Zoom Meeting Late Show Format (Updated 06/04/24)
[start of meeting]
Good Evening and welcome to The Late Show, the regular _______ night 10pm online meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.
My name is . I am an alcoholic and your secretary. We also have [name of cohost] helping as a co-host tonight.
[allow co-host to introduce themselves]
The hosts will be responsible for unmuting during the meeting.
Let us open the meeting with a moment of silence followed by the serenity prayer:
God, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people 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 AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. AA 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 to help other alcoholics achieve sobriety.
[host or co-host should post the following line into the chat]
Meeting readings and links can be accessed at https://www.lateshowonline.com/
Can we have a volunteer to read ‘How it Works’ from chapter 5 of the AA Big Book?
Can we have a volunteer to read the tradition of the month?
[write reader names down for end of meeting]
If there is anyone who is attending their first, second or third AA meeting since their last drink, or is in their first 30 days of sobriety, we ask that you introduce yourself by your first name only so that we can welcome you. If you wish, also identify how many days you have been sober. Please raise your hand in the participant’s view and wait for a host to unmute you.
● Are there any newcomers?
[write names down for end of meeting]
● Is there anyone attending this meeting for their first time?
[write names down for end of meeting]
● Is anyone celebrating an AA birthday today or in the past week?
[write names down for end of meeting]
[first Tuesday of the month introduce birthday chip person otherwise read this announcement]
The Late Show celebrates sobriety birthdays on the first Tuesday of the month. We are currently mailing out birthday chips. In the week before birthday night, the birthday chip person will announce this in the chat. Please refer to the chat for those announcements!
Now is the time for the literature announcement.
[unmute literature person, they will announce the following]
Welcome newcomers! If you have 30 days or less, and live in the East Bay, the Late Show would like to give you a Big Book and/or a copy of Living Sober. FOR FREE. To make arrangements, PM me in the chat and I will put you in contact with our literature buyer!
We also now have a sponsorship and fellowship phone list, please message me if you want your name added or you’d like a copy!
[Literature Person Should Post the following info in the chat]
The East Bay AA bookstore is open.
STORE HOURS:
Monday 5pm-8pm
Wednesday 11am-2pm
Saturday 11am-3pm
LOCATION:
Rockridge Fellowship – 3989 Howe St., Oakland CA 94611 (at the side entrance)
ONLINE: Literature can also be found free online in PDF and audio formats here: https://www.aa.org/pages/en_US/read-the-big-book-and-twelve-steps-and-twelve-traditions
[end of literature announcement]
Are there any brief AA related announcements? Please use the Raise Hand feature in the Participants window and wait to be called upon. Please share extensive details in the chat.
[call on raised hands who have announcements to share]
Our business meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month after the regular 10pm meeting. Everyone is invited to participate. We request all members with service commitments, and those looking for service commitments please attend.
If you think you have a problem with alcohol, YOU’RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE!
[Introduce the speaker, who will speak until about 10:30]
[After the speaker finishes, continue with the script and format below]
While the speaker thinks of a topic, we will observe the 7th tradition, which states that we are self-supporting through our own contributions. Our seventh tradition can be accessed through the link at lateshowonline.com. When donating via PayPal, please select the “Friends & Family” option in order to avoid fees.
If you need attendance verification, please see the link at lateshowonline.com and fill out the form to automatically receive an email of attendance confirmation. Please contact the secretary directly with any questions or concerns.
The Late Show discourages cross talk during the meeting. The Late Show defines cross talk as one AA member directly addressing another member during the sharing part of an AA meeting and offering advice. So that everyone has a chance to speak, limit your shares to less than 2 minutes. A timer will be used to ensure members don’t exceed this allotment of time. Thank you for your cooperation. Please raise your hand in the participant’s view and wait for a host to unmute you.
[At 10:50, ask if there are any newcomers who would like to share]
[At 10:54, read the following]
This is the time of the meeting we reserve for people who feel at risk of drinking or using tonight. Would anybody like to share?
[At about 10:57, close the meeting as follows]
That’s all the time we have for sharing. If you didn’t get a chance to share, the meeting room will remain open for at least 15 minutes after we close. Stick around to fellowship and exchange information.
At this meeting we read a definition of a sponsor before we ask about sponsorship. A sponsor is a sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous who has made some progress in the recovery program and has a working knowledge of the 12 steps. A sponsor shares their experience on a continuous individual basis with another alcoholic who is attempting to get sober and maintain sobriety. People sponsor as a vital part of their own recovery program, which includes finding some power greater than themself, cleaning house, which we call working the steps, and helping other alcoholics.
● Is anyone willing to be a sponsor? Check the chat for those willing to sponsor and privately message people for their numbers or emails.
● Thank you to the readers: [read list of readers]
● Welcome to the newcomers and first timers: [read list of newcomers and first timers]
● Congratulations to the birthdays: [read list of birthdays]
● Thank you ____________ for co-hosting.
● Thank you ____________ for literature.
● Thank you ____________ for speaking.
In closing, can I have a volunteer to read the promises?
Close with prayer of the speaker’s choice.
[end of meeting]