Fall Assembly Report: Panel 57 Election Results: serving

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1 AL- A N O N F A M I L Y G R O U P S The Alanews December 2016 Utah Area A Quarterly Newsletter Utah Area Al-Anon Information Service Inc S 300 W. Murray, UT (801) Fall Assembly Report: Panel 57 Election Results: serving Delegate: Nancy W. Alternate Delegate: Michelle G. Area Chair: Patrick M. Secretary: Elaine W. Group Records Cory O. Treasurer: Kevin B. Alateen: Sheldon W. Alateen Process Person: Beverly J Alanews: Mikel L. Archives: Jacklyn J. Forum Bob H. Guidelines: Chris S. Literature: Tiffany M. Public Outreach: Dawn M. AAIS Coordinator: Dave B Website: Jason C. We would like to give a big Thank You to our past area panel 54 leadership. Delegate: Patrick M Alt Delegate: Heather B, Area Chair: Chris S, Area Sec, June T, Area Treasurer: Kevin B, Forum: Elaine W, Guidelines & Records: Denise L, Liturature: Xinema A, Alanews: Beverly J, Alateen: Celestia G, Alateen Process: Sheldon W. Archives: Jacklyn J, AAIS: Glena C, Public Outreach: Nancy W, Website: Chris C, Dist 1: Cory O, Dist 2: Marc G, Distr 6, Lou Ann T, Dist 8: Heather Ball smoothly. Because of your service Alanon continues to run Archives Thought Force Report, was given and the assembly voted to proceed Upcoming Utah Area Events as the thought force recommended. Assignments:* the guidelines committee was assigned with creating the area archives guideline. * A task force was created, chaired by Chris C., to develop methods and recommendations for digitizing the physical archives for access solely by the Archivist in order to more easily share the documents with inquiring members, * The guidelines committee was also tasked with creating a detailed catalog of the current contents of the physical archives so that the web coordinator can post it to the web for members use. The findings and results of these assignments to be presented at the Spring Assembly Thank you to everyone who continues to make a difference serving in all Al-Anon positions at the area or group level. Events Utah District Day Time Location Page # Holiday Boutique 3 Dec S 300 W SLC Alanono 6 Ogden Winter Party 1 Dec 10 12: th Ogden Alanono 7 Logan Speaker 1 Dec 18 6:30 85 E 100 N Logan 10 Combined Speaker 1 3rd Saturday 8 PM 5475 S 5th E WA Terrace 11 Spring Assembly Area March Weekend Eccles Conf ctr USU Logan 8-9 Alateen Meetings 1,3 Sun, M, Tue Differs Various 5 Articles Page Fall Assembly Report 1 What I m Learning in Service 2 Gratitude in the Balance 3 Alateen/AMIAS 3-4 Events 6-11 Quote of the Month It is not nearly so important how well a message is received, as how well it is sent.

2 What I am Learning in Service A few short years ago Beverly asked me to write an article for the Alanews about service. I told her I would, but I was afraid to try, had no idea what to write, and felt inadequate. Thank you, Beverly, for giving me this opportunity and for your patience while you waited to see if I would do what I said. One of the important things I m learning about myself is that I tend to procrastinate until the pain of avoiding what I should be doing is greater than the pain of getting it done. That s the case with this article. It feels good to finally have it finished. At one point I thought the most intimate thing I could do was share my experience, strength, and hope in front of a group. In fact, for a long time I wrote everything in big print so that I could control what I said. Today I am learning to share without notes. Now I find writing about myself even more intimate than speaking. For a while I could only see my weaknesses, but now I m becoming more aware of my strengths. I m aware that my positive attributes and my self-confidence is growing. I m considerate, dependable, friendly, generous, intelligent, kind, loyal, passionate, responsible, sensitive, and thoughtful. All my positive traits have a negative counterpart. As I work the program (attending meetings regularly, contacting my sponsor, and applying the Steps, Traditions and Concepts in all areas of my life), I m noticing that my relapses are less frequent, of shorter duration, and easier to overcome. I still make mistakes, but I m not a mistake. Thankfully I m becoming aware of my errors in judgment sooner. It doesn t take as long for me to admit I make a mistake. With God s help I m learning to be gentle with myself while I learn from my experiences and continue to try to do the best I can. The following story from Having Had a Spiritual Awakening (B- 25) expresses my feeling that my loving Higher Power places people in my life to provide courage, strength and support when I feel the most vulnerable, insecure, frightened, and unsure about where to turn and what to do next: There once was a little child who woke up in the middle of the night frightened and alone. He ran to his parents bed and crept closely between them. His father said, You know that when you woke up scared, God was with you. The boy said, I know, but I needed someone with skin! I m grateful for the Al-Anon members who have become special friends and family and are sharing my path to recovery. They have stepped in to support and love me when I needed someone with skin. I m thankful for the family disease of alcoholism that has qualified me to be an Al-Anon member. I have learned and grown in so many ways that I doubt I will ever be able to adequately express or show my gratitude for our program. Service gives me an opportunity to give back a small portion of what I ve been given. In Loving Service, Joyce Next Submission Deadline: Feb 12, Next Alanews Issue: March 2016 Please send your sharing or events to: afg.utalanews@gmail.com Subscribe To The Alanews First Name Last Name (or Initial) Mailing Address: City: State: Zip: Address: : Circle One: New Subscription Renewal Address Change Please Send Me (Choose One) 1-Year $8 2-Year $16 3-Year $24 Make Check Payable to AFG I would like an Electronic Copy Only Mail subscription to Kevin B. (Area Treasurer) 5442 Spinnaker Rd. Salt Lake City, UT Page 2 T HE ALA NEWS

3 Gratitude in the Balance When I came into Alanon I was a giver, I gave in good ways and in unhealthy ways. I gave myself away in search of love, but I gave with ulterior motives and I was depleted and disillusioned about giving. So I stopped giving and started living for myself, but this didn t make me happy either, in fact it made me downright miserable. In my business I am learning about giving & receiving in a healthy way. Quality work given for generous pay, this includes payment in friendships as well as monetary gain. This is the only real way to build relationships. I attended a class that is teaching us how to be generous and successful. One of the facts shared is that there are a small percentage of the population who are natural givers, while the majority are balanced in both give and take. Turns out there is another small percentage of the population that are natural takers. Funny thing is that the givers and the takers seem to find each other. I could really relate to this idea and I had to come to terms with my tendency to give, is giving a good thing? Well yes, when kept in balance. It is the sincere, open hearted givers who attract more in life. I guess I also attract the takers, but it doesn t mean that I have to let them take advantage, it just means that I will start including myself in the whole giving equation. Actually I really admire the takers, to me it seems courageous to be able to just go and get what you want. A courage that I sometimes lack. Another point made was that the saying it is better to give then to receive is a little deceptive. Only giving or only receiving is unhealthy. If I were to instruct you to let out a good long breath and keep going, keep going, keep going What would happen? You would be taking another breath soon. To give and not receive is like only breathing out. Get all you can, Save all you can and Give all you can. Wise words from John Wesley, and some good advice that would create more balance. I just had to learn to communicate my own needs more often. This was hard for me, because I really dislike conflict, and in that uncomfortable moment, I rush in to save the day without giving them or their higher power a chance to work their magic. Think is an Alanon slogan, but I had to add wait, then act. Gratitude for what I have received opens the way for me to give and to receive more, while shutting down and becoming angry that I was a victim, only brought me unhappiness. There are no victims, this was just an illusion in my own mind. When I asked myself what was my part in this? I begin to see where I reacted to conflict in an unhealthy way. Now when I am balanced, I can ask for what I want and I can listen to the complaining as if it were just a loud changing of the gears. Others are happy to give me what I want, but giving doesn t come easily for the natural takers, so I can allow for the shifting of the gears, without taking it personally. I choose happiness, I choose to give and to receive, while allowing my loved ones to do the same. Gratitude is the magic, it can help me slow down and see the world as a good place. Counting my blessings, may have been childhood advice, but it is not childish and is still the best way to achieve balance. I am so grateful for my time in service. Thanks for allowing me to serve as your Alanews editor, I received so much more from the task then I could ever repay. I am very grateful to have a talented, & enthusiastic new Alanews editor, Mikel will do a fabulous job. Service takes me outside of myself, when I usually ascribe to: I may not be much, but I m all I think about line of reasoning, which can keeps me all tied up. So I am grateful that I am able to step outside of myself and continue in service. I am most grateful for the Alanon steps, traditions and concepts of service which keep me on the path to wholeness. Beverly J. U T A H ARE A W WW. U TAH-ALANON. ORG Page 3

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5 District 1 Alateen Meeting Schedule Sunday at 6:30 PM Courage to Be Me St. John s Episcopal Church 85 E 100 N in Logan Monday at 7:00 PM Wisdom Kids (ages 7-11) Clearfield Community Church 525 E. 200 S., Clearfield, Room 5 Monday at 7:00 PM Teens in Action (ages 12 18) Clearfield Community Church 525 E. 200 S., Clearfield, Room 11 U T A H ARE A W WW. U TAH-ALANON. ORG Page 5

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