Public Information Conference

1. Public Information Conference Newcomer Retention – Specific Action Plan

2. Agenda • Who is a Newcomer ? • From Helpline to First Meeting • Welcoming the Newcomer • Format of a Newcomer Meeting • Guidelines for Chairperson • Suggested Topics • From First Meeting to Further Meetings • Reasons for Skipping • Maintaining Sobriety

3. Disclaimer • This presentation is just a brief overview • This is to crystallize our group Experience into a evolved process to attract and retain still suffering alcoholics

4. AA Service "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."

5. Who is a Newcomer • A newcomer is an Alcoholic attending his first meeting either drunk or sober with a desire to stop drinking. • Sometimes he may be brought to a meeting and the desire may not immediately be there. But we do not judge.

6. These suggestions are intended to enable the fellowship as a whole to learn how successful groups have improved their retention rates. • To encourage all groups to examine at their conscience meetings ways in which their own newcomers could have a better chance of achieving recovery. • The collective experience of the Fellowship informs us of many examples of best practice and those that follow below are by no means exhaustive or prescriptive, and not every approach will work in every situation. PI Conference| Mumbai| February 2019

7. From Helpline to Meeting

8. Welcoming the Newcomer • The newcomer should be welcomed in a non-judgmental manner, with warmth and understanding, respecting their anonymity. • A home groupwith members being aware that it is the responsibility of all of them to carry the AA message. • Group members ought to make themselves familiar with existing literature including “A Newcomer Asks”, “Hints and Suggestions for Twelfth Steppers” and Chapter Seven of the Big Book “Working with Others”. • The role of Greeter is important - Greeters provide a welcome to newcomers andvisitors and can explain the function of the group, the format of the meetingand point out that AA is a spiritual and not a religious organization. • The tea/coffee person often acts as a secondary Greeter, letting the Secretary know if there are any newcomers. Mid-meeting breaks or post-meeting refreshments are also identified as useful opportunities for one-to-one chats. This is where Twelfth Step work can begin. PI Conference| Mumbai| February 2019

9. Welcoming the Newcomer • The newcomer can be given a Starter Pack and/or a local meetings list. • A comprehensive stock of AA-approved literature ought to beavailable. • Group experience suggests that men should work with men and women with women as this helps protect newcomers. • Many groups offer temporary sponsorship. In other groups members offer their telephone numbers to newcomers • Members might offer to telephone the newcomer or meet upbetweenmeetings for a coffee, or to take them to other localmeetings. • Experience shows that keeping it simple works. Newcomers ought to be made welcome, identified but not embarrassed, overwhelmedorspotlighted: they may just want to blend in. Newcomers should not feel they are placed under any pressure to share at a meeting. PI Conference| Mumbai| February 2019

10. Welcoming the Newcomer • When newcomers are present, Step meetings often read Step One and Big Book Study Meetings focus on Chapter 5 or The Doctor’s Opinion or Chapter 3. • Many groups read Tradition Five before each meeting and invite newcomers to stay to talk to members over post-meeting refreshments. They might also be invited to help with the washing-up or clearing chairs, so that they can feel part of the group. • In some areas there are meetings specifically for newcomers. Some groups hold short “newcomers meetings”, concentrating on The Doctor’s Opinion and the first three Steps, before the main meeting starts. • Any similar examples of best practice that groups have found for working with newcomers could be communicated and discussed within the Fellowship PI Conference| Mumbai| February 2019

11. Newcomer Meeting • FORMAT OFA NEWCOMER MEETING • Many kind of formats have worked well. • They range from small, unplanned, informal discussions : with newcomers doing most of the talking • Large sessions, prearranged in a series with one continuing speaker giving prepared talks on specific AAsubjects. • Therefore, many Newcomer Meetings includeboth: • A brief talk by the Chairperson, for not more than twenty or thirty minutes in an hour meeting,and • Discussion by allpresent. Groups have found that newcomers’ chances of recovery are higher if they can actively take part in AA discussions as soon as possible – and that they also need someone with AA experience to tell them the essential facts about alcoholism and our program ofrecovery.

12. Newcomer Meeting • GENERAL OUTLINE FOR A CHAIRPERSON OF A NEW COMER MEETING • Many experienced chairpersons of Newcomer meetings say that their opening remarks generally cover • thesepoints: • Welcome toNewcomer • Assurance that newcomers’ anonymity will berespected. • Explanation that everything the chairperson or any other member says is only the individual’s opinion, that no one can speak on behalf of the AA • Brief sharing of the chairperson’s own experience, including in condensed form the usual elements of an AAtalk: • Identification as analcoholic (not necessarily events while drinking, butfeelings), • How the He/Shecame toAA, • Experience - Recovery • Information about other localmeetings. • Recommendation of the AA message in print –AA books, pamphlets, or theGrapevine. PI Conference| Mumbai| February 2019

13. Newcomer Meeting • SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR NEWCOMER MEETINGS What is AA Preamble of Alcoholics Anonymous Three Legacies of Alcoholics Anonymous How to stay away from one drink one day at atime Alcoholism, the Disease How It Works: The Twelve Steps Suggested as a Program ofRecovery PI Conference| Mumbai| February 2019

14. From First Meeting to Further Meetings

15. From First Meeting to Further Meetings • Attraction Not Promotion • Share before and after stories • If it works for us, it just might work for you- No hard sell • Honest, Humble and with utmost humility • Reiterate the preamble – Understand each other, No dues, Fully anonymous and safe

16. From First Meeting to Further Meetings Attraction not Promotion… • Members: • Make your recovery attractive by practicing the 12 steps program in all your affairs. • Be humble and grateful. • You are not doing anybody any favor by passing on the message. • You are just practicing your program. • Groups: • Groups become attractive by practicing unity through 12 traditions • Stick to the primary purpose of carrying the message to the still suffering the alcoholic. • Stick to preamble and just cary the message with out trying to hard sell.

17. From First Meeting to Further Meetings • Make Them Feel Welcome • Make them feel welcome and part of a new family • Don’t oversell spirituality – just touch upon it and lay the tools in front of them. GOD, As you understand him. • Demonstrate how different strata of society are here but all have the same disease • There are no levels of alcoholism • You are safe and anonymous here

18. From First Meeting to Further Meetings • Explain the ethos of ESH • How an alcoholic alone can understand another alcoholic. • How there is so much of experience and wisdom here that together, it just might work. • How the program is about life and not just alcohol. • How if it worked for us, it might just work for him – there is HOPE.

19. From First Meeting to Further Meetings • First things First • Do not bombard with books, pamphlets, sponsor and stepwork • Show how small a time and effort commitment this is as compared to alcohol. • Impress upon how small an effort this is for a life of miraculous and profound transformations • The most important thing at that moment is – THE NEXT MEETING • Share some phone numbers • Know where he lives • Help in pointing, locating and may be helping him get to the next meeting • Leave them Hanging • You will see more as you work along with us, just come to the next meeting

20. Reasons of Skipping • A survey (anonymous) revealed that the following are top reasons of dropouts • Didn’t understand how talking about it will help me – 60% • I am not such an alcoholic as these people • I am more alcoholic than these people • I have other things to do • These meetings are boring • I don’t feel welcome • I am not religious • Too much work • People will know that I am an alcoholic

21. Members ready to take care of Newcomers • Group level • In every group, please identify volunteers, sufficiently senior in recovery time and step work, to help newcomers • Demonstration of group politics, …., should be discouraged. This can put off anyone! • LOVE, COMPASSION & SERVICE • Love the still suffering alcoholic. • Remember the time when you came.

22. Maintaining Sobriety • The twenty-four hour (or one-minute, if necessary)plan. • The HALT reminder – never getting too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, orTired. • What to Avoid • Bad Company • Pubs/Bars • Old Drinking Friends/ Neighborhood • Handling Social Occasions • Keep it Simple • Sticking close to your sponsor – and discussing personal problems with him orher. • Postponing thedrink. • Going to lots of AAmeetings. • Keeping pockets stuffed with AA readingmatter. • Prayer – in whatever form the new member prefersit. • Changing routines – especially at drinking hours – to break up the old habitpatterns. • Spending time with other members individually – either in person or on the telephone(and especially during old drinkinghours). • Starting work on the Twelve Steps, to fight such threats to sobriety as resentments, self-pity, and the tendency to dwell on the past or thefuture. PI Conference| Mumbai| February 2019

23. Questions Please!