Meeting Format
All meetings:
Atlantic Standard Time
Everyday
7:30 am AA Closed Meeting (English)
Format: Daily Reflections
6:00 pm AA Closed Meeting (English)
Monday | Step and Tradition (10 minute lead)
Tuesday | Open/Topic Discussion
Wednesday | As Bill Sees It (10-minute lead)
Thursday | Big Book (5-minute reading)
Friday | Beginners (10-minute lead)
Saturday | Grapevine (45-minute lead last Saturday each month)
Sunday | Reflections on AA Literature (5-minute reading)
We celebrate anniversaries on the last Friday of the month from 6:00 - 7:30 PM.
Welcome to the Condado 12 & 12 meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.
My name is ___________________ and I am an alcoholic. This group is fully observant of the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of Alcoholic Anonymous.
MORNING: This meeting begins at 7:30 AM and ends at 8:30 AM
EVENING: This meeting begins at 6:00 PM and ends at 7:00 PM
If you require proof of attendance at our meeting, please stay until the end to request verification from the meeting chairperson.
CLOSED MEETING: (Blue card)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.
OPEN MEETING (Anniversary meetings only): This is an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. We are glad you are all here — especially newcomers. In keeping with our singleness of purpose and our Third Tradition which states that “The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking,” we ask that all who participate confine their discussion to their problems with alcohol.
I have asked __________________ to read THE PREAMBLE.
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. (Reprinted with permission of A.A. Grapevine, Inc.)
I have asked __________________ to read HOW IT WORKS.
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
(Reprinted from Alcoholics Anonymous, page 58, with permission of AA World Services, Inc.)
Are there any visitors from out of town or other local groups that would like to introduce themselves?
Is there anyone celebrating an anniversary of one or more years of sobriety this month? This group celebrates anniversaries on the last Friday of the month at 6:00 PM. If you wish to celebrate, please ensure that our Group Secretary, Cristina M. has your name and sobriety date.
Is there anyone here for their first meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous or first meeting returning from a relapse? (CHANGE THE FORMAT TO BEGINNER'S MEETING)
Read the following if a newcomer has introduced themselves.‘Welcome! If you're new to a twelve-step program, we're here to guide you. We'll provide phone numbers and literature to help you understand the process. All alcoholics are welcome.’
We use a four (4) minute timer to ensure that as many members as possible have the opportunity to share their experience, strength, and hope. Concerning “crosstalk”, please do not make any comments, positive or negative, about other people’s shares; please share only your own thoughts and experiences. Please silence all personal devices and remember to respect the rules posted throughout this facility. Our group strives to create a safe environment for all its members. Harassment of any kind is not welcome. If safety concerns arise, please speak up. Thank you.
The format for this meeting is ___________
(Morning meeting format is the Daily Reflections. Evening meeting format varies.)
30 MINUTES REMAIN:
Now we will practice the 7th Tradition.
The Seventh Tradition states:
“Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.” While contributions cover each group's rent and other expenses, the Seventh Tradition is essential at every level of A.A. service. It is both a privilege and a responsibility for groups and members to ensure that not only their group, but also their intergroup/central office, local services, district, area, and the General Service Office remain self-supporting. This keeps A.A. free of outside influences that might divert us from our primary purpose — to help the alcoholic who still suffers. The amount of our contribution is secondary to the spiritual connection that unites all groups around the world.*
7th tradition contributions are accepted through ATH Móvil (Pay a Business): /condado1212 or Venmo: (215) 901-3434 You can also use your phone camera to scan the QR code seen on aasanjuan.org/virtual-meetings to take you directly to Venmo. Download ATH Móvil app or visit athmovil.com. Visit Venmo
Are there any AA-related announcements?
Our meeting schedule is posted on the board outside and at aasanjuan.org
We have books for sale and free literature available. Please see our literature person [Gilda] or visit onlineliterature.aa.org
We have found that sponsorship is an important part of the AA Program. Anyone willing to be a sponsor who is actively working the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, please raise your hand so others know you are available as a sponsor.
The floor is now open again for sharing.
2 MINUTES REMAIN
I have asked __________________ to read the 9th Step PROMISES.
The 9th Step Promises
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are halfway 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.
–Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 83-84
We have a nice way of celebrating milestones here at Condado 12 and 12. Is there anyone celebrating..?
24 hours
30 days
60 days
90 days
6 months
9 months
“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.”
*7th Tradtion: Reprinted from Alcoholics Anonymous with permission of AA World Services, Inc.