The Tablemate – Part I

I’m always a advocate of anything that will help another alkie get sober – therefore…

Discovered at the archives from Hindsfoot (perhaps you’ve already found them) and thanks to Glenn C.;

The Tablemate

The Tablemate was an early A.A. set of beginners lessons entitled ‘Alcoholics Anonymous: An Interpretation of the Twelve Steps,’ put out in the form of a little pamphlet. It was (and still is) the most successful set of A.A. beginners lessons ever devised. It breaks the twelve steps down into four groups, which are studied over a period of four weeks:

Discussion No. 1. The Admission. Step No. 1.
Discussion No. 2. The Spiritual Phase. Steps 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 11.
Discussion No. 3. The Inventory and Restitution. Steps No. 4, 8, 9 and 10.
Discussion No. 4. The Active Work. Step No. 12.

Discussion No. 1. The Admission

“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – - that our lives had become unmanageable.”

[This instruction is not a short-cut to A.A. It is an introduction - - a help - - a brief course in the fundamentals.]

In order to determine whether or not a person had drifted from “social drinking” into pathological drinking it is well to check over a list of test questions, which each member may ask himself and answer for himself. We must answer once and for all these three puzzling questions :

What is an alcoholic? Who is an alcoholic? Am I an alcoholic?

To get the right answer the prospective member must start this course of instruction with:

1. A willingness to learn. We must not have the attitude that “you’ve got to show me.”
2. An open mind. Forget any and all notions we already have. Set our opinions aside.
3. Complete honesty. It is possible – - not at all probable – - that we may fool somebody else. But we must be honest with ourselves, and it is a good time to start being honest with others.