LET'S STICK TO BEGINNERS' TOPICS?

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LET'S STICK TO BEGINNERS' TOPICS?

As a longtime member of A.A., I have seen beginners meetings come and
go. I have seen various formats tried and fail. Ultimately all of these
meetings have become simply another discussion meeting.
In an attempt to start a meeting which would address the specific needs
of the newcomer, we tried yet another format. We use the book Living Sober.
We read a chapter at each weekly meeting in much the same way that many
Step meetings utilize the "Twelve and Twelve." We use the topic of the
chapter as the basis for questions by the newcomers and the sharing of
experiences by those who have been in the program for a while.
This format has been in use for more than a year. Its success is
evident by attendance of thirty to forty people, when previous beginners
meetings seldom drew as many as ten. Although the majority of those in attendance
have less then a year's sobriety, the return to basics of this format
appeals to enough long-timers to insure sufficient AA experience to be
shared.
Our meeting is scheduled an hour prior to the regular meeting. It runs
for forty-five minutes, so there is time for coffee and fellowship before
the regular meeting, which is often attended by these same newcomers.
We have worked and reworked the format so that it can be understood by
those not yet familiar with AA jargon. We urge all who attend to take a
copy of Living Sober, paying for it if they are able, or as a gift of the group if
they can't afford to pay for it. The book is so inexpensive, it can easily
be our gift to the newcomer starting on the road to sobriety.
We have found this meeting to be a good one to chair for the first time
and encourage members with six months' sobriety to do so. This we do for a
period of only two weeks, thus rotating the office often.
People in attendance at the meetings with at least one year of sobriety
are asked to identify themselves if they are willing to act "temporary
sponsors" for newcomers to help them become familiar with meetings and the new road of
sobriety they are going to be traveling.
This is, of course, an open meeting. We are aware that many people new
to the program are unable to identify themselves as alcoholics, nor do they
yet have a desire to stop drinking. So, although they may not become members
until they are able to do these things, they are more then welcome to
attend, to listen, to learn so that they may become sober members.
Since this has proved for us to be such a successful format for a
beginners meeting, we wished to share our experience with others.
December 1998 AAGrapevine