SoberLife90

I recently started an open AA meeting in my area. It is called "Youth in Recovery" because we are trying to get people under the age of 30 in there. Well some AA members have been giving me **** because there are young addicts attending the meetings. One guy tells me that I am breaking traditions. How so? The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking...plus its an open meeting so anyone can attend. I just don't see the problem here. What do you all have to say?

RDBplus3

Each Group is autonomous ...

I am sure the naysayers can find another meeting to stay sober in ... unless their intentions are something other than a desire to see your group get FREE ...

keep doin what you're doin if your intentions are NOT about SELF ... and ignore others if their intentions are about their 'Sober-Self-Pride' (Self-Righteous Pharisees?)

RDBplus3 ... Happy, Joyous and FREE ... from Alcoholism ... and all the other Drugs I used to do also.

BringingBackB

Good on you for setting up a meeting. As a 23 year old, I would love it if there was something similar in my area. I'd ignore the naysayers if I was you. Would they prefer if they young addicts didn't have any support at all?

Part of what put me off about initially participating in AA was the lack of people there of my age group, who I could relate to more easily.

sg1970

All of the meetings I go to are open. The majority of the members with good recovery there were dual addicted. It all works the same. Our focus is alcohol but we don't turn anyone away.

Physics4Life

Do recovery your way.

Ignore anyone that gives you unsolicited advice.

MIRecovery

The way I look at it is anyone can attend as long as the conversation stays on staying sober from alcohol.

I think a meeting with gamblers, eating disorders, sex, drugs and who knows what else dilutes what an AA meeting is all about.

I personally have dealt with multiple addictions but a confine my sharing to alcohol issues

Solarion

Tell them to buzz off and start their own group if they need something to stage-manage.

A very good point!

JimC60

Sober Life,

This guy would simply faint if he attended an AA meeting in Delray Beach, Florida. In many meetings, at least 50% of the crowd is under 30, and many of them are under 25.

I fail to see the perceived conflict - I would ask the one member who claims you are breaking tradition just what he means.

Of course maybe you will be lucky and not see him again - hopefully, he has returned to whatever "classically traditional meeting" he used to attend.

Jim

Eddiebuckle

Ignore the one guy. So long as attendees stick to their problems as they relate to alcohol, it's all good.

Fly N Buy

Which tradition(s) do they believe are not being adhered to would seem like a logical question to ask. Is it fully self funded??

Best of luck, we need more friends willing to help each other. I just always need to check my motives when I reach out to others and keep my ego in check for sure!!

Well done!!

BadCompany

If you so something in AA and no one complains, you did it wrong.

Ruby2

Almost all of the meetings I attend are populated with people with dual addictions, open or not. Most are strictly alcoholic but are open to others joining. If there aren't any NA meetings in the area, I think there's a very real need for support. Plus, it is an open meeting. Unless people are hijacking the meeting, I'd say let be.

IOAA2

That is followed by “except in matters affecting other groups or AA as a whole.”

And “The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop DRINKING.”
Much of the thinking in the posts above reflects the watering down of the program, the quotes are from AAs Traditions. These are usually hanging on a wall.
I have no problem with people attending open or closed meetings if narcotics are a problem with them, many do already but it’s not the topic at an AA meeting.
Congratulations on starting a meeting hopefully it will succeed.

BE WELL

greens

As long as it's an open meeting anyone is welcome. When I attended meetings there were people from al anon, oa, na, and slaa there and they said they got a lot out of attending open meetings. They were respectfull and understood the rules.

Good for you for starting a yp meeting by the way - in my area there were kids as young as 12 getting clean and often times the youngest people in meetings had more sober time then the older people following them around asking them if they needed a sponsor.
I can't remember the name of it but there is an awesome book of stories of young alkies. Its really important to have sober friends especially for young people. So much pressure to fit in.
There was a ton of crossover between aa and na in my area bc aa has 20 meetings a day and na only has 5, so we constantly got addicts in our meetings. People would always say this was the problem with aa, it became watered Down with addicts and problem drinkers. I think if it provides solace to those jn time of need then it's a good thing. I used 12 step programs for a while and moved on but for a time they were a useful tool for my personal growth. Maybe I am a problem drinker and maybe I did water down aa but I was unaware of other programs like smart that may have been better suited toward people like me.

I think the name of that book was "in our own words" . Really powerful stories for anyone of any age,

LexieCat

In our open home group meeting, we say "In keeping with our primary purpose, we ask that when you share, you share about alcohol and limit yourself to 3-5 minutes so more people can share."

It's a matter of group conscience, and certainly at an open meeting anyone/everyone is welcome, but sticking to the "primary purpose" ("to stay sober and help others to recover from alcoholism") will help to ensure that the primary purpose is being served.

LexieCat

Just one other thought, too. Nothing says you can't start your own non-AA meeting to be more inclusive. One of my favorite meetings once upon a time was a non-AA, non-Alanon meeting that alternated speakers and readings and focus on both programs on an every-other-week basis. It couldn't officially be either because it didn't serve the "primary purpose" of either one, but we had plenty of folks from both programs who showed up every week and got a lot out of it.

Soberwolf

Here's a worldwide list of Aa meetings for young ppl

http://www.ypaa.info/meetings.php

For face to face contact meetings AA is second to none look at that list that makes my heart swell worldwide meetings just for young ppl

tomsteve

This is an open meeting ofAlcoholicsAnonymous. 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. member-
ship is a desire to stop drinking,” we ask that all who
participate confine their discussion to their problems with
alcohol.


Does the chairperson keep tbe talk about alcoholism?

Seems dr bobs story in ths big book talks a bit about drugs as do a couple others.

It is my opinion, as long as discussion is kept on alcohol and problems pertaining to alcoholism, it will be a good meeting that will be around a long time.
Ive been to meetings i call "whatever ya want" meetings- meetings that have no structure and people are allowed to talk about anything. i dont hear much sobriety at them.quite a few have closed up.
tradition two and three in the 12&12 are good reads for people saying youtr breaking tradition. pg 142 ish has a pretty good story from early on.

Berrybean

Exactly what I was going to say. There are 12 traditions. These are taken very seriously by anyone in AA, and if they thought that something going against any of the traditions was being put forward as an AA group, then they would (justifiably) be upset. If they're accusing you of going against the traditions then they should be able to say which tradition specifically, then you can look at it in more detail in the 12 and 12.

Fly N Buy

Just a bit of trivia - The short form of the second tradition is longer than the long form of the second tradition>>>>!

Back to regular programming..........