CHAIRPERSON RESPONSIBILITIES
The Tempe Bloopers Group
Chairing an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting involves more than just reading the format. The chairperson is responsible for leading the meeting, upholding the group conscience decisions and the 12 Traditions of AA.
The following are some guidelines for the chairperson:
  1. If you are unable to temporarily chair your meeting, it is your responsibility to find an alternate. Make sure your delegate has a copy of these notes and understands their responsibilities.
  2. Open doors 30 minutes prior to meeting time.
  3. Delegate or act as the greeter to welcome people arriving.  Make a point of welcoming newcomers and find someone with some sober time to sit with them and make the feel welcomed.
  4. Have coffee made and ready (use 3 Pots for 10AM on Sunday).
  5. Ensure that the meeting area is clean before the meeting, straighten and wipe down the bathroom if needed
  6. Follow the approved format in the binder for the type of meeting you are chairing. Before the meeting starts find 2 readers and, if it's an open sharing meeting, someone to share. Also ask someone to lead the newcomers' table, (see below).
    1. Ask two people to read. One of them will read How it Works and the second will read another approved opener, laminated in the binder, such as:
      1. The 12 Traditions
      2. More about alcoholism
      3. The Ninth step promises
    2. Ask someone with 90 days or more of continuous sobriety to share for a maximum of 10 minutes their experience, strength and hope.
      1. If anyone in the meeting is celebrating an AA birthday (one or more years) then the Bloopers tradition is that the celebrant shares instead of your volunteer speaker. If there are multiple birthdays, then ask them to split the 10 minutes.
      2. Keep an eye on the time. If they are running long then it is your responsibility to encourage them to wrap up their sharing portion.
      3. If the lead is veering off the topic of alcoholism and recovery then steer them back. Do not allow them to ramble about outside issues.
      4. After their share, ask the speaker to pick a topic for the open discussion.
      5. The newcomers' table focuses on steps 1,2 & 3 regardless of the group topic.
  7. The chairperson and the lead speaker set the tone for the meeting. Carry the message, not the mess.