Area 81
1.
Q. What is the definition of an Al-Anon Member Involved in Alateen Service?
member who is directly responsible for Alateens while being of
service to Alateen, who:
- must attend at least three other Al-Anon meetings monthly on a regular basis
- must be at least 23 years old
- must have at least two years in Al-Anon in addition to any time spent in Alateen
-
has
not been convicted of a felony, and has not been chargedbeen
charged with child abuse or any other inappropriate sexual
behavior, and has not demonstrated emotional problems which could result in
harm to Alateen members
2.
Q.
In
Alateen meetings, we sometimes do not have enough “ “Sponsors”
and the Alateens request an Alternate, from the Al-Anon meeting. Does this
mean we cannot have an Alternate “Sponsor"?
A. No. However, the Alternate “Sponsor” must have completed the Al-Anon Member Involved in Alateen Service Form and must meet the Area requirements. Al-Anon groups may want to further support Alateen by encouraging several Al-Anon members to complete the Area requirement process to ensure there are always two “Sponsors” at every meeting.
3.
Q. What if we are having a fundraising event, such as a potluck or dance for Alateens – does everyone who attends have to meet the Area requirements?
A. The Area feels that anyone being of service to Alateen would need to meet the Area requirements, but members participating by attending a dinner or a dance would not need to meet the Area requirements, as they are not responsible for the Alateens.
4.
Q. What is certification?
A. Certification is a formal acknowledgement by the Area that the member has met the Area requirements. The Area is NOT certifying the member’s future performance or behavior, only that the member has met the Area’s requirements for being of service to Alateen.
5.
Q. How will the Area certify someone?
A.
An
Al-Anon Member Involved in Alateen ServiceSponsor
Package contains all the necessary information and forms and will be available
to anyone who wishes to apply to become involved inan
Alateen Sponsorservice.
6.
Q. What about members of AA, can they be certified?
A. AA members who are also Al-Anon members and meet the Area requirements can be certified.
7.
Q. How will Areas inform WSO that an Al-Anon member has met
the requirements?
A. An Al-Anon Member Involved in Alateen Service Form is being developed by WSO, and replaces the Alateen Sponsor Questionnaire Form. Areas develop a process where Al-Anon members involved in Alateen service complete the form and the Area’s authorized signature/s indicates that the member has met the Area requirements. The form is then sent to the WSO, through the Area’s process.
8.
Q. Who is the Area authorized signature/s on the Al-Anon Member Involved in Alateen Service Form?
A.
The
Area authorized signature/s has been determined by the Area to be the Alateen
Coordinator and, the
District Representative of the District the member is applying from.,
and the Assembly Chair
9.
Q. Is the Area supposed to make sure this new form gets completed by all current “Sponsors”? If so, how will the Area know who the “Sponsors” are?
A. Yes. All Al-Anon Members Involved in Alateen Service in the Area will need to complete the form. A major problem regarding Alateen meeting information is that many meetings have not updated their “Sponsor” information.
The Area Group Records Coordinator receives lists of all Al-Anon
and Alateen meetings registered in the Area on a biannual basis.
In addition to those mailings, as a one-time start up process in
order to assist Areas in implementing the Board motion, Alateen
Coordinators will be sent a list of Alateen Groups with active or
suspended registrations with the WSO. A separate list of
Sponsors known to the WSO for each Area will also be sent.
Area Alateen Coordinators will receive the list by May 2004.
Our Area will then need to determine who the additional “Sponsors” are.
10.
Q. What is the process for Alateen Group registration and
certification for an Al-Anon Member Involved in Alateen
Sservice?
A. The Area process requires that all information, including the
group registration form, and
forms forSponsors
Al-Anon Members
Involved in Alateen Service
and the
certification form, first goes
to the District
Representative for signature, and tthen to then
to the Alateen
Coordinator for signature. It is then sent to the WSO by the
Alateen Coordinator, and once WSO processes the forms and
returns them, the Alateen Coordinator will send them to
the Group Records Coordinator. Each Alateen group must
register as soon as they start having meetings.
11.
Q. Can Area requirements be revised?
A. Yes, once Assembly has affirmed them, they can be
revised, as deemed necessary, as long as they still meet the
minimum Board requirements. WSO would like a copy of any
revisions made to Area requirements.
12.
Q. What are the Area requirements for behavior at Alateen
groups?
A. Each Alateen group is required to develop their own behavior
guidelines for meeting places - before, during and after
attendance, including at District and Area functions, keeping in
mind Traditions 1 and 4. There is aare
Sample BehaviourMeeting
Guidelines
Formdeveloped
for rreferenceeference
and also also an Area Permission
and Transport
of Alateen Forms
that will be required to be
completed for Alateen participation and attendance at some
events.
Minimum Safety and Behavior Requirements:
13.
Q. Does a felony conviction from even many
years ago disqualifydisqualify
a member? What if the conviction had nothing to do with
children?
A. All felony convictions, regardless of the type of crime or when
the conviction took place, disqualify a member from being of
sserviceervice
with direct contact and care of Alateens.
14.
Q. My Area requires Criminal Record Checks, so will all Al-Anon
members directly involved with Alateen service, even those
who are not “Sponsors”, need to comply?
A. No. Only the Alateen Coordinator, Alternate Alateen
Coordinator, Al-Anon Member
Involved in Alateen Service Sponsors
and AlternateSponsors
Al-Anon Member Involved in Alateen Service
will be required by our Area to
comply.
There may be a cost to have a Criminal Record Check
conducted, although some cities or towns may provide it for
free for a volunteer in a non-profit organization. Any costs
should be the responsibility of the District and if they are
unable to pay, then Assembly will provide the funds.
15.
Q. Item number six of the Minimum Safety and Behavioral
Requirements states that Area requirements must be reviewed
by local counsel.
Can this person be an Al-Anon member?
A. Yes. And, a legal opinion should be in writing, otherwise there
is no recourse if given bad or incomplete advice.
16.
Q. Can the legal counsel be a member of AA or a relative of an
Al-Anon member? Would this be in keeping with Tradition 7?
A. Yes, and they can charge at a reduced rate if they do so for
other non-profits groups. As we are self-supporting through
our own contributions, a fee of some kind must be paid. They
should render a written opinion of the requirements.
17.
Q. In the Minimum Safety and Behavioural Requirements, it states
“and hHave
not demonstrated emotional problems which could
result in harm to Alateen
members”. Some Al-Anon members
have in the past demonstrated emotional problems which could
have resulted in harm to their children or others. Are these
members eligible to be Al-Anon Members Involved in Alateen
Service?
A. The requirement refers to current emotional problems.
Occasionally a member in service to Alateen, may, due to
personal difficulties, be having emotional problems that impact
their ability to be of service to Alateen. The Area may decide
to ask that member to step aside as an Al-Anon Member
Involved in Alateen Service for a while.
18.
Q. Are signed parental permission forms required for Alateen to
attend Alateen meetings?
A. Areas are required to have procedures for parental permission
and medical care when applicable. Usually “when applicable”
would refer to an event outside the meeting such as when an
Al-Anon Member Involved in Alateen
ServiceSponsor of or
other Al-Anon
memberinvolved in Alateen service is
providing transportation for Alateens, or for
attendance at an Alateen event, convention or conference. It
is up to the Area to determine when parental permission and
medical information forms are needed.
Many schools require permission slips for Alateens to attend
meetings during school hours.
19.
Q. What about Alateens whose parents are not aware that they are
attending an Alateen meeting or event? Their parents and/or
guardians may be active alcoholics.
A. There may be times when you wish to give an Alateen a ride to
the meeting. Always make sure that a parent or legal guardian
knows that you are transporting the Alateen. If the parent is
unaware of their child’s attendance at meetings, advise the child
that you will honor is/her confidentiality, but that other
transportation will need to be arranged. You could face serious
difficulties if a parent or legal guardian discovers you are
transporting a child without permission and potential liability if
there is an automobile accident with a child in the vehicle.
Refusing to give a ride can be difficult. It may be the only way
a child from an alcoholic home can get to the meeting. We want
to help, but our Al-Anon program helps us gain the wisdom to
know what is best for everyone involved.
A way to avoid the transportation problem is to sponsor an
Alateen meeting at a school.
20.
Q. The fourth requirements says that the Area must prohibit
conduct contrary to applicable laws and this sounds like an
outside issue.
Should we discuss laws at our meetings?
A. Alateen Groups, Al-anon Members Involved in Alateen Service,
and Areas have a responsibility to be knowledgeable about the
laws that affect them. Knowing and obeying the law is not an
outside issue; however some discussions, such as in regards to
changing a law, would be outside issues. Al-Anon and Alateen
members are not above the law.
21.
Q. What can Areas use forSponsor
training, now that A Guide to
Alateen Sponsorship-An Unforgettable Adventure (P-86) has
been discontinued?
A. Portions of P-86 can be used until new Alateen literature can be
published. A bookmark indicating the usable portions of the
latest edition of P-86 has been made available to each Al-Anon
and Alateen group. Area Alateen Coordinators have also been
sent a supply and it can be photocopied.
22.
Q. Is the Area Authorized Signature guaranteeing that the Al-
Anon member will follow the Safety and Behaviour Requirements?
A. No. The Area Authorized Signature is confirming that to the
best
of his/her knowledge the Al-Anon
member involved in
Alateen service meets the Area’s requirements. The Area
Authorized Signature is not taking responsibility for the
behaviour of another member.
23.
Q. Can the Area Authorized Signature be sued if the Al-Anon
Member Involved in Alateen Service harms an Alateen?
A. Anyone can be sued for anything. However, when the Area
Authorized Signature takes diligent care in confirming that the
Member has met the Area requirements, the likelihood of being
sued is minimal, and, isf
sued, the likelihood of damages being
awarded is even smaller.
Checklist: