1. Promises Meeting This is similar to a steps meeting, perhaps with the 12 promises often read at meetings (Before we are half-way through...) on a sign or banner on the discussing one each week, how it has or hasn't come true in our lives. I attended one of these in DesPlaines, Illinois. 2. Living Sober Reading and discussing a chapter each week. As there are 31 chapters, the the one corresponding with the day of the month can be discussed so those attending can know what the topic would be if they chose to attend, a method that has been used for many years in Tokyo. 3. Discussion Meeting The format I liked most was one they use in Perth, Western Australia. Several meetings there have a small slate on which the chairman writes three topics suggested by those present, and those present can talk about one, two or all three of them. I have felt hesitant to name a single topic, feeling like I would be dominating the meeting in doing so, but I had no problems in naming one of three, and there always seemed to be at least one I really wanted to talk about. 4. Study Guide Meeting I attended one in Melbourne several times, actually an NA meeting, in which they read part of the Step Study Guide in order and then we discussed as of the questions that followed as we had time for. I went for about four consecutive times and we were on Step 4 the whole time. If we have a whole lifetime to do the steps, why do we have to do one a week, always with the same readings, with some of them not really saying how to do the step, as with 12 Steps and 12 Traditions? |