Attendence of an Aa Meeting in March 2008 free essay sample

A. share their stories, their problems with alcohol, what brought them there, and how their life has modified since attending A. A.. There was a bunch of tables and chairs set up in a room that could be described as a church recreation room. People were outside before and after the meeting smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee and talking. B. Number, gender, general age, and general disability status (if any) of group members. There were twelve people in attendance not counting me; there were three women and nine men. The age ranged from approximately 30 years old to approximately 70 years old. The attendants of this meeting are suffering or have suffered from alcohol dependence. C. Number, responsibility, and professional status of the group leader(s) Describe how co-leadership was handled if any occurred. There was one group leader (Bill) who led the meeting. D. Describe performance in each of the 7 steps of activity groups. Label each step on the format. If you didn’t see performance in some area, describe why not and whether that was appropriate. Indicate how your presence was handled by the leader to the group and whether there was other in attendance besides you, the leader(s) and the group members. . Introduction: The group leader(Bill) started by calling the meeting to order and offered period of silence. Then Bill introduced himself and welcomed everyone. He explained it was an open speaker meeting. He read the AA preamble which stated â€Å"the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking,† and that â€Å"AA has no dues or fees. † that AA is not affilated with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not endorse or opposes any causes and that the primary purpose of the group is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. . Activity: A section from AA The Big Book was read aloud, 3. Sharing: During this meeting four different people went up and told their stories about their experiences with alcohol, how they came to Alcoholics Anonymous and how their lives have changed as a result of going to Alcoholics Anonymous. Announcements from the leader and group members followed. Donations were collected, by passing a basket around the room. 4. Processing: The members simply listened to the others when they got up and told their stories. They didn’t make comments or judge they just witnessed it. . Generalizing: The leader expressed appreciation for donations, sharing and attendance. 6. Application: The leader asked them to keep the AA Serenity Prayer in mind when they are tempted to drink. 7. Summary: The group joined hands and recited The AA Serenity prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. The meeting lasted about an hour. E. Describe interaction patterns observed between members and leade rs including shifts. Was interaction leader centered or client centered? The energy of the whole meeting was one of non-judgement. It was simply listening and witnessing what people were wanted to share. Their thoughts and feelings about drinking or what their lives were like when they did drink. What compelled them to drink and how they overcame the urge to. They didn’t interrupt each other when they were speaking. When they did want to speak they stood up and started telling their stories. There was no limit to the time that they spoke. More socializing followed the meeting. People were hugging or patting each other on the back. Members were talking about what had been said in the meeting and some were talking about their work or kids things, not necessarily associated with alcoholism. F. In-depth consideration of leadership style used: analyze style, style effectiveness, and group response to that style. Identify and label the specific style used. The leadership style was facilitative. After asking it was found that the leader is in fact voted into that role (about every 6 months or so) making it democratic. The leader openly discussed the purpose and the goals of the group and allowed them to share their feelings toward these ideas. In turn, the group shared with each other and displayed co-hesiveness and caring towards one another. G. Roles that were assumed within the group and how they affected the group process. Describe roles of both the leaders and the members. Label them and discuss maintenance, task, and individual roles. H. Describe the norms that the members established for the group process. They knew to stand up or raise their hand if they wanted to speak. The members knew not to talk over one another and remained silent until the member was finished sharing their story and/or feelings. They knew to pass the basket and that they did not have to donate. They knew to join hands at the end of the meeting and they all knew the Serenity Prayer by memory. They drank coffee and smoked before and after the meeting, that seemed pretty much like a routine. I. Types of non-verbal communication observed and the general effect on group process. The group smiled at each other. Sometimes they nodded their heads when a member was telling a story. The all joined hands to say the Serenity Prayer. After the meeting some members patted each other on the back or hugged. The overall feel of the group was one of acceptance, understanding, caring and cohesiveness. J. How did your presence affect the group? If there were other observers, what was the effect on the group? I was the only observer and the leader let the others know why I was there, they were friendly and smiled at me when he told them and said â€Å"welcome†. K. Did this group meet its purpose? How would you change it to make it even more effective? Yes, I believe it met its purpose. I would maybe read more from the literature of the AA â€Å"Big Book† but the members seemed satisfied with the meeting afterwards.