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I was reminded of how meetings truly are a safe place for me. I can walk into a room, be welcomed, and feel loved by all these people who are here for the same reason I am.
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I am so thankful for our Traditions. They are a great reminder of how to apply the
Al-Anon principles and tools to every day life.
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I make the choices in my life. And I can choose to use the tools of the program to help make myself & my life better, or I can choose not to use them and stay in the same rut that always comes when I am not practicing my program.
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District Representative
925-586-8021
Alternate DR
707-643-4451
Secretary
925-683-8979
Treasurer
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D14 Coordinators
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Alateen
Alateen Safety (DAPP)
2015 Day In Al-Anon
OPEN
Institutions
Literature Depot
Meeting List
Newsletter
Public Outreach
Spanish Liaison
Speaker Meeting
Lending Library
Telephone Hotline
Website
OPEN
Archives
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Welcome to the District 14 Newsletter, created & distributed by Al-Anon members.
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Recovery in Our Own Words
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Life on Life's Terms
This first week in August I was on vacation with family and friends on a lake in Utah. We were 36 souls including 10 children, many of the adults drinking a lot of alcohol. I found it interesting that some people's drinking bothers me while others' drinking doesn't.
Life on life's terms. To me, this means having acceptance of people, places, and things as they are and being aware of that. I'm so grateful to Al-Anon and the study of the principles (Steps & Traditions) with my sponsor and in meetings. I've learned to not give my serenity away. I was able to enjoy my vacation by focusing on me and taking care of myself. I can love them and myself by minding my own business and by keeping myself & the kids safe. I am often reminded by my Al-Anon fellows that I can't control how they drink or what they do.
I miss all my friends & fellows in District 14 and Contra Costa A.A. whom I have been privileged to know and love over my formative years in Al-Anon.
Al-Anon is alive and well here in the hinder lands of the Midwest. I am active and entering service to Al-Anon. ONE DAY at a TIME.
Submitted by Al D.
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NEWS: District 14 & Beyond |
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District 14 Monthly Business Meeting | All members welcome! | |
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When: First Wednesday of the month, 7 - 7:25 pm Tradition Study, 7:30 pm Business Meeting.
Where: Lesher Auditorium, John Muir Medical Center, Concord Campus, 2540 East St., Concord. |
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News from the Business Meeting
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Last meeting held on Oct 1, 2014 ~ Next on Nov 5, 2014
 - District 14 Election Results! Congratulations & thank you to everyone who stood for an officer or coordinator position at our last District Business Meeting. The following positions for the next three year panel (effective January 1st, 2015) were filled:
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 Officers - District Representative (DR)
- Alternate DR
- Coordinators
- Institutions
- Public Outreach
- Website
- Alternate Coordinators
- Elections will continue in November! Many positions were not filled at the initial elections. It is not too late to stand for an open position on the panel! Each position is an opportunity just waiting for a volunteer who is willing to give his/her service to stand up for it. The following are the open District service positions:
- Officers
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 Coordinators - Alateen
- Alateen Safety
(DAPP - District Alateen Process Person) - Archives
- Lending Library
- Literature Depot
- Meeting List
- Newsletter
- Spanish Liaison
- Speaker Meeting
- Telephone Hotline
- Alternate Coordinators
- All except for Institution
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Monthly Speaker Meetings
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 Contact Sandy H. @ 925-642-9909 to volunteer your group!
With the transition of our district panel coming up, we are now loooking for groups to host in the 1st quarter of 2015. Smaller groups can join forces to host a meeting together. There are detailed guidelines with timelines to aide you in the process if this is new to your group.
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Group Donations to the District
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 Send to District AFG, P.O. Box 416, Concord, CA 94522-0416. Please DO NOT FORGET to label your donation with your Group Name, Meeting Day & Time, and AFG number.
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Donations to the NCWSA
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Send to NCWSA Treasurer, P.O. Box 728, Vacaville, CA 95696-0728.
Donation form A-25 is available on the NCWSA website " Forms" page.
Birthday Donations: Some members choose to send WSO Donations on their Al-Anon birthday. Birthday Donation envelopes are available by ordering from WSO. |
Our Speaker Meeting is held on the 4th Saturday of each month @ 6:30 - 9pm.
Kaiser Walnut Creek, 1515 Newell Ave., 3rd Floor, Oak Room
(Medical Office Building parking at Newell)
Fellowship, refreshments, birthday chips, donation drawing, literature, tape library.
Meeting will be recorded.
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 Men's Day in Al-Anon 2014 Saturday, October 18th @ 8:30am - 3pm Hillcrest Congregational Church 404 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill CA "Men & Relationships - The Family Disease of Alcoholism." Registration & continental breakfast begin at 8:30 am. Program begins at 9 am. Come join your brothers in recovery for speakers, Q&A, table discussions, and more! Suggested Donation is $15 in advance/online or $20 at the door. No one will be turned away for inability to donate. Your donation includes all materials, continental breakfast, lunch, and CD recording. |
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District 16 Fall Fest
Sat, Nov 1st @ 2:30pm - 9pm
Trinity Lutheran Church
1225 Hopyard, Pleasanton CA
"Tools for the Harvest." Fun, great recovery, fellowship. Includes dinner, district service workshop, meditation session, drawing, and speakers. Suggested donation amount: $8 adults / $6 teens.
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District 15 AMIAS Training
Saturday, Nov 8th @ 2 - 4:30pm
First Presbyterian Church
2490 Grove way, Castro Valley (next to Trader Joe's), Room 15
Open to anyone in Alateen service. Facilitated by Area Alateen Coordinator, Bonnie M.
See Event Flyer
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Anonymous, Not Invisible
District 6 Day in Al-Anon FUNdraiser
Sat, Nov 15th @ 11:30am - 4pm
Dixon United Methodist Church
Speakers on Public Outreach, Technology, Past Delegate, AA, Alateen, and Al-Anon. Potluck lunch, donation drawing / silent auction. Suggested donation at the door: $3 each or $5 family.
See Event Flyer
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Yosemite Summit Conference
Al-Anon/Alateen Participation
Fri, Nov 21st - Sun, Nov 23rd
http://www.serenityyosemite.com
"Serenity in Yosemite." Marathon meetings, guest speakers, and raffles! Seating is limited; pre-registration is recommended. Signing will be provided for the hearing-impaired.
See Save the Date Flyer
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Lois & Bill's Holiday Bash
Viva Al-Anon! Fiesta! Ole!
December 6th, 2014
@ 4:45pm - 10:30pm
415 Steele Lane, Santa Rosa CA
Dinner will be held from 5:30 pm to 7 pm. Suggested donation is $15. There will be Alateen, AA, and Al-Anon speakers at the event. Come join in the celebration!
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2015 International AA Convention
Thu, July 2 - Sun, July 5, 2015
in Atlanta, GA
"80 Years - Happy, Joyous and Free."
Al-Anon & Alateen meetings, workshops at Marriott Marquis. AA meetings, panels, & workshops at Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Dome, etc.
See Event Page
See Registration Brochure
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NCWSA Events Calendar
The NCWSA calendar lists Al-Anon and Alateen events occurring throughout Northern California, including AA events with Al-Anon participation. National and international events are also listed.
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See each district website for details
District 6 - Solano & Beyond: On last Friday of month @ 7pm, Vacaville.
District 16 - Tri-Valley area: On 2nd Saturday of month, Pleasanton.
District 26 - Hercules to Berkeley: 1st Saturday @ 6:30pm, Richmond.
(Trial) 3rd Friday @ 7pm, Berkeley.
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District 14 Service Positions
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Contact Carla G. for more information on serving for District 14!
Open District Coordinator positions are shown on the D14 Coordinators list in the sidebar. There are less than 3 months left before the current term of service ends.
Alternate District Coordinators assist the Coordinator and represent that position at District 14 Business Meetings when needed. It is a great way to serve and learn a new position. If you are interested in providing service in your recovery, please review the Guidelines for the positions to see what is right for you. Then attend a business meeting to stand for the position.
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Other Service Opportunities
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Men's Day in Al-Anon 2014
Saturday, October 18"Men and Relationships, The Family Disease of Alcoholism." Join your brothers on the road to recovery! For more info and to inquire about service opportunities, contact the 2014 MDIA Coordinator John G. at 925-478-7848. Go to MDIA website
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Day in Al-Anon 2015
Next Planning Mtgs: Aug 31, Sep 28
@3pm at Peet's 5458 Ygnacio Valley Rd #10, Concord CA 94521
Planning meetings on last Sunday of month at Peet's Coffee on Ygnacio Valley & Clayton Rd.
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 Become an Alateen Sponsor For more info and/or applications, contact Alateen Coordinator Marilyn G. at 925-759-1452 or Alateen Safety Coordinator Kristine B. at 925-407-6053. |
Pre-Alateen & Alateen Meetings
There are programs of help for young people who believe their lives have been influenced by someone else's drinking. Different meetings are available for different age groups: Pre-alateen for children ages 6 - 13 and Alateen for ages 12 - 20. See the District 14 Meeting List (bottom right corner) to see Pre-Alateen and Alateen Meetings currently available in our area.
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NoCAC's Last Chance Dance
Saturday, October 18th @ 4 - 9pm
Covenant Presbyterian Church
in Palo Alto CA
Save the Date: Come enjoy an evening of food, fun, and--most of all--dancing! This will be the last chance to pay for NoCAC registration before the price rises.
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36th Annual NoCAC
Friday, Nov 5th - Sunday, Nov 16th
DoubleTree in Modesto CA
At NoCAC, we can let our feelings flow: give a cheer, a laugh, or even a warm hug. We wish to present you with a beautiful and loving weekend. Show care for one another and the weekend will be the best.
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Alateen Talk
Alateen Talk is the WSO Alateen quarterly publication. Alateen members from all over the world share their experience, strength, and hope. Their sharings relate to their personal lives, how their Alateen group is functioning, and ways in which they carry the Alateen message to young people who are still suffering from someone else's drinking.
Go to Alateen Talk page
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Alateen Express
The Alateen Express is the official newsletter for Alateen groups of the NCWSA of AFG, Inc. It contains information about Alateen that may be helpful to Al-Anon/Alateen groups. All members of Alateen and their sponsors are urged to contribute information about group news, fundraisers and other special events. Articles present members' personal views & experiences.
Read More
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Institutions & Public Outreach Corner |
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Institutions
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 Any Al-Anon or Alateen member can volunteer!
Institutions Service brings the Al-Anon presence to the institutions in our community while separating the Al-Anon philosophy from that of the treatment centers. Our Al-Anon/Alateen members reach out to families of alcoholics who are residents/outpatients of hospitals or treatment centers or are inmates of correctional & other residential facilities.
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Public Outreach
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 Volunteers speak on Al-Anon to members of the community (at medical facilities, health fairs, schools, etc.). We are also considering holding a workshop to teach members how to do public outreach speaking. |
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Reflections from The Forum |
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Al-Anon's Monthly Magazine
 Subscribe to The Forum and receive your own monthly
"Meeting in Your Pocket" for only $11 per year. The Forum contains many personal stories of inspiration, some of which are made available each month online by authorization of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. Click here to see the current month's featured shares in full. |
I wasn't an alcoholic, yet I had become my father
My mom started coming to Al-Anon when I was a baby, as she was faced with my father's alcoholism. They divorced when I was two.
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I loved my wife: she drank, but it didn't seem so bad
Six years ago, I would not have imagined that I would [be] where I am today. I had a broken, long-term marriage behind me. I had started over, and life was good. It was a joy to be alive. I knew what it was like to be happy in my own skin. I had self-confidence, and I was able to experience periods of pure joy. Then, I met the woman that I would marry. Yes, she drank, but it didn't seem bad. We always had people over or were going out. She was fun, exciting, and sexually assertive-all the things that I was seeking.
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I'm learning how to be okay, even when my loved ones aren't
Before I came to Al-Anon, when I was figuring out if I was okay, I had a mental checklist: is my daughter okay, is my son okay, and is my husband okay? If I could answer yes to all of those, then I knew I was okay. When I could no longer deny that my teenage son had a big problem with alcohol and drugs, I was no longer able to feel okay, because he wasn't okay. I had it backwards.
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Used with permission from The Forum, October 2014.
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Bienvenidos a Al-Anon y Alateen |
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Recuperación. Unidad. Servicio. | |
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Los amigos y familiares de los bebedores problema encuentran comprensión y apoyo en las reuniones de Al-Anon.
- El sitio web para el Distrito 14
- Fortaleza y esperanza para los amigos y familiares de bebedores problema... Aquí
- Cómo localizar una reunion: Si la bebida de otra persona le preocupa, el asistir a las reuniones de los Grupos de Familia Al-Anon o Alateen le puede ayudar.
- Día en Al-Anon 2015 "Al-Together" será el 7 de febrero, 2015. ¡Necesitamos el Coordinador enlace para grupos en Español! Para Planear Nuestro Día
¿Cómo puedo ayudarle a mi bebedor problema a que deje de beber?  No existe fórmula mágica que le permita a usted ayudarle a alguien a que deje--ni a que disminuya--la bebida. El alcoholismo es un problema complejo en el que existen muchos asuntos que se relacionan. Sin embargo, Al-Anon le puede ayudar a que aprenda la forma de enfrentar las dificultades de la bebida de otra persona . . .
Cómo me ayuda Al-Anon.  En Al-Anon, los miembros no orientan ni les dan consejos a otros miembros. En su lugar, comparten sus experiencias e historias personales, e invitan a otros miembros a "quedarse con lo que les agrada y desechar el resto"--es decir, a determinar por sí mismos qué experiencias podrían aplicar a sus propias vidas . . .
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Contribute to this Newsletter
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Send your contribution* by email with "Contribution" in the subject line.
 All Al-Anon & Alateen members are welcome to contribute to this newsletter: something heard at a meeting, work on one of the Steps or Traditions, a thought while reading CAL (Conference Approved Literature), a share or short story about your experience, strength, and hope. *Submissions may be edited for length/grammar & in keeping with the 12 Traditions. Authors will be notified of any changes to their submissions. Publications will be made at the discretion of the editor as space permits.
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Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism | |
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 No matter what relationship you have with an alcoholic, whether they are still drinking or not, all who have been affected by someone else's drinking can find solutions that lead to serenity in the Al-Anon/Alateen fellowship. For more... |
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Closing Reflection
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Sometimes when I am trying to figure things out or make a decision, I forget to pray.
As I struggle and feel troubled or anxious, I am reminded: I need to stop. I need to pray.
With Love in Service,
Michelle - District 14 Newsletter Coordinator
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