Happy Birthday Alano Club!

Three cheers to you—our members and supporters, without your continued support we would not be blowing out the candles on our first-year birthday cake. It is difficult to believe that it was only one year ago this November that the Alano Club of San Francisco first opened its doors. Here’s just a brief summary of what the Alano Club has accomplished in its first year.

Meetings: When we first opened, the club hosted less than ten meetings, today have we more than 60 meeting that represent a variety of 12-step groups including A.A., N.A., C.M.A., Alanon, S.A.A., S.A., and CL.A.

Volunteers: From the day one the club has attracted a dedicated group of volunteers who work at Dr. Bob’s Internet Café and the front desk welcoming visitors and members. These are the folks who create a warm and inviting atmosphere at the Club and make it possible for the Club to keep the doors open 365 days a year.

Membership: We have a growing number of dues paying members. With the ongoing financial support of our members, we continue to be of service to the recovery community. As a thank you to our current members and as an enticement for others to join, this past summer we expanded the membership benefits. New benefits include free coffee while you are visiting the club, a 25% discount on items purchased at Dr. Bob’s Internet Café, free admission to all Alano Club sponsored events except fundraisers, and discounts from local merchants including FastFrame, Union Music, Another Time, Octavia Lounge, and Go-Getters-Pizza.

Upgrades: With the installation of a retractable room divider, the club now has a flexible social room that can accommodate large meetings and events and host medium sized meetings as well. In addition, we have new flooring in the social room and have added windows that provide much needed ventilation and light.

Furnishings: Through the generous donation of our members and supporters we now have comfortable padded chairs in the Pink Cloud Room and the Peachy Keen Room. A local business donated fashionable wooden chairs, bookcases, and a glass topped coffee table. As if that weren’t enough, the Alano Club was given more than 120 chrome and white stackable chairs that now grace our large social room.

Lending Library: Members keep our lending library well stocked with books on a wide-variety of topics—everything from recovery, to history, to comedy. Next time you are in the club take a book that looks interesting and, if you are inclined, recycle your used books.

Dr. Bob’s Internet Café: In addition to coffee and snacks we now offer fresh fruit, ice cream bars as well as a selection of  hot food items including vegetarian enchiladas, chicken pot pies, and, of course, our world famous corn dogs.

Recovery Items for Sale: The display case in the reception area contains greeting cards and “Inspirationals” made exclusively for the Alano Club. These items make ideal gifts for recovery anniversaries.

Events: Each Friday evening the Alano Club hosts an Open Mic. In the past year we have attracted talented folks who sing, play the guitar, tell jokes and read poetry much to the delight of the audience members. Saturday nights, after the A.A. Birthday-Chip meeting, the Club provides clean and sober entertainment such as stand-up and improvisational comedy, D.J. dances, live dance bands, jazz performances, movies, and karaoke.

The Social Room: The large social room is reserved for members to rent on Sundays between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. During the past year, many of our members have taken advantage of this benefit and hosted recovery birthday celebrations and other sober events.

Website: Our volunteer Jeffrey K. with the help of Kurt C. redesigned the Alano Club website and included many new features such as language translation capability as well as day and monthly calendars. Visit the website at http://www.alanosf.org.
 

The Manager’s Corner
Thanks to everyone who has contributed their volunteer time and financial support to make the Alano Club the clean and sober “place to be” in San Francisco. While the Club has had a successful first year, we are not satisfied to rest on our laurels. Our goal is to keep the club a vibrant center for the San Francisco recovery community. With that goal in mind here is a list of what we hope to accomplish in 2007.

• Establish a free monthly educational series on topics such as duel addiction, teenagers in recovery, and getting your financial house in order. Encourage more 12-step groups to rent meetings space at the club. With four meeting rooms available 14 to 16 hours a day we can accommodate many more meetings than we are currently hosting. If you know of a meeting that would like to move to the Club or if you want to start a meeting, please contact me.
• Create a comfortable living room area in the San Francisco meeting room (you may know by its former name the Serene Green room). When the San Francisco room is not being used for a meeting, we want people to use the living room area to relax in a comfortable and private space.Install a plasma screen and DVD player for showing movies and educational presentations. 
• Produce more events in cooperation with other 12-step groups. Interested in hosting or co-hosting an event with the Alano Club? Give me a call.Expand our volunteer base to fifty volunteers. If you have six months or more clean and sober and want to be of service to the Club please come in fill-out a volunteer application.
  

This past year has been a real learning experience. Just a few of the challenges I’ve faced have been unraveling the mysteries of the volunteer schedule (thanks to Mark B. and Karen W. and many, many others), learning how to use Quickbooks (thank you Patrick M. and Rebecca D. for your help), working with trusted servants to make sure their meeting space was appropriate for their needs, and creating reports for the board of directors. With a year under my belt, I feel confident that next year will be a little easier.  Again, thanks to the members and volunteers for having faith in my abilities.  I look forward to another successful year at the Alano Club.

Sincerely,
David H. Bradshaw

Spotlight On Kurt C.

Have you noticed that jolly guy sitting at the volunteer desk with the twinkle in his eye and the flowing white beard? The Alano Club has our very own Santa Claus AKA Kurt C.  Kurt has been a stalwart volunteer since the first week we opened. Week-in and week-out, Kurt has consistently worked two volunteer shifts. In addition to his other service—answering the phones for Teleservice, sponsoring a host of newcomers, and speaking whenever asked—Kurt and his business partner Jeff K. have transformed our website into a thing of beauty and a wealth of information. You can access the site at www.alanosf.org.

While our resident Santa has his techie side he also has a colorful past (who doesn’t, right?) A native Californian, Kurt was born and raised in the East Bay. Kurt served a stint in the Peace Crops working as a tractor mechanic in Tonga and a water well driller in India. When he returned home from the Peace Corp service, his experience working with people from all over the world made him a natural for working in many of the ethnic restaurants San Francisco is so famous for.

Sober for more than nine years, Kurt has become an indispensable part of the club sharing his wit and wisdom with the other volunteers and guests.

You Are Invited to The Alano Club Birthday Party

In celebration of The Alano Club’s First Anniversary, we want you to join us for an Open House Party at the Alano Club, Sunday, November 5, 2006 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Everyone is welcome to enjoy Food, Fellowship, and Fun
This is a pot luck your contribution will be gratefully accepted!

A.A. Anniversary Meeting at 5:00 p.m. Speaker Si P.

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Join Today, Don’t Delay

Join the Alano Club and help keep the doors open. For only $275 a year you can become an official member of the club. Unless you are using PayPal, your membership dues must accompany your application. There are two ways to pay:
___Subscription—$25 per month Sign up online with PayPal. Your dues are billed to your credit card, debit card, or drawn monthly from your checking account. Go to www.alanosf.org for more details
___Full Year—$275 per person. Payments can be made by cash or check.

I am recommended for membership by the undersigned member in good standing:

Name: ________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________
Phone:_____________________  Cell:_______________________
12-Step Meetings you Attend:______________________________
I was recommended for membership by:______________________

Mail your application and check to The Alano Club, 1748 Market Street, San Francisco 94102



Check the Schedule for More Events at: http://www.alanosf.org