Newcomers

"The most important person that walks into a group of Alcoholics Anonymous, is the newcomer, without him we will surely die as an individual and as a whole. If we try to organize him, he will flee; after all, his life is already unmanageable."

I have been in Alcoholics Anonymous for 39 years. From the beginning, I was told that the newcomer was the most important person in the room. I fashioned Love Addicts Anonymous after my home program AA. Since then, my primary purpose has been to protect the newcomers from others who are less concerned about them. In all 12-Step programs there is a lot of dissension. We have our share in LAA. But, in all honesty, everything I do is to make newcomers feel welcome and safe. If I do something someone does not like, please contact me personally rather than other people in the program. Gossip is a poor form of communication. I can be reached at susanpeabody@gmail.com