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Big Book $15, 12&12, medallions, etc. contact 613-633-3462

Big Book – Bridge the gap – AA 12 questions – Other AA District – Zoom meeting format

Big Book (This is the Fourth Edition of the Big Book, the basic text for Alcoholics Anonymous.)

https://www.aa.org/pages/en_US/alcoholics-anonymous

Bridge the gap “Part of Bridging the Gap between a treatment program and A.A. is the Temporary Contact Program, which is designed to help the alcoholic in an alcoholism treatment program make that transition. As you know, one of the more “slippery” places in the journey to sobriety is between the door of the facility and the nearest A.A. group or meeting. Some of us can tell you that, even though we heard of A.A. in treatment, we were too fearful to go. A.A. experience suggests that attending meetings regularly is critical. In order to bridge the gap, A.A. members have volunteered to be temporary contacts and introduce newcomers to Alcoholics Anonymous. AA.org”
Contact for Renfrew-Pontiac area: Email me

AA 12 questions
Is A.A. For You? Twelve questions only you can answer
Copyright © 1973 by A.A. World Services, Inc.
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Only you can decide whether you want to give A.A.a try — whether you think it can help you.
We who are in A.A. came because we finally gave up trying to control our drinking. We still hated to admit that we could never drink safely. Then we heard from other A.A. members that we were sick. (We thought so for years!) We found out that many people suffered from the same feelings of guilt and loneliness and hopelessness that we did. We found out that we had these feelings because we had the disease of alcoholism.
We decided to try and face up to what alcohol had done to us. Here are some of the questions we tried to answer honestly. If we answered YES to four or more questions, we were in deep trouble with our drinking. See how you do. Remember, there is no disgrace in facing up to the fact that you have a problem.
Answer YES or NO to the following questions.
1. Have you ever decided to stop drinking for a week or so, but only lasted for a couple of days?
Most of us in A.A. made all kinds of promises to ourselves and to our families. We could not keep them. Then we came to A.A. A.A. said: “Just try not to drink today.” (If you do not drink today, you cannot get drunk today.)
Yes No
2. Do you wish people would mind their own business about your drinking– stop telling you what to do?
In A.A. we do not tell anyone to do anything. We just talk about our own drinking, the trouble we got into, and how we stopped. We will be glad to help you, if you want us to.
Yes No
3. Have you ever switched from one kind of drink to another in the hope that this would keep you from getting drunk?
We tried all kinds of ways. We made our drinks weak. Or just drank beer. Or we did not drink cocktails. Or only drank on weekends. You name it, we tried it. But if we drank anything with alcohol in it, we usually got drunk eventually.
Yes No
4. Have you had to have an eye-opener upon awakening during the past year?
Do you need a drink to get started, or to stop shaking? This is a pretty sure sign that you are not drinking “socially.”
Yes No
5. Do you envy people who can drink without getting into trouble?
At one time or another, most of us have wondered why we were not like most people, who really can take it or leave it.
Yes No
6. Have you had problems connected with drinking during the past year?
Be honest! Doctors say that if you have a problem with alcohol and keep on drinking, it will get worse — never better. Eventually, you will die, or end up in an institution for the rest of your life. The only hope is to stop drinking.
Yes No
7. Has your drinking caused trouble at home?
Before we came into A.A., most of us said that it was the people or problems at home that made us drink. We could not see that our drinking just made everything worse. It never solved problems anywhere or anytime.
Yes No
8. Do you ever try to get “extra” drinks at a party because you do not get enough?
Most of us used to have a “few” before we started out if we thought it was going to be that kind of party. And if drinks were not served fast enough, we would go some place else to get more.
Yes No
9. Do you tell yourself you can stop drinking any time you want to, even though you keep getting drunk when you don’t mean to?
Many of us kidded ourselves into thinking that we drank because we wanted to. After we came into A.A., we found out that once we started to drink, we couldn’t stop.
Yes No
10. Have you missed days of work or school because of drinking?
Many of us admit now that we “called in sick” lots of times when the truth was that we were hung-over or on a drunk.
Yes No
11. Do you have “blackouts”?
A “blackout” is when we have been drinking hours or days which we cannot remember. When we came to A.A., we found out that this is a pretty sure sign of alcoholic drinking.
Yes No
12. Have you ever felt that your life would be better if you did not drink?
Many of us started to drink because drinking made life seem better, at least for a while. By the time we got into A.A., we felt trapped. We were drinking to live and living to drink. We were sick and tired of being sick and tired.
Yes No
Results

Did you answer YES four or more times? If so, you are probably in trouble with alcohol. Why do we say this? Because thousands of people in A.A. have said so for many years. They found out the truth about themselves — the hard way. But again, only you can decide whether you think A.A. is for you. Try to keep an open mind on the subject. If the answer is YES, we will be glad to show you how we stopped drinking ourselves. Just call. A.A. does not promise to solve your life’s problems. But we can show you how we are learning to live without drinking “one day at a time.” We stay away from that “first drink.” If there is no first one, there cannot be a tenth one. And when we got rid of alcohol, we found that life became much more manageable.
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ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS© is a fellowship of men and women 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 A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.
• A.A. 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.
Copyright © by The A.A. Grapevine, Inc.; reprinted with permission

Other AA meetings…

Pembroke and area…https://pembrokeaa.org/meetings/

Killaloe, Barry’s Bay area…http://aamadawaskavalley.org/meetings/

Sample Zoom meeting format
Start Zoom meeting ahead of schedule timing. Ask via chat or voice for AA readers. Have preamble, How it works, 12 steps, Daily reflection,12 traditions open on task bar.
Host: At schedule time, mute all. Read: May I have a moment of silence followed by the serenity prayer. To prevent feedback, I will read the serenity prayer. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference.”
Host: Share screen and read AA preamble.
Host: Share screen for AA How it works. ___________unmute yourself and please read AA How it works.
Host: Share screen for AA 12 steps, ______________unmute yourself and please read the AA 12 steps. then share screen to finish reading how it works.
Host: Share screen for AA daily reflection. ______________unmute yourself and please read the Daily reflection. This will be our topic for discussion.
Host: Read: This is a closed discussion meeting. Our main topic is from the Daily Reflection an/or share from your heart. Please raise your hand (virtually or physically) if you wish to share. Sharing will be done in order of hand raised.
Host: Unmute first person that raised his/her hand. ___________(name), you may now share.
Host: Unmute 2nd person that raised his/her hand……and so on.
Host: Screen up Desire chip. Does anyone have a simple desire to quit drinking and wish a desire chip? Raise your hand. One month? 2 month? 3, 6, 9.
Host: Any announcement? Please raise your hand.
Host: Thanks for coming. Stay as long as you wish after we say the Lord’s prayer. _______Would you recite the Lord’s prayer.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen