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. "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."
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.
These suggestions result from recommendations made at the General Service Conferences in 2011 and 2015 in relation to dealing with newcomers arriving at their first AA meeting, some of whom may have had no previous contact with an AA member or a formal 12th Step call, and encourage them to “keep coming back”.
They are intended to enable the Fellowship as a whole to learn how successful groups have improved their retention rates, and to encourage all groups to examine at their conscience meetings ways in which their own newcomers could have a better chance of achieving recovery.
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 group with 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 and visitors and can explain the function of the group, the format of the meeting and 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 be available.
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 up between meetings for a coffee, or to take them to other local meetings.
Experience shows that keeping it simple works. Newcomers ought to be made welcome, identified but not embarrassed, overwhelmed or spotlighted: 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 OF A 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 AA subjects.
Therefore, many Newcomer Meetings include both:
A brief talk by the Chairperson, for not more than twenty or thirty minutes in an hour meeting, and
Discussion by all present.
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 of recovery.

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
these points:
Welcome to Newcomer
Assurance that newcomers’ anonymity will be respected.
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 AA talk:
Identification as an alcoholic (not necessarily events while drinking, but feelings),
How the He/She came to AA,
Experience - Recovery
Information about other local meetings.
Recommendation of the AA message in print –AA books, pamphlets, or the Grapevine.
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 a time
Alcoholism, the Disease
How It Works: The Twelve Steps Suggested as a Program of Recovery
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, or Tired.
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 or her.
Postponing the drink.
Going to lots of AA meetings.
Keeping pockets stuffed with AA reading matter.
Prayer – in whatever form the new member prefers it.
Changing routines – especially at drinking hours – to break up the old habit patterns.
Spending time with other members individually – either in person or on the telephone (and especially during old drinking hours).
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 the future.
PI Conference| Mumbai| February 2019

23. Questions Please!