Reviewed and Approved by Group Conscience as of July 12th 2025

DRAFT

1. GROUP: Refers to A New Spiritual Family Alcoholics Anonymous group.
2. TERM (Office Holding): A calendar year (January through December), unless otherwise specified.
3. QUARTERLY: The four divisions of the year: January–March, April–June, July–September, October–December.
4. POST/POSTED: Clearly and conspicuously displayed on the group bulletin board at the facility.
5. FACILITY: The location where the group holds its meetings, whether permanent or temporary.
6. PLURALITY: The number of votes cast for a candidate greater than any other candidate, but not more than half the total votes cast.
7. SC (Steering Committee): Comprises all members elected to service positions, past service members with at least half their service completed, and original group members.
8. GC (Group Conscience): The group conscience (business) meeting.

1. The official name of this fellowship, group, or organization shall be A New Spiritual Family, as designated by group conscience during its inaugural GC meeting on March 4, 2023.
2. Registered Group Number with General Service Office (GSO): 000478875

The purpose of A New Spiritual Family is to assist in carrying out the sole purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous, as defined by Tradition Five:

“Each group has but one primary purpose – to carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers.”

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength, and hope to solve their common problem and help others recover from alcoholism. Membership requires only a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees; we are self-supporting through contributions. A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution, and neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety.

1. The Twelve Traditions of A.A. shall be the guiding principles of the group (refer to attached Traditions).
2. Group guidelines shall be established by the whole of the membership through expression of group conscience at regular or special meetings.
3. Regular Group Conscience (GC) meetings shall be held on the first Saturday of each month, immediately following the regular meeting at 2:00 p.m. PST / 5:00 p.m. EST.
4. The Steering Committee (SC) shall meet as needed.
5. Special GC meetings must be called by the SC when necessary.
6. All GC and SC meetings will be conducted on the group Zoom platform unless otherwise noted. Proxy voting is not suggested but may be arranged prior to meetings. Voting will be by virtual hand raise.
7. Except where otherwise specified, actions require a simple majority of members present to be adopted.
8. Voting is reserved for home group members only. Visitors may contribute opinions.
9. The Disruptive Behavior Policy has been adopted and is available on the group’s Telegram thread and website.
10. A copy of this document and amendments will be available on our group Telegram thread and also on our website.

Position

Minimum    Continuous Sobriety Requirement

Term

Group Conscience Chair / Co-Chair

6 months

One year

Secretary / Assistant Secretary

6 months

One year

Treasurer / Assistant Treasurer

6 months

One year

Intergroup Representative (IGR) / Assistant IGR

6 months

Two years

Technology/Information Service

6 months

One year

• A member may not serve consecutive terms in the same position, with the sole exception of the Technology/Information Service position.
• All positions require election; lateral movement or automatic succession between service positions without an election is not permitted, unless otherwise indicated.
• Elected positions shall have access to the login and password information for the Zoom account and the group Yahoo email account.

• Presides over GC meetings and facilitates SC meetings.
• May delegate duties to Co-Chair.
• Appoints committees and serves on grievance committees.
• Acts as interim Assistant Treasurer if the Treasurer resigns.
• Has full access to all financial information.
• Eligibility: Minimum six months continuous sobriety.
• Term: One year

• Performs Chair duties in Chair’s absence or vacancy.
• Serves on grievance committees.
• Eligibility: Six months continuous sobriety.
• Term: One year

• Keeps accurate records of GC and SC meetings.
• Gives notice for group conscience meetings and agenda items.
• Posts meeting minutes on the group website.
• Manages group email communications.
• Assists with election procedures.
• Eligibility: Six months continuous sobriety.
• Term: One year

• Supports the Secretary and fills in as needed.
• Automatically assumes Secretary role if vacancy occurs.
• Eligibility: Six months continuous sobriety.
• Term: One year

• Custodian of group funds.
• Reviews and reports financial status to SC and GC.
• Presents expenses for approval.
• Oversees online contribution accounts (PayPal and Venmo) with Assistant Treasurer.
• Contributes monthly to OIAA and GSO as approved by the GC.
• Eligibility: Six months continuous sobriety.
• Term: One year

• Assists Treasurer and fills in as needed.
• Automatically assumes Treasurer role if vacancy occurs.
• Chair serves as interim Assistant Treasurer until filled.
• Eligibility: Six months continuous sobriety.
• Term: One year

• Maintains Zoom, Telegram, website, and email accounts.
• Supports technology needs of the group and members.
• Eligibility: Six months continuous sobriety.
• Term: One year

• Represents group at Online Intergroup of AA (OIAA) meetings.
• Communicates pertinent information to SC and GC.
• Ensures group information is listed on intergroup websites.
• Eligibility: Six months continuous sobriety.
• Term: Two years

• Supports IGR and fills in as needed.
• Automatically assumes IGR role if vacancy occurs.
• Eligibility: Six months continuous sobriety.
• Term: Two years

As the group does not conduct scheduled annual elections, in accordance with prior group conscience decisions, elected members shall continue in their positions until the end of their designated term, until they resign, or until they are otherwise unable to fulfill their responsibilities. In the event of a resignation or vacancy, an election to fill the vacant position shall be held at the next scheduled Group Conscience meeting. The newly elected member shall begin a new term, the length of which shall be determined by the guidelines for their specific position.

This statement taken directly from Alcoholics Anonymous pamphlet 16, “The AA Group..Where it All Begins” page 23

“Why have a steering committee:

Some groups have steering committees. At steering committee meetings, questions related to group practices, selecting a slate of candidates for office, and other group issues often are tackled first by the steering committee (or group service committee), which goes to the group for its members’ group- conscience decision. In many cases, the officers and/or past officers make up the committee, which usually meets at regularly scheduled times. For a small group, a steering committee composed of three to five members has been found to work well. For larger groups, 12 or more members provide a better cross-section of group experience and can share the workload more easily. In some groups, a rotating committee (with members rotated on and off periodically) serves the same purpose as a steering committee.”

The Steering Committee is to guide, in accordance with the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, the daily operations of the A New Spiritual Family group of Alcoholics Anonymous. The members of the Steering Committee are but trusted servants; they do not govern and are responsible to the A New Spiritual Family group.

The Steering Committee is composed of:

• All currently elected members holding the following service positions:
  • GC Chair
  • Co-GC Chair
  • Secretary
  • Assistant Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Assistant Treasurer
  • IGR
  • Assistant IGR
  • Technology Service Chair
• Previously elected members who:
  • Have completed at least six months of their term, and
  • Wish to continue serving on the Steering Committee
• Original group members, if they choose to participate

Additional guidelines:

• If a past elected member or original group member declined participation, they must be re-elected as a GC member to serve on the Steering Committee in the future.
• The Steering Committee may invite any other member whose participation is necessary to help make well-informed, effective decisions on specific topics.

The Steering Committee has two officers: a Chairperson and a Secretary. The Chairperson is normally the Group Conscience Chair, but can be anyone able to facilitate the meeting through to a solution. The Secretary is anyone in the meeting who can take minutes.

The Chairperson normally facilitates the Steering Committee meeting. The Chairperson will ask a Steering Committee member who is present at the meeting to be Secretary and take the minutes of the meeting.

1. The Steering Committee, also referred to as the “SC,” consists of all members who are elected to serve the purposes of A New Spiritual Family fellowship.
2. The SC members are those who have demonstrated interest in the purposes of A New Spiritual Family Alcoholics Anonymous group platform and its continued success.
3. As of June, 2025 SC members consist of 13 elected service members, previously elected service members, and original members.
4. Each SC member may serve continuously.
5. Any member of the Committee may resign by sending a resignation email or statement to the Chair or Secretary.
6. No SC member shall receive compensation other than reimbursement for approved expenses.
7. Each member of the Committee shall have one vote.
8. Per the Group Conscience, the Steering Committee may make decisions that do not oppose the bylaws or AA Traditions on behalf of A New Spiritual Family group. These decisions are only temporary in support of the continued smooth operation of AA meetings until a Group Conscience can come together.
9. A New Spiritual Family SC has adopted and passed specific procedures for addressing issues that arise within the group. These are presented as follows:

When a member wishes to bring an issue before the Steering Committee, or if a Steering Committee member wishes to raise an issue, the following procedure shall be followed:

• Submission of Issue:
  • An email must be sent to anewspiritualfamily@yahoo.com.
  • The email must come directly from the individual bringing forth the issue.
  • Steering Committee members may not submit issues on behalf of anonymous individuals.
  • Steering Committee members are encouraged to advise members to submit an email if they believe an issue poses a threat to the common welfare of the group.
• Notification of the Committee:
  • Upon receipt of the email, a Steering Committee member will post a summary of the issue in the ADMIN Telegram thread.
• Initial Consensus:
  • The Steering Committee will take a consensus within the Telegram thread to determine:
    • Whether the issue constitutes an immediate threat to the common welfare of the group.
    • Whether a Steering Committee meeting should be convened.
• Steering Committee Meeting Procedure:
  • If a SC meeting is deemed necessary, it shall be scheduled at a time convenient for the majority of members, preferably within 24 hours.
• Quorum Requirements:
  • A quorum is required to conduct business or vote on any issue during a SC meeting.
  • A quorum shall be defined as one-half (50%) of the total SC membership.
  • No vote may be taken, nor decision finalized, without a quorum present.
  • This requirement exists to prevent disunity caused by decisions made by too few committee members.
• Voting Procedure:
  • Decisions of the SC shall be made by a majority vote of the members present at the meeting.
  • Proxy voting is not permitted, as it does not allow members to fully participate in the discussion and deliberation prior to voting.
• Non-Emergency Issues:
  • If it is determined that the issue does not pose an immediate threat to the group’s welfare, the Committee may:
    • Schedule a SC meeting at a later date to address the matter, or
    • Add the issue to the agenda for the next regularly scheduled GC meeting, or
    • If appropriate, the issue may be resolved by common consent within the Telegram thread.

1. A group conscience meeting is where members come together to discuss and make decisions about matters that affect the group as a whole. Its purpose is to ensure that the group's actions and policies reflect the collective conscience and well-being of members. The group is also informed of any recommendations, decisions, and updates made by the Steering Committee (SC). Other information included is the Treasurer’s report, safety and scheduling updates, and best practices related to meeting hosts, chairs, and safety team members.
2. Group Conscience (GC) meetings are held on the first Saturday of each month to vote on issues that impact A New Spiritual Family as a whole.
3. Members may propose topics for discussion and vote at the GC by sending an email to: anewspiritualfamily@yahoo.com.
   • Motions must be submitted at least one week prior to the next scheduled GC to allow time for SC review, if needed.

1. The Secretary will post the agenda and meeting date/time to A New Spiritual Family-related Telegram thread at least one week in advance, including a reminder to submit topics before the one-week deadline.
2. Robert’s Rules of Order will be followed for meeting procedures, along with AA Minority Opinion guidelines as outlined in the AA Service Manual.
3. GC meetings shall not have a predetermined time limit, as determined by group conscience vote.
4. Each participant may speak on each topic once and comments should be limited to two minutes.
5. Chat will remain open to “everyone and anyone directly” unless it becomes inappropriate or unsafe. 
6. The Chair will conduct the meeting and organize the agenda and topics for discussion.
7. Minutes from each Group Conscience meeting will be posted to the A New Spiritual Family service thread on Telegram.

Position

Minimum Continuous Sobriety Requirement

Host

60 days

Chair

60 days

Security

30 days

Screen Share (optional)

30 days

Chat Notes (optional)

30 days

Greeter (optional)

30 days

Host

• Open the Zoom meeting 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.
• Co-host the Chair and Security members.
• Determine if additional co-hosts are necessary.
• Mute the room at meeting start time, ensuring the “Allow Participants to Unmute Themselves” feature is disabled.
• Ensure chat is set to “host and co-hosts” 
• Continuously monitor for disruptive behavior and remove offenders.

Chair

• Arrive 15 minutes prior to meeting start time.
• Appoint readers, reminding them to read from an official AA book or app.
• Facilitate and lead the meeting by reading the script and calling on members in the order of their raised hands. 

Security

• Arrive 15 minutes prior to meeting start time.
• Continuously monitor for disruptive behavior and remove offenders as necessary.
• Post the 7th Tradition contribution link following the Traditions reading.
• Change participant display names upon request.
• Open the chat to “everyone and anyone directly” after the readings.
• Monitor chat for inappropriate messages, delete them, and, if necessary, temporarily set to “host and co-host” only to maintain order.
• Post the attendance verification link at 50 minutes past the hour.
• Post group website and Telegram information when appropriate.
• Stay for at least one full hour, notifying the Host if departure is necessary.

• Platform: Zoom
• Zoom ID: 884 4485 6216
• Password: None
• Time: 2:00 p.m. Pacific / 5:00 p.m. Eastern
• Schedule: Daily meetings, including weekends and holidays

• Daily Reflection / Topic Meeting: Daily
• Speaker Meeting: Saturdays only

While recognizing that there are no dues or fees in Alcoholics Anonymous, A New Spiritual Family acknowledges the importance of financial self-support in maintaining its services. This support is derived solely through voluntary contributions from its members, in alignment with:

Tradition 7:

“Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.”

• The Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer are responsible for maintaining all group donation and financial support accounts.
• The group utilizes two primary donation platforms: Venmo and PayPal.

3. Group Expenses and Prudent Reserve

Group Expenses
The group maintains a record of its recurring expenses to support ongoing operations and services. These include costs such as Zoom room subscriptions, email verification services, website hosting and maintenance, and AA literature and chips.

Current Yearly Group Expenses (as of June 25, 2025):

• $159 — Zoom Room Subscription
• $340 — Email Verification Services
• $480 — Website Hosting and Maintenance
• $50 — Literature (Books) and Chips

Note: At this time, the website hosting and maintenance costs are being personally covered by a group member as their voluntary contribution to the group. 

Prudent Reserve
The group shall maintain a prudent reserve for the cost of the Zoom room subscription, ensuring that the group can continue meeting virtually in the event of unforeseen financial challenges.

Prudent Reserve (as of June 25, 2025):

• $159 — Zoom Room Subscription

This prudent reserve amount may be reviewed and adjusted by group conscience at a scheduled business meeting as needed.

Each month, prior to the Group Conscience meeting:

• The Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer will make financial contributions to the General Service Office (GSO) and the Online Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous (OIAA).
• Receipts for these contributions will be reported to the group via the A New Spiritual Family Telegram thread.

In the event that this group of Alcoholics Anonymous ceases to function or discontinues its operations for any reason, the following procedures shall be observed:

1. Notification: A decision to dissolve the meeting shall be made by group conscience, with notice given to all active members in advance through the regular meeting channels and formats.
2. Disposition of Assets: Upon dissolution, any remaining funds or assets in the meeting’s possession shall be used to pay any outstanding obligations. After all debts and obligations have been satisfied, the remaining funds shall be promptly distributed to one or more Alcoholics Anonymous service entities, such as:
   • The General Service Office (GSO) of Alcoholics Anonymous
   • Online Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous (OIAA)
   • Other AA service structures as decided by group conscience

1. No part of the assets shall benefit any individual member.
2. All group accounts including Zoom, Venmo, Paypal and Yahoo email shall be closed or transferred as decided by group conscience. 
3. Records and Materials: Any confidential records, meeting materials, or archives shall be responsibly disposed of, or transferred to a designated AA service body as determined by group conscience, ensuring anonymity and privacy are maintained in accordance with AA’s Traditions.
4. Final Report: A brief summary of the dissolution decision, final distribution of assets, and any other pertinent details shall be prepared and made available to the members of the meeting.

This Article shall be interpreted in accordance with the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, with particular emphasis on Tradition Seven and Tradition Nine.

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon AA unity.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience.
3. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
4. The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking.
5. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or AA as a whole.
6. Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
7. An AA group ought never endorse, finance or lend the AA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
8. Every AA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
9. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
10. AA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
11. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the AA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
12. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films.
13. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

Adapted for AA Business Meetings

• A motion is made:
  • If it does not receive a second, it dies. After a second, debate is opened.
  • If a registered voter calls for the question, a second will be required, or debate resumes.
  • A Question must be called in turn.
  • If the Question is seconded, a 2/3 majority will end the debate, or debate resumes.
  • If the Question is not called, debate will go on until no one else wishes to share.
  • Once debate ends, a sense of the group will be taken by simple majority to vote or table.
• A motion is voted on:
  • If it involves expenditure of meeting funds, the treasurer will be asked to report.
  • It requires a 2/3 majority to pass.
  • The losing side will be asked if they wish to speak to their position.
  • The winning side will be asked if there is a motion to re-vote, which requires a second.
  • A simple majority is required to revote.
• A motion is reconsidered:
  • Full debate pro and con is resumed (please limit discussion to only new considerations).
  • The question may again be called, seconded, and requires a 2/3 majority to end debate.
  • A sense of the meeting may be taken by simple majority to vote or table.
  • If voted on, the motion must have a 2/3 majority to pass.
  • Debate has ended.
  • Debate on a tabled motion will be resumed under old business at the next business meeting, and the voting process will follow the same procedures.

These Concepts aim to record the “why” of our service structure in such a fashion that the highly valuable experience of the past, and the lessons we have drawn from that experience, can never be forgotten or lost.

(Spiritual Principles in Parenthesis)

1. Final responsibility and ultimate authority for A.A. world services should always reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship. (RESPONSIBILITY)
2. The General Service Conference of A.A. has become, for nearly every practical purpose, the active voice and the effective conscience of our whole society in its world affairs. (RELIANCE)
3. To ensure effective leadership, we should endow each element of A.A.—the Conference, the General Service Board and its service corporations, staff, committees, and executives—with a traditional “Right of Decision.” (TRUST)
4. At all responsible levels, we ought to maintain a traditional “Right of Participation,” allowing a voting representation in reasonable proportion to the responsibility that each must discharge. (PARTICIPATION)
5. We serve the group by having the courage to state a minority opinion when needed and we respect this right in others. (PETITION/APPEAL) (DEMOCRACY)
6. The Conference recognizes that the chief initiative and active responsibility in most world service matters should be exercised by the trustee members of the Conference acting as the General Service Board.(ACCOUNTABILITY)
7. The Charter and Bylaws of the General Service Board are legal instruments, empowering the trustees to manage and conduct world service affairs. The Conference Charter is not a legal document; it relies upon tradition and the A.A. purse for final effectiveness. (BALANCE)
8. The trustees are the principal planners and administrators of overall policy and finance. They have custodial oversight of the separately incorporated and constantly active services, exercising this through their ability to elect all the directors of these entities. (CONSISTENCY)
9. Good service leadership at all levels is indispensable for our future functioning and safety. Primary world service leadership, once exercised by the founders, must necessarily be assumed by the trustees. (VISION)
10. Every service responsibility should be matched by an equal service authority, with the scope of such authority well defined. (CLARITY)
11. The trustees should always have the best possible committees, corporate service directors, executives, staff, and consultants. Composition, qualifications, induction procedures, and rights and duties will always be matters of serious concern. (RESPECT)
12. The Conference shall observe the spirit of A.A. tradition, taking care that it never becomes the seat of perilous wealth or power; that sufficient operating funds and reserve be its prudent financial principle; that it place none of its members in a position of unqualified authority over others; that it reach all important decisions by discussion, vote, and whenever possible, substantial unanimity; that its actions never be personally punitive nor an incitement to public controversy; that it never perform acts of government; that, like the Society it serves, it will always remain democratic in thought and action. (SPIRITUALITY)

Participant behavior and how it is to be addressed during a meeting and in fellowship

This document describes inappropriate behaviors and what the consequences are when they occur. It’s intended for chairs, hosts, and co-hosts of the meeting to have clear guidelines about what behavior is unacceptable and what to do when lines are crossed. Disruptive behavior will be handled the same way whether in the chat or verbally; whether in the meeting or in fellowship.

The description of disruptive behavior and the consequences will apply equally to all participants.

This document and its prescribed actions are underscored by the need to prioritize the primary purpose of A New Spiritual Family:

Tradition Five
“Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.”

Specific examples:

• Disparaging remarks made intentionally against specific races or groups
• Use of racially offensive/sexist/homophobic/transphobic language
• Using the Zoom video or image features to display any violent or sexual content

Response from host or co-host:

• Remove the individual

Public response (from chair or co-host):
“We occasionally get participants who are here to disrupt our meeting. We work quickly to remove them.”

The meeting and fellowship are not spaces to threaten other people with physical violence or subject them to violent verbal outbursts. Similarly, sexual harassment will not be tolerated. Sexually themed messages will be considered sexual harassment.

Specific examples:

• “You all better watch out because I’m going to hurt you.”
• “I hope you [expletive] die you [expletive].”
• “Shut the [expletive] up you little [expletive].”
• “You should have just drank yourself to death.”
• Angry outbursts directed as a personal attack toward another member, whether profanity is used or not.
• Sexual harassing comments targeted at individuals: “I think you should stop [insert sexual act] so much.”
• Private message stating: “If I ever met you I would love to [insert sexual act] you.”
• Telling lewd jokes.
• Inappropriate and/or offensive personal remarks.

Response from host/co-host/chair:

1. Muted.
2. Give public response (or similar warning).
3. Removed if repeated despite warning and continual unmuting of themselves.
4. Placed on restriction depending on severity and a pattern of behavior despite warnings.

Members displaying visual disruptions (flipping off, “jerking off” motions, sticking tongue out, etc.) will have their video feed stopped and given a warning. They may be placed on restriction depending on severity and a pattern of behavior despite warnings.

Public response:
“We ask that all who participate share our commitment to a healthy place for recovery. We do not tolerate harassment of any kind.”

We are bound to have disagreements with each other. While civil disagreements usually don’t detract from our primary purpose, disagreements that involve aggression, arguing, swearing at each other, name-calling, insults, etc. are not appropriate in a group setting.

Conflicts between participants should be addressed outside of the meeting and fellowship time. Airing out personal grievances with another member or with the group as a whole during a meeting or in fellowship can detract from our primary purpose and cause harm to the group.

Response from host/co-host/chair:

1. Participants engaged in argument will be muted.
2. Participants will be warned that arguing at the group level is not appropriate.
3. Participants who are engaging in argument repeatedly and continually unmuting themselves will be removed.
4. Participants may be restricted depending on severity and a pattern of behavior despite warnings.

Public response:
“We do not tolerate arguing between members. Personal conflicts should be handled privately.”

Many of us have experienced sexual abuse and/or violence and it will come up as part of our stories. It’s always okay to talk about one’s experiences during shares and in fellowship, generally, but we also need to maintain a healthy place of recovery for those who have experienced these things and may be re-traumatized. Going into deep graphic sexual descriptions or deep graphic violent descriptions is not appropriate in a group setting.

Specific examples:

• Descriptions of sexual acts: “When I’m having sex I like to [insert sexual act].”
• “I’m only attracted to women with really big [insert body part].”
• “Me and my partner [insert sexual act] fifteen times a day.”
• Descriptions of graphic violence: “When I was stabbed the knife went six inches deep and when it was pulled out the wound was gaping and there was blood everywhere.”

Response from host/co-host/chair:

1. Gently interrupted, give public response (or similar warning).
2. Muted if description continues.
3. Removed if repeated despite warning and continued behavior.
4. Restricted if it becomes a pattern of behavior, despite warnings.

Public response:
“We aim to create a healthy space for recovery and therefore ask that you do not go into graphic sexual or violent descriptions.”

People need to feel free to come to meetings and share what they’re going through without the threat of being bullied, judged, or attacked. These things can be subjective at times, but keeping our primary purpose in mind will help.

Crosstalk that breaks traditions is also not appropriate. This includes political topics, medical advice giving, breaking anonymity, or potentially contentious issues.

Specific examples:

• “Hey ____ you really shouldn’t spank your child, you’re a bad parent if you spank your child.”
• “I was never into drugs like _____ , people who do drugs are degenerates.”
• “Yesterday (insert member’s name) was really rude to me and I’m not going to take it.”
• “This is the worst meeting I’ve ever been to. What a bunch of low-lifes. You all need to get your [expletive] together.”
• “The president of this country is absolutely ruining our lives.”

Response from host/co-host/chair:

1. Gently interrupted, give public response (or similar warning).
2. Muted if continued.
3. Removed if repeated despite repeated warning and continued behavior.
4. Placed on restriction depending on severity and a pattern of behavior despite warnings.

Public response:
“We ask that members don’t engage in negative crosstalk.”

Many of us struggle with depression and suicidal ideation. We want to let people share their experience, strength, and hope, but also want to protect those who may be on the edge. A New Spiritual Family is not an appropriate place to glorify, plan, or go into graphic detail about suicide and self-harm.

Specific examples:

• “I would have been a really beautiful corpse, I had it all planned out, I wore my wedding dress…”
• “First I took 18 aspirins and then I got out my gun and loaded it…”
• “I was lying on the floor and I couldn’t stop thinking about slitting my wrists and how the blood would look when it stained the carpet.”

Response from host/co-host/chair:

1. Gently interrupted and public response given (or similar warning).
2. If the person does not stop, muted and asked to speak with someone privately after the meeting.
3. Post suicide prevention resource in the chat.

Public response:
“We take self-harm very seriously. We do not want to promote suicidal ideation by giving graphic details. Please reach out to someone privately for more support and resources. We can also set up a breakout room for more help.”

POST:
To anyone thinking about self-harm, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline anywhere in North America. There is also a confidential online chat available to any country: https://988lifeline.org/chat/

A.A. is not a philanthropic or job-finding society. Asking others for money during a meeting or in fellowship can detract from our primary purpose. Members may feel pressured or uncomfortable. Some members may be taken advantage of.

Specific examples:

• Asking the group: “I really need $100, my venmo is __________.”
• Prompting personal business ventures: “Hey everyone, buy my crypto NFT.” or “Check out my sober art on my Etsy account.”

Response from host/co-host/chair:

1. Gently interrupted, give public response (or similar warning).
2. Muted if continued.
3. Placed on restriction depending on severity and a pattern of behavior despite warnings.

Public response:
“Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. This is not an appropriate space for self-promotion or to seek financial assistance.”

Note:
The steering committee may temporarily restrict members who repeatedly demonstrate disruptive behavior. The restriction may include meetings, fellowship, and Telegram. This action was granted by a vote at a group conscience meeting.

All members placed on temporary restriction will have the opportunity to be reinstated to full participation pending an informed group conscience vote held at the next regularly scheduled group conscience meeting. The group may also vote to continue the members' restrictions.