Newcommer Information

Letter to Anyone New to A.A.

Dear Friend,

Thank you for your interest in Alcoholics Anonymous. Below are A.A. pamphlets that explain our recovery program and give a general idea of how A.A. works. You will see that the first and most important step in our program is admission by the alcoholic that he or she is powerless over alcohol, and that life has become unmanageable. It is often helpful for the alcoholic to talk with an A.A. member, because it may make it easier to understand the nature of the illness, and to accept A.A. help. Alcoholics Anonymous is a program of a new way of life without alcohol, a program that is working successfully for millions of men and women throughout the world, and in all walks of life. The experience of A.A. members is that alcoholism is a progressive illness that cannot be cured, but which, like some other illnesses, can be arrested—by staying away from the first drink, one day at a time. We would encourage you to get in touch with the nearest A.A. Central Office or Intergroup to get further information on Alcoholics Anonymous, speak to an A.A. member or find local A.A. meetings. Many of these offices have web sites and email.

A.A. members, as volunteers, are happy to offer help by sharing their experience, strength and hope in staying sober. One of the ways members stay sober is by helping other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

Best wishes, General Service Office

Is A.A. For You?
44 Questions
A Newcomer Asks
A Message To Teenagers
Is There an Alcoholic in Your Life?
Information on Alcoholics Anonymous

You may find these pamplets in their entirity at the Alcoholics Anonymous offical website at: www.aa.org
To find the pamphlet you wish to read just enter the name of the pamphlet in the search bar and click enter.

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The A.A. Preamble: Background Information

Service Material from the General Service Office

THE PREAMBLE was introduced in the June 1947 issue of the AA Grapevine magazine. It was written by the then-editor, who borrowed much of the phrasing from the Foreword to the original edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous.

In those early years, the Grapevine had just begun to circulate among nonalcoholics, and the Preamble was intended primarily to describe for them what AA is and is not. It is still often used for public information purposes. As time passed, it began appearing in all Conference-approved publications, and many AA groups now use it to open meetings.

The original version differed in two ways from the familiar form we all know: 1) It stated that “the only requirement for membership is an honest desire to stop drinking,” and 2) it contained only the very brief statement “AA has no dues or fees.”

People often ask why the word “honest” was deleted. At the 1958 General Service Conference, a delegate asked about the words “honest desire to stop drinking,” suggesting that since “honest” does not appear in the Third Tradition, it might be deleted from the Preamble. In discussion, most Conference members felt that as AA had matured, it had become almost impossible to determine what constitutes an honest desire to stop drinking, and also that some who might be interested in the program could be confused by the phrase. Thus, as part of the evolution of AA, the phrase had been dropped from common usage. The midsummer 1958 meeting of the General Service Board of Trustees ratified the deletion, and since then the Preamble has read simply “a desire to stop drinking.”

At the same time, the phrase “AA has no dues or fees” was clarified to read as it presently does: “There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.” The current version of the Preamble appears on page one of every issue of the Grapevine. When reprinted, the Preamble should carry the following credit line: Copyright © by The AA Grapevine, Inc.

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AA PREAMBLE©

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women 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 help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

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If you believe that you may have a problem with alcohol, please take time to attend one of the many AA meetings that are held each week. On this Web Site you will find a “When and Where” page that will help you locate a meeting near you. If you still have any questions to where, when, and what type you should attend please call us at the numbers below, or E-mail us with your questions, and we will help to suggest a meeting that fits you and your length of sobriety.

Remember no question is a dumb one, this may be the first day to a new way of life for you.

Let us help you find your way into the program of Alcoholics Anonymous call 413-532-2111 or e-mail with any questions you may have at intergro4@aol.com
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A NEWCOMER ASKS

This is A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature

This leaflet is intended for people approaching Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) for the first time. In it we have tried to answer the questions most frequently in the minds of newcomers—the questions which were in our minds when we first approached the Fellowship.

Am I an alcoholic?
If you repeatedly drink more than you intend or want to, if you get into trouble, or if you have memory lapses when you drink, you may be an alcoholic. Only you can decide. No one in A.A. will tell you whether you are or not.

What can I do if I am worried about my drinking?
Seek help. Alcoholics Anonymous can help.

What is Alcoholics Anonymous?
We are a Fellowship of men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking and have found ourselves in various kinds of trouble as a result of drinking. We attempt—most of us successfully—to create a satisfying way of life without alcohol. For this we find we need the help and support of other alcoholics in A.A

IS A.A. FOR YOU?
Only you can decide whether you want to give A.A. a try —
whether you think it can help you.

We who are in A.A. came because we finally gave up trying to control our drinking. We still hated to admit that we could never drink safely. Then we heard from other A.A. members that we were sick. (We thought so for years!) We found out that many people suffered from the same feelings of guilt and loneliness and hopelessness that we did. We found out that we had these feelings because we had the disease of alcoholism.

We decided to try and face up to what alcohol had done to us. Here are some of the questions we tried to answer honestly. If we answered YES to four or more questions, we were in deep trouble with our drinking. See how you do. Remember, there is no disgrace in facing up to the fact that you have a problem
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