ONE DAY AT A TIME

Marin County | District 11

November 2013

Service: Putting Love into Action

“We hear a lot in Al-Anon about unconditional love. Such love makes no demands, exacts no payment, has no expectations . . . It blesses both the giver and the receiver.” (Excerpts from How Al-Anon Works, Chapter on Service, p. 101.)

The reality is that service in Al-Anon has brought me unexpected joy in the midst of crisis and in spite of pain.

About six years ago, my sister went into crisis. She lost her home, then an apartment, then her car, her phone, and even her beloved dog Jackson. She did not lose her job, by God’s grace. Yet, I felt completely lost, as she is my only sibling, and I had no family of my own.

When I heard the District Rep (DR) position was open, God said it was time to try it. The DR organizes the business of how Al-Anon works in Marin County/District 11 of Northern California. I wanted a bigger service position, so I would not have time to obsess over my sister’s situation.

Within my first six weeks as DR, I realized it was not possible to do the job perfectly and celebrated letting go of my perfectionism, at last. I read the booklet When I Got Busy I Got Better and thought they had written my story.

The chapter headings start with Facing Our Fears, and “Fear of Making Mistakes” was on page 3. I finally understood how this had kept me from trying so many things in my life. Read this gem in our literature if you have not yet – it will change you.

Continued on pg. 4

Loving Sponsorship 2

Did you know… 3

News & Updates 3

Marin Al-Anon Events 4

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Sponsorship: Healing Intimacy Issues Words cannot express fully how sponsorship has changed my life. I am eternally grateful for this service. Thank you to my all of my sponsees for helping me heal in these ways…

• Breaking isolation

• Intimacy

• Belonging

• Boundaries

• Awareness,

• Acceptance

• Action

• Commitment

• Detachment

• Forgiveness & Humility And here is the healing I’ve received from my own sponsor’s love and support…

• Love

• Progress not perfection

• Reaching out

• Listen and Learn

• Intimacy

• Changing things I can

I love this service!!!

--Toni T.

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wThis isn’t the first newsletter for District 11? Brenda G. was the last editor, back in 2006!

wAl-Anon has no official position on "crosstalk.” It’s up to each meeting, although Al-Anon encourages "loving interchange among members"?

wThe Twelfth Tradition in Al-Anon is unique in that it states "principles above (not before) personalities"? wIn Marin County, there are 28 Al-Anon/Alateen meetings weekly, compared to 252 AA meetings? wYou can download Al-Anon recordings via podcast on iTunes? Yep. wThe 7pm Thursday meeting in San Geronimo Valley encourages members to bring their own cups for tea? You can then wash and hang yours on a hook for next time… w12th Step work is a phone call away—simply contact your local radio or cable station and encourage them to run the Al-Anon public service announcement (PSA)? PSAs are readily available on the WSO member website! wThere’s a new Al-Anon outreach trend—individual groups are listing their meetings on Craigslist? Is your group willing to try this form of public outreach?

News & Updates

The search for a new District 11 Treasurer is on! If you like working with numbers and have had experience as a treasurer at the group level, contact Gordon at (415) 686-1677 to find out more about this vital district officer service position, It starts January 2014!

Cool service opportunity on a drop-in basis: The Beginner's Q&A Meeting, 7-7:45pm Mondays, Universalist Unitarian Church, Terra Linda. Welcome newcomers and share your experience!

NEW WORKBOOK! Reaching for Personal Freedom: Living the Legacies uses Al-Anon’s Twelve Steps, Traditions, and Concepts of Service in one’s personal life. Insightful examples from members, plus thought-provoking questions. Ask your literature person or order it directly at al-anonstore.org.

Alert members to meeting changes during the holidays! Please check in with your groups AND meeting places/ churches to see of there will be any changes or if your meetings will occur as planned, so we can give people a heads-ups in the next issue of the newsletter, and redirect them accordingly. Contact the Editors of One Day at a Time

Do you have a story about your recovery in Al-Anon you’d like to share? A meeting change, news item or other Al-Anon related info you’d like us to print? Email us at editors@marinfamilygroups.org.

Did you know…

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Continued from pg. 1

So I plunged into the DR job with excitement and enthusiasm. I wanted to bring fun, yes, that’s right, FUN – to the district (business) meeting. And I did – maybe not all the time, but I found out how to be myself in this special role and do things that made it fun for me – and it worked. I shared about this in meetings and others asked to join in service, too.

I found a couple of Service Sponsors at my first area (Northern California World Service Area [NCWSA]) business meeting and felt secure that I now had support to handle all that came my way. I was ready to grow and learn. Wow, did I!

As my DR job wound down, I wondered what service would come next. I had previously held district writing workshops to help our World Service Office (WSO) get the book Opening Our Hearts published.

When I heard about the new book on intimacy, I decided to run for NCWSA Literature/Forum Coordinator and offered to do regional writing workshops for this new book.

To date, I have held ten workshops on this topic with around 250 people attending. I even did a workshop afloat somewhere between Alaska and Vancouver, after the Al-Anon International Convention this past summer.

Last month, our Delegate announced that WSO was seeking an At-Large member of the Literature Committee. I didn’t know that the committee had members who were not Delegates or WSO staff. After checking in

with God and others, I sent in my one page resume, which permitted only six lines for “telling about myself.”

I await my next service opportunity with much anticipation. Whatever is to come, it will be wonderful – this I know from service.

--Diana S.

Top 12 Reasons for Becoming a Trusted Servant 12. Free admission to all district meetings. 11. You don’t have to do everything yourself. 10. Learn what “principles above personalities really means. 9. Special nametag for area assemblies 8. Free autographed copy of Al-Anon/ Alateen Service Manual. 7. Have fun without making excuses. 6. Discover that Al-Anon members do have last names. 5. Priority seating at area assemblies. 4. Never have to ask, “Was there any mail today?” 3. Expense-paid trips to exotic places like Anywhere, USA/Canada. 2. “Salary” doubles after first year. And finally, the top reason for becoming a trusted servant: 1. After three years, you can say, “It’s someone else’s turn!” (Reprinted from the Joy of Service Pamphlet.)

Winter PARTY

Saturday December 7th

SAVE THE

DATE!!! !