What is your favorite feature of The Forum magazine?
September’s topic is, “What is your favorite feature of The Forum magazine?”
As always, you can also write about Al‑Anon’s three Legacies. This month features Step Nine, Tradition Nine, and Concept Nine.
Sharings on the Member Blog may be used in future Al‑Anon publications.
New topics are being added each month!
Many years ago the only place I could escape to for quiet time was in my bathroom. I started reading The Forum. The personal stories quickly became my favorite, to which I could relate too. Today, I still use it as a valuable tool whenever I’m charing a meeting in my home group.
Grateful Forum Reader
I have been subscribing to The Forum for many years and never got tired of reading it. All the writings have been and are still helpful and inspiring if I read them with an open heart and an open mind. Sometimes they don’t ring a bell as I first read them, but because all the sharing are timely, when I go back to them a month, a year or even later, they always prove to be exactly “what my Higher Power ordered” at that very specific time. My favorite features have evolved over the years, depending on where I was… Read more »
My favorite feature of The Forum has from day one been “CAL Corner.” The awsome one-liners have helped me to “Keep It Simple” and not complicate the problem .
In our district I copy the one-liners and cut them out; we use them for meeting topics.
Occasionally, we pass another bag and ask people to share only on the topic on the paper they pulled; it makes for a interesting meeting.
As a former Alateen Sponsor and Alateen Coordinator, Alateen sharings are also a favorite.
As soon as my latest issue of The Forum is out of the envelope, I turn to the back cover to read the section on our Three Legacies. Even after many years of Al-Anon membership, I always learn something new there. The articles on the Traditions and Concepts especially describe ideas and experiences that never would have occurred to me and strengthen the backbone of my understanding of how Al-Anon works. Thank you, Forum, for this excellent monthly feature!
I love, love, love that The Forum has a monthly reading for each Legacy – Step, Tradition, and Concept of Service (at back of the publication). During the 70th anniversary year, I have had the privilege of studying these and experiencing the interconnectedness of the program’s spiritual principles with a service Sponsor. I appreciate all who share for this publication and encourage others by sharing the submission link. I have learned so much about me and now see the depth of the recovery program together with that service Sponsor. I also enjoyed the archived or HISTORY section this year and… Read more »
I’m so glad you asked! This gives me a chance to shout out for the section at the back which features members’ sharings on how the Steps, Traditions and Concepts apply to their lives. Many groups I have participated in regularly discussed the Steps, but The Forum is where I learned to appreciate the Traditions and Concepts as a guide for my recovery and life. My home group used to read the Traditions aloud at each meeting, but without any discussion of them, they mostly went over my head. Now I am in two groups which regularly discuss Traditions and… Read more »
My favorite feature of The Forum is the pages on the Step, Tradition and Concept of the month at the back of the magazine. My home group monthly meeting format includes the Three Legacies. So, I read these pages before each meeting to bring new interpretations of these principles to the group discussion. I also really enjoy the one-line quotes at the front – they are nuggets of wisdom that give me quick insight into the principles of the program. I often copy them into my little notebook where I record favorite sayings.
I love receiving The Forum each month! I frequently refer to the columns in the back sharing on our Three Traditions. They are each a great reminder of my need to work the Steps and practice these principles in all my affairs! They are also helpful when leading a meeting on those particular topics (my group does a Step and a Tradition each month).