Every month the World Service Office sends news, member sharings, and new resources out to service arms like ours. Here’s what landed in August — a big September ahead, three sharings from The Forum, and a couple of deadlines worth putting on your calendar.

Al-Anon Family Groups — 75 years of providing hope and help to families and friends of alcoholics

Get Ready for Recovery Month

As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, Al‑Anon’s worldwide fellowship honors decades of providing hope and help to families and friends of alcoholics. Raising awareness during September Recovery Month — and on International Recovery Day, September 30 — expands access to family recovery, reduces stigma, and helps make sure Al‑Anon’s message reaches anyone affected by someone else’s drinking.

To understand how Districts, Areas, and international structures can support these efforts, review the Public Outreach section in the “Digest of Al‑Anon and Alateen Policies” in the 2026–2029 Al‑Anon/Alateen Service Manual (P‑24/27).

Deadlines and Dates

Due soon: applications to serve on the Al-Anon Board of Trustees, due August 15, 2026

Have you been considering serving Al‑Anon Family Groups at the World Service level? The Board is inviting members who have been active for ten or more years to gather their courage and submit a resume to serve as Trustee. Is that you? Have you felt a nudge? Applications are due August 15, 2026 — visit al-anon.org/volunteers-info to learn more.

Now available: Highlights from Al-Anon's 2026 World Service Conference

What happened at the 2026 World Service Conference? The 66th WSC met in Newport News, Virginia, April 20–24, 2026 — close to home for us. Each year the World Service Office compiles Highlights of the World Service Conference, with brief reports from several sessions. The 2026 edition is posted now at al-anon.org/WSC-highlights.

Road Trip! Chicago 2026 logo

Road Trip! You and Your Board Connect — put on your seatbelt and rev up your service. Chicago is the destination for a day of fellowship, learning, and connection with the Board of Trustees, At‑Large members of the Executive Committee, and local and visiting members.

Saturday, October 24, 2026, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Embassy Suites by Hilton O’Hare – Rosemont
5500 North River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018

Participant rooms for Friday and Saturday nights are available once you register. Visit al-anon.org/roadtrip.

New eBooks are now available from Al-Anon Family Groups

The Latest CAL Titles as eBooks

The World Service Office continues to release Conference Approved Literature in eBook format each month. Newest this month:

  • The Dilemma of the Alcoholic Marriage (eB‑4)
  • Living Today in Alateen (eB‑26)
  • Many Voices, One Journey (eB‑31)

They join a growing shelf that already includes Courage to Change, Hope for Today, How Al‑Anon Works, Discovering Choices, From Survival to Recovery, A Little Time for Myself, and the 2026–2029 Service Manual, among others. Browse the full list at al-anon.org/e-cal.

The Forum, Le lien, and Al-Anon y Alateen en accion — where recovery is found in English, French, and Spanish

When Recovery Is Found in Translation

Alongside The Forum, the French and Spanish magazines Le lien and Al‑Anon y Alateen en acción support families and friends of alcoholics as part of Al‑Anon’s worldwide fellowship. As we celebrate 75 years, here’s a look at their history.

  • Before 2023 the magazines carried only translated excerpts from The Forum. Today they also feature original French and Spanish sharings.
  • Printed bimonthly, each issue contains roughly 8,000 translated words drawn from The Forum.
  • Four issues a year through 2008, five in 2009, and six a year since 2012 — the current frequency.
  • A 2018 redesign brought full color, and the former newsletters were reclassified as magazines, with pages added over time for more stories, quotes, and photos.
  • In 2022 all writing and submission guidelines were translated, along with the online submission forms and related webpages.
  • Selected content is shared across languages in Le Messager and En Contacto, the French and Spanish editions of In The Loop.

Since 2021, all three magazines feature the Legacies corresponding to the same publication month, so groups can learn together across languages. Members will find stories, service updates, World Service Office news, and articles marked “Feel free to reprint” for use on service arm websites and newsletters.

The current issue of each is a free download: al-anon.org/abonnement-le-lien for French, al-anon.org/suscribir-en-accion for Spanish. You can help by encouraging submissions, offering individual or group subscriptions through your Coordinator, or submitting a bilingual sharing at al-anon.org/sharing.

Attention: seeking independent literature reviewers — we need multilingual Al-Anon members

Calling Multilingual Members

Translating CAL into Spanish and French is only the beginning of the World Service Office’s work with service structures around the globe who want to translate and reprint our literature in their own languages. Part of that process is an independent review, confirming the translation stays faithful to the spiritual tone and message of the original.

If you are fluent in Georgian, Swahili, Arabic, Czech, or Mongolian as well as English, and would be willing to serve as an independent reviewer, email international@al-anon.org with your contact information and the languages (other than Spanish or French) in which you have proficiency.

Inside Al‑Anon Family Groups

Al‑Anon’s strength lies in the many ways members help care for and carry our message. The two articles below introduce the independent review process that keeps translated CAL accurate, spiritually grounded, and legally protected — the first explaining how the process works, the second sharing the experience of a reviewer. A third piece looks at how Areas and Districts balance legal and traditional authority.

Before joining the World Service Office (WSO) as a Paralegal, I had not considered how Conference Approved Literature (CAL) is translated into languages other than Spanish and French. Today, I appreciate the independent review process, which ensures that CAL translations are both faithful to the original English text and effective in conveying the program’s spiritual message.

When the Board of Trustees of Al‑Anon grants permission to an international structure (an organized group responsible for Al‑Anon activities in a specific country or region) to translate CAL into a language for the first time, the structure suggests several individuals to the WSO who could potentially serve as independent reviewers once the translation is completed. These individuals are members of the program, are bilingual in English and the target language, and were not involved in the original CAL translation.

With knowledge and objectivity, and with the WSO acting as intermediary, the independent reviewer evaluates translations submitted by the structure. Their review might highlight words or phrases that are not translated exactly or that inadvertently distort the meaning. Communicating the program’s concepts or spiritual principles in another language can be challenging. For example, which word best conveys the emotional element of “detachment,” rather than just a physical idea? Other challenges can be specifically grammatical: in several languages, “God” is a masculine noun while “Higher Power” is feminine. An independent reviewer is charged with offering suggestions for these and other linguistic and conceptual questions that involve core principles of the program.

Upon receipt of the independent reviewer’s comments, the WSO forwards them to the structure. The structure then discusses internally whether to incorporate the suggestions. The WSO facilitates this process by providing legal and traditional guidance to both the independent reviewer and the structure as may be necessary. Concept Four guides us all: we work harmoniously and respectfully, recognizing that we are equals and partners in a spiritual endeavor.

This thorough and careful process often produces a more accurate translation with deeper and more heartfelt meaning. In addition, our CAL is legally protected when we confirm translations, and the message of help and hope is protected from possible dilution or misunderstanding. Throughout the process, members are asked to act with responsibility and acceptance. They reach out to others and their Higher Power for help. They talk to each other and reason things out, trusting the overall process.

Our CAL brings the worldwide fellowship together. The independent review process shows how individual members can work for the good of Al‑Anon as a whole.

By Olivia S‑G., Paralegal

Concept Eleven speaks to the abundance of talent among Al‑Anon members that can be utilized to benefit the fellowship as a whole. How beautiful is that—each of us contributing our individual gifts for a greater purpose.

As an independent reviewer, I work with people who are very passionate about Al‑Anon. That passion carries into the work of translation and inspires a deeper search for meaning and understanding of our literature and our message, so that we can unite in our primary purpose—not only in words, but in spirit.

There are challenges. For example, in a literal translation, the word cornerstone becomes “a stone uniting two masonry walls” rather than foundation, which is the meaning intended by Al‑Anon. These moments call for care, discussion, and discernment.

Through participating in this process, I am learning to distinguish my role and my responsibility: to do my part to the best of my ability and then let go of the outcome. I am learning about the links of service, delegation, and the right of decision‑making. I am learning how to communicate my truth without an agenda or expectations.

A hidden benefit of this process has been learning, really, with my heart, that I don’t have to do anything alone. I don’t have to carry the weight or the pressure of the whole process—only my part. And even in my part, I am supported. I can check with fellow Al‑Anon members when questions arise. I can check with my Higher Power and pray. I am learning how to cooperate with others and with my Higher Power without feeling overwhelmed.

I continue to be amazed by the depth and beauty of our program by learning to focus on myself through the Steps, to help others through the Traditions, and to serve one another through the Concepts of Service.

I am very grateful to be a part of carrying the message of hope to a small country on the other side of the world. We truly are a worldwide fellowship.

Thank you, Al‑Anon!

By Anonymous

Have you ever wondered how Tradition Nine, which states, “Our groups, as such, ought never be organized …” applies to your group, Al‑Anon Information Service (AIS), District, or Area? What does this mean when your group wants to open a bank account? How can an Area avoid organizing the groups while adhering to Concept One, which explains that “The ultimate responsibility and authority for Al‑Anon world services belongs to the Al‑Anon groups”?

With many Areas, AISs, Districts, and even groups considering whether to organize to obtain insurance for events or meeting locations or to complete financial transactions, the balance between traditional and legal authority and responsibility becomes an important discussion topic. Thankfully, the 2026–2029 Al‑Anon/Alateen Service Manual (P‑24/27) offers helpful guidance from member experience, especially on group finances. The section “Group Bank Accounts” in “Al‑Anon and Alateen Groups at Work” offers insights for groups and other non‑incorporated service entities.

For service arms, which are typically larger, such as Districts and Areas, the “Al‑Anon World Service Conference Charter” in the Service Manual offers a possible blueprint for balancing traditional and legal authority and responsibility. Trusted servants can consider studying the Charter and simply substituting the word “Conference” with “Assembly” (or another description of the traditional voting group) and “Al‑Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.” with the local corporate entity. The World Service Office is available to help with questions about bylaws and incorporation.

“Inside Al‑Anon Family Groups” presents news, policy, and commentary from volunteers, staff, and readers sharing experience through service. Reprinted with permission of Al‑Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

Sharings from The Forum

Three members writing this month about insight, caregiving, and staying on your own side of the court.

Before I came to Al‑Anon, there were two merry‑go‑rounds whirling in my life, like an echo or double vision. One revolved around my older brother, who was also severely affected by alcoholism and who began mimicking our father’s sickness, behaving violently toward our mother and me. I, in turn, rode the other merry‑go‑round, mimicking our sick mother’s behavior towards our father. We both acted by default, not by conscious choice.

After my first Al‑Anon meeting, I had a powerful realization that we as a family are not the only ones caught up in this kind of circus ride. At the time, the pamphlet Alcoholism, a Merry-Go-Round Named Denial (P‑3) was part of our newcomer’s packet. Had I not received it, I doubt I would have questioned my own behavior, let alone recognized our assigned family roles. So first, I am thankful I came, but I am equally thankful I came to this realization.

Until I could comprehend the reach of alcoholism beyond my narrow, peripheral view of myself, I would never have come to believe, as described in Step Two, that a Power greater than myself could or would restore my sanity. I call this comprehension insight.

My thought for today is this: Insight is the ability to comprehend, without distortion, why I do the things I do. This insight comes through my Higher Power’s guidance and best intention for myself and my family.

By Gregg L., Ontario

I didn’t realize I was raised in alcoholism. Mine felt like a typical Gen X childhood—latchkey kid, caring for younger siblings, parents who worked hard and partied harder. Only later did I understand the instability and trauma that shaped me. Looking back, I can see that alcoholism ran deep in my mom’s family. Chaos was normalized. Safety wasn’t.

Today, my mom is 74 and in declining health. My siblings and I are now her caretakers. Through the grace of God and Al‑Anon, I worked the Steps, found compassion, and forgave her. I let go of long‑held resentment.

But caregiving has stirred feelings I didn’t expect. I love my mom and want to be there for her, but old wounds resurface. Boy, is she stubborn! Facing this, I’m learning how to balance compassion with boundaries—how to care for her without abandoning myself. It’s a challenge.

Recently, I had a meltdown at a meeting, my first in years. Despite this, I felt safe enough to be honest. Recovery doesn’t mean this is easy. Many members understand the powerlessness of caring for a parent who may not drink anymore but still carries the “isms” or the same patterns of behavior.

Forgiveness, I’m discovering, is layered. Caregiving peels back tender places I thought had healed. Al‑Anon reminds me that I can show up with dignity. I can love someone and still take care of myself, even as I grieve what I didn’t have.

Today, I’m grateful that, thanks to God and my Al‑Anon community, I didn’t have to fall apart alone.

By Chrissy J., GA

I hadn’t played tennis for many years but took it up again after my marriage to an alcoholic ended. Although I really enjoyed playing, I would often finish a game feeling angry and resentful toward my opponent. During our games, I concentrated so much on what was happening on her side of the court that I couldn’t even call a ball in or out on my own side. If my opponent miscalled a ball in her favor, I would play the martyr, say, “It’s okay,” and lose the point.

One day, while playing, my Higher Power suddenly showed me that my behavior in tennis mirrored my approach to life. I was quick to judge others and always watched for their mistakes, rather than focusing on what was happening on my side of the court: my boundaries, my responsibilities, and my attitudes.

Even if my tennis game hasn’t improved much, I now know how to focus on my side, watch my lines, and trust the other person’s call on her side of the court. I can now enjoy playing with a clearer mind. Applying these Al‑Anon principles in all areas of my life has improved my relationships. I focus on my attitudes and decisions, take care of my boundaries, and allow others the freedom to make their choices without judgment.

By Fiona L., Costa Rica

Reprinted with permission of The Forum, Al‑Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

New topic for the Member Blog: which service role beyond the group level interests you and why?

Discover Your Next Service Adventure

Service positions beyond the group level — Group Representative, Convention Committee, Intergroup Volunteer — can enrich your recovery and support the fellowship. August’s member blog asks: Which service role beyond the group level interests you and why? You may also reflect on Step Eight, Tradition Eight, and Concept Eight.

Share at al-anon.org/member-blog. Sharings on the Member Blog may be used in future Al‑Anon publications, and new topics are added each month.