Agnostics and Others: Meeting Format
Thank you for attending the “Agnostics and Others” meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. My name is _________, and I am an alcoholic. This is an open meeting that welcomes non-alcoholics as well as alcoholics to attend and learn about alcoholism, recovery, and the AA program. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of the AA traditions, so, if you share, please only share your experience and do not speak about or for other people.
The “Agnostics and Others” meeting endeavors to maintain a tradition of free expression and conduct a meeting where alcoholics may feel free to express any doubt or disbelief's they may have, and to share their own personal form of spiritual experience, their search for it, or their rejection of it. In keeping with AA tradition, we do not endorse or oppose any form of religion or atheism since AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution. Our only wish is to assure suffering alcoholics that they can find sobriety in AA without having to accept anyone else’s beliefs or denying their own. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.
Please silence your cell phones. This is a non-smoking meeting.
Tonight’s format is an open discussion meeting: the chairperson will select a topic to help guide the meeting, but feel free to discuss anything that has to do with alcoholism and your recovery. You do not have to share if you do not want to. At some point we will pass a basket to honor AA’s 7th tradition, which states that AA is “fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.” You are not required to contribute. The only requirement for membership in AA is a desire to stop drinking. We will close the meeting with the “Responsibility Pledge.” We have it printed so don’t worry if you can’t remember it!
Does anyone have a sobriety threatening issue they would like to bring to the group today? If you do but do not want to share with the group, please get with someone before you leave. We all care and are here to help. And remember that no one is here to tell you what to do; we can only share our experience to be taken as suggestions and be here to support you when you choose to recover.
At this time we will go around the room and introduce ourselves so we can get to know one another.
Today’s topic is ______________
[At 7:20 p.m.]
We are nearing the end of our hour. In closing, I will read some words one of AA’s co-founders Dr. Bob shared in July 1950.
Our 12 Steps, when simmered down to the last, resolve themselves into the words “love” and “service.” We understand what love is, and we understand what service is. So let's bear those two things in mind.
…
And one more thing: none of us would be here today if somebody hadn't taken time to explain things to us, to give us a little pat on the back, to take us to a meeting or two, to have done numerous little kind and thoughtful acts in our behalf. So let us never get the degree of smug complacency so that we're not willing to extend or attempt to extend, to our less fortunate brothers that help which has been so beneficial to us.
AA’s principals center on the “12 Steps” “which are suggested as a program of recovery” and the “12 Traditions.” If you need help with your recovery please let someone know because you matter and your recovery is important.
We use a chip system to mark periods of sobriety. You are not required to take a chip.
[A volunteer distributes chips.]
Are there any AA-related announcements?
Please clean up after yourselves.
We will now close with the responsibility pledge: please join us if you wish.
Thank you for attending the “Agnostics and Others” meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. My name is _________, and I am an alcoholic. This is an open meeting that welcomes non-alcoholics as well as alcoholics to attend and learn about alcoholism, recovery, and the AA program. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of the AA traditions, so, if you share, please only share your experience and do not speak about or for other people.
The “Agnostics and Others” meeting endeavors to maintain a tradition of free expression and conduct a meeting where alcoholics may feel free to express any doubt or disbelief's they may have, and to share their own personal form of spiritual experience, their search for it, or their rejection of it. In keeping with AA tradition, we do not endorse or oppose any form of religion or atheism since AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution. Our only wish is to assure suffering alcoholics that they can find sobriety in AA without having to accept anyone else’s beliefs or denying their own. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.
Please silence your cell phones. This is a non-smoking meeting.
Tonight’s format is an open discussion meeting: the chairperson will select a topic to help guide the meeting, but feel free to discuss anything that has to do with alcoholism and your recovery. You do not have to share if you do not want to. At some point we will pass a basket to honor AA’s 7th tradition, which states that AA is “fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.” You are not required to contribute. The only requirement for membership in AA is a desire to stop drinking. We will close the meeting with the “Responsibility Pledge.” We have it printed so don’t worry if you can’t remember it!
Does anyone have a sobriety threatening issue they would like to bring to the group today? If you do but do not want to share with the group, please get with someone before you leave. We all care and are here to help. And remember that no one is here to tell you what to do; we can only share our experience to be taken as suggestions and be here to support you when you choose to recover.
At this time we will go around the room and introduce ourselves so we can get to know one another.
Today’s topic is ______________
[At 7:20 p.m.]
We are nearing the end of our hour. In closing, I will read some words one of AA’s co-founders Dr. Bob shared in July 1950.
Our 12 Steps, when simmered down to the last, resolve themselves into the words “love” and “service.” We understand what love is, and we understand what service is. So let's bear those two things in mind.
…
And one more thing: none of us would be here today if somebody hadn't taken time to explain things to us, to give us a little pat on the back, to take us to a meeting or two, to have done numerous little kind and thoughtful acts in our behalf. So let us never get the degree of smug complacency so that we're not willing to extend or attempt to extend, to our less fortunate brothers that help which has been so beneficial to us.
AA’s principals center on the “12 Steps” “which are suggested as a program of recovery” and the “12 Traditions.” If you need help with your recovery please let someone know because you matter and your recovery is important.
We use a chip system to mark periods of sobriety. You are not required to take a chip.
[A volunteer distributes chips.]
Are there any AA-related announcements?
Please clean up after yourselves.
We will now close with the responsibility pledge: please join us if you wish.