BEFORE THE MEETING: put up sign outside the door, set up chairs, distribute readings.

We welcome you to the Progress, Not Perfection Meeting of Debtors Anonymous. We hope you will find in this fellowship the help and friendship we have been privileged to enjoy. My name is

                                   , a recovering debtor, and I will be your secretary tonight.

May we have a moment of silence followed by the Serenity Prayer? God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Preamble

Debtors Anonymous offers hope for people whose use of unsecured debt causes problems and suffering. We come to learn that compulsive debting is a spiritual problem with a spiritual solution, and we find relief by working the D.A. recovery program based on the Twelve-Step principles. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop incurring unsecured debt. Even if members are not in debt, they are welcome in D.A. Our Fellowship is supported solely through contributions made by members; there are no dues or fees. Debtors Anonymous is not affiliated with any financial, legal, political, or religious entities, and we avoid controversy by not discussing outside issues. By sharing our experience, strength, and hope, and by carrying the message to those who still suffer, we find joy, clarity, and serenity as we recover together.

DA has no dues or fees. We are self-supporting through our own contributions. I will pass a container during the meeting; please give as generously as you can. If you cannot contribute, please keep coming back. Our group’s monthly expenses include rent, prudent reserve, post office box, liability insurance, and contributions for our Intergroup Service Rep to attend the World Service Conference every year.

Announcements

     The door to the church must remain closed at all times; please knock gently on the window and someone will let you in.

    Restroom facilities are located down the hall to the right, and please fold and stack the chairs against the wall after the meeting.

    Please turn off your electronic devices at this time.

    The group provides newcomer packets, and meeting and telephone lists. We offer DA literature at our cost. Please see our literature person after the         meeting. We encourage newcomers to purchase

literature in lieu of donating to the container.

    DA Intergroup meets on the first Tuesday of each month, at 7:15 pm at the First ChristianChurch. All DA members are welcome.

    Our business meeting is the third week of the month. Please attend, especially if you currently hold a Trusted Servant position for this meeting. (On         4th week, summarize key points of the business meeting held the week prior.)

    We celebrate DA birthdays on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Please come to celebrate your DA recovery!

    Are there any other DA or BDA announcements?

Readings

    Will someone please read the Twelve Steps?

    Will someone please read Traditions (1,2,3 on week one) (4,5,6 on week two) (7,8,9 on week three)(10,11,12 on week four)?

    These are the Tools of DA:

o Attend meetings.

o Maintain records of income and expenses.

o Find a sponsor and develop a working relationship with that person.

o Participate in Pressure Relief meetings.

o Develop a spending plan and follow it.

o Develop an action plan and do it.

o Use the telephone, e-mail, and other forms of communication to get support.

o Read D.A. and A.A. literature.

o Maintain awareness of advertising which offers easy credit as a solution to all of your problems.

o Attend business meetings.

o Participate in service to the DA program.

o Maintain the anonymity of the group.

    Will someone please read the 12 Signs of a Compulsive Debtor?

Introductions

Are there any newcomers here for their first, second or third meeting of DA? Please introduce yourself by your first name only. May we have a show of hands of all members who are willing to talk with newcomers after tonight’s meeting?

Weekly Topics

    Week One: Step Study--(Read from the DA Triple 12 book.) The tradition of this meeting is to read the step corresponding with month.                           Please  read one paragraph and pass to the next person; feel free directly to the next person if you prefer not to read.

    Week Two: Speaker--(Speaker shares until 6:30) Our Speaker tonight is                       , who will their experience, strength and hope in DA.

    Week Three: Literature Study--(Read story from “A Currency of Hope” and please note which story you read to track each   month.                             Reading continues until finished or 6:30.) Please read one paragraph and pass to the next person; feel free directly to the next person if you                     prefer not to read                                                                                                                                                                                                                            .

    Week Four: Birthdays--(Birthday person passes out chips, birthday people can share for 3 minutes when they receive their chip. Use timer.)               I  will turn the meeting over to                    , our birthday person, to celebrate this month’s DA birthdays.

    Week Five: Tradition Study—(Read the tradition corresponding with the current month; e.g. in January read Tradition 1)  Please read one                paragraph and pass to the next person; feel free directly to the next person if you prefer not to read.

Open Sharing Time

Before I open the meeting for sharing, I’d like to mention that there might be many people who wish to speak tonight. We ask that you limit your sharing to three minutes. Please speak with someone after the meeting if you need to share longer.                              has volunteered to be our timekeeper tonight. The timer will we set for two minutes, then again for one minute.

If we have newcomers, I will pause the sharing at 6:45 , so you can share if you haven’t already done so

(but you are welcome to share at any time), then regular sharing will continue until 6:55.

Will someone please read the Cross Talk statement?

Will someone please read the DA Focus?

The meeting is now open for sharing.

If it’s a speaker meeting, wait until after they finish to pass the 7th Tradition containers, otherwise do it now.

Newcomers

<AT 6:45> It’s now 6:45. Are there any newcomers who would like to share?

Burning Desire

The meeting is now open again for regular sharing, with a priority for people with a burning desire.

Closing

<AT 6:55> Thank you everyone for sharing. Will someone please read the Promises of DA?

<Pass out Closing Reading cards>

The opinions expressed here today are strictly those of the individuals who gave them. The things you have heard are spoken in confidence and should be treated as confidential. We do not take outside the meeting what we hear and who we see at the meeting. If you’ll try to absorb what you have heard, you are bound to gain a better understanding of the way to handle your problems.

Will all who wish to please stand, join hands, and join me in the Closing Reading.

AFTER THE MEETING: make sure all chairs are stacked against the walls, close any windows that were opened, check to make sure the bathroom windows are closed, turn off the AC/heat and the lights, make sure the door is locked.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES: either run the monthly business meeting or ask someone else to do it, take notes or have someone else do it (there are blank meeting notes in the binder.). Call and confirm the speaker one week before they are scheduled to speak.