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The
two most common kinds of A.A. meetings are:
OPEN MEETINGS:
As the term suggests, meetings of this type are open to
alcoholics and their families and to anyone interested
in solving a personal drinking problem or helping
someone else to solve such a problem.
Most
open meetings follow a more or less set pattern,
although distinctive variations have developed in some
areas. A chairperson describes the A.A. program briefly
for the benefit of newcomers in the audience and calls
speakers who relate their personal drinking histories
and may give their personal interpretation of A.A.
At
the end of the meeting there is usually a period for
local A.A. announcements, and a treasurer passes the hat
to defray costs of the meeting hall, literature, and
incidental expenses. The meeting adjourns, usually
followed by informal chatting over coffee or other light
refreshments.
CLOSED MEETINGS:
These meetings are limited to alcoholics. They provide
an opportunity for members to share with one another on
problems related to drinking patterns and attempts to
achieve stable sobriety. They also permit detailed
discussion of various elements in the recovery program.
Guests at A.A. open meetings are reminded that any
opinions or interpretations they may hear are solely
those of the speaker involved. All members are free to
interpret the recovery program in their own terms, but
none can speak for the local group or for A.A. as a
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