Meetings
At Lambda

Open

These meetings welcome Group Members, their families, friends, and anyone interested in solving a personal drinking problem or helping someone else to solve such a problem. These meetings are open to anyone.

Closed

These meetings are limited to Group Members. They provide an opportunity for members to share openly with one another on alcoholism and the methods used to achieve and maintain a life of stable sobriety. They are closed to observers.

General Meeting Format

Most Alcoholics Anonymous and other Twelve Step Meetings follow the same opening format: A chairperson opens the meeting with the Alcoholics Anonymous preamble. This is usually followed by a "moment of silence" after which the Serenity Prayer is recited. The chair will then welcome Newcomers or Visitors to the Group. A short reading will follow, usually "How it Works," or some other selection from the Alcoholics Anonymous "Big Book." The meeting format will vary at this point, depending upon whether it is a Discussion, Speaker, Beginners, Book Study or special focus meeting (see the descriptions of the various meeting types below) .

Alcoholics Anonymous and other announcements may be made during the meeting, depending upon the Group's convention. During the meeting, a basket is passed to defray costs of the meeting room rent, literature, and incidental expenses. After the meeting adjourns, there is usually visiting and fellowship outside the meeting room.

Guests at Alcoholics Anonymous Open Meetings are reminded that any opinions or interpretations they may hear are solely those of the individual speakers. All members are free to interpret the recovery program in their own terms, but none can speak for the local group or for Alcoholics Anonymous as a whole.

Birthday

Special "Birthday" meetings are celebrations held once each month to recognize each year of continuous sobriety. Celebrants are presented certificates and bronze "chips" to recognize their sobriety anniversary, and asked to briefly share about their experiences. To be recognized, add your name and sobriety date to the sign-up sheet in the television lounge. First year celebrants also receive a special gift from Lambda Center. Cake and coffee are provided for all after this very special meeting.

Book Study

Often referred to as "Literature" meetings, Book Study meetings begin with the same general meeting format. After the meeting has opened, the chairperson will invite members to read from the Alcoholics Anonymous "Big Book," the "Twelve and Twelve," or "As Bill Sees It." Other titles may be used, depending upon the conventions of the individual Group. Most literature meetings will spend half the meeting reading, with each member taking his or her turn to read a few paragraph or perhaps a page from the selected book, following the chairperson's direction. The second half of the meeting will usually be a group discussion, led by the chairperson, of the material read. Books are provided for literature meetings.

Candlelight

Some evening meetings are Discussion meetings held by candlelight.

Discussion

These meetings are the most common Alcoholics Anonymous meeting type. A chairperson will introduce a topic for discussion, after which those attending will have an opportunity, if desired, to share their own experiences and observations about recovery, usually for three to five minutes per "share." "Sharing" is not required of everyone in attendance--many choose only to listen. "Take what works and leave the rest," is a comment frequently heard at these meetings.

HIV

These meetings focus on issues of particular interest to alcoholics who are HIV+.

Meditation

These meetings begin with an introduction of approximately ten minutes, followed by 30 minutes of silent meditation, followed by 20 minutes of discussion.

Men

These meetings are limited to men only, in order to focus on special issues of particular interest to men.

Speaker

These meetings feature an invited "guest speaker," with two or more years of recovery, to tell his or her "story" to the group, after which a portion of the time may be set aside for comments on the speaker's story by members. "Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now," as the Alcoholics Anonymous "Big Book" says.

Step Study

These meetings focuses on one particular step as the meeting's topic for discussion. Some Step Study Groups use literature in combination with discussion, while others use worksheets and writing for an in-depth approach to the individual steps.

Beginners

These meetings typically concentrate on the first three steps in recovery, and follow the Discussion format.

Women

These meetings are limited to women only, in order to focus on special issues of particular interest to women.

YOGA

These meetings begin with 50-55 minutes of Yoga, followed by 5 to 10 minutes of silent meditation, and then follow with a traditional AA Discussion meeting for 30 minutes.