meeting and do not state that they are an alcoholic or have a desire to stop drinking? I’ve asked people to leave . I’ve also kept quiet and let them stay. You as an individual and your group in good conscience have to decide what to do in these situations. I have decided it is best to let these folks stay. I do not know the true desires of a person’s heart. If we are willing to let someone who is drunk (as long as they aren’t disruptive) into a meeting, why not let the unsure and uncertain individual who may just be overwhelmed or too intimidated to “state the nature of their problem” stay for an hour and listen to our message of recovery. If they don’t relate, they won’t return. As to the addict who thinks being an alcoholic is beneath him— if he listens with an open mind he may discover that he is indeed one of us. Why cast him out only moments after we have recited the Serenity Prayer.
Of course inappropriate court referrals, van loads from the treatment center, and nursing students with notebooks are genuinely out of place at closed meetings. Our Cooperation with the Professional Community committee is where the solution rests for this problem. Does your group have an active CPC representative?
When I recently re-read Tradition Three I was struck by it’s description of early AAs triumph over fear . I hope you can re-read it soon!
