speaker tape question

[Lin]

I have a question about rules for meetings. I sent it to the outgoing district rep here and she forwarded to somebody else. That was Monday. Have not heard back yet.

I order lots of alanon speaker tapes. I share them with my alanon friends. The last place I ordered from has a paper. It says for $5 a month for a year they will pick a tape and send it to you...includes postage. You can do up to 4 a month that way. So I want to use one of my personal checks to pay $60 for a year. I also want to use a check for $60 from my group. Send them together and order two a month. That way it wont be duplicates. We would put them in the basket for people to take home and bring back and take another. I asked the group and they all voted YES they would love to have our group money used that way. I do know the rule abotu "conference approved literature". I would never use the Big Book for a reading at alanon. I would not use the Bible. I would not use a book my Melody Beattie. I woudl only use a book written by an alanon member. Alanon speaker tapes don't have the alanon symbol on them but they are alanon members.
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The company also does the same with AA speaker tapes. They send me a computer disc where y9ou can see titles. If you pick a title it's $8. But if they pick and you order one a month for a year they are $5. I think it's a great deal. The company is Smile God Loves you Media. It's in Arizona.

I do hope I get an official answer on if it is following the rules.

LIN

[majestyjo]

Thanks for sharing Lin, I think a lot is about copyright laws and the origin of the tapes. If they are made with the intent of carrying the message and for distribution, I can't see a problem. I think the money aspect can be a problem, we are self-supporting through our own contributions. Paying for something that is free, isn't right and yet there are transportation charges.

Not sure of the source, a lot depends on where the tapes originate and whether all parties participating are aware of the process and are in agreement.

Sounds like a lot of outside issues and could be breaking traditions and against the concepts, not sure, need a higher authority more in the know than me.

[Lin]

Thanks for your reply. Earlier I came here and this was not showing up. Glad it'[s still here.

I got the reply from a lady in service at state level. She pretty much said NO to all of it. The group money can't be used for it and even If I pay for them I should not be giving them to members because a newcomer might get the wrong idea about what alanon is all about. She said the CAL is scrutinized carefully to be sure no mention of other literature is mentioned. So I may buy them, myself but I wont put them in a basket for people to borrow. I will loan them out to friends who have been in the program awhile and know how it works.

The reply got me thinking about how we have had speaker meetings lately in my group. Perhaps that is also a NO-No. Heaven forbid one of our g=guest speakers might quote something from the Big Book of AA! (Sarcastically spoken...) For me one phrase from the Big book of AA that helps is is when I ask myself what part I had in something. It may also be in one of the many alanon books, but I first read it in the Big Book.

So I wont do it.

The lady I asked actually has alanon meetings where they study the Joe and Charlie tapes of AA. Oh my! I bet that lady from the state would hissy over that one!

Thanks for your reply.

LIN

[majestyjo]

Smiling. Seeing as I belong on both sides of the street, and can see the whole picture, it is hard for me to say. I think it is good to be enlightened. Some people who focus on their alcoholic/addict, may not realize that they themselves have their own addiction, which can take many forms. The substance is but a symptom of our disease.

In the Big Book, they have the chapter to the wives, after all, it is a family disease. I personally think it is good for family to go to open AA meetings to get an understanding of the disease of alcoholism. I also think it is good for AA members to go to Al-Anon, because a lot of their 'isms' started in their childhood, and one of the reasons they drank was a result of the fears and old tapes from their past.

Thanks for sharing this.