Serenity prayer
(from page 125 of the 12 and 12)

Welcome to the ________ (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) night First164yp online meeting. My name is ________, and I’m an alcoholic. (Allow time for greetings from others) 

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I’ll be your chair tonight, and ________ is our technical host.

Please help me open this meeting with a moment of silence to remember the still suffering alcoholic in and out of these meetings followed by the Serenity Prayer:

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(To be inserted by technical host into the ZOOM chat):

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*Serenity Prayer (from page 125 of the 12&12)*

God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, Courage to change the things we can, And wisdom to know the difference.

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*Alcoholics Anonymous Preamble (from the Grapevine)*

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. 
The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.
AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organisation or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

 

*How It Works* 

Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest. 

 

Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it — then you are ready to take certain steps. 

 

At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely. 

 

Remember that we deal with alcohol — cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power — that One is God. May you find Him now!

 

Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon.

 

 Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery: 

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable. 

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 

6. We're entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. 

 

Many of us exclaimed, “What an order! I can’t go through with it.’’ Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection. 

 

Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas:

 

a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives. 

b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism. 

c) That God could and would if He were sought.

 

Before we introduce ourselves and say where we are calling from, please remember to mute your microphone when you are not speaking and to turn off all other internet applications. 

 

We ask members not to use the general chat box to send messages to individuals.  You may chat with individuals directly by selecting their name in the chat box and sending a personal message.  But please leave the chat box open for postings by the chair, the tech hosts or for AA-related announcements.

 

If your connection is dropped, please rejoin using our meeting ID and meeting passcode, our technical host will let you back into the meeting. You are welcome to have your camera on but you do not have to.  

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My name is ________, and I’m an alcoholic in ________ (location). 

 

(Tech host asks each person by name to introduce themselves and where they are calling from.)

 

Are there any newcomers to AA for whom this is their 1st meeting, or anybody with fewer than 30 days of sobriety? This is not to embarrass you, but so that we can get to know you better.

 

This is a 1-hour meeting. Please consider the number of attendees and limit your share to a maximum of 4 minutes. If you are reaching this time the tech host or chair will ask you to bring your share to an end. Before sharing a 2nd time, please wait until everyone has had a chance to share. If you have been drinking today we would urge you to stay and speak to someone after the meeting.

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In this meeting, we speak about our own experience, strength, hope and feelings. We accept without comment what others say because it is true for them, and we work towards taking responsibility in our own lives, rather than giving advice to others. Our personal conduct in AA matters, please be considerate, tolerant and avoid abusive language. In keeping with our primary purpose to help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety, please share on alcoholism and recovery.

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 :05 (Chair introduces topic or reads from AA literature followed by a brief share)

 :15 (Chair opens meeting for sharing)

 :53 (Chair prompts those who haven’t shared and asks if anyone has a burning desire)

 :55 (Closing)

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Are there any AA-related announcements?

(Announcements inserted by tech host into chat see below for what needs to be inserted)

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Who would like to volunteer to chair next week? Please note that there is no formal sobriety requirement to Chair a meeting.

(Chair asks someone if necessary)

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Our 7th Tradition states that, “Every AA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions”. Email first164yp.treasurer@gmail.com for the latest Treasurer’s report. You can click on the PayPal link below to make a donation:​​

 

(To be inserted by technical host into the ZOOM chat)

https://paypal.me/1st164ypreasurer?country.x=ES&locale.x=en_US 

 

The first164yp AA group suggests sponsorship. A sponsor is someone who shares with you what they have done using the twelve steps of AA to stay sober. Would everyone who is available to sponsor please type your name in the text box. If you would like a sponsor, ask someone whose story you can identify with if they would be your sponsor. A temporary sponsor is also an option. In A.A. sponsor and sponsored meet as equals, just as Bill and Bob did.

For more help, contact help@alcoholics-anonymous.eu​

 

(To be inserted by technical host into the ZOOM chat)​

*Questions and Answers on Sponsorship *

https://www.aa.org/assets/en_US/p-15_Q&AonSpon.pdf

 

Chair choses ‘A Vision for You’ or ‘Promises’

(To be inserted by technical host into the ZOOM chat) then reads or asks another to read:

 

*A Vision for You (from page 164 of the Big Book) *

Our book is meant to be suggestive only. We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man or woman who is still sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order. But obviously you cannot transmit something you haven’t got. See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for us.

Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny.

May God bless you and keep you until then.

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*The 9th Step Promises (from pp. 83-84 of the Big Book)*

If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through! We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.

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Opinions or interpretations are solely those of the individual. No one can speak for the group or for A.A. as a whole. In keeping with our singleness of purpose, anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities. What you hear here, who you see here, when you leave here, let it stay here.

 

Please join me in closing this meeting with the Serenity Prayer:

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*Serenity Prayer (from page 125 of the 12&12) *

God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, Courage to change the things we can, And wisdom to know the difference.

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First164yp AA group ANNOUNCEMENTS (10/2025)

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1.  First164YP now has a Whatsapp group for fellowship.  If you would like to be added, please review the following policies: First 164 YP Whatsapp Group Policies and then send a message to the Tech Host with your phone number requesting to be added. 

2.    The first164yp group website is https://www.first164yp.com/  It is full of information about the group and about A.A. Please share the website address with others. For comments, suggestions or more information, write the First164yp webmaster at first164yp.web@gmail.com

3.    Our next business meeting will be held January 12 right after this meeting closes.  We will hold elections for our yearly service positions. If you would like to propose any other agenda items write the group secretary before the meeting at first164yp.secretary@gmail.com

4. We need more volunteers to train as tech hosts to continue all seven evenings a week.  Requirements are 6 months of sobriety and a strong internet connection. Check your internet connection at  http://www.speedtest.net  For more information, contact the IT coordinator at: first164yp.web@gmail.com

5. Our meetings take place 7 days/week at (20:00) 8pm Berlin, Brussels, Paris, Rome Time. Please note that Europe will move the clocks back one hour on Sunday, October 26 ,and the US on Sunday, November 2nd.  If you are in a different time-zone you can check the time difference where you are via this link:  https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html. 

6. If you would like to be added to the first164yp emailing list to receive occasional group announcements (blind-copy), send an email to the Group Secretary at first164yp.secretary@gmail.com . 

7. Information about online meetings can be found at the following links:

    Europe: https://alcoholics-anonymous.eu/meetings/?tsml-day=any&tsml-type=ONL

    Worldwide: https://aa-intergroup.org

8. The https://alcoholics-anonymous.eu/ website and other websites accessible through this website at https://alcoholics-anonymous.eu/aa-worldwide/  also have many events listed, including conventions, picnics and roundups throughout Europe:

 

https://alcoholics-anonymous.eu/events/

https://aa-intergroup.org/oiaa2025/oiaa2025-media-page/ 

https://aaconventionnice2026.org/

Does anybody else have any AA related announcements?

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