What this tells me there are no rules. That we have a common bond and we get together and share are experience strength, and hope to help each other. One of the keys for myself was I only had to have a desire to stop drinking no one told I had to stop or I could not attend a closed meeting. Again no rules. Then the big one, our purpose is to stay sober help others to achieve sobriety. Basically what this is saying its people helping people that has been to hell and back to the only chronic disease I know where recovery is possible.

If the student is ready the teachers will appear.The wisdom and experience
of others to help me stay sober.We are not alone...............

Thanks for putting that up there....... now i feel right at home......

I completely agree with this and my desire to stop is so high for all the reasons I have previously stated.

Can someone please, if they have time, let me know what the words are that are said at the end? I know it is about 'working it' but when I asked at a meeting I was told I would just pick it up over time.

Kate, In simple terms its people helping people that have the same problems, that was so freely given to them. We have a saying..

I Am Responsible---

When anyone, anywhere reaches out for help, I want the hand of AA to be there. And for that I am responsible..

As Gette said, putting that up there makes me feel right at home!

Hey Kate maybe what you are referring to is what is done at some meetings like: 'It works if you work it' some go further 'It works if you work it so work it you're worth it' This is nothing to do with AA as such and has really come out of treatment and therapy groups where everyone is encouraged to 'bond' with other members of the group. Personally, it's one of my pet hates because after a while everyone chants it and no one listens to what it is actually saying!

Just as an aside, to address the main post - not all AA meetings begin with what has become known as the AA preamble, the meetings that I go to, use the first paragraph of the Foreword to the 1st edition of the Big Book. There is a feeling that the preamble gets things a little back to front because it looks as though our primary purpose is (first) to stay sober and (2nd) to help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. The reality is that we stay sober BY helping other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. It subtly reinforces the selfishness that we suffer from, by putting ourselves before others.

Just a point of view of course but...

That is an interesting point Serenity. At my home group we use the preamble but we are all united in the opinion that our primary purpose is to carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers. I know most alcoholics in my area, when asked what their primary purpose is will say "to stay sober." This is from the way they interpret the preamble. It would seem logical at first until you learn more.

Backing up carrying the message - Step 12 work - is Tradition Five which states "Each Alcoholics Anonymous group ought to be a spiritual entity having but one primary purpose - that of carrying its message to the alcoholic who still suffers."

Oh yes and I know that "work it you're worth it" mantra - I was introduced to that when in rehab. We were a mixture of alcoholics and addicts. While I was there we were all taken to both AA and NA meetings and I am not 100% sure, but it seems to come from NA, at least the few NA meetings I attended. In my area, NA like to stick to shares about using etc so I was asked to say I was an addict instead of saying I was an alcoholic in an NA meeting. Likewise dual addicted members of AA are encouraged to share only about alcohol in an AA meeting and introduce themselves as alcoholics. Most people adhere to this.

What Serenity states is what the meeting I go to say at the end, ie. 'It works if you work it' etc etc. It sounds weird but as everyone says it, and I dont know it, it makes me feel 'left out'. So silly I know,

This week I am going to go to another meeting as well as I now feel the time is right to venture out.

Just a comment to what serenity was saying about the preamble not being said at all meetings that might be true around the world. But in the US we have over 35,000 meetings here and from my understanding they are all started like that. The reason I'm making this comment is to let the newcomer know to keep the primary purpose in the fore front.

Just for information - I do know that the Primary Purpose groups in the US (and around the world) do not use the Preamble in their meetings. They use the first paragraph of the Foreward to the First Edition.

Hey Katebear, that's part of the reason that I hate it! It makes people feel exluded. I have been in some 12 step fellowship meetings where a com plete stranger thinks it is acceptable to grab my hand, or put his arm around my shoulder, I can just accept it is as it is today, but when I first got sober, I didn't want anyone that close to me.
I just want to say right here right now that if that happens at all and you feel uncomfortable about it, ya don't have ta do it! That's a message to everyone!

I love A.A.