bellakeller

Hi all. I was raised up in unorthodox AA meetings - when I started the program two years ago, I attended agnostic meetings, gay/lesbian, women's meetings - so I never really hung out in "standard" AA meetings until I joined a new home group this winter.

Yesterday I chaired a meeting about the Serenity Prayer and brought in a book that talked about 5 things the author felt (which resonated with me) you cannot change. Turns out, this non-conference approved material was of huge offense to a few of the old timers in the meeting.

If there are any old-timers out there, I would love to hear your opinion. I want to do the right thing and follow the rules of this program because I know they are there for a reason even if I might not see the reason just yet at this point in my recovery. Please, any thoughts are so welcome.

Thanks in advance.

BadCompany

AA History – What Conference Approved Means

keithj

It's really not the rules of the program, but rather the format of the group.

A healthy group will have a mutually agreed upon meeting format, agreed upon by the group conscience of group members. That group will also hold a regular group conscience to determine other issues like use of 7th Tradition funds, service positions, and how to best carry the message to the newcomer.

If you are a member of that home group, you have a voice in how meetings are run and what literature is used. Hopefully that voice, and all the other voices, is guided by a higher power. Ideally, it's the collective wisdom and conscience of the group that decides all issues concerning the group. It's not about the old timers telling the new people how the group is run. Those folks that have been around for a while, and have some experience in the AA Traditions, can offer valuable guidance to less experienced members. But they should never dictate. You have an equally valid voice in that group.

There is great dignity and respect to be found in a well functioning AA group.

bellakeller

Ah. THANK YOU. I will refer to the group conscience stuff which was probably formed before I joined. This group just started up this past winter and I started to come regularly in February and joined the group in March. There must be some group info I can ask someone about. Or maybe not and in that case I can be part of the decisions. Cool.

This is my first real home group in two years with AA. I feel like I do everything backwards!

Thank you again!

DayTrader

Here's a question along a similar line...


what's your opinion for the gazillion groups out there that DON'T hold regular group conscience meetings? You know.....the ones "run" by a couple old timers and they're about as loose as can be. Nobody knows how much money is in the pot other than one guy and his buddies (maybe), there are no regular group conscience meetings, there's nothing to say what's ok to bring in and what's not, etc etc.... you just show up, read about a step from those yellow 12-step booklets (they're yellow.....I don't know the official name), hopefully have a discussion about the step in question and go home......unless it's time for the group anniversary meeting to get organized.

My original home group runs like this.....and nobody in the group (none of the regulars anyway) have ANY interest in changing anything or even talking about it. The standard reply is "we like it this way / if it ain't broke - don't fix it / who wants all that bureaucracy?" and so on.

As for the original post, I bring Sermon on the Mount to meetings on and off....it's not "conference approved literature" but there are a number of us who love reading it and discussing it.

keithj

I think they don't know what they are missing. I never know what I don't know yet.

Nobody told me about how these things. I learned by example from a solid sponsor, and just assumed that's how it done.

Good sponsorship is a rare and wonderful thing.

CarolD

Each group chooses whatever literature is acceptable to
that group.....by voting in GC.

My home group allows meeting topics only ffrom
what we voted on....
.no outside books supporting /explaining the topic.

When new members are going to chair...the list is
in the notebook along with the format.

Yes...I am an old timer who perfers traditional AA.

DayTrader

Agreed... I guess I was asking for a suggestion about what I can/should do? I just keep going because a lot of newcomers show up (virtually none of them have stayed though) and try to carry the message the best I can and look for ppl I can be of some use to.

I've contemplated bailing from this group but I feel some loyalty since it was my 1st meeting, it's my original home group, and just because I don't like the format anymore, I don't know that that's a good enough reason to leave.

Boleo

I'm not an old-timer but I have done battle with enough of them to know how they think (or think not).

They don't like change.
They don't like thinking.
They specially don't like thinking about change.

yeahgr8

http://www.aa.org/en_pdfs/mg-09_lite...committees.pdf

Tommyh

my old home group uses aa approved books and literature except for one book,we still read the 24 hour a day book

we probally would not spazz over it,just talk about it in a group conscience
it could help you and the group grow