Geez you were really prepared!  I have chaired a few but ours are literature topic so we go in order of the index of C2C.  No brainer!  Good for you to be so organized! 

Julia 16 months in program

Afternoon Bob,

You are welcome... glad you were able to use the format.  Guess I should of shared also how I was using that share to tie in to my meeting.... First I will be sharing the following as an introduction to the meeting:

As we look forward to the New Year ahead many people tend to set new goals and traditions, resolutions as they are called.

I have found that, although these thoughts and ideas can be very good things for us, many of us have a difficult time moving toward these new hopes. Instead we tend to allow the regrets of the past to keep a hold on us, preventing the ability within us to freely seek out new things in our lives, at least until we have the opportunity to unearth what it is we are holding on to.

Tonight's topic is titled: Leaving the City of Regret

Within this topic we will take a look at how we can move past guilt trips, pity parties, missed and lost opportunities, the should of, would of and could ofs in our lives, along with the if only I had done or said shackles, shattered dreams, and least but not last the blaming them, the blaming ourselves and the justifying our actions that have a tendency to roam around in the neighborhood of our minds.

Only until we move beyond these obstacles in our lives can we then be prepared to move into new places; such as "I forgive myself and "starting again".

Tonight, inside your envelopes is a copy of a letter, written by Larry Harp... please take it out and join me as I read this very cleverly written piece.

The second item in your envelop is your "plane ticket"... On them you will find either quotations, questions or a reading from ODAT, CTC or HFT to be shared.

Please share your experience, strength and hope tonight in what you have done to move beyond these areas or how you might do so this coming year.

(Note:  The "plane ticket reads:  Al-Anon Airways, Boarding Pass# 01/01/2006, Departure Date 01/01/2006, Departing From:  The City of Regret, Arriving To: New Hope For Tomorrow - Then on the back is the reading information)

At the end of the meeting I will explain that there are two pieces of blank paper left in the envelope, one is to write on their name and place in a basket that is being passed around for a drawing of something I found that goes well with the meeting topic, the other piece is for them to write down an area of their past that they are willing to "let go and let God" that they are to take home and burn in their back yard.

Thanks Bob for letting me know that the meeting went well for you.  I have found it helps to sometimes use some creative flares that sparks our fun sides.  A recent workshop that I had the opportunity to attend also had a neat play that ended at a place named "Senerity Circle", some great creative writing when into that as well.  Sounds like you did great to pull in the important topics that sprung forth from the writing as well.

Have a Happy New Year and hope to see you online in meetings this weekend sometime.

Cilla