Allandalegroup Zoom Meeting Link
Revision Data: 20240318
Codes for script:
- Chairperson ( C )
- ( M ) Moderator
- Reader ( R ) #1: How it works. #2: 9th step promises
- Chipmunk (V)
- At half past the moderator will break for announcements.
- At 5 minutes before top of hour you must stop sharing
- 5 Minutes for your topic.
Moderator ( M )
- Hi, I’m ___. I’m an alcoholic. We are glad you are here!
- Do we have a Chair, 2 readers, and a chipmunk.
( C ) – Chair
Hi, my name is _________ and I am an alcoholic. This is an open meeting of the Allandale group of Alcoholics Anonymous.
A.A. PREAMBLE
Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. 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 help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.
Responsibility Statement
I am responsible, when anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of AA always to be there, and for that I am responsible.
Please pause for a moment of silence followed by the serenity prayer.
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.
( C ) – Chair I have asked (A FRIEND) to read “How It Works” from Chapter 5 of the Big Book.
( R )
HOW IT WORKS (page 58 Big Book)
- 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.
( C ) – Chair I have asked (A FRIEND) to read The Promises.
( R ) -2nd Reader
9th STEP PROMISES (page 83-84 Big Book)
- 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.
( C ) – Chair
- Are there any visitors who would like to say hello?
- Is there anyone at their very first AA meeting?
- If you’re in your first 90 days, please UNMUTE and introduce yourself with your first name so we can get to know you.
- Welcome all. We are glad you’re here!
Moderator ( M )
If you receive any unacceptable private chats, please screenshot & inform the moderator (that’s me), via private chat.
Sharing your video is optional.
Please be mindful of muting so as not to disturb your fellows.
If this meeting so chooses, please limit your sharing to 3 minutes.
- At the end of 3 minutes, the MODERATOR will say TIME.
- Please share your OWN experience, strength and hope, and refrain from cross-talk.
( C ) – Chair
- INTRODUCE THE TOPIC (5 minutes)
SHARING
Moderator ( M )
Are there any announcements for the good of AA?
This 7pm Zoom meeting meets Mon-Fri.
7th Tradition donations can be made at the BOTTOM of the Allandale website which is allandalegroup.org. Use either the QR code or the “donate” button at the bottom of each page.
If you’d like to attend the 24-hour International Zoom Marathon meeting at any hour of the day, click on the link at the bottom of our website. There is also a link on our website to Hill Country Intergroup where you can find local as well as foreign meetings.
If you need a meeting accountability paper signed, please email LWAINER@SBCGLOBAL.NET with your full name and the date you attended.
( C ) – Chair
(At 5 minutes from top of hour)
That is all the time we have for sharing, thank you.
Please consider chairing this meeting. There is no longer a minimum sobriety length required to chair. It’s a great way to be of service! Who would like to chair this meeting tomorrow?
If you are available to sponsor or just talk, please type your name and phone number in the chat.
Please consider reaching out to at least one person each day. Someone. Anyone. This works when we work it!
Virtual Chips (V)