Why is my AA group struggling to survive?

Whether your meeting is already in the meeting schedule book or not, if the group is struggling to stay self-supporting through its own contributions, this article shares helpful tips on what you can do to correct the problem.

Many A.A. members come to us asking for help with low attendance at their meeting. Usually the thought is that by getting the meeting listed in the A.A. Meeting Schedule or by promoting it through the monthly newsletter, etc… attendance will increase allowing for rent to get paid, coffee purchased and maybe even some extra money left over for donuts.

This is the great misconception!

The primary issue isn’t a lack of promotion. The issue is the strength of the group itself. Believe it or not, there are many meetings that would not only survive if they were taken out of the meeting schedule, but would continue to flourish.

To illustrate, here’s a common scenario – A friend just saw a new movie and tells you how great it is while you have never even heard of the film. This is called “word of mouth” and will be a natural result of putting out a great flick. Now, you really want to go see it and maybe even keep an eye out for the commercial!

On the other hand, if your friend tells you the movie is horrible, no matter how good the commercials may look, you’re likely not to go see it. After all, who wants to see a disappointing movie?

Why is this? Because you trust your friends opinion. Fact: According to Nielsen , 92% of people believe recommendations from friends and family over all other forms of advertising.

Yes, word of mouth is a powerful way to influence the outcome (and make millions of dollars at the box office!). The same holds true for an A.A. meeting. The big question is, how do you create an experience worthy of being passed from person-to-person? The answer is to make your meeting stronger!

Here are some helpful tips and suggestions on how to strengthen your A.A. meeting:

A.A. Group Inventory

Many groups periodically hold a “group inventory meeting” to evaluate how well they are fulfilling their primary purpose: to help alcoholics recover through A.A.’s suggested Twelve Steps of recovery.

Some groups take inventory by examining our Twelve Traditions, one at a time, to determine how well they are living up to these principles.

The following questions, compiled from A.A. shared experience, may be useful in arriving at an informed group conscience. Groups will probably wish to add questions of their own:

1. What is the basic purpose of our group?
2. What more can our group do to carry the message?
3. Is our group attracting alcoholics from different backgrounds? Are we seeing a good cross-section of our community, including those with special needs?
4. Do new members stick with us, or does the turnover seem excessive? If so, why? What can we as a group do to retain members?
5. Do we emphasize the importance of sponsorship? How effectively? How can we do it better?
6. Are we careful to preserve the anonymity of our group members and other A.A.s outside the meeting rooms? Do we also leave what they share at meetings behind?
7. Does our group emphasize to all members the value of keeping up with the kitchen, set-up, clean-up and other housekeeping chores that are essential for our Twelfth Step efforts?
8. Are all members given the opportunity to speak at meetings and to participate in other group activities?
9. Mindful that holding office is a great responsibility not to be viewed as the outcome of a popularity contest, are we choosing our officers with care?
10. Are we doing all we can to provide an attractive and accessible meeting place?
11. Does our group do its fair share toward participating in the purpose of A.A.—as it relates to our Three Legacies of Recovery, Unity, and Service?
12. What has our group done lately to bring the A.A. message to the attention of professionals in the community—the physicians, clergy, court officials, educators, and others who are often the first to see alcoholics in need of help?
13. How is our group fulfilling its responsibility to the Seventh Tradition?

If all of the above is in order, another point to consider is if there is already a similar group meeting in your area at or near the same time.

To recap, if your meeting is struggling to survive it’s usually for one or a combination of the following two reasons. The group is not fulfilling its primary purpose or there’s already a stronger meeting in your area at or near the same time.

The solution is to hold a group conscience meeting with the goal of making your meeting stronger. Or, if you’ve tried everything you can, consider closing your meeting and supporting a stronger group.

Don’t just survive, make your meeting strong so you can fulfill the group’s primary purpose of helping the sick and suffering alcoholic! For additional tips, contact the office Monday through Friday 9-5 at (216) 241-7387.