NEW YORK SOUTH ASSEMBLY AREA P.O. Box 30, Radio City Station, New York, NY 10101 Speak-Easy Page 1 of 6 Spring 2018 / April - June al-anonny.org The Officers and Coordinators of Panel 57 Officers Delegate / Taaj J. nys57delegate@aol.com Alternate Delegate / Emily D-C. - nys57altdelegate@gmail.com Chairperson / Ellen D. nys.area.chair@gmail.com Area Secretary / Sue V. smv38@msm.com Area Treasurer / GraceMarie H. - snytreas@gmail.com Coordinators Alateen / Gerry L. nys.alateen.57@gmail.com Archives / Paula A. pangi4549@gmail.com AAPP / VACANT Discovery 2018 / Dianne F. nysdiscovery2018@gmail.com Forum-Literature / Marissa W. nys57forumliterature@gmail.com Group Records / Pat C. - nysgrouprecords@gmail.com Newsletter, Speak-Easy / Marlene L. nysspeakeasy@aol.com P.O. Box / Arthur S. ars230@optonline.net Public Outreach / Regina B. rebrunning@yahoo.com Website / Marcy E. mhe711@gmail.com The Speak-Easy will be published four (4) times a year: The Spring edition (April, May and June), will be ready for the AWSC in March, and the Assembly in April. The Summer edition (July, August and September), will be ready for the May AWSC, and the June Assembly. The Fall edition (October, November and December), and will ready for the September AWSC, and the October Assembly. The Winter edition (January, February and March), to be ready for the January AWSC, and the February Assembly. Dates for 2018: AWSC = Sunday, January 7 / Sunday, March 4/ Sunday, May 6 / Sunday, September 16 Assembly = Sunday, February 4 / Sunday, April 8/ Sunday, June 10 / Sunday, October 21 ABSOLUTE DEADLINE FOR ARTICLES = APRIL 8 th, 2018 ** DISCOVERY 2018 ** Recovery Through Discovery Friday, August 24 Sunday, August 26 Al-Anon s International Convention 2018 Celebrating One Day at a Time Friday, July 6 Sunday, July 8, 2018
NEW YORK SOUTH ASSEMBLY AREA Speak-Easy Spring 2018 Page 2 of 6 Thoughts From Our Officers Delegate / Taaj J. News from the Delegate is that the TEAM (Together Empowering Al-Anon Members) event will be in the planning stages for late 2018 as well as the Road Trip (meet the Board of Trustees) bid for 2019. At the Assembly we will be discussing both Ways of Inclusion for our membership as well as Spirituality in Money Matters. One of our Areas, Puerto Rico, which is now back on electrically, has been wiped out by storms and has no literature. Any group or District that may wish to contribute Spanish beginner s literature directly, it would be a great way to Let it Begin with me, when anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, Let the hand of Al-Anon, and Alateen, always be there, and Let it Begin with me. Contact Taaj directly by email to send Spanish literature to the Delegate in Puerto Rico. Also, outreach efforts have been extended by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees to have a trustee visit our Area, so this will also be discussed at the Assembly. And finally, WSO did well enough with literature sales and group contributions to have their second best fiscal year ever. This has been an important goal considering the vast expansion into the digital world that the fellowship has wanted to do worldwide. This next year s goal will be to keep it growing. The New York South Area has made appropriate contributions that support the WSOs efforts to provide us all with ever growing opportunities to carry the message. And finally, we will be discussing how to expand our fellowship in demographics, as well as how to bring spirituality into money matters at all levels. Alternate Delegate / Emily D-C. Delegating Responsibilities: We Cannot Do It Alone Growing up in an alcoholic family, I learned to do many things on my own, like mowing the lawn, sewing my own clothes, laying a brick patio, and decorating for the holidays. There was pride in accomplishing these things by myself, but there was loneliness, too. Especially when family alcoholism caused painful silences and isolation in the home. In Al-Anon, to heal from the family disease of alcoholism, we learn to do things differently. We break our isolation and ask for help. The same is true in doing service. We cannot do it alone is embedded in our Legacies. Tradition Eight and Nine and Concepts Two and Eight all stress the importance of delegating responsibilities to others so that we maintain a healthy balance in our lives, while giving back to the program that has given us so much. The idea of delegating responsibilities was brought home to me in 2016, when Panel 54 s Alternate Delegate Sue P., asked interested AWSC members to observe group inventories around our N.Y. South Area, so they could begin facilitating some inventories on their own. Unfortunately, Sue P. stepped down before her idea could be actualized. But when I became Panel 57 s Alternate Delegate, I picked up where she left off. Last summer, I invited some interested AWSC members to observe a few group inventories with me. Now, in the last four months, they ve started facilitating inventories on their own. Concept Three states, The right of decision makes effective leadership possible. The Traditions and Concepts guided me in delegating this important responsibility by providing resources to the AWSC members, but not micromanaging how the inventories were facilitated. Not only has delegating group inventories made my service position more manageable, but it has enabled more group inventories to take place than if I d tried to do it alone. It has also given other trusted servants the joy of doing this fulfilling service. And judging from the feedback, they re doing a great job! If your group or AIS would like to schedule an inventory, please e-mail me at nys57altdelegate@gmail.com.
NEW YORK SOUTH ASSEMBLY AREA Speak-Easy Spring 2018 Page 3 of 6 Area Chairperson / Ellen D. January began the second year of my three year commitment as Area Chair. As I reflect on this past year and gaze toward the future I am hopeful that we as an Area will continue to grow and expand our outreach. As part of the World-Wide fellowship of Al-Anon and Alateen it is important that we keep the Newcomer in mind when we make decisions regarding outreach. Are we including all those affected by someone else's drinking? What can we do to create a more welcoming environment for those who have yet to enter into the Al-Anon and Alateen program? These are the questions broached at our last Area Assembly as important to us and will inform our discussion at the upcoming Assembly meeting. I hope as we reflect on these questions we become energized as an Area and truly embrace our differences, coming up with creative ideas to fulfill the principles embodied within Tradition Five which reminds us of our"...one purpose: to help families of alcoholics..." Area Secretary / Sue V. Greetings all, It is amazing that no matter how much service I give, I learn something new every time. As Area Secretary, I never anticipated the opportunity for growth that would come with this position. The one thing I like the best is the opportunity this position brings to help me appreciate my strengths while also gaining greater awareness of my growth areas. Serving as Area Secretary is helping me see how significant my contribution can be to the history of our Area, the accuracy of our records and the integrity of our Archives. In keeping with this purpose, I ask help from each and every member serving at the Area level. Please stop by and say hello at our Assembly meetings. Each of you has so much to offer and your warm smile goes a long way. I still have a whole lot to learn in this role and thank each and every one of you for your support along the way. I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to a productive year together. Area Treasurer / GraceMarie H. As most of you know I took over the treasury during the last panel of officers. Because I was not in office for a full term I accepted the position for this term also. My policy has been and continues to be that everyone in our area deserves to know exactly what is going on in the treasury at all times. This protects me as well as the area. It s called transparency. The Area is structured so that the Chairperson, Alternate Delegate and I all have online access to the bank accounts. This allows us to monitor the accounts and insure that there is no unusual or questionable activity. I also reconcile to the bank every month and post the monthly reports (income and expenses) online (weather there is a meeting or not). You can access these reports on the web site the first week or so of the month. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Anyone who handles money either for their Area, District or Group should operate in a similar manner. When group reps ask why they need a receipt, I explain that I need them to record the income and acknowledge to the group that I received the contribution. It s also to protect the group as well as the group treasurer. If everything is documented there can never be any questions. The NYS Speak-Easy is such a wonderful tool to communicate and share what service means to me. I ve been in Al-Anon over 35 years. I ve always been in service but outside of Discovery (many years ago) it was on a group and district level. The amount of growth in my life since Area service has been unimaginable. I have met so many wonderful people throughout the Area. I have been blessed with an enthusiastic and proactive group of fellow officers who have become friends. I have learned to put the Traditions into action in both my Al-Anon and personal life. I have especially learned to put principles above personalities. I m still a work in progress, but it s wonderful that there is so much progress. I love this fellowship! It has allowed me to see who I was, who I am and who I want to be. It s given me the tools to grow and people to help along the way. Most of all Al-Anon has given me the ability to have a working relationship with my Higher Power. What a gift Al-Anon is. I am so grateful.
NEW YORK SOUTH ASSEMBLY AREA Speak-Easy Spring 2018 Page 4 of 6 Around the Area Alateens looking for a Meeting! Alateen Coordinator / Gerry L.: We call our fellowship a program of attraction not promotion. When it comes to Alateen, it seems, we Al-Anons need to step up our game, because attendance at Alateen meetings is a challenge nationwide. And there is help to do this, because, as in every aspect of this program, we are not alone. There are a great many resources available on the WSO website: Al-Anon.org. In fact, the members news page, In the Loop, current lead article is Reach out to Children of Alcoholics-February 11-17, through social media by adding the hashtag #coa. The WSO has three social media platforms: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Today s teens (and younger,) were born into and are growing up in the social media culture. Reaching out to them this way is not only expedient, it is necessary. Because, while they may make it to a bricks and mortar meeting eventually, social media presents recovery in an easily digestible form that they are used to. Three social media platforms, plus the Alateen Chat Room, always moderated by two certified AMIAS, provide powerful means of connecting with young people. While the Alateen Instagram account only has 681 followers, its adult counterpart has 5,002. Twitter s Alateen account, 422 followers; Al-Anon 5,564. And Alateen on Facebook-3,472 followers vs.44,619 for Al-Anon. The media are there. Facebook is the most well-entrenched. It s up to each of us to do our part to get the word out. The NYC Intergroup has a section on its website devoted to teens. Nassau is looking into adopting their model for its site. If you have benefitted from Al-Anon, reach out to the teens in your life. Because one day at a time, one person at a time, together we can make a difference. Discovery Coordinator 2018 / Dianne F. Hello, my name is Dianne, and I am your Discovery Coordinator for 2018. Let me give you a brief history of myself. I have been in Al-Anon since 2000. Ever since I have come to Al-Anon, I have been involved in doing service whether it was in the group or serving on the AIS board in Nassau County (Alison). In doing that service, it encouraged me to go to my first Discovery weekend. When I went to my first Discovery with my sponsor, I was in such awe of everything, from the camaraderie, all the meetings, and meeting people from all over, to hearing the speakers. Friday night, there were two speakers, an Adult Child and an Alateen. On Saturday night, there was an Al-Anon speaker and an A.A. speaker. The Al-Anon speaker spoke of their experience, strength and hope. The A.A. speaker spoke about what they went through on the other side. Finally, on Sunday, there was a Spiritual speaker. Going away on the Discovery weekend was so relaxing and rewarding. Doing this let me want to be more involved. When it was over, I filled out the evaluation form, and asked if I could be on the committee for the following year, and I asked to join them. At the first Discovery that I worked on, I did Literature, then I did Entertainment twice. After that I became the Co-Coordinator. In this position, I was really afraid because I had a hearing problem. However, I participated in a hearing aid test, and wow, it was amazing how well I could now hear. It changed my life and I learned to be a better listener. Learning to be a better listener also helped me to learn to have better compassion and patience for people. Learning this is what brought me to be your Coordinator. My Service Sponsor tells me to remember patience, Higher Power and to delegate the work, and it will all work out in the way it is supposed to. I have a committee that is terrific. We work together as a team, coming together as one. That s why I like Concept Four, and quoted it all the time when I was a District Representative; Participation is the key to Harmony. I hope to see everyone at Discovery 2018 on August 24 to August 26.
NEW YORK SOUTH ASSEMBLY AREA Speak-Easy Spring 2018 Page 5 of 6 P.O. Box / Arthur S.: I continue to collect the mail about once per week and forward it to the Area Treasurer. The mail averages about a dozen pieces per visit on this basis. I combine my weekly visits to the Post Office with going to the Christ and St. Stephen's Al-Anon Beginners' meeting on West 69 th Street. Thanks to NYS for the opportunity to continue to do this service. District 18-19 / District Representative / Arthur S.: Districts 18 and 19 in Manhattan continue to meet together regularly at the New York Intergroup office. Our Anonymity Workshop took place on February 17, from 1 3 PM, at Caron Foundation, 244 East 58 th St., Manhattan I can be reached at 917-450-7044 or ars23@optonline.net for more information. We invite any and all Manhattan groups to attend our District Meetings the next one will be on March 7, 2018, at 7:15 PM at NY Intergroup, 4 West 43 rd St., Manhattan. District 24 / District Representative / Sue V.: Greetings to all, With the new year comes a sense of renewed hope. At District 24, we hope that our service beyond the group level will continue to help Al-Anon members in lower Westchester to strengthen their program and achieve a greater level of serenity. Equally important is carrying this message of hope to newcomers and professionals in the community. As District Rep, a central focus of my service has been to bring back District level workshops. This is because in Keeping it Green, I can remember attending numerous District level workshops early in my recovery. These were often held on weekend afternoons and focused on a variety of themes. In particular, I recall one District level workshop with a theme about choices. It was held outside on a beautiful sunny afternoon in May. I remember learning so much in those early days and thoroughly enjoying the event. Another District workshop was held at Lincoln Park on Step 4. This was equally powerful for me and really helped me dispel the fears of doing my 4 th Step. Later on, in my recovery our District held two large Share-A-Day events with numerous meetings, a keynote speaker and a recovery dance! Nothing was more comforting than to have a safe place to go in addition to my regular meetings where I could further my recovery with members I knew from group. The members who helped organize these workshops and those that gave service were an inspiration to me and definitely attracted me to service. I wanted a piece of the joy and happiness that I saw exuding from these members. I can also vividly remember attending my first Area level event which was Discovery 1999, The Magic of Discovery. This was another lightbulb moment for me and the attraction of service really caught on. I am ever so grateful for these early spiritual awakenings and thank you all for your Power of Example what a mighty Power of Example you have been to me! I hope my enthusiasm has the same effect for someone else considering giving service. We will be sure to let you know the details about our 2018 District workshop and hope you will be able to attend! Finally, District 24 continues to spread the word about our District bank account and District Post Office Box which is helping our District be fully self-supporting. Groups make checks payable to District 24 AFG and mail them to: District 24 AFG, P.O. Box 441, Bronxville, NY 10708.
NEW YORK SOUTH ASSEMBLY AREA Speak-Easy Spring 2018 Page 6 of 6 The Steps, Traditions, and Concepts April [4] / May [5] / June [6] Steps: 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Traditions: 4. Each group should be autonomous, except in matters affecting another group or Al-Anon or AA as a whole. 5. Each Al-Anon Family Group has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps of AA ourselves, by encouraging and understanding our alcoholic relatives, and by welcoming and giving comfort to families of alcoholics. 6. Our Family Groups ought never endorse, finance or lend our name to any outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary spiritual aim. Although a separate entity, we should always co-operate with Alcoholics Anonymous. Concepts: 4. Participation is the key to harmony. 5. The rights of appeal and petition protect minorities and insure that they be heard. 6. The Conference acknowledges the primary administrative responsibility of the Trustees.