Go to meetings…

Going to meetings is where you’ll find the AA fellowship. At meetings you’ll establish new social contacts, get a sponsor, and probably do your first service work; you’ll also learn about AA and recovery from alcoholism. People at AA meetings are introduced by first name and last initial, e.g. Bill W. So, just what types of meetings are there? Below are listed the main types of meeting you’re likely to encounter.

Open meetings: Open for all to attend, AAs, friends, parents, and spouses of AAs, sober-never-drank-just-curious types, nursing students, social workers, psychology students. These can be any type of AA meeting, if you are worried about your anonymity, you’ll probably want to avoid these if many non-recovering people attend these meetings. Non AA or non-recovering people are not invested in remaining anonymous, or keeping your anonymity.

Closed meetings: These meeting are open only to alcoholics. These can be any type of AA meeting. People that attend these meeting are invested in preserving their and others anonymity.

Open Speaker Meeting: These are a particularly popular type of open meeting. Only the speaker reveals that they are alcoholic. The speaker is usually introduced by first name and last initial e.g. Mark R. The speaker relates their story sharing experience, strength, and hope; what it was like, what happened, what it is like now. Some meetings have a brief question and answer period after the speaker finishes their story.

Big Book meeting: These meetings use the book Alcoholics Anonymous-the basic text of AA, as their guide through the steps. These meetings may or may not read the personal stories in the back of book. The main text, the first 164 pages contain the program of recovery of Alcoholics  Anonymous; it is this part that is usually studied in detail.

Step meetings: These meeting study the 12 steps in order. Some meetings use the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions as a study source for the steps. Many meetings that use the 12X12 set aside one meeting a month to study a tradition.

Other AA Literature meetings: These meetings use Daily Reflections, As Bill Sees It, Living Sober, Came to Believe, or Grapevine, as a topic source for discussion.

Discussion meeting: These meetings vary in how the topic is chosen; some have a standard topic list to choose from, some allow the chairperson to select the topic, still others ask for a topic suggestion from among those present at the meeting.

What type of meeting is the best to attend? The best type meeting to attend is the one you’ll continue to attend regularly. Many members attend more than one type of meeting weekly. Many also have a favorite meeting that they make their ‘Home Group.’ This is the meeting that they never miss, and in which  they hold a group or service position.