CenterPoint. MAIS Board Chair MAIS MEETINGS METRO ATLANTA AL-ANON/ALATEEN INFORMATION SERVICE

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METRO ATLANTA AL-ANON/ALATEEN INFORMATION SERVICE CenterPoint J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8 MAIS Board Chair MAIS MEETINGS MAIS meetings are the second Wednesday of every oddnumbered month at 7:30pm at the

Next meeting: March 14, 2018 MAIS Board meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every even-numbered month at 7:30pm at the MAIS office, 558 Medlock Road, Suite C, Decatur, GA 30030: Next

This year marks our 50 th year of service.

also takes action to carry the Al-Anon message to those in need. For instance, last year a new telephone system was put into place and is now fully operational.

Just call our main number (404-687-0467) and select either Extension 1 for the MAIS office or Extension 2 for our Information Service.

1 METRO ATLANTA AL-ANON/ALATEEN INFORMATION SERVICE CenterPoint J A N U A R Y MAIS Board Chair MAIS MEETINGS MAIS meetings are the second Wednesday of every oddnumbered month at 7:30pm at the NABA Club, 1809 Briarwood Rd., NE, Atlanta, GA Next meeting: March 14, 2018 MAIS Board meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every even-numbered month at 7:30pm at the MAIS office, 558 Medlock Road, Suite C, Decatur, GA 30030: Next meeting: February 14, 2018 MAIS has been serving Al-Anon members within the Metro- Atlanta area since before we stepped on the surface of the moon (July 1969). That is correct. This year marks our 50 th year of service. For half a century, Al-Anon members in service and paid staff at MAIS have been dedicated to providing an AIS/LDC group that not only is a central location for readily available CAL literature, but also takes action to carry the Al-Anon message to those in need. For instance, last year a new telephone system was put into place and is now fully operational. The new system makes it easier to be in touch with either the MAIS office or our Telephone Volunteer Information Service. Just call our main number ( ) and select either Extension 1 for the MAIS office or Extension 2 for our Information Service. Our office employee is always available during regular office hours to help with orders or information. After hours or during predetermined times, our telephone volunteer staff will answer inquiries concerning the Al-Anon program. Launched during last year s Anniversary Dinner, MAIS introduced a newly designed website with a new URL. The new website can be found at alanonatl.org. This project took considerable time, skill and determination to accomplish and we are grateful for that effort. Nevertheless, future development is planned. It is our hope that this tool will serve as an important channel for Al-Anon information and services to the districts and groups of Metro-Atlanta. Also last year, MAIS added a new Secretary and Webmaster to our staff and we are very grateful for their decision to serve your groups and districts. We welcome volunteers in service and hope you will consider joining us. Members in service and self-supporting funding provide MAIS with the resources it needs to carry out our mission. I am looking forward to this year of service with MAIS and I am privileged to serve with our current MAIS staff members. MAIS would indeed be challenged to maintain its operations without their heartfelt commitment to service. Next year, we have a full agenda of tasks planned and there are numerous service opportunities available. Please consider joining us and do not hesitate to contact me with your comments, questions or ideas for the next 50 years of MAIS service to Metro-Atlanta Al-Anon. In service, Keith F.

2017 Anniversary Chair About 100 members attended the 49th Annual MAIS Anniversary Dinner on December 2nd at St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church.

from Hamilton Mill Hope was our Al-Anon speaker.

2 2017 Anniversary Chair About 100 members attended the 49th Annual MAIS Anniversary Dinner on December 2nd at St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church. The speakers are really the highlight of the evening and we are grateful for their willingness to be of service. The Alateen speaker was Mary D. from In-Town Alateen, and Moni S. from Hamilton Mill Hope was our Al-Anon speaker. These speakers are so important because they highlight the problems created by alcoholism and the hope and recovery available by working the 12 Steps, 12 Traditions and 12 Concepts of the Al-Anon/Alateen program. An Alateen speaker has been added to the program for the past two years. This year was significant in that respect because 2017 was the 60th anniversary of the founding of Alateen. To honor their anniversary, three Al-Anon members who made their start in Alateen gave an abbreviated version of their stories and highlighted how Alateen benefited them. We also had a reading from Many Voices, One Journey about the founding and growth of Alateen. Thank you to the groups who contributed items to the raffle to allow the celebration to be fully self-supporting. And not to be forgotten, the dinner!! This is a potluck and I send a big THANK YOU! to everyone who brought food to share. We also had birthday cake for MAIS and Alateen and sang "Happy Birthday" to both. And no event happens without a great team in place. Thank you to the Anniversary Committee: Denise A., Angie L., Lisa B., Stacey R., Alissa, Elise M., Shelley S., Cindy S., Elaine B., Terry S, Joani F., Leah R., and Ken. Thank you to everyone who attended and encouraged others to attend. This evening is an important time to pause, reflect on our growth over the past year, look at how we've grown over the past 49 years and to celebrate all that has been accomplished, both individually and as a Fellowship, with the help and guidance of our friends in the program and with our Higher Power. I hope to see you all at the 50th MAIS Anniversary Dinner in December The location will be announced soon. In love and service, Kasey K. Literature Hello, everyone, and happy 2018! As you and your groups look ahead to the new year, Al- Anon's Conference Approve Literature (CAL) is available to help you ground your intentions and actions for recovery. Looking for a comprehensive, overall summation of the program and its tools? How Al-Anon Works is a great, basic text for the newcomer and long-timer alike. Covering the 12 Steps, Traditions, Concepts and slogans, it also provides helpful guidance on topics like communication, self-care and forgiveness. Need some structure for working through the 12 Steps, Traditions or Concepts? Paths to Recovery offers a thorough approach that works beautifully for sponsor/sponsee work and for groups studying together. And, the new Paths to Recovery workbook is an excellent companion piece to the original text. If you've been through Paths and want to try a different approach, Reaching for Personal Freedom offers even more reading and questions for growing your relationship with our pillars of recovery. Are you wondering how to further incorporate Al-Anon into your life each day? Pick up one of our daily readers: One Day at a Time in Al- Anon, Courage to Change or Hope for Today. And, there are daily readers for Alateens, too: A Day at a Time in Alateen and Living Today in Alateen. We are so fortunate to have such a wide variety of CAL available to us through our very own MAIS office. Karen, our office manager, keeps a watchful eye on inventory and regularly orders titles to keep our shelves stocked with titles that help change our lives. She is available to fulfill your orders and answer questions. Here's to a recovery-filled 2018 in which we grow, one day at a time, in experience, strength and hope grounded in Al-Anon. Ann W. January

3 Newsletter Editor Thank you for reading your MAIS newsletter. One of my very favorite quotes in our CAL is from page 247 of Paths to Recovery: Whenever we participate, we expand our own recovery. I know that when I leave a meeting, any meeting, I ve expanded my own recovery. And when I m willing to be of service, I ve done it again. Al-Anon offers so many rich and rewarding opportunities to enhance our recovery. MAIS is one of them. It s a resource for so much more than meeting information and literature. But it needs Al-Anon members willing to fulfill a variety of roles in order to practice the Twelfth Step for anyone who reaches out to the MAIS office or information line for help. We currently have an extraordinary number of vacant service positions: MAIS Chair Alateen Chair Archivist Public Outreach Chair Newsletter Editor Office Chair Schedules Chair Job descriptions are on the MAIS website ( All of them are essential to fulfilling our purpose. Bottom line is we need your help. Not the member sitting in the chair next to you in a meeting. Your help. Please prayerfully consider one of these roles and what it really means to let it begin with me. I volunteered to serve as the Newsletter Editor for this issue because Katrina s term has ended and no one volunteered at the last MAIS meeting. I value the 12 th step work that MAIS performs and I think the CenterPoint is an essential link of communication for members to be informed about MAIS and how your donations and those of your group are spent. We need an editor for subsequent issues. Board meetings held every other month can be attended remotely. Consider expanding your recovery. Vicki L. Telephone Volunteers Chair Implementing the telephone service under the new system over the past several months has been a challenge. The Board considered several options at its last meeting and with our new webmaster s help, we will make another attempt at implementing Ring Central for the information line. Tara has recently re-programed the data for the volunteers and we are testing it this week. So far it s working! With the new service provider, the old information line phone number is no longer operating ( ). When anyone calls that number, their call is automatically forwarded to the MAIS office ( ). However, call forwarding will only be in place for either 12 months or until that # is given to another business, so we are eager to get the word out that the old number is no longer active. Please help us spread the word. The system is now set up so that volunteers only take calls when the MAIS office is closed. Karen has reported taking 2 calls for meeting information in November and 13 in December. Because calls outside of office hours haven t consistently been forwarded to volunteers, I can only report receiving 8 calls in November and 4 in December. Before the transfer from AT&T to Ring Center, we were averaging 40 calls per month. Hopefully I will have more calls to report in the next newsletter when the kinks in the Ring Central system have been ironed out (fingers crossed). We can always use more volunteers, so please consider, once again, expanding your recovery. LIS, Vicki L. January

4 MAIS Liaison to Assembly The 2018 Assembly Theme is In Al-Anon: There is no standing still. At the January Assembly GRs and DRs will meet separately in the Magnolia Room at 11am on Saturday January 20 for a workshop before Assembly begins. Our Saturday night speaker will be Claire R. from the WSO. Claire is the Associate Director--Professionals at our Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters in Virginia Beach, VA. Claire will conduct a workshop Saturday afternoon on "Attracting Newcomers and Retaining Members In Service." In an effort to improve cooperation between A.A. and Al-Anon at the Area level, the A.A. Delegate, Rick M., has agreed to give a short address at the Al-Anon Assembly. You and Your Board Connect is an event that each Area has the opportunity to host allowing local Al-Anon members to meet and interact with the 19 Trustees and 3 Executive Committee members. Discussion of important items to the fellowship is facilitated as members meet each other. We are all Al-Anon members, working in different capacities, for the good of the fellowship. Is there interest in your district or group for Georgia hosting this event in 2019? The new Service Manual will be posted on in English as a free download. The printed copies scheduled to be available for sale in January 2018 are delayed. WSO will cease selling the hardcover version of How Al-Anon Works (B-22) for a three-year trial. Soft-cover versions continue to be available in English, Spanish and French. The Forum will be printed in full color for a one-year trial starting in 2018 to continue to improve its readability through the use of additional font color combinations. Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism (AFA) 2018 may be ordered until 5pm Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, for delivery by April 1, The WSO is now ready to begin working on AFA Please share your stories. The AFA Writing Guideline suggests topics for members to address that are helpful to someone who has not yet found help and hope in Al-Anon. The guideline is on the WSO website: Contributions to WSO are currently below projections. We are dependent on our individual members and groups to continue the expression of abundance. The Board and staff thank you for continuing to think abundantly. Registration for the 2018 Al-Anon International Convention along with Day of Connecting is now open. Online registration can be completed by going to and clicking on the International Convention link in the top right hand corner of the website. A 50th Anniversary One Day at a Time in Al-Anon (ODAT) commemorative edition, complete with gold lettering on the cover and gold ribbon book mark will be available for purchase at the convention. The 2018 Al-Anon Membership Survey will be conducted Jan Feb. 27, The information gathered will be used to educate professionals. Go to the WSO website: Several thought and task forces continue in process at the Area level with ongoing discussion at Assembly. Volunteers are needed to serve on these committees. Discussions continue on Knowledge Based Decision Making, used to address a new question, and minority appeal, used to reconsider a previous action. Roberts Rules, KBDM, and minority appeal are ways to achieve the purpose of Assembly: to reach an informed group conscience, conduct business in a timely manner, and to carry out the will of the fellowship. Our Assembly inventory is a spiritual process in which positive comments and constructive criticism are encouraged. The Area 11 Inventory Guidelines were updated to provide clarity regarding the roles of the responsible parties and the type of reports to be provided. Remember to post your flyers or group news to the Area website as well to the MAIS website. Area Assembly: 1/20-21/ Macon, GA Alateen Conference: 5/31-6/3/ Rock Eagle, Eatonton, GA A-Anon International Convention: 7/5-8/ Baltimore, MD Al-Anon/Alateen Convention: 8/10-12/2018 Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, GA Julia K. January

5 Treasurer s Report 2017 Treasurer's Report 2017 Year End INCOME Total 12/31/ Annual Expense Budget Total Received Contributions 14, , Total Literature Sales 44, , Total Income (SALES + CONTRIBUTIONS) 58, , Total Spent Selling Literature 34, , Earned From Lit Sales 9, , Gross Profit 23, , Year End Total 12/31/ Annual Expense Budget Operating Expenses Tota l Operating Expenses 26, , TOTAL EXPENSE - (Operating+Spent Selling Lit) 60, , Total Other Income Reconciliation adjustment Expense NET PROFIT (Difference in Income and Expenses) (2,184.81) 1, Sales Tax Collected Sales Tax Paid to GA Closing QB Cash - Checking 8, Closing QB Cash - Savings 7, Closing Cash Position - QB 15, Total Tax Liabilities (Sales and Payroll Taxes) Inventory Asset 6, Archives While browsing through the MAIS Archives at the Anniversary Party, a member came across a memory, a hand-written document announcing her meeting s anniversary celebration. She recognized the document as one SHE wrote years ago! Deeply moved by the discovery, she commented on how important this meeting had been to her through the years. This story demonstrates the importance of documenting MAIS/Al- Anon documents and other ephemera. The work to preserve our history will be of value, guiding us in the future. Memory is only finite when ignored. We welcome your feedback and suggestions regarding the work we are doing to organize the MAIS archival documents. Come by for a visit and see what we've done. Karen R. Website The new website is up and running. Please explore it and let me know what you think. I m open to suggestions. The old domain name, alanonatl.com has now been redirected to That simply means that if you search for the website under the old name, it will automatically route to the new one. Tara January

6 MAIS Meeting Minutes November 11, 2017 Acting Chair, Keith F., welcomed all to the meeting. Introductions were made. The 12 Traditions and Concepts, as well as the General Warranties, were read. Approximately 10 people attended. REPORTS Secretary: Keith reported that there was difficulty downloading the minutes from the last MAIS meeting and they were not transcribed. Treasurer: Dixie reported that for the year, we have reached 82% of our budget for income and that we are a little on the low side. Our gross profit for the year is at 79%. We are above budget, at 88%, for Operating Expenses. Our net profit through October is $1, Dixie also reported that money is being held for state taxes and employee taxes. A motion was passed to approve the Treasurer s Report. Telephone Volunteer Chair: Vicki reported via We are still in transition with the Ring Central phone system. We haven't been receiving as many calls as we did before the switch from AT&T on August 7th. Before that time we were averaging 40 calls/month. We realized last week that the Google information page still referred callers to the information service #, and then we learned that the recorded message no longer referred callers to the MAIS #; at some point in the last week to 10 days AT&T changed the recorded message on the information service line to state that the new number was unknown. The Google page has been updated and volunteers almost immediately started receiving calls. Karen in the office has been responding to the bulk of calls for meeting information 15 in September and 13 in October. Outside of office hours the volunteers have only responded to 3 calls since the installation of Ring Central on September 27 th. I ll be meeting with Keith on the 14 th to get better educated on the software and hopefully work out some of the challenges we ve been experiencing, such as phones ringing through to some of the volunteers but not to others, and how to retrieve messages. Karen has returned most of the messages that have been left outside of office hours. Website Chair: The new website will be unveiled at the MAIS Anniversary party. Alateen Chair: Keith announced that the Alateen Chair has stepped down. Anniversary Chair: Kasey has assigned volunteers to various tasks at the party. She is asking for raffle item donations. There is a flyer on the website announcing the party. There will be a special presentation celebrating Alateen s 60 Anniversary and Dixie will give a presentation about MAIS. Newsletter Editor: Katrina will be stepping down in November. She is willing to help the new editor with the transition. Archives: Keith reported that the recent CenterPoint has an article about the MAIS archives. Literature Chair, Public Outreach Chair, Schedules Chair, and the Liaison to the Area were not in attendance to give reports. MAIS ELECTIONS: Katrina read descriptions of the vacant positions and Keith asked if anyone would stand for the positions. Susan B. stood for the position of Secretary. Dixie stood for the position of Treasurer, extending her commitment. The following positions are vacant: Alateen Chair, Archives Chair, Newsletter Editor, MAIS Chair, Office Chair, Schedules Chair, Public Outreach Chair. Keith asked if we should continue to have MAIS meetings. Members responded with suggestions including having MAIS meetings quarterly or having the meetings on Ring Central video conferencing. The discussion also brought up issues of What is MAIS? What does MAIS do? and What can groups do for MAIS? Keith encouraged members to stay in touch with him and send feedback and suggestions so we can continue the discussion. The meeting was adjourned with the Al-Anon Declaration. January

7 MAIS Contacts MAIS Board Chair** Keith F. MAIS Chair** Vacant Alateen Chair Vacant Anniversary Chair Kasey K. anniversaryatl!gmail.com Archives Chair Vacant CenterPoint Editor* Vacant Liaison to the Area Julia K. Literature Chair* Ann W. Office Chair* Public Outreach Coordinator Vacant Vacant Schedules Chair Vacant Secretary** Susan B Telephone Volunteers Chair* Vicki L Treasurer** Dixie P. Website Chair* Tara F. Ex Officio* Lee H *Board Member **Officer Board Member and Executive Committee Member GA Al-Anon: AFG of Georgia Inc. PO Box 7644 Macon, GA Make checks payable to AFG of GA, Inc. GA Al-Anon s Literature Distribution Center: Georgia Al-Anon Central Services (GACS) 2733 Sheraton Drive, Suite F-160 Macon, GA Telephone: Toll Free: officearea11@gmail.com Website: Make checks payable to GACS When making contributions to any service arm, please include: 1) the name of your group; 2) your group number; and 3) your district number. Metro Atlanta Al-Anon/Alateen Information Service (MAIS): 558 Medlock Rd., Suite C Decatur, GA Meeting Information / Office / Literature Orders: Hours: Tues 10am-6pm; Thurs & Fri 10am-4pm; 1st & 3rd Sat 10am - 2pm office@alanonatl.com Website: Make checks payable to MAIS Al-Anon s World Service Office (WSO): Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc Corporate Landing Pkwy Virginia Beach, VA Telephone: Meeting Info: wso@al-anon.org Website: Make checks payable to AFG, Inc

Ontario South Assembly (Area 86) October 28, 29, 30, 2016 Doubletree by Hilton

Ontario South Assembly (Area 86) October 28, 29, 30, 2016 Doubletree by Hilton 300 King St. London,ON Realizing Our Spiritual Potential FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28,2016 (evening session) The meeting opened with