first closed a.a meeting
Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Bklyn. NY
Posts: 1,859
First, congratulations 
.
Second... get there early. Preferably 15 minutes early. If you do, someone there will most likely welcome you. Tell them that this is your very first meeting. If you do that, chances are good they'll lead you through the rest.
Meeting formats differ slightly from place to place, and I'm in the US, so I'll leave the rest to others who have experience in your area. Most important thing for you to do IMO is introduce yourself, and let people know that it's your first meetings.
OHH.... the other most important thing to do, again IMO, is pick up some literature. The book Alcoholics Anonymous (known as the Bigbook) is the basic text for AA, but in the beginning I actually think the book Living Sober is even more useful. If you could pick up both, that would be awesome, but Living Sober is full of very practical and easy to use tools you can utilize for staying away from that first drink. It's an excellent resource, and real easy reading. Each section is from half a page to 2 pages tops, if I remember correctly. That's about all my brain could handle in the very beginning.
Wishing you the best.
.Second... get there early. Preferably 15 minutes early. If you do, someone there will most likely welcome you. Tell them that this is your very first meeting. If you do that, chances are good they'll lead you through the rest.
Meeting formats differ slightly from place to place, and I'm in the US, so I'll leave the rest to others who have experience in your area. Most important thing for you to do IMO is introduce yourself, and let people know that it's your first meetings.
OHH.... the other most important thing to do, again IMO, is pick up some literature. The book Alcoholics Anonymous (known as the Bigbook) is the basic text for AA, but in the beginning I actually think the book Living Sober is even more useful. If you could pick up both, that would be awesome, but Living Sober is full of very practical and easy to use tools you can utilize for staying away from that first drink. It's an excellent resource, and real easy reading. Each section is from half a page to 2 pages tops, if I remember correctly. That's about all my brain could handle in the very beginning
.Wishing you the best.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lakeside, Ca
Posts: 10,208
Originally Posted by zoomi 
Anything to expect ?
usually no court slippers
ones who are serious about sobriety
a good place in which to find an AA Sponsor - feel free to ask
MB
Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Bklyn. NY
Posts: 1,859
Most groups have what they call interim sponsors. Meaning temporary sponsors. At my home group they tell newcomers to speak with the chairperson if they're interested in hooking up with one. If you ask the chairperson of the meeting if they could help you find a temporary sponsor, they will usually be very helpful.
As for a long term sponsor, people choose for different reasons. The only 2 absolutes as far as I'm concerned is that the person have more than a year sobriety, and that they utilize the steps in their life. Someone who hasn't been through the steps I think is better to have as a friend, than a sponsor. It's generally a good idea to also choose someone you feel comfortable talking to, although I've learned lots from sponsors I didn't feel comfortable with at all. Sometimes I believe we gain a lot through our uncomfortability.
Remember too that a sponsorship doesn't have to be forever. It it isn't working out for any reason, you can find someone else. People's feelings are rarely hurt by that. I've changed sponsors lots of times, without even telling anyone I was doing it. I don't think anyone ever lost any sleep over that, and I'm still friends with all those people.
As for a long term sponsor, people choose for different reasons. The only 2 absolutes as far as I'm concerned is that the person have more than a year sobriety, and that they utilize the steps in their life. Someone who hasn't been through the steps I think is better to have as a friend, than a sponsor. It's generally a good idea to also choose someone you feel comfortable talking to, although I've learned lots from sponsors I didn't feel comfortable with at all. Sometimes I believe we gain a lot through our uncomfortability.
Remember too that a sponsorship doesn't have to be forever. It it isn't working out for any reason, you can find someone else. People's feelings are rarely hurt by that. I've changed sponsors lots of times, without even telling anyone I was doing it. I don't think anyone ever lost any sleep over that, and I'm still friends with all those people.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Here, EH!!!
Posts: 1,337
I never said anything for the first while. Put the cotton from your ears into your mouth. For the better, so I just listened and didnt plan out my speaches when asked to share. As I became comfortable I started to talk, had the same alcoholic feelings as you did. Over time as I got to know the process of how to be sober, I had moved a few acquantainces of AA to the friends lineup.
Hopefully the chair will ask whomever wants to be a temporary sponsor to please raise their hand. Thats when a newcomer will hopefully swivel the head and take a hard look at everyone with their hand up. Then you can ask them right then and there, or you can procrastinate and look at how they talk, their body language when they talk.
Bring $12 with you so you can buy a Big Book. Do not buy the 12 by 12 book as you can not work the steps through that book. The 12x12 book is meant as an extension of the Big Book.
The most growth comes from actually understanding what each step is as you go along working the steps, from the Big Book. Its an amazing feeling of freedom. I felt a tiny bit of that after my step 3 prayer. Then I felt bogged down by my step 4, then I felt scared about talking to anothe human being about it in step 5. Steps 4 and 5 is when most people start running, out the door, scared. I always notice this at Big Book studies, as we get close to step 4 a few people dont come back, then close to step 5 even more people dont show up. It happens at every Big Book study I attend or host.
Hopefully the chair will ask whomever wants to be a temporary sponsor to please raise their hand. Thats when a newcomer will hopefully swivel the head and take a hard look at everyone with their hand up. Then you can ask them right then and there, or you can procrastinate and look at how they talk, their body language when they talk.
Bring $12 with you so you can buy a Big Book. Do not buy the 12 by 12 book as you can not work the steps through that book. The 12x12 book is meant as an extension of the Big Book.
The most growth comes from actually understanding what each step is as you go along working the steps, from the Big Book. Its an amazing feeling of freedom. I felt a tiny bit of that after my step 3 prayer. Then I felt bogged down by my step 4, then I felt scared about talking to anothe human being about it in step 5. Steps 4 and 5 is when most people start running, out the door, scared. I always notice this at Big Book studies, as we get close to step 4 a few people dont come back, then close to step 5 even more people dont show up. It happens at every Big Book study I attend or host.
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