This year the Board of Trustees, in its efforts to address the Strategic Plan Priorities of the organization (empowering the Al‑Anon fellowship and achieving a viable future for Al‑Anon Family Groups), invited Conference members into the early phases of conversation between itself and World Service Office Staff. The discussion centered around the “mega‑issue” of how best to address Spanish and French translation needs across the worldwide fellowship. The discourse took place over three days.
The conversation started Tuesday when the Board began seeking additional insights from Conference members in response to the five Knowledge‑Based Decision‑Making (KBDM) questions. From these insights, the translation problem was refined. Brainstorming and prioritization of potential solutions occurred on Thursday, and identification of the positive benefits and potential risks of the solutions wrapped up the week on Friday.
Since the translation mega‑issue conversation is still in its infancy, Conference members were reminded that Staff and the Board need time to discuss the details and possible solutions before any conclusions can be reached. Once a clear direction is chosen, I, along with the rest of the Conference members will be notified. I will share any new information here at the Delegate’s Corner.
This is a great example of how Al-Anon works to resolve issues that affect the fellowship, bringing the Board, the WSO, and the Delegates together in effective leadership.