How to Open as a Guest Speaker at an AA Meeting

An AA speech introduction is simple but meaningful.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was founded in 1935 to help people who suffer from alcohol addiction. AA consists of an effective 12-step program developed to maintain long-term alcohol abstinence. Part of the program involves weekly meetings. AA meetings include guest speakers who have been sober for long periods of time, and have compelling stories that detail what their addiction was like, what it caused and what it took for them to reach sobriety. The first thing an AA guest speaker does before his speech is introduce himself. This introduction enables other AA members to identify with the guest speaker.

Instructions

1. Introduce yourself by saying "Hello, my name is (your first and last name) and I am an alcoholic." The first step in AA is to recognize that you have a problem with alcohol; therefore, every guest speaker starts with this phrase. This introduction also causes your listeners to identify with you because everyone shares alcoholism as a common ground.

2. Share the amount of time you have been sober. For instance, you can say, "Hello my name is John Doe and I am an alcoholic. Today I am happy to say that I've been sober for (number of years you've been clean)."

3. Begin your speech. Alcoholics Anonymous guest speakers play an important role in helping others AA members to remain sober. The way you share your story is up to you; however, you should aim for a speech that has a friendly and sincere undertone, and injects hope.

References

• Big Books Sponsorship: The History of Alcoholics Anonymous Beginners Classes: A Speech by Wally P.
• Free-College-Essays: Alcoholics Anonymous
• Jane Genova, Speechwriter-Ghostwriter; Alcoholics Anonymous - The Best Show on Earth Speakers; April 2005
• Alcoholics Anonymous: Frequently Asked Questions About A.A.'s History
• AA-Meetings: AA Quotes and Slogans