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 Skype 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, organization 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.

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. If your connection is dropped click on the green ‘join’ button in the top right hand corner of your screen, or send a re-join message.

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 5 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”.  Contributions are used to pay for our Intergroup Region Rep to represent us in-person twice/three times a year at Continental European Region (CER), and to contribute to AA as a whole through CER. 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 Skype chat)

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

 

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

*Questions and Answers on Sponsorship *

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

 

“In A.A. sponsor and sponsored meet as equals, just as Bill and Bob did.”

 

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

(To be inserted by technical host into the Skype 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:

*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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​Announcements to be inserted by technical host. First164yp AA group (Oct24-Jan25)Version 2

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1.     Our group has a new website! https://www.first164yp.com/ Check it out!

2.     Our next business meeting will be held Monday, the 13th of January 2025 five minutes after this meeting closes. On the agenda will be to elect an alternate GSR (Group Service Rep). If you have any other agenda items, please email first164yp.secretary@gmail.com

3. We need more volunteers to train as tech hosts to continue all seven evenings a week.  Requirements are 6 months of sobriety; strong internet connection (>10 Mbps speed). Check here:  http://www.speedtest.net  For more information, contact the Technical coordinator on: first164yp@gmail.com

4. Our meetings take place 7 days/week at (20:00) 8pm Berlin, Brussels, Paris, Rome Time. 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

 (NOTE: Europe and the UK change back one hour to standard time on Sunday  morning 27 October. The US changes back a week later, on Sunday 3 November.)

5. 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

6. 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

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

    Here is an example:

    https://northseaconvention.com/ 31 Jan - 2 Feb 2025

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Does anyone else have an AA related announcement? 

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