dax

Here in Houston they have a chip system for the alanon meetings. It is a butterfly chip and signifies the person wanting to work the steps. They have birthdays just like in AA. I have always had mixed feeling about this because it is so much easier for an alanon to get a chip each year. how would you even define an alanon 'slip'. Going off in a rage at the alcoholic? So really to me it just means you have been showing up at meetings for a number of years. The only time I ever took a chip was at a large chapter 9 meeting that never called on anyone except old timers unless it was your birthday. So to get to talk on my'birthday' I took a chip. Do other alanon groups do this? dax

osier59

My group here does not, but my one in Addison Texas did. It was a terrific celebration! The newcomers got to see what life on the other side looked like, as each celebrant told a bit of his/her story and the path they have traveled... and the people who were working the program got to see the results of their hard work to date, with some hope and a vision of what was yet to come. Some of were diligent, some of us were not, but all of us grew at our own pace. I have a friend in Dallas who moved there from Houston, and she went back to Houston, to her original home group, to get her 20 yr chip.

I havent celebrated my Al Anon birthday in a few yrs, and I miss it.

Barb

Chuckles101301

We get a chip for sticking to it for the first six meetings (six weeks for my group). We get the book "Courage to Change" and "One Day at a Time in Al-anon" at the first couple meetings to get you started. I like it, because if you make it the six meetings then you generally stay and that is usually the hardest step in al-anon is admitting that you need to do something for yourself. They don't count "slips" in AA as far as I know, so why should we count them in al-anon. After the first chip, I haven't seen any more and that is okay with me...I keep the first one in my pocket every day to remind me of where I was and how far I have come.

dax

Well they may not count slips in AA but if an alcoholic has one he or she has to start our with a new desire chip and go on from there to count the time sober. dax

Minx1969

Let's see..My fellowship in AZ, we get a butterfly pin after completing our 5th step and we get to speak and a party for our AlAnon birthdays! We celebrate all the time..(There's cake and birthday meetings the last Sunday of every month). Dax - I think one of my grandsponsers is in Texas so we must be related through AlAnon somehow..Funny how it all works..

To me a slip is dropping out of the program for a while..