Clean Air Group Wisconsin

Types of AA Meetings

As Bill Sees It: As Bill Sees It is a collection of essays and reflections from AA’s founder, Bill W., about the organization and its purpose. The book is often referenced in AA meetings to encourage members to individually and collectively discuss their recovery.

Big Book: In Texas, the Big Book has a prominent place in AA meetings. Clients are inspired to overcome their alcohol use disorder by reading about the lives of real people who did the same.

Closed: In Texas, closed AA meetings are only available to members of AA or people seeking help for alcohol addiction. General members of the public cannot attend. The discussions are informal and typically focus on one specific aspect of addiction recovery.

Discussion: AA discussion meetings in Texas allow all members to participate and share their thoughts on a given subject. The subjects pertain to alcoholism and recovery and usually tie into an AA text, such as As Bill Sees It or AA Grapevine. Leaders will share first, explaining their reflections on the topic and any related experiences.

Non-Smoking: AA groups may be non-smoking, meaning that members are not allowed to use tobacco products or vape during the meeting or on the facility’s grounds. These rules may be set by the group, the venue hosting the meeting, or local ordinances.

Open: In Texas, open AA meetings allow anyone from the community to attend and learn more about how AA operates, what the 12 step recovery model includes, and how they can support a friend or loved one in their alcohol addiction recovery. These meetings are available to alcoholics and nonalcoholics alike.

Step Meeting: In Texas, AA chapters include step meetings in their programs. In the meetings, clients read from AA literature, discuss how the passages match up with their experience, and suggest ways on how to improve their recovery.