The Foundation Meeting is designed to provide a very clear and direct description of the disease of alcoholism and the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. We generally touch on the history of AA and the fact that the first 100 men and women wrote the book “to show other alcoholics precisely how” they recovered.” Then we drive home the disease concept that Dr. Silkworth lays out in The Doctor’s Opinion. The idea is that an alcoholic must know what alcoholism is if he is to concede to his innermost self that he is alcoholic. Everyone leaves the meeting with a full understanding of the physical allergy triggering the phenomenon of craving and the mental obsession driving us back to that first drink time and time again. We learn how restlessness, irritability and discontentment don’t always make us want to take that first drink, but how they can put us in a position where we have to take that first drink. We discuss the spiritual malady and the program of action laid out in the steps that allows us to access a higher power and recover from alcoholism. Most importantly we come straight out of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous and get people reading.

These meetings are a great benefit to newcomers because they provide vital information that allows them to make a choice, perhaps for the first time in their lives. A couple of weeks ago a new member of our fellowship came out of the Foundation Meeting absolutely glowing and said, “Finally…it makes sense!” But these meetings don’t just benefit newcomers. They are an opportunity for us all to learn how to carry the message, give a first step talk, brush up on our twelfth step skills, etc.

If you are new to AA or our group and have not attended this meeting, we encourage you to do so. It is a great introduction to what Alcoholics Anonymous and our group is all about; freedom from alcoholism through the application and practice of our Twelve Steps as they were given us!