THE GROUP SCOOP. State Speaker Meeting. Service Concepts of the Month. In This Issue:

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1 THE GROUP SCOOP The Al-Anon Information Services Newsletter May/June 2016 State Speaker Meeting This issue of the Group Scoop contains a recap of the Oregon State Speaker Meeting (SSM) May 13-15, 2016 which was held in Milwaukie. This successful sharing and fellowship event was the result of a lot of hard work, cooperation and dedication. The article on page two will give you an idea of the scope and tone, but nothing can take the place of being there in person. The fellowship of the Al-Anon rooms is so present and the concentration of experience, strength and hope is unmatched. The hardworking committee, headed by Caralynn, several District groups and many individuals put their hearts and souls into the event. Besides speakers which inspired us to both tears of gratitude and smiles of enlightenment; there were crafts (magic hat making!), skits, talent, good food and the friendship which comes from getting to know other Al-Anons. The July/August issue of the Group Scoop will have an official report from the SSM committee with regards to attendance and fundraising, but I couldn t resist sharing my experiences as a participant in the hopes that someday, you too will attend. ~Beth McQ Service Concepts of the Month Concept Five The rights of appeal and petition protect minorities and insure they can be heard. Concept Six The Conference acknowledges the primary administrative responsibilities of the Trustees. In This Issue: District Meetings, 3 State Speaker Meeting, 1, 2 Focus on Alateen, 6 Spring Fling, 7 Meetings & Events, 5, 6, 7 Volunteers/Service, 2, 4, 8 Sharing, 2, 7 Al-Anon Information Services, serving the Greater Portland Area The Group Scoop 1

2 State Speaker Meeting Recap The theme of the May 13-15, 2016 Al-Anon Oregon State Speaker Meeting was Celebrating the Magic of Recovery. The meeting opened Friday evening in Milwaukie when about 40 early birds shared their Tools of Recovery and enjoyed the fellowship of an ice cream social followed by skits and a parade. Saturday, close to 100 people from across the state filled the rooms. The morning started with a panel discussion on Diversity of the people in Al-Anon; all were encouraged to ask their home groups how to best welcome people from all backgrounds and to consider accessibility when choosing meeting and event locations. The Alateen Panel including sharing by teens, their sponsors and parents. The recovery and maturity demonstrated by the teens was awe inspiring. And more sponsors are needed to support this amazing program. There were AA and Al-Anon meetings going on throughout the day, as well as a walking Al-Anon meeting, which took place in a light drizzle. Throughout Saturday, there was also a parallel Spanish Speaking program. The two groups came together for meals, fellowship and the keynote speakers. Saturday afternoon, the meeting broke into table groups to discuss the importance of Service in Al-Anon. Among many topics, the groups considered the many types of service, giving back as part of recovery and how much service is too much. Families in Recovery was a panel which discussed detaching with love, compassion and family dynamics. In particular, the use of the Al-Anon traditions in families hit home with many, as well as the importance of forgiving oneself and others. After a delicious dinner and more fellowship, the group gathered to hear the Keynote Speakers, Al S. from Portland and Beverly B. from Texas. Both sharings could not have been more inspirational and thoughtful. The speakers spoke from the heart and touched the audience with their honesty and compassion. A lively Dessert Auction and Talent Show closed the evening with more fellowship. Opportunities for Service AIS Office Please consider volunteering at the Al- Anon Information Services (AIS) Office. There is a staff member there to help you and you can do it according to your own schedule. Call (503) for more information. November Assembly Districts 9, 11 and 12 will be hosting the November Assembly (see page 7). Volunteers are needed to coordinate Registration, Greeting and Hospitality. Please contact Mary W. for more information: maryloisdistrict10@gmail.com. Alateen Sponsors Alateen needs more sponsors in the Portland metro area and beyond. There is a training program and shadowing for at least six months. Call AIS (503) for more information. Sunday morning, Beverly B. returned to hold The Magic of Recovery Workshop. She shared more of her experience, strength and hope within in the framework of the recovery process; as well as the tools which help her to experience the magic of recovery. These tools included meditation to set her direction for the day, sponsorship and sponsoring, the principles of Al-Anon and much more. The meeting closed with a Spiritual Speaker who shared the touching evolution of her relationship with her Higher Power over the course of her recovery. It was the perfect uplifting finale for the meeting. After the centerpiece auction, basket and quilt raffles the meeting concluded and the grateful participants headed back across the state ~ Beth McQ State Speaker Meeting Magic! The Group Scoop 2

DISTRICT MEETINGS District 9 3rd Wednesday of the month from 7 to 8 pm at the Alano Club, 909 NW 24th Avenue, Portland District 10 3rd Tuesday of the month, 7:00-8:30 pm, Calvin Presbyterian Church,

3 DISTRICT MEETINGS District 9 3rd Wednesday of the month from 7 to 8 pm at the Alano Club, 909 NW 24th Avenue, Portland District 10 3rd Tuesday of the month, 7:00-8:30 pm, Calvin Presbyterian Church, SW Canterbury Lane, Tigard District 11 3rd Monday of the month, 6:30-7:30 pm, St Paul Lutheran Church, 3880 SE Brooklyn St. Portland (Enter at the door to the right of the main entrance and downstairs; ring bell if door is locked) 1st floor library room/ wheelchair accessible. District 12 2nd Wednesday of the month, 6:30-8:00 pm, Providence Hospital, 4805 NE Glisan St, Portland, Room 2E Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature is also available in Spanish at the AIS Office Visit the Al-Anon Information Services office, conveniently located at the intersection of SW Skyline Boulevard and the Sunset Highway (Rte. 26). In addition, to the outstanding staff and volunteers, you will find a large selection of Al-Anon literature to consider and you can save any shipping fees by picking up your order. The AIS office also offers an excellent selection of Alateen, large print and Spanish language publications. Keep an Open Mind One Day at a Time Easy Does it GOT SOMETHING TO SHARE? Where are you in your Al-Anon/Alateen journey? District 17 What is your Higher Power inviting you to do? 1st Thursday of the month; 7:00 pm - 8:30pm; Faith on Hill Church, 3615 SE Hill Rd, Milwaukie AIS Meetings 3rd Thursday of the month; 7:00 pm - 8:30pm, 1750 SW Skyline Boulevard, Portland Conference Room Do you have a personal sharing on how you are applying the Steps, Traditions or Concepts in your life? How has service enriched your recovery? Write about one of those topics or anything else related to your Al-Anon/Alateen journey and send it to thegroupscooppdx@gmail.com. The deadline for the July/ August Group Scoop will be Friday, July 15, Some guidelines for submitting articles to The Group Scoop: Keep the focus on your Al-Anon/Alateen recovery. Service Committee (ISR) (odd months) Service Board (even months) If you include quotes from Al-Anon/Alateen Conference Approved Literature be aware there are restrictions on what can be quoted without first receiving permission from the WSO. Please see the Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual pages or contact the WSO directly with questions at wso@al-anon.org. Due to length and available space in the printed version, it is possible your sharing will only be published in the Online Version of the Group Scoop. Let us know if you would like your article published with your first name and last initial or as anonymous. The Group Scoop 3

Literature Sales/ Pick Up Is your group having trouble getting to the AIS Office during regular business hours to pick up more books and pamphlets?

Please call in your order during office hours and plan to come by the AIS office by 6:30PM at the latest.

4 Literature Sales/ Pick Up Is your group having trouble getting to the AIS Office during regular business hours to pick up more books and pamphlets? Your group s ISR or GR can pick up literature on the third Thursday of the month prior to the AIS Board or Service Committee Meeting. Please call in your order during office hours and plan to come by the AIS office by 6:30PM at the latest. Thank You AIS Office Volunteers and Group Contributors March Volunteers May/June Group Contributions Joan B. Fran P. Diana D. Barbara O. Don H. Judi W. March Calls AL-Anon 120 Alateen 4 Business 39 Other 6 Total 169 April Volunteers Diana D. Joan B. Fran P. April Calls Al-Anon 110 Alateen 8 Business 42 Other 11 Total 171 The Group Scoop 4

5 THEY WANTED A MEETING THEY NEEDED A MEETING AND NOW THEY HAVE A MEETING IN AURORA Please come and support us. EVERY Sunday night from 7:00 8:00 pm. (AA meets here too) *SUNDAY NIGHT WINNERS* CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH nd Street, SE Aurora, OR For more info call Love & Service Meeting Sundays, 5:00 6:00PM SW Davis Road, Beaverton Desiree C. (503) Deena T. (503) Babysitting Available Reflections Speaker Meetings Please note the updated schedule for the Reflections Speakers Meetings through January Mount Scott Community Center, Auditorium, 5530 SE 72nd Avenue, Portland, OR At 7:30 P.M. Mark you calendar for these future meetings: August 12, 2016 Panel/Workshop on Principles Above Personalities. January 13 & 14, 2017 Kathy H., Cincinnati, OH The Group Scoop 5

2016 Alateen Roundup April 23, 2016 was the Alateen Roundup at the HOW Alateen Meeting site on Sunnyside in Clackamas. It was such a huge success!! About 22 teens attended the Roundup.

6 2016 Alateen Roundup April 23, 2016 was the Alateen Roundup at the HOW Alateen Meeting site on Sunnyside in Clackamas. It was such a huge success!! About 22 teens attended the Roundup. All Portland Alateen meetings were represented. A car load came up from Salem too!! All members shared on the theme Keep It Simple at the first meeting. We had a quick workshop on the Links of Service and the teens learned how they fit into the overall program. Our speakers, Devon and Zane, shared their stories of courage and hope. During craft time, they made tiles with the slogans and peanut butter bird seed treats. Anniversary coins were given to all attendees from three weeks to eight years!! Gift card raffle prizes were enjoyed by many! So many pizzas were devoured by hunger teens and their sponsors. The highlight of the day was the dance with the best DJ! One sponsor shared: Thanks to all that made the Roundup a success! My kids said that it was a lot of fun this year! Hurray! Another sponsors shared: One of the teens said that it was the best day! She loved meeting so many other Alateens and had so much fun dancing! AIS and Al-Anon members: Thanks for making this possible for your kids, our kids-these ALATEENS-our future!!!! - Portland Alateen Sponsors Focus on Alateen The Group Scoop 6

7 Spiritual Awakening The power of the program to change lives is in the Twelve Steps of AA, which we practice ourselves as Al-Anons. At first I was loath to accept that the other program had anything beneficial to offer besides a place for alcoholics to be safe and out of everyone s hair for a little while. Then slowly, and at my own way and pace I began to learn the facts about alcoholism. I discovered I owe much of my own spiritual sobriety and a huge debt of gratitude to the other program and the wonderful humans that make up their numbers. It was this revelation that led me to one of the most profound spiritual awakenings of my Al-anon career, the power to change my mind. I realized that if I can change my mind about the alcoholic, about alcoholism and about the very disease that I decried as the source of all my misery and shortcomings, then I could do just about anything I set my mind to. I learned that at any moment I can reserve the right to change my opinion on any issue, any person or anything. I can give that opinion to my High Power and if I choose I can change it right back. I learned that not only is no situation really hopeless but I am never really hopeless, unless I want to be and that no one has the power to change my mind for me about any subject, unless I let them. I would love to say this spiritual awakening came after I had finished several turns of the 1, 2, 3 waltz, or after my four-hundredth meeting, but instead it came just as it is suggested it would, following the Tenth and Eleventh steps and just shorty before I took step Twelve. I have a new life as a result of these steps and I know, if I want to, I can change my mind and go back to the way I was living before. But just for today, I will choose to be happy. Save the Dates: Upcoming Oregon Area Assemblies - Will S. The Oregon Area Assembly are held three times a year and are open to all Al-Anon members; even though only Group Representatives vote. The next two assemblies are July 16 17, 2016 at Alder Creek Middle School in SE Portland and November 19 20, 2016 at the Embassy Suites Washington Square in Tigard. Contact your GR for more information. Fall AIS Fundraiser The annual AIS Fundraiser will be held at the Tabor Space on October 29, More information to follow. Spring Fling Wrap-Up On April 23rd this year, District 17 held our Annual Spring Fling. We had three speakers share with us Why They Keep Coming Back and they were terrific. The recovery in the room was so wonderful one of those things that could almost be felt. We are so grateful to all who participated in this fun event from the planning and cooking, the speakers and the clean-up. This year we had desserts for sale; we had a wonderful plant sale (my garden will have beautiful flowers in it next year); we had an auction of bags our District 17 Groups created; and the food was wonderful as usual. Having an event like this is always so much fun and the fellowship is what it s about. Oh, yeah, we also are sending a check to our AIS office in the amount of $1, Yes, it was a fundraiser and yet sometimes the Fun and the Fellowship seem so much more when our willingness to give back is so generous. Thanks to all! I know I am one of those folks who will keep coming back. Our program really does work! Love, Barb L The Group Scoop 7

8 12th Step Call Volunteers Needed The Al-Anon Information Services (AIS) Office is updating its Al-Anon 12 th Step Call list. Occasionally the AIS office receives an urgent call from someone in distress over someone else s drinking and needs to talk to someone right away. The office puts them in touch with an Al-Anon member who has been there, from the 12 th Step Call List. They do this by contacting a member on the list, asking them if they are willing to take a 12 th step call and gives them the newcomer s phone number. The office never gives out your number to the newcomer. The AIS Office has been using the same 12 th Step Call list for many years. Currently there are only 3 or 4 working telephone numbers left on the list. If you are willing to reach out to newcomers and you have at least one year in Al-Anon, we invite you to contact the AIS Office with the days and times you are available at 1750 S.W. Skyline Blvd. Suite 133, Portland, OR or at Thank you. Love in Service ~ The AIS Service Committee Contact Us Al-Anon Information Services 1750 SW Skyline Blvd., #133 Portland, OR (503) ais@alanonportlandoregon.org Open Monday Friday; 9:00AM 5:00PM Spanish Information: (503) Monday Friday; 9:00am 5:00pm Saturday Sunday; 10:00 am 5:00PM The Three C s We didn t cause it We can t control it We can t cure it The Group Scoop 8

THE GROUP SCOOP. Upcoming Bridge Walk & Annual AIS Fundraiser! In This Issue: Service Concepts of the Month

THE GROUP SCOOP. Upcoming Bridge Walk & Annual AIS Fundraiser! In This Issue: Service Concepts of the Month THE GROUP SCOOP The Al-Anon Information Services Newsletter September/October 2016 Upcoming Bridge Walk & Annual AIS Fundraiser! September is Recovery Month. A time for us to consider the state of our