Newcomer meetings

[whiskerkissed]

I would like to here some alternatives to holding a newcomer meeting. We do the "go around the room and share what NA and the program has done for us". I know there has to be some other ways to do this. First Step meetings are so important and meant to give them hope and I want to hear of ways to do this in a more attractive way.

The only other way I have heard so far is to read the First Step from the basic text and share on our experience with powerlessness and unmanageability and STILL go around the room based on that.

Share your experiences please!

[Sugah]

I've been to "beginner meetings" that operate on a three-week rotating schedule. Each week is step 1, 2 or 3, then it begins all over again. We held these in an town where many of the attendees were from a treatment facility. Instead of a month-long obligation to chair, each chair did three weeks, then someone else would step in. It worked pretty well.

Peace & Love,
Sugah

[REZ]

We have a large meeting and split up into two groups, a regular meeting and a newcomer meeting (step 1, 2, 3). This works out pretty well.

[kj3880]

Our area "newcomer meeting", has really become unmaneagable. It is in a format of just "share on where you are" in recovery. It sounds like unguided nonsense much of the time. Also, newcomers have kicked in the host churchs' front door, and twice had a fist fight during the meeting this summer. I'm afraid we will lose this meeting place (3 home groups use this church).

Part of the problem is that the meeting is really late at night, and most people with significant clean time have work in the morning, or kids, and they don't go to late meetings much. I think they would benefit from having a more structured format, like a speaker or a topic basket, and maybe hold it at 8 instead of 10pm. They appealed at area service for old-timers to please try to support this meeting, and hopefully, they will. I will try to make this meeting more often myself and try to be part of the solution.

Love,
KJ

[whiskerkissed]

Part of the problem we have is that we're in a small rural area. Attendance averages about 21 people a meeting...more or less. We have 3 meetings a week. Right now...the one's with the most NA clean time is coming up on 18 months. The only other significant clean time is one guy with 6 yrs, but for reasons outside his control - has not been attending for some time. This is why I thought coming here would be a good way to get some different ideas. I haven't been able to get my sponsor for a few days and ask her. She's not local. I had to go out of town for her which ended up being an hour and a half away. We text everyday, but this is one that would be easier to talk about...

KJ - the church we hold our meetings in has also been broken into - among other minor things, but it makes us look bad - and some of it cannot be proven whether it's church members or our members. It will always lean towards the drug addicts, though. Talking to the preacher confirms this even though we do our best to report everything that's out of place and have even proven some of the things were not us. He appreciates our efforts, but things ain't perfectly peachy. As for the fights - NA reserves the right to call the law if ANY form of violence is committed.

[REZ]

We have oldtimers lead the newcomer meeting. This helps keep them organized and focused.

[LowBottom]

Los Angeles doesnt really host any newcomer meetings that I can think of. Why are they seperated?

[kj3880]

Actually the newcomers aren't separated. We have a meeting is called "For the Newcomer" but of course newcomers (and anyone else for that matter) can go to any meeting they want. Every NA meeting is for the newcomer, when you think about it. They're supposed to be the most important person there, right?

But a high proportion of them read the schedule on line and decide to go to "For the Newcomer" for their first meeting. Lots of them end up making it their home group. So this one meeting has a disproportionate number of newcomers and not enough people to set a good example of how we carry out our traditions at meetings, or to share what has worked to stay clean for long periods of time. As I said before, a lot of it is that the meeting lasts until 11pm, and many people who've been in the fellowship for a long time don't like to be up that late, as their lives have gotten busy and full. It's understandable, but unfortunate.

Love,
KJ

[andyaddict]

Personally... I think a "newcomer" meeting, or any other special interest / common needs meeting is of little help and often of greater harm. Why not keep the focus on what we have in common rather than attempt to "organize" NA to keep us apart.

As La Bottoms had already mentioned, there are few, if any, "newcomer" meetings out here, at least that I know of (that doesn't mean they don't exist). Nor is there a laundry list of special interest / common needs meetings. What I do find is that the young addicts, newcomers, old timers, gay members, women and men can all join together in a meeting and get recovery together simply as members of Narcotics Anonymous.

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