Good evening. My name is [your name] and I�m an alcoholic and I would like to welcome you all to [Group name] Beginners Meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Can we have a few moments� silence, please, to collect our thoughts and remember Tradition Five�Thank you
[name] will read the preamble�Thank you.
This is a non-smoking meeting, so if you need to smoke I�m afraid you have to go outside the building (please do so quietly). We do have a break in about half an hour so, perhaps you could hang on until then. The custom at this meeting is that we don�t respond when we introduce ourselves, and when we say the Serenity Prayer, we leave it just as it is on the card. A reminder also that foul language can make some people feel uncomfortable. [plus any other requests approved by your group conscience]
The format of this meeting is intentionally more structured than many. In presenting our experience of the programme of recovery, we have in mind those who have no, or very little, experience of recovery so far. As result, we hope that it will be helpful to any alcoholic who is still suffering and is interested in what we have. We will describe how
we have stayed sober by taking some simple steps that are outlined in the book Alcoholics Anonymous � often referred to as �the Big Book� [hold up a copy for everyone to see]. If you are new, we suggest that you sit back and if you can relax and listen; look for the similarities rather than the differences.
We will have two speakers at the top table. The first is a group member who will focus on specific details of the programme. This week we are discussing [selected talk] Don�t worry if this doesn�t seem to apply to you at the moment or if there seems to be a lot of information to take in. We run through them all in a cycle so we repeat each one in time, and we will come back to where you are soon. So, please, do keep coming back.
After that, we have a guest speaker from another group. This week we are delighted to welcome [name] to the meeting who has been invited just to give a general share, that is to disclose in a general way what it used to be like, what happened and what it is like now.
For the final part, we will have sharing from the floor. At a convenient break, in approximately 40 minutes, there will be 10-minute break for tea and coffee and a smoke. If you are new or visiting this will be an excellent chance for us to get to know each other.
Before the first speaker, [name] will read the first part of the chapter 'How it Works' from the book the Big Book.
[After this the GROUP SPEAKER READS TOPIC and at the end of the topic hands over to guest speaker ]
And now I�m delighted to hand over to [name] who has come along to share his experience, strength and hope.
[Guest speaker now shares for about 20 minutes]
Thank you. We will now break for 10 minutes. Tea and coffee will be served from the hatch. Just before that, I would like to direct people to the literature table which contains lots of AA-Conference-approved literature. [name] our literature secretary is available during the break to sell anything that we have. But there are some things that might be of interest, particularly to beginners, that we do stock: we have Big Books � if you don�t have one, we will give you a copy; we have meeting directories with details of over 500 meetings a week in Greater London; we have Newcomers� Packs, that will help you to decide if you are in the right place, and we have Living Sober, which contains lots of practical applications of the principles of the steps. See you in 10 minutes.
[break]
I will now open up the meeting for sharing. If you are new or don�t have experience of the programme please don�t feel under any pressure to speak. Good advice that was given to us was to relax and listen for the similarities rather than the differences. If you have questions or problems, we found that the most helpful approach is not to share them now, but to wait until after the meeting, when you will get the chance to speak to any of us, one-to-one. Also, if you don�t feel you have a drinking problem, although you are very welcome at this open meeting, we do ask that you don�t share during the meeting. For those who do share: to keep things moving along, I have been asked to stop people after 5 minutes. Its easy to lose track of time so please don�t take it personally if I stop you. We would like to hear from as many people as possible � the meeting is yours.
[sharing]
We have now come to Tradition Seven. If you don�t consider yourself a member of AA please don�t contribute to the pot. [Tradition Seven]. Are there any AA-related announcements?
You have heard mention of during the meeting of daily suggestions. These got many of us started on the programme and still keep us sober today. We have written them out on cards, which are on the table. Please take one if you would like. Most of us now stay here for a bite to eat and a cup of tea. All are invited, so please do come along. We set up the tables and chairs so that we can all sit down together. If anybody feels like pitching in and helping, we would appreciate it. [name] will read the last two paragraphs of the chapter A Vision for You, from the Big Book.
A quick reminder of the contents of the yellow card � who you see here, what you hear here, when you leave here, please do let it stay here. And now I would like to hand over to [guest speaker] and thank you for coming along here tonight and speaking so well. Please could you help us closing the meeting by leading us in saying the Serenity Prayer?