Meeting Script
RA Meeting Script
and Readings
[LEADER BEGINS:]
Welcome to today's meeting of Rageaholics Anonymous. This is a closed meeting; open to all who identify as Rageaholics and any newcomers.
Please mute when you are not speaking. You can mute and unmute by
pressing *6 (Star, 6) on your phone, and on Zoom by clicking your mute button.
The meeting monitor may lovingly mute you to avoid disruptions,
feedback or other background noise. You may need to leave the meeting and
rejoin if you have been muted and find you cannot unmute yourself.
Please respect Zoom meetings as you would respect an in-person, face-to-face meeting. Please be mindful of your behaviors while your video camera is on. We request you turn off your video camera if you’re walking, driving, eating, smoking, chewing tobacco, vaping, texting, multitasking - or if you’re in a distracting or chaotic setting. Please understand that the meeting moderator may turn off a participant’s video if their behavior becomes distracting.
My name is_________________, I am a rageaholic.
Thank you for coming. May we have a moment of silence,
followed by the Serenity Prayer:
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things
I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference."
Rageaholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who
share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that
they may solve their common problem and help other rageaholics
to recover from acting out in compulsive and destructive anger.
The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop raging.
There are no dues or fees for RA membership; we are self-supporting
through our own contributions. RA is not allied with any sect,
denomination, politics, organization, or institution; does not
wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor
opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay abstinent
from rage and help other rageaholics to achieve abstinence.
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[LEADER CONTINUES:]
Would somebody please read THE TWELVE STEPS?
THE TWELVE STEPS
Adapted from the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 59 and 60.
1. We admitted we were powerless over rage-that our lives
had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves
could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives
over to the care of God as we understood God.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another
human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became
willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible,
except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and
when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious
contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge
of God's will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps,
we tried to carry this message to rageaholics, and
to practice these principles in all our affairs.
[LEADER CONTINUES:]
Thank you, (reader's name) for reading.
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[LEADER CONTINUES:]
Would somebody please read OUR COURSE?
OUR COURSE
Adapted from pages 66 and 67 of "Alcoholics Anonymous"
It is plain that a life which includes deep resentment leads only to
futility and unhappiness. To the precise extent that we permit these,
do we squander the hours that might have been worthwhile.
But with the rageaholic, whose hope is the maintenance and growth
of a spiritual experience, this business of resentment is infinitely grave.
We found that it is fatal. For when harboring such feelings
we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit. The insanity of
rage returns and we act out again. With us, to act out is to die.
If we were to live, we had to be free of anger.
The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the
dubious luxury of normal men, but for rageaholics these things are poison.
We began to see that the world and its people really dominated us.
In that state, the wrong-doing of others, fancied or real,
had power to actually kill. How could we escape? We saw that these
resentments must be mastered, but how? We could not wish them
away any more than we could our destructive anger.
This was our course: We realized that the people who wronged us were
perhaps spiritually sick. Though we did not like their symptoms and
the way these disturbed us, they, like ourselves, were sick too.
We asked God to help us show them the same tolerance, pity, and patience
that we would cheerfully grant a sick friend. When a person offended
we said to ourselves, "This is a sick person. How can I be helpful to them?
God save me from being angry. Thy will be done."
We avoid retaliation or argument. We wouldn't treat sick people that
way. If we do, we destroy our chance of being helpful. We cannot be
helpful to all people, but at least God will show us how to take a
kindly and tolerant view of each and every one.
Putting out of our minds the wrongs others had done, we resolutely
looked for our own mistakes. Where had we been selfish, dishonest,
self-seeking, and frightened? Though a situation had not been entirely
our fault, we tried to disregard the other person involved entirely.
Where were we to blame? The inventory was ours, not the other person's.
When we saw our faults we listed them. We placed them before us in
black and white. We admitted our wrongs honestly and were willing to
set these matters straight.
(End of Reading)
[LEADER CONTINUES:]
Thank you, (reader's name) for reading.
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[LEADER CONTINUES:]
Would somebody please read the ABSTINENCE STATEMENT?
ABSTINENCE STATEMENT in Rageaholics Anonymous
Our primary purpose is to abstain from the behavior of rage, and
to help other rageaholics achieve abstinence. Abstinence may
differ among RA members depending on how individuals choose
to define their bottom line behaviors. Bottom line behaviors
are characterized by anger that is compulsive and harmful in nature,
and which leads to pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization.
Some rageaholics may engage in behaviors from which other rageaholics
find they must abstain; in RA, we leave the choice up to the individual.
"Progress rather than perfection" is the atmosphere for
growth that we seek to promote.
It is the hope of RA to provide the rageaholic with a new experience
toward dealing with anger that is both non-compulsive and
non-destructive. Such an approach is possible to all
who earnestly desire it.
(End of Reading)
[LEADER CONTINUES:]
Thank you, (reader's name) for reading.
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[LEADER CONTINUES:]
Now is the time we welcome newcomers. A newcomer is described
as anyone attending his or her first Rageaholics Anonymous meeting,
or this particular meeting for the first time.
We have set aside time for newcomers to share at the end of the meeting.
If you are a newcomer, you are welcome to introduce yourself
at this time by your first name. This is not to embarrass you,
but so that we may get to know you better.
Are there any newcomers in attendance who wish to identify
themselves at this time?
[PAUSE TO LET NEWCOMERS, IF ANY, INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.]
[LEADER CONTINUES:]
Welcome, name(s) -- We are glad you are here! If you are available to stay after the meeting, we would be happy to continue to talk and answer any questions you may have. Many of us have found fellowship to be an important part of our
recovery. We hope you will join us!
[SKIP BELOW IF THERE ARE NEWCOMERS:]
Since there are no Newcomers,
(continue to next line)
[LEADER CONTINUES:]
We will now go around the globe and introduce ourselves, stating
our first name and our disease.
[MEMBERS INTRODUCE THEMSELVES]
[LEADER CONTINUES:]
Thank You All
Would someone like to be the timer?
Thank you, (timer's name.)
Please keep your sharing to___minutes or less. (Host and members choose duration)
The timer will sound after___minutes, leaving 1 minute to wrap up.
When sharing, please acknowledge (timer's name)
when (s)he says 1 min by saying Thank
You and please say Thank You again when (s)he says Time.
In sharing, members may discuss their individual rage behaviors, as
well as the length and nature of their abstinence. In the spirit of
love and respect, this meeting asks that during sharing, members not
engage in cross-talk.
Specifically, we refrain from questioning or commenting while another person is sharing.
We also avoid referring critically or judgmentally to anyone else's share. We steer clear of charged or triggering statements as well as acting out our anger in the group. It is possible to unintentionally trigger other members by giving graphic stories about rage behaviors. This includes the use of profanity and derogatory terms This includes the use of profanity and derogatory terms in regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religion and politics. Instead, we attempt to express the feelings beneath our rage in an effort to seek awareness, objectivity, and the willingness to surrender our disease. If you feel triggered by what someone has said, please message the meeting host and ask them to reread this statement.
We will now have open sharing until 20 minutes before the end of the hour.
At that time, newcomers may share, if they care to, followed by
burning desires if time allows.
At 15 minutes before end of our hour, sharing will
conclude for Fellowship Announcements.
Who would like to begin sharing?
[MEMBERS SHARE]
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[AT ABOUT 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE END OF THE HOUR]
[LEADER CONTINUES:]
That's all the time we have for sharing.
It is now time for Fellowship Announcements.
RA's 7th tradition states, "Every RA Group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions."
Donations pay for our Zoom account, website, and literature.
Contributions can be made through CashApp, Zelle, Paypal, and check.
The instructions for donating are posted on our 7th Tradition page, at https://www.rageaholicsanonymous.org/7th-tradition
It is suggested that each group hold a business meeting for 15 minutes once per month.
[Leader makes any other announcements they may have]
Are there any other fellowship announcements for the good of the group?
[Leader allows other fellowship announcements]
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[AFTER ANNOUNCEMENTS:]
[LEADER CONTINUES:]
In closing, we would like to say that the opinions expressed here
were those of the person who gave them. Take what you like and leave
the rest. The things you heard were spoken in confidence and should
be treated as confidential. So remember: Who you see here, when you
leave here, let it stay here.
[GROUP:] Here, here!
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[LEADER CONTINUES:]
A few words to those of you who have not been with us long, whatever
your problems, there are those among us who have had them too.
If you can keep an open mind, you will come to realize
that there is no situation too difficult to be overcome
and no unhappiness too great to be lessened. Talk to each other.
Reason things out. But let there be no gossip or criticism.
Instead, let the understanding, peace, and love
of the program grow in you one day at a time.
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[LEADER CONTINUES:]
Would somebody please read GAINING IN HUMILITY?
GAINING IN HUMILITY
Adapted from pages 47 and 48 of the "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" of Alcoholics Anonymous
We thought "conditions" incited our anger, and when we tried
to correct these conditions and found that we couldn't to
our entire satisfaction, our anger went out of hand and we
became rageaholics. It never occurred to us that we needed to
change ourselves to meet conditions, whatever they were.
But in RA we slowly learned that something had to be done about
our vengeful resentments, self-pity, and unwarranted pride.
We had to see that every time we played the big shot, we turned
people against us. We had to see that when we harbored grudges
and planned revenge for such defeats, we were really beating
ourselves with the club of anger we had intended to use on others.
We learned that if we were seriously disturbed, our first need was to
quiet that disturbance, regardless of who or what we thought caused it.
To see how erratic emotions victimized us often took a long time.
We could perceive them quickly in others, but only slowly in ourselves.
First of all, we had to admit that we had many of these defects, even
though such disclosures were painful and humiliating. Where other
people were concerned, we had to drop the word "blame" from our
speech and thought.
This required great willingness even to begin. But once
over the first two or three high hurdles, the course began to look
easier. For we started to get perspective on ourselves, which is
another way of saying that we were gaining in humility.
(End of Reading)
[LEADER CONTINUES:]
Thank you, (reader's name) for reading.
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[LEADER CONTINUES:]
Would somebody please read the promises in regard to working the ninth step?
THE NINTH STEP PROMISES
From pages 83 and 84 of The Big Book, "Alcoholics Anonymous"
1. If we are painstaking about this phase of our development,
we will be amazed before we are half way through.
2. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
3. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
4. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.
5. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see
how our experience can benefit others.
6. That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
7. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain
interest in our fellows.
8. Self-seeking will slip away.
9. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
10. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us.
11. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which
used to baffle us.
12. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us
what we could not do for ourselves.
Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.
(End of Reading)
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[LEADER CONTINUES:]
Thank you [Reader's name] for reading.
Bill Wilson wrote: "When brimming with gratitude, one's
heart must surely result in outgoing love, the finest emotion
that we can ever know."
It is tradition to end this meeting by acknowledging our gratitude.
Someone begin and continuing around the call, all who care to are
invited to share one thing they feel grateful for in their lives today.
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[AFTER GROUP SHARES]
[LEADER CONTINUES:]
Keeping in our thoughts the rageaholic who still suffers, on and off of
this call, will all who care to figuratively stand and join hands, as we
recite the We version of the Serenity Prayer, after a moment of silence?
"God, grant US the serenity to accept the things
WE cannot change, the courage to change the things WE can,
and the Wisdom to know the difference.
Thank You for a great meeting.
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12/8/19 Based on rageaholicsanonynous.NET home page, ver 17.04, 4 October 2019 "harmonized"