Yes I have attended a closed meeting a couple of times.They were in a rehab clinic , some of the people were listening,but some were just there because they had to be there,counting there days to getting cut loose from the facility.As I always have said , you cannot bring an addict in out of the rain unless they want to come in. I truly like an open meeting,or a step study group .
-- Edited by cdbuckberry on Saturday 30th of January 2010 08:07:26 AM
An open meeting is for people who may just want to check out NA. Also an open meeting is where people do not need to identify themselves as an addict. Interested individuals such as students, medical people (anyone actually) who is interested in the program. MANY speaker meetings are open meetings
-- Edited by John_D on Saturday 30th of January 2010 10:21:00 AM
-- Edited by John_D on Saturday 30th of January 2010 10:25:38 AM
I went to a closed meeting and it was a joke. Everyone introduced themselves and identified themselves as addicts which is proper, except for a 50ish year old gent and his 20something son. The son identified himself as an "Ex-addict" and the father said he came because he wanted to know what to do about this "crack head" he had as a tennant. He went on to tell stories about her behavior. The home group members laughed along with him and said things like 'you aint' seen nothing yet" I couldn't believe it. The meeting was listed as a closed meeting and they announced that it was closed at the beginning but then immediately disregarded their own group conscience and laughed with a straight about a sick and suffering addict. I left the meeting and never went back. I see now that they no longer call it a closed meeting. Good, because obviously it never was.
I take what I need out of each meeting.I would expect group conscience and the chair of each meeting to stay on focus(e.g. anonyimity issues in open meetings,carrying the message with some form of reference to recovery or what the message is about(12th step work)in closed meetings and if not for me i;ll attend elsewhere.
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Our purpose is to remain clean,just for today,and to carry the message of recovery.
Yes I have attended a closed meeting a couple of times.They were in a rehab clinic , some of the people were listening,but some were just there because they had to be there,counting there days to getting cut loose from the facility.As I always have said , you cannot bring an addict in out of the rain unless they want to come in. I truly like an open meeting,or a step study group . 
