SUI1l~ary 1981 I I ,{r. A1~An()nFarnilyGr~tips ;WondSeJViceCo~f~rence ,. ,Ne..y York! N~w Yor!< -~priI.?7 -Ju~,~ ~.) ~,8} I ©Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. 1981 i Our Conference Theme: I BUILDING WITH CONCEPTS Ii,, I" , , "It is prophetic that on this 30th Anniversary, Conference membe'rs zeroed in on a theme dealing with Concepts of Service. When I first took a ... look at them, they seemed to be a mass of contradictions. As I studied them ... they' became very profound. Now, I see that the magic word for the Concepts is balance. , , "Before AI-Anon, most of us lived lives of extremes-extreme highs ... extreme lows. After AI-Anon, we wanted everyone to know about and appreciate AI-Anon, and when those who did not live with alcoholism were not enthused, we couldn't understand their attitude. OUf motlve was right; we werJ improving, but without balance. "With growth came our interest in service, and here is where the balance really begins ... Hopefully, we can make newer members aware of the value of studying the Concepts so ... they, too, can become aware of that balance. "The language of the Concepts is simple and enhanced with beautiful words full of special meaning: Words ... stir our emotions while motivating us ... words like 'unity', 'responsibility' . .' . 'decision.' The word 'harmony' makes one feel good just to say it. We have solid, secure words, rtraditionalleadership,' 'fairness' and 'equality.' All of these when used to the best of our ability produce balance." I ' "II" I Jean A., Conference Chairman The World Service Office Dinner "• held in the Bowman Room of the Biltmore Hotel in New York tIon of our fellowship. Hildegard had begun applying the Con- Clty, began the 21st World Service Conference (WSC). The invo- ' cepts to her personal life as well as on a service level and was cation was given by Henry (Hank) G., Chairman of the Board of amazed to find almost everything she ever needed contained m Trustees Jean A., from Ontario, Canada began her final term as ,these guides for service work. ' Conference Chairman when she welcomed guests, Delegates, the In her recovery from the effects of alcoholism, she had worked World Service Office (WSO) Staff and other Conference members, through trust and trustIng, being responslble, maintaining a and then introduced the speaker Hildegard M v., Editor of The personal balance and dlscovermg new spiritual values FORUM., ~ i '!bday, she contmues her personal, active partiCipation, striv- Hlldegard talked as an edItor, as an AI-Anon member, and a ing to laccept accountability and credit others with the rights of new bride, feelmg that each of her roles was "hving and loving" participation; to hear others as equals, remembering similanties through trust, responsibility, balance and the spintual founda- and overcoming differences '\' 1 I i WHERE TO FIND IT ! I AdmiSSIOns Commlttee 1. 0+ ,2 InstJtuhons . 14,15 A lateen 3-5,9,10 International CoordmatlOn 17-22,38-40 ArchIves • • , ~ • 3,4 , LIterature: .• 23,24,34,35 Ask-It·Basket QuestIOns 1981 WSC ~. 42-44 MotIons and RecommendatIons 48 Board of Trustees Nomination . , . .. .... , 't 41 ,1980 AA's InternatIOnal 15,16 Conference CommIttee • . .., """ 11,12 Panel t. .• 37 Delegates'Talks " • t 4.5-47 Policy • i ~ 8,25-27 Delegates' CommIttee Appomtments . I.. 3 Public InformatIOn .• 4,5,27-31 Fmanclal Reports , 33,34 RegJOnal Concerns • ~ 31,32,41 FORUM. The , 13,17,35,36 Responslbihty of PartIcIpatIOn-Workshop , " 36 General Secretary's Report .1 6-34 Shartng Area HIghlights , ... " • 37,38 General SerVIce MeetIng , ,.16,38 Spmtual Meetmg ." " . 41 Green LIght Open SessIOns -j.. 40 i i I 1 ! i' f , t Admissions 'Committee ~ Report-back , ~. i\""alene M., co . ' MONDAY I Chall'lnan. Lol. W. (IN) t ,Liaison Member, V.rglnia M•• Regional Trustee. (U.S Southea.i) ~ I',' After lengthy deliberation, the Committee decided to recommend that nc- ' t,ceptarice of the Yukon territory's request that it become a part of the British i Columbia Assembly and that the designation be changed to read: B.C. and, i Yukon. (See Motions)' . ' , .. New Conference Members f'Outgoing Committee Members; Lois w., IN; Dorothy H., TN; Jo W., MAN. Meet the WSO Staff f J" An introductory meeting for the in­ coming Panel 21 and new WSO Vol­ unteers attendmg their first Confer­ ence was held following dmner. The General Secretary, Myrna H., ex­ plained her role at the office. She called on Helen G., Conference, Carole K., Alateen, Ann S, Institutions; Mar­ garet S., Cooperatmg wIth the Profes­ Sharing Session - Moderator, Jean A, Conference Chairman, OntarIO, Canada sIonal Community, (CPC); Linda McF., Goals - What Are They? Literature; Hildegard M.V., EdItor of The FORUM magazine; Margaret O'B., In some groups, newcomers are urged to establish a short-term and long-term goal. ArchiVIst; Sandra F, International Perhaps the first could be simply to return to a meeting the followmg week; the Coordinator; Susan H., Public Infor­ second, to set aside ten minutes each day for reflection. A long-term goal was reached mation; and EIleen McS., Admmistra­ by taking the Twelve Steps. tive Aide. The WSO Volunteers ex­ In leading the dISCUSSIOn Jean felt it was also possIble to establish "service" goals, plained theIr CommIttee assignments. and she asked Conference members to share theIr thoughts , At 9.00 the new Conference mem­ In setting goals: bers and the Staff Joined the full Con­ "I chose those which kept me reaching up " ference for the evening'.s ','Mine were too high, and I became more frustrated-untIl I set reasonable ones to raise my self-esteem." "I never really thought about goals; I took care of the literature because I had a car Opening Session with a trunk. Now I set them to repay my debt to AI-Anon" which began with the roll call. The "I have to keep reaching WIth a serIes of goals to keep growmg." first order of business was a report "I set some but dIdn't label them as such; my first was survival." from the "I wanted to get to ALL District meetmgs in ONE year." "My goal was not to become involved-but, I was chosen as Group Representative." "I thmk of objectives, set my goals, make my plans, and measure my performance." "I think ... with resolutions and goals, there has to be desire, fmth and a plan" "I was 'over-goaled' and pressured. My sponsor said to pick a simple one and r-e-I-a-x." Admissions Committee "I am working toward recogmzing Alateen and having them recognize ME." ''A written inventory helps; then you can let go and let others make theIr own by Loiy lV., IN, who announced the deciSIOns." recommendations to seat lcith voice "I set my husband's goals; now mine are In "service" and supportmg the Delegates and no vote; Cay C., Chairman of the and Area Chairman's positIon" Publications Francaises (PFA); Alberte "In retrospect, I did have goals-I wanted to learn to be deCIsive." C., Secretary of the PFA; Teresa ;\1., "I wanted to be the kind of person I could live wIth" Spanish, Services Supervisor at the, "I wanted to learn to 'play' and having a Higher Power gave me freedom of spIrit WSO; Eileen McS., Administmtice Aide from all the negatives" from tire WSO; Richard Keilly, Con­ "I planned to retire-then, they elected me Delegate." troller at the WSO; and Cliff G., and "I had goals for everyone I knew. Now I hope for knowledge of God's WIll for me and , Karel M., Representatives from the u.K. the power to carry It out." : & Eire and Belgium (See Motions.; "I wanted to find out who I was." "I hoped to learn to LIKE me " "I wanted to VIsit EVERY group m my AREA" "I hoped to be a stronger person." ''As a 'doer' ... I realized others could help." "I learned to keep it simple." Prior to readmg the Twelve TradI­ "I turned over my hfe and took it one-day-at-a-time." tions, Hank G. asked for the benefit of "Objectives change with circumstances, I trIed to stop, take a 'goal mventory' and wisdom, adVIce and counsel to find work out alternatives. It also helped me to stop and see If a goal was what I really ways to help all, both in and out of AI­ wanted" Anon, "who turn to us for such desper­ "I make an effort to reach a goal and not worry If that accomplishment mIght make ately needed help." someone else uncomfortable" 2 i: ~~ -, "w.... -,~,..."..~-.~".- - ".,...,. ...- .~~~- .""''''''~ -._" - --.._--,-.,_ ........ - _~ ..... ---."'"~ ••""'---.~-.~--~~~'"'---~""; .......... "--~~,-.-,....-......,-~"""'"' •• """-,,...... ~- ~~--~""" ~" ... - .... , I " I 'C _" ._~ v I I Conference Voting Procedures , Lois' Greeting I • I , Myrna H. referred to the method of presenting"" recommenda- ! oUr co-founder greeted Conference members with a "full heart." tions in the form of motions for a full Conference votel A full . She Said, ''We have an unknown something ... that binds us explanation always appears in the Conference Brochure, Ii. collec­ together which we can spread ... a very speCIal obligation and tion of instructions and back·up material made' available to Con•. responsibility because we have this great joy in our hearts." ference members each year to assist them in making decisions. , In Ian effort to widen Conference participation, the Conference All Motions are presented and acknowledged at the Board of Committee requested that service presentations be limited to a Trustees' Annual Meeting following the close of Conference. brief introduction followed by an open period of discusslOn. The Each Motion is individually considered for approval at the Board first of tnese was meeting in July.