’s meeting? Does it offer ASL interpretation? Is there an Alateen, AA, or Adult Children of Alcoholics meeting at the same time and place? Do you provide childcare? All of this information is especially helpful to newcomers. The meeting length is beneficial so that attendees can plan their schedules accordingly.
-Bits Editor Teresa H.
Celebrate Lois’s Birthday at Our AIS Fellowship Event
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We have received feedback from our members that while putting together auction baskets and all the work associated with our AIS auctions were not your favorites, you miss the fellowship at AIS events. To fill that desire for fellowship, please celebrate Lois’s Birthday on Saturday, February 29, at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Bellevue. The party will include good food, inspirational speakers, a little bit about Lois’s life, and time to catch up with Al-Anon friends.
The potluck begins at 5:00 p.m. AIS will provide a choice of main dishes, including lasagna, eggplant parmesan, and gluten-free pasta. Please bring a salad or other side dish to share. And, of course, there will be birthday cake provided by AIS! Around 6:00 p.m., we will hear from Alateen, Al-Anon, and AA speakers as they share their personal stories of recovery. To make this event as inclusive as possible, we are offering ASL and Spanish interpreters if those needing the interpretation RSVP to event@seattle-al-anon.org by February 10. (For the Spanish interpretation, we will be borrowing WA Area’s translation equipment.) We need volunteers to help in the kitchen and with the cleanup. Please let us know if you are willing to help: event@seattle-al-anon.org. - Event Co-Coordinators Karen L. and Teresa H. |
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Ending One Year and Welcoming the New Year
I am very grateful for the volunteers who have contributed so much to the efficiency of the Al-Anon Information Service (AIS) and have now stepped down from those AIS positions. I am equally grateful for those who have stepped up to service positions with the Seattle AIS, in service to the Greater Seattle Area Groups.
We often report to the Group Reps (GRs), District Reps (DRs), Alt-GRs, and Alt-DRs that we are serving them better by making the AIS office a volunteer-run office. We have reduced our budget. We have eliminated the need for the biannual fundraising auctions. We have successfully moved to a less expensive location, and we reduced the number of days that the office is open to 1 day a week, filling more literature orders than when the office was open 5 days a week.
The AIS has been very transparent about AIS finances as well as rising to challenges that have come up in the last few years. We have a significant amount of money in AMPLE Reserve and some extra funds in the checking account. We had our first meeting to discuss a policy for handling finances above and beyond the annual budget. A formal report is expected in the coming months.
We have been working with our current all-volunteer model for almost 2 years, and it has worked well so far. Those who have led us to this all-volunteer model have expressed concerns about the sustainability of the all-volunteer model with so many professional skills required for certain positions. I am expecting further conversation on this question going into the new year.
We do need the Groups in the Greater Seattle Area to contribute regularly to help AIS meet our monthly expenses. I do invite more representation by Groups and Districts at the AIS Board and Council meetings. Members can also participate by writing articles for the BITS newsletter, taking a phone shift, and offering to fill an office volunteer position. Together we can make 2020 the best year for Al-Anon Information Service here in the Seattle Area.
Respectfully submitted,
Eliza D.
2020 AIS Chair
We often report to the Group Reps (GRs), District Reps (DRs), Alt-GRs, and Alt-DRs that we are serving them better by making the AIS office a volunteer-run office. We have reduced our budget. We have eliminated the need for the biannual fundraising auctions. We have successfully moved to a less expensive location, and we reduced the number of days that the office is open to 1 day a week, filling more literature orders than when the office was open 5 days a week.
The AIS has been very transparent about AIS finances as well as rising to challenges that have come up in the last few years. We have a significant amount of money in AMPLE Reserve and some extra funds in the checking account. We had our first meeting to discuss a policy for handling finances above and beyond the annual budget. A formal report is expected in the coming months.
We have been working with our current all-volunteer model for almost 2 years, and it has worked well so far. Those who have led us to this all-volunteer model have expressed concerns about the sustainability of the all-volunteer model with so many professional skills required for certain positions. I am expecting further conversation on this question going into the new year.
We do need the Groups in the Greater Seattle Area to contribute regularly to help AIS meet our monthly expenses. I do invite more representation by Groups and Districts at the AIS Board and Council meetings. Members can also participate by writing articles for the BITS newsletter, taking a phone shift, and offering to fill an office volunteer position. Together we can make 2020 the best year for Al-Anon Information Service here in the Seattle Area.
Respectfully submitted,
Eliza D.
2020 AIS Chair
The Wisdom to Know the Difference...
Lately, I seem to struggle a lot with familiar patterns that are anchored in long-standing familial dysfunction. I often feel like I have to “stay the course” of an earlier decision, even when circumstances change around me. It’s like I’m trying to contort my life to fit into a box of someone else’s making.
This is when I experience sleeplessness, excessive worry, and an enveloping sense of failure and discouragement. I become susceptible to the old pattern of “Doing the same thing over and over again…expecting different results.” This is known as the definition of “crazy.” Step One tells me it is okay and even healthy to recognize that “my life has become unmanageable” and “I am powerless over alcohol.” I might add that I am also powerless over outside circumstances, including the behavior and decisions of others.
My self-employment gig is expiring at the end of December. Recently a path seemed to open up for a day job in my new field, along with night school to develop advanced skills. I was excited and so ready to be gainfully employed and to have a steady schedule! But then life came along with the inevitable curveball, and circumstances shifted within the household where I live, which affected my ability to execute the plan. In addition, the hiring decision was delayed due to another unexpected event in the life of the potential employer.
It currently feels like everyone else knows where the bus stop is, and I’m still standing alone, and have apparently missed the bus! But wait a minute! The “bus” is not the only mode of travel! The God of my understanding has a unique path for me and often just reveals it one step at a time. I have heard that if reality is a river and I spend excessive amounts of energy trying to paddle upstream, I’m not going to get anywhere except exhausted!
I am exhausted! God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. I cannot change the shift in circumstances around me. I can let go and let God restore me to sanity! I can turn my kayak around and go with the flow of reality, instead of fighting the rapids. I can look for the courage to change the things I can. I can search for opportunities that are along the edges of the river, as I go with the flow of serenity, and conserve my energy for the next adventure! I can acquire the “wisdom to know the difference” between the insanity of clinging to familiar futile patterns and the serenity of the new ways I am learning in recovery.
One day at a time!
This is when I experience sleeplessness, excessive worry, and an enveloping sense of failure and discouragement. I become susceptible to the old pattern of “Doing the same thing over and over again…expecting different results.” This is known as the definition of “crazy.” Step One tells me it is okay and even healthy to recognize that “my life has become unmanageable” and “I am powerless over alcohol.” I might add that I am also powerless over outside circumstances, including the behavior and decisions of others.
My self-employment gig is expiring at the end of December. Recently a path seemed to open up for a day job in my new field, along with night school to develop advanced skills. I was excited and so ready to be gainfully employed and to have a steady schedule! But then life came along with the inevitable curveball, and circumstances shifted within the household where I live, which affected my ability to execute the plan. In addition, the hiring decision was delayed due to another unexpected event in the life of the potential employer.
It currently feels like everyone else knows where the bus stop is, and I’m still standing alone, and have apparently missed the bus! But wait a minute! The “bus” is not the only mode of travel! The God of my understanding has a unique path for me and often just reveals it one step at a time. I have heard that if reality is a river and I spend excessive amounts of energy trying to paddle upstream, I’m not going to get anywhere except exhausted!
I am exhausted! God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. I cannot change the shift in circumstances around me. I can let go and let God restore me to sanity! I can turn my kayak around and go with the flow of reality, instead of fighting the rapids. I can look for the courage to change the things I can. I can search for opportunities that are along the edges of the river, as I go with the flow of serenity, and conserve my energy for the next adventure! I can acquire the “wisdom to know the difference” between the insanity of clinging to familiar futile patterns and the serenity of the new ways I am learning in recovery.
One day at a time!
The Magic of Twenty-Twenty
Twenty-Twenty!
Some numbers just fire the imagination. They seem to possess magic and importance that other numbers don’t have.
Twenty-twenty has that magic for me for several reasons. First, it’s 20 years into the 21st century. For an avid reader of science fiction, I have been visiting those fictional futures for as long as I can remember. The stories fascinate me with the endless possibilities of the authors’ imaginations. Now here I am living in that time they imagined!
My birthday is in early January, so I have always associated my birthday with the fresh start that a brand new year brings. Twenty-twenty is also the start of a milestone year for me.
This year I turn 75.
Three-quarters of a century!
For some reason (probably my Al-Anon program practice), I don’t see this birthday as approaching the end or winding down. I am much more excited to see what the next years will bring.
Last year I had open-heart surgery. A triple bypass that far from making me fear my mortality, gave me a new sense of freedom. I have a renewed desire to be more active: to do as much as I can for as long as I can. Beyond the physical ability to do things I couldn’t do before the surgery, my mental attitude has changed.
Somehow there is a sense of freedom to try all the things that my old self-image wouldn’t allow me to do in the past. To give myself full permission to practice Step Three: “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” To accept taking the next indicated step without a plan or self-imposed direction.
I am trusting in my Higher Power to lead me in the right direction—even when I can’t see the path or the end of the journey.
- Bits Columnist Allen L.
Some numbers just fire the imagination. They seem to possess magic and importance that other numbers don’t have.
Twenty-twenty has that magic for me for several reasons. First, it’s 20 years into the 21st century. For an avid reader of science fiction, I have been visiting those fictional futures for as long as I can remember. The stories fascinate me with the endless possibilities of the authors’ imaginations. Now here I am living in that time they imagined!
My birthday is in early January, so I have always associated my birthday with the fresh start that a brand new year brings. Twenty-twenty is also the start of a milestone year for me.
This year I turn 75.
Three-quarters of a century!
For some reason (probably my Al-Anon program practice), I don’t see this birthday as approaching the end or winding down. I am much more excited to see what the next years will bring.
Last year I had open-heart surgery. A triple bypass that far from making me fear my mortality, gave me a new sense of freedom. I have a renewed desire to be more active: to do as much as I can for as long as I can. Beyond the physical ability to do things I couldn’t do before the surgery, my mental attitude has changed.
Somehow there is a sense of freedom to try all the things that my old self-image wouldn’t allow me to do in the past. To give myself full permission to practice Step Three: “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” To accept taking the next indicated step without a plan or self-imposed direction.
I am trusting in my Higher Power to lead me in the right direction—even when I can’t see the path or the end of the journey.
- Bits Columnist Allen L.
Step One Can Offer a New Beginning
Step One: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
It’s 2020. A new year, a new decade, and an opportunity for new goals. I’m not talking about New Year’s resolutions. The top 3 resolutions for 2019 were to eat healthier, exercise more, and lose weight. While those are worthy endeavors, our program offers deep, lasting growth. Step One: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. This is more than a fleeting fad. When practiced in earnest, it is a formula for lifelong change.
I’m not new to the Steps. I’ve practiced them for many years. But, with a fresh decade, I’m embracing Step One anew. I am truly powerless over anything but my own life. In the new year, I want to fully embrace the wisdom that says I have no control over loved ones, the past, other people, or alcoholism. “No one can control the insidious effect of alcohol or its power to destroy the graces and decencies of life” (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, p. 86). No one can. No one. Luckily, we have Step One to help us.
I’ve been thinking about a fresh way to practice Step One. When I find myself judging another’s behavior and believing I have the answers, I’ll try to remember this phrase: “They have a good reason for doing it that way.” From simple acts like sweeping the floor to profound ideas like a belief in God, people have come to their own choices through their own life experiences. The consequences of those choices are between them and their Higher Power. When I don’t accept that fact, my life becomes unmanageable. I obsess, begrudge, or spin out of control. I want serenity in 2020, not obsession.
Another take on the same idea is this: “I love this person just the way they are.” I want peace in my relationships. It begins with me not infusing my discontentment onto them or expecting them to change so I can be happy. When I remember to practice this radical acceptance, whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not, I feel open and content. I create a space for my Higher Power to work through us.
Practicing Step One is a lifelong process. The change that takes place when I truly realized I am powerless is deep and lasting—not a resolution forgotten months later. Once I see the futility of my controlling behavior, I can never fully go back to my old ways. I am forever changed by Step One. There’s freedom in this powerlessness. I can turn my thoughts toward my highest good instead of someone else’s perceived shortcomings. I have time to pursue self-care instead of illusions. I can love myself and others just the way we are. It’s an excellent way to begin a new decade.
- Bits Columnist Fawn B.
It’s 2020. A new year, a new decade, and an opportunity for new goals. I’m not talking about New Year’s resolutions. The top 3 resolutions for 2019 were to eat healthier, exercise more, and lose weight. While those are worthy endeavors, our program offers deep, lasting growth. Step One: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. This is more than a fleeting fad. When practiced in earnest, it is a formula for lifelong change.
I’m not new to the Steps. I’ve practiced them for many years. But, with a fresh decade, I’m embracing Step One anew. I am truly powerless over anything but my own life. In the new year, I want to fully embrace the wisdom that says I have no control over loved ones, the past, other people, or alcoholism. “No one can control the insidious effect of alcohol or its power to destroy the graces and decencies of life” (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, p. 86). No one can. No one. Luckily, we have Step One to help us.
I’ve been thinking about a fresh way to practice Step One. When I find myself judging another’s behavior and believing I have the answers, I’ll try to remember this phrase: “They have a good reason for doing it that way.” From simple acts like sweeping the floor to profound ideas like a belief in God, people have come to their own choices through their own life experiences. The consequences of those choices are between them and their Higher Power. When I don’t accept that fact, my life becomes unmanageable. I obsess, begrudge, or spin out of control. I want serenity in 2020, not obsession.
Another take on the same idea is this: “I love this person just the way they are.” I want peace in my relationships. It begins with me not infusing my discontentment onto them or expecting them to change so I can be happy. When I remember to practice this radical acceptance, whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not, I feel open and content. I create a space for my Higher Power to work through us.
Practicing Step One is a lifelong process. The change that takes place when I truly realized I am powerless is deep and lasting—not a resolution forgotten months later. Once I see the futility of my controlling behavior, I can never fully go back to my old ways. I am forever changed by Step One. There’s freedom in this powerlessness. I can turn my thoughts toward my highest good instead of someone else’s perceived shortcomings. I have time to pursue self-care instead of illusions. I can love myself and others just the way we are. It’s an excellent way to begin a new decade.
- Bits Columnist Fawn B.
Alateen Update
A new Alateen meeting will begin on Saturday, January 4, 2020, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Queen Anne Lutheran Church, 2400 8th Ave. W. in Seattle. The AMIAS have been selected, along with a backup, in case an adult sponsor is not available. A special “thank you” to the How Important Is It? Al-Anon Family Group (AFG) for supporting this new Alateen Group.
An AMIAS greeter will be at the McGraw St entrance of the church to welcome Alateens and direct them to our meeting room.
In December 2019, Kathy B., AIS Alateen Coordinator, and Jennifer S., District 20 Outreach Coordinator, met with the Drug and Alcohol Counselors and Team Leader for Seattle Schools. This was an exploratory meeting to discuss the needs in the middle schools and how Alateen groups might be started. There was interest and enthusiasm for looking into this further. We are in the process of developing a Memorandum of Understanding with some of the middle schools. The counselors are reviewing what Alateen has to offer and how they might partner with Al-Anon to begin Alateen in the schools. Since the needs of the schools differ, each schedule will be different.
We now have 55 trained AMIAS in our Seattle AIS area. Once we know the schedules the schools need, we will be sending out a “Help Wanted” to our AMIAS. We hope to have confirmed plans by February.
We are also continuing to communicate with our Seattle AIS area AMIAS and will be planning another AMIAS event for January to bring this critical group together. Training sessions are also being scheduled for any Al-Anon members who are interested in working with the Alateen Groups. Look for more information at seattle-al-anon.org.
Just a reminder: Alateen meetings are closed. Only Alateens and AMIAS may attend the meetings unless the Alateens choose to hold an open meeting to inform the community.
- AIS Alateen Coordinator Kathy B.
An AMIAS greeter will be at the McGraw St entrance of the church to welcome Alateens and direct them to our meeting room.
In December 2019, Kathy B., AIS Alateen Coordinator, and Jennifer S., District 20 Outreach Coordinator, met with the Drug and Alcohol Counselors and Team Leader for Seattle Schools. This was an exploratory meeting to discuss the needs in the middle schools and how Alateen groups might be started. There was interest and enthusiasm for looking into this further. We are in the process of developing a Memorandum of Understanding with some of the middle schools. The counselors are reviewing what Alateen has to offer and how they might partner with Al-Anon to begin Alateen in the schools. Since the needs of the schools differ, each schedule will be different.
We now have 55 trained AMIAS in our Seattle AIS area. Once we know the schedules the schools need, we will be sending out a “Help Wanted” to our AMIAS. We hope to have confirmed plans by February.
We are also continuing to communicate with our Seattle AIS area AMIAS and will be planning another AMIAS event for January to bring this critical group together. Training sessions are also being scheduled for any Al-Anon members who are interested in working with the Alateen Groups. Look for more information at seattle-al-anon.org.
Just a reminder: Alateen meetings are closed. Only Alateens and AMIAS may attend the meetings unless the Alateens choose to hold an open meeting to inform the community.
- AIS Alateen Coordinator Kathy B.
Phone Volunteer Coordinator Needed for 2020
The Volunteer Phone Coordinator position is open. I am willing to meet with anyone considering the service position. It is less than an hour a week commitment as the calendar is sent out separately. The duties consist mainly of communicating with current and new volunteers and the member who produces the calendar each month.
So what do you do?
• Write a short email message each month to accompany the calendar link for signup.
• Communicate with those interested in doing phone service. This is done mostly by email.
• Communicate with new and current volunteers. Mostly by email.
• Communicate with the person producing the calendar by sending new volunteer information to them. Mostly by email.
• Answer voice messages left on the mainline when there is no volunteer coverage. Email messages for the Coordinator can be forwarded to you. There are not many messages to answer—usually newcomers asking basic Al-Anon questions or requesting meeting information.
- Outgoing Phone Volunteer Coordinator Karen T.
So what do you do?
• Write a short email message each month to accompany the calendar link for signup.
• Communicate with those interested in doing phone service. This is done mostly by email.
• Communicate with new and current volunteers. Mostly by email.
• Communicate with the person producing the calendar by sending new volunteer information to them. Mostly by email.
• Answer voice messages left on the mainline when there is no volunteer coverage. Email messages for the Coordinator can be forwarded to you. There are not many messages to answer—usually newcomers asking basic Al-Anon questions or requesting meeting information.
- Outgoing Phone Volunteer Coordinator Karen T.
Meeting Updates
New Lynnwood Meeting
A new open meeting has begun in Lynnwood on Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. It is called the Lynnwood Almost Noon AFG and meets at the Lynnwood Alano Club at 4001 198th St. S.W. in Room B. The Alano Club is located in the strip mall next to Goodwill. For now, the Group meets for one hour. It is expected to be extended to 90 minutes when the attendance size grows. Our emphasis is solution-based, where we focus on the Step and Tradition for each month on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, respectively, and topics on the other Tuesdays. The entrance and parking are in the back. Hope to see you there! —Marcy B.
Friends AFG Has a New Time
The members of Friends AFG have a new meeting time. Effective January 1, our new meeting time is 7:00-8:00 p.m. The meeting is on Wednesdays at North Seattle Friends Church, 7736 24th Ave. N.E. We welcome newcomers and seasoned members to our meeting. —Annie T.
Morning Serenity AFG
Morning Serenity AFG, previously meeting on Tuesday mornings, has disbanded.
A new open meeting has begun in Lynnwood on Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. It is called the Lynnwood Almost Noon AFG and meets at the Lynnwood Alano Club at 4001 198th St. S.W. in Room B. The Alano Club is located in the strip mall next to Goodwill. For now, the Group meets for one hour. It is expected to be extended to 90 minutes when the attendance size grows. Our emphasis is solution-based, where we focus on the Step and Tradition for each month on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, respectively, and topics on the other Tuesdays. The entrance and parking are in the back. Hope to see you there! —Marcy B.
Friends AFG Has a New Time
The members of Friends AFG have a new meeting time. Effective January 1, our new meeting time is 7:00-8:00 p.m. The meeting is on Wednesdays at North Seattle Friends Church, 7736 24th Ave. N.E. We welcome newcomers and seasoned members to our meeting. —Annie T.
Morning Serenity AFG
Morning Serenity AFG, previously meeting on Tuesday mornings, has disbanded.
December AIS Joint Board/Council Meeting Summary
Chair’s Report: Eliza D. began the meeting with a group discussion about AIS and who we are and what our identity is. Eliza D. shared the newcomer checklist. It is available on the WSO website and is a useful resource.
Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Linda H. shared financial reports and noted that donations are down a bit, but literature sales are doing well. We are in the black for the year. The Financial Policy Task Force is working on a plan to determine the appropriate amount for our ample reserve. They will also develop a plan for any funds above that amount. Linda H. requested we spread the word that she would like a Treasurer-In-Training in preparation for taking over the Treasurer position for 2021.
Vice Chair’s Report: Vice-Chair Doug L. sent an inquiry on AFG Connects and received responses from several Al-Anon service arms around the country. Doug L. welcomes help looking into Board insurance.
Alateen Coordinator’s Report: Kathy B. reported we have 55 AMIAS now, and there is a new Alateen group starting in January at Queen Anne Lutheran Church. Also, they met with schools in the Seattle School District, and 4 middle schools are interested in starting Groups. There will be another Alateen Interest Group meeting on January 22 to discuss more ideas for expanding our Alateen program.
Communications Coordinator’s Report: Teresa H. reported that holiday meeting cancellations are on the website. Any changes in GRs should be changed on the Washington Area website. Instructions can be found on our website’s Member page. Teresa H. introduced Luca S., the incoming Communications Coordinator for 2020.
Outreach Coordinator’s Report: Ellen M. reported that it had been a quiet month other than a request for a speaker for a meeting in California in February.
LDC Coordinator’s Report: Elizabeth G. reported that she is delighted to have 9 volunteers for the office. Karen L. discussed changes to the Service Manual. The new Manuals with extensive changes are online now. Hard copies will be available at the end of January. A suggestion by Karen L. to offer a replacement copy to those who recently bought service manuals from the LDC was tabled.
Tech Coordinator’s Report: Jeff M. reported that he could use a Co-Coordinator to work with him on Tech issues. Old Business: Teresa H. asked attendees to share our need for a Phone Volunteer Coordinator and an Archivist Coordinator. The Lois’s Birthday Celebration on February 29 in Bellevue is a potluck with the main dish and birthday cake supplied by AIS. Volunteers are needed to help in the kitchen and baking lasagna.
Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Linda H. shared financial reports and noted that donations are down a bit, but literature sales are doing well. We are in the black for the year. The Financial Policy Task Force is working on a plan to determine the appropriate amount for our ample reserve. They will also develop a plan for any funds above that amount. Linda H. requested we spread the word that she would like a Treasurer-In-Training in preparation for taking over the Treasurer position for 2021.
Vice Chair’s Report: Vice-Chair Doug L. sent an inquiry on AFG Connects and received responses from several Al-Anon service arms around the country. Doug L. welcomes help looking into Board insurance.
Alateen Coordinator’s Report: Kathy B. reported we have 55 AMIAS now, and there is a new Alateen group starting in January at Queen Anne Lutheran Church. Also, they met with schools in the Seattle School District, and 4 middle schools are interested in starting Groups. There will be another Alateen Interest Group meeting on January 22 to discuss more ideas for expanding our Alateen program.
Communications Coordinator’s Report: Teresa H. reported that holiday meeting cancellations are on the website. Any changes in GRs should be changed on the Washington Area website. Instructions can be found on our website’s Member page. Teresa H. introduced Luca S., the incoming Communications Coordinator for 2020.
Outreach Coordinator’s Report: Ellen M. reported that it had been a quiet month other than a request for a speaker for a meeting in California in February.
LDC Coordinator’s Report: Elizabeth G. reported that she is delighted to have 9 volunteers for the office. Karen L. discussed changes to the Service Manual. The new Manuals with extensive changes are online now. Hard copies will be available at the end of January. A suggestion by Karen L. to offer a replacement copy to those who recently bought service manuals from the LDC was tabled.
Tech Coordinator’s Report: Jeff M. reported that he could use a Co-Coordinator to work with him on Tech issues. Old Business: Teresa H. asked attendees to share our need for a Phone Volunteer Coordinator and an Archivist Coordinator. The Lois’s Birthday Celebration on February 29 in Bellevue is a potluck with the main dish and birthday cake supplied by AIS. Volunteers are needed to help in the kitchen and baking lasagna.