Hi Tom,
There was no misunderstanding. I was making the point that meetings have changed because it seems like by the time people get to their first AA meeting, the methods used on hard core drunks right off the street, aren't used or aren't accepted like they used to be. That's not to say the old methods shouldn't be used or are the wrong methods. The failure rate is higher today than it used to be because the bottoms are higher and people don't seem to have as much to lose, or haven't lost as much as in the past.
I take my pigeons through the steps in one day. They start at 0800 and are usually finished and on their way home 10 to 12 hours later. I look at the steps this way. The first time through them, I'm "doing" the steps. From then on I'm "practicing" the steps and putting them to every day use. This is stated in the 12th step; "practice these principles in all our affairs." Nowhere in the Big Book does it mention doing the steps the "right" way, or only once. So, if when I'm doing the steps, I omit something because I forget, I can always go back and do that step again, as many times as is necessary. The important thing is that I "do" the steps as soon as possible.
Good luck on your mission. One sure thing is that the club will either stay open, or it won't. If the club has something people want and enjoy, it'll succeed. If not, it'll go the way of many clubs before.