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Online Literature Order Form

The New! Online Literature Order Form is now available!

The paper forms will continue to be available as we transition to the new online form.

How to Access the Printable Forms

Please contact the Literature Distribution Centre Manager for assistance with a printable version of the Literature Order Form.

Update Service Manual to v4

To update your Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual click here

Monthly Literature Spotlight

From the OS Literature Coordinator

The Twelve Concepts of Service

I was talking with a member the other day and I mentioned the 12 Concepts of Service and this member had never heard of them. Talk about Al-Anon’s best kept secret! We have THREE legacies in this program: Steps, Traditions AND Concepts.

I thought to myself, maybe it’s time to do an Al-Anon 12 Concepts of Service book study! Let’s learn about all of the wisdom that can be found within the Concepts of Service. Let’s get together in-person or on-line with a large or small group of known or unknown members, and read and discuss and learn and grow together! Maybe it will be with a bunch of members from a home group, or with a group of members that have met through serving at the district level, or maybe you will find yourself in a literature Concept study with people from across Ontario South!

There are many great pieces of Al-Anon literature to support the Concept study! Each has their own shares and/or questions to consider in my journey to learn more about the 12 Concepts of Service.

Paths to Recovery (B-24) Pages 245-336 “The Concepts show us practical, healthy ways to arrive at decisions that involve others.” Pg. 248 Paths to Recovery. I don’t know about you, but I know that I need all the help I can get with making decisions that involve others. Before Al-Anon, my decisions were made either all about your needs, or all about mine. I had no idea how to make decisions based on my needs AND the needs of others.

How Al-Anon Works, B-32 (pg.125- 140) An easy and straight-forward read about each Concept.

Reaching For Personal Freedom, P-92 (pg. 123- 171) Shares and questions about each Concept. A personal go=to resource!

Service Manual (pg. 178 – 226) Lots of detailed information here, lol!! https://al-anon.org/for-members/members-resources/manuals-and-guidelines/service-manual/

Discovering Choices, B-30 (pg. 263- 281) It reminds me that I need to understand Steps and Traditions before I can fully understand the Concepts.

Healing our Alcoholic Relationships, P-95 (pg. 35- 43) Great questions provided about each concept to answer and discuss with my sponsor and sponsees!

Maybe we are not quite ready to commit to a book study yet, but want to bring the Concepts alive in our home groups! Every month we can read on our own, or at the group level about the Concept of the month on the World Service Office’s Membership Blog? https://al-anon.org/for-members/members-resources/member-blog/. We could also decide as a group to read the Forum’s sharing on the monthly Concept found at the back of each Forum. I might choose to chair a meeting and make the topic My Favourite Concept, or introduce the Concept of the month for group members to read and share about.

And for me, it all started with one amazing pamphlet that I learned a lot from in my earlier years in Al-Anon (P-57), “The Concepts: Al-Anon’s Best-Kept Secret?”. One of the groups that I attended read the Concept of the month (i.e. 2^nd month = Concept 2) as part of the introduction in every meeting. It was short and sweet. It introduced me to the Concepts of Service, as I heard a little about them every week. It gave me new ideas to ponder. A different way to interact with others in my life.

So, if you’re wondering and you think that you might be ready, check out the 12 Concepts of Service. Maybe even invite others to check them out with you. I know how much it has contributed to my on-going recovery, and I hope that it will add immensely to yours as well!
Sue M

Why purchase your literature from our Ontario South LDC?

Members on the World Service Office (WSO) ‘Literature Thought Force’ highly encourages Areas to have their own LDC and that the members purchase from their LDC rather than WSO.

When ordering from the LDC, shipping time is 2-4 business days. WSO shipping time for literature is 4-6 weeks.

Our CAL has something for everyone. General literature for Al-Anon and Alateen. This Includes daily readers, books on our legacies (Steps/Traditions/Concepts), workbooks, adult children, for parents and grandparents, partners and spouses. We have service material and public outreach including items for the professional.

An easy way to keep a bit of our program close at hand are our bookmarks and cards. Everything is available for viewing on our new electronic order form. Have a glance for the things you feel you need or want.

Our LDC manager is available by phone or email for questions and clarification.

About Conference Approved Literature

One of the questions asked here often is ….”Is this book conference approved?” followed by the book name, author etc.

All Al-Anon CAL bears the above seal along with the words:
‘Approved by World Service Conference Al-Anon Family Groups’. This seal and statement give the assurance that the literature is produced by Al-Anon and is consistent with the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts of Al-Anon Family Groups.

Some other ways to know if a book is conference approved is that on the spine there is the Al-Anon logo above the book code. As these works are collaborative there are never author names on the books.

While we may find many of the things we need to grow in literature that isn’t conference approved, our service manual on page 63 and 64 state that “only Al-Anon/Alateen materials be used in our meetings. This ensures that our program message stays consistent with our principles.”

Over the years we have had the privilege to see the traditions in action with this very phenomenon. Members were bringing along their books and in the pile was an AA book, or a publication they bought elsewhere. Kindly and quietly a member asked if they could please take those books and tuck them out of sight. We would then discuss it at the business meeting or even better put on the agenda the topic ‘Why CAL?’ so that those who did not come to the Business Meeting were also included. It was interesting to hear members share why they felt those other publications needed to stay out of sight.

Even more enlightening in one of those meetings was the sharing of a newcomer, who said they looked at the books people brought along and mentally took note. so they could get them. We may at a personal level share with others what helped us, but the use or mention of this non-Al-Anon literature in our meetings does conflict with our service manual and our traditions, particularity 3 and 4.

We want our program to be here and healthy for everyone. The new person who walks in the door (or right now signs into an electronic meeting) and for those who have been here for many 24 hours.

Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature (CAL) presents the Al-Anon and Alateen programs to members of our fellowship and the public at large.

Why Conference Approved Literature?
P-35

About Al-Anon literature, how it is developed from members’ shared experiences, and the importance of using it exclusively at Al-Anon/Alateen meetings. 6 pages.