Chairing a Meeting? The format is the same for in person or

OPEN MEETING FORMAT: All are welcome to attend open meetings.

PLEASE READ AS PRINTED BELOW

Hand out “How it Works”, “Twelve Traditions”, and the “Promises”

BEFORE WE BEGIN THE MEETING, PLEASE SILENCE ALL CELL PHONES. MAY I HAVE TWO VOLUNTEERS TO HELP CLEAN UP THE BUILDING AFTER THE MEETING? (Wait for volunteers).

THANKS!

Welcome to the regular (day and time) Wimberley Group of Alcoholics Anonymous. My name is _____________, and I am an alcoholic. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.

The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership. A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and to help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

There is no smoking in the building or on the front porch. All smoking is restricted to the smoking pavilion at the side of the building. No pets are allowed in the building except for licensed service animals.

This is an OPEN meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. In support of A.A.’s singleness of purpose, we ask that when discussing our problems, we confine ourselves to those problems as they relate to alcoholism.

If you are under the influence today, we ask that you only listen. If you would like to talk after this meeting, please let us know. We avoid interrupting others, giving advice, or other forms of cross-talk during the meeting in order that all may share and feel they may do so freely.

Do we have any visitors from other groups who would like to be recognized?

Is anyone here for their first A.A. meeting? If so, please introduce yourself using only your first name.

Is anyone here in their first 30 days?

Are there any A.A.-related announcements?

Let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves, starting on my left/right.

Ask a friend to read How It Works (p. 58 in the Big Book)

HOW IT WORKS Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest. Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it — then you are ready to take certain steps. At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely. Remember that we deal with alcohol — cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power — that One is God. May you find Him now! Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon. Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery:

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Many of us exclaimed, “What an order! I can’t go through with it.’’ Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas: (a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. (b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism. (c) That God could and would if He were sought.

Ask a friend to read the promises (p. 83 in the Big Book)

The AA Promises

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through.

We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.

We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.

We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.

No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others.

That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.

We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.

Self-seeking will slip away.

Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.

Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.

We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.

We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.

Ask a friend to read the traditions (p. 562 in the Big Book. Read all 12 traditions or the tradition corresponding to the month of the year)

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.

2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

3. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.

4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.

5. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. 6. An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose 7. Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.

12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

ASK IF THERE ARE ANY NEWCOMERS? HERE FOR THEIR FIRST MEETING OR THEIR FIRST MEETING BACK AFTER A DRINK?

Introductions (for Zoom, it works best to call on people one by one as you see them on your screen, wait for them to introduce themselves, then let the group welcome them)

Remind the group to limit sharing (generally 3-5 minutes) so everyone has a chance to participate.

At 7:30 remind the group to practice the 7th Tradition

The 7th tradition states that “every AA group ought to be fully self-supporting declining outside contributions.”

Post in the chat:

Venmo: (our venmo is currently under construction, please come back in a week or 2 for the new Venmo account information)

OR (to mail in check or money order)

PO BOX 1381

Wimberley TX 78676

Open the meeting up for sharing.

At meeting’s end:

Sponsorship is a valuable part of the AA approach to recovery through the Twelve Steps. Will those members who have worked the steps with a sponsor and who are willing to sponsor others please raise their hands? If you need a sponsor, please see one of these members at the close of the meeting. Women sponsor women, Men sponsor men. Thank you.

The second Saturday of the month is a Speaker Meeting at 7pm.

Group Conscience Meetings are the third Sunday of the month on Zoom at 11am

(ID 386 586 1116 PW: Serenity1-- on the board)

The last Saturday of each month is Birthday Night at the 7pm meeting. If this is your month, please put your name and A.A. birth date on the board.

Every Wimberley Group meeting is a chip meeting. Will someone please award the chips?

This is your group, we have an individual responsibility to contribute, clean up & to be of service.

Please remember: “Who you see here, what you hear here, when you leave here, LET IT STAY HERE!

CLOSE THE MEETING WITH A PRAYER OF YOUR CHOICE.

Closed meeting format

PLEASE READ AS PRINTED BELOW

Hand out “How it Works”, “Twelve Traditions”, and the “Promises

”BEFORE WE BEGIN THE MEETING, PLEASE SILENCE ALL CELL PHONES. MAY I HAVE TWO VOLUNTEERS TO HELP CLEAN UP THE BUILDING AFTER THE MEETING? (Wait for volunteers). THANKS!

LET US BEGIN WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE, FOLLOWED BY THE SERENITY PRAYER: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Welcome to the regular (day and time) Wimberley Group of Alcoholics Anonymous. My name is _____________, and I am an alcoholic.

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership. A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and to help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.There is no smoking in the building or on the front porch. All smoking is restricted to the smoking pavilion at the side of the building. No pets are allowed in the building except for licensed service animals.

This is a CLOSED meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. In support of A.A.’s singleness of purpose, attendance at CLOSED meetings is limited to persons who have a desire to stop drinking. If you think you have a problem with alcohol, you are welcome to attend this meeting. We ask that when discussing our problems, we confine ourselves to those problems as they relate to alcoholism. We avoid interrupting others, giving advice, or other forms of cross-talk during the meeting in order that all may share and feel they may do so freely.

Do we have any visitors from other groups who would like to be recognized?

Is anyone here for their first A.A. meeting? If so, please introduce yourself using only your first name.

Is anyone here in their first 30 days?

Are there any A.A.-related announcements?

Let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves, starting on my left/right.

Ask a friend to read How It Works (p. 58 in the Big Book)

HOW IT WORKS

Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest. Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it — then you are ready to take certain steps. At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely. Remember that we deal with alcohol — cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power — that One is God. May you find Him now! Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon. Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery:

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity

.3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him

.4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs

.6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

(a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives.

(b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism.

(c) That God could and would if He were sought.
Ask a friend to read the promises (p. 83 in the Big Book)The AA Promises