The Big Book doesn’t waste time. The first 164 pages are the meat—no fluff, no filler. It starts with Bill Wilson’s story: a hopeless drunk who hits rock bottom in a hospital bed and has a spiritual experience that changes everything. From there, it lays it out plain: Step 1—we’re powerless over alcohol, and our lives have become unmanageable. Then it walks us through the Steps, one by one.

 

We admit we’re defeated. We come to believe a Power greater than ourselves can restore us. We turn our will and lives over. We take a fearless moral inventory, share it with another person, ask God to remove our defects, make a list of people we’ve harmed, and make direct amends wherever possible. We pray and meditate, carry the message, and practice these principles in all our affairs. It’s a blueprint—tough love, no sugarcoating.

 

There are key chapters that hit hard: 'We Agnostics' speaks to anyone who struggles with God or religion—it says you don’t have to buy a specific faith; just be open to a higher power of your own understanding. 'Into Action' pushes us to stop making excuses and actually do the amends—no dodging, no half-measures. And 'Working With Others' reminds us that the best way to stay sober is to help the next suffering alcoholic—sponsorship isn’t optional; it’s how we keep our own sobriety.

 

That’s the program in a nutshell: raw, direct, and effective.

 

Now, when we bring this into our meetings, we keep it simple too. Anonymity is sacred—no names, no gossip. We focus on the Big Book, not personal drama. Share from the Steps, not just gripes. Rotate leadership so no one person runs the show. We reads a two or three paragraphs, then we discuss. Open with the our mission statement and close with the Lord’s Prayer. Listen—don’t fix. We are an informal gathering, like it originally started.  We allow crosstalk, double dipping, piggy backing, and questions and answers.  We will get a sponsor fast and sponsor others quickly. And above all: one day at a time, no broken promises.

​

This program works when we keep it simple. The first 164 pages aren’t about theory—they’re about action. If we live them, we get better. If we don’t, we don’t. That’s the deal. That's why we created this Group!