What Kind Of Beginners’ Meetings Work Best?
September 7, 2008 by Mark
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
AA.org provides organized Suggestions For Leading Beginners’ Meetings from which I draw the following;
What Kind Of Beginners’ Meetings Work Best?
“Many kinds have worked well. They range from small, unplanned, informal discussions, with newcomers doing most of the talking and a different leader each time, to large sessions, prearranged in a series, with one continuing leader giving prepared talks on specific A.A. subjects.
A combination of these two types seems to work best. Groups have found that newcomers’ chances of recovery are higher if they can actively take part in A.A. discussions as soon as possible—and that they also need someone with A.A. experience to tell them the essential facts about alcoholism and our program of recovery.
Therefore, many beginners meetings include both (1) a brief talk by the leader, for not more than twenty or thirty minutes in an hour meeting, and (2) discussion by all present.”
I’d ask my friends here in this area whether they thought the beginners we see are getting a chance to participate in A.A. discussions as soon as possible when what we’re doing is “first stepping” them silly with a First Step meeting each and every time a newcomer enters our rooms. Then, we almost neglect to even mention the First Step as we go around sharing our stories … “when I first came to AA etc.”
This writing tells us that AA’s experience is that the beginners’ chances of recovery are HIGHER if they actively take part as soon as possible! How can they do that when they have no experience staying sober? No experience with the steps? No experience with a sponsor? And we do all the talking at their first few meetings?
