Script Updated 10-9-22
Announcements Updated 5-21-23
>>>> CHAIRPERSONS PLEASE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS <<<<
Chairpersons please arrive 5 minutes before your meeting starts and be prepared to moderate the post meeting space for 15 minutes.
· Review Guidelines for Chairpersons.
· Script to be read is in BOLD. Instructions are in ITALICS.
· Please become familiar with and use Q&A mode.
· MAWPM meetings use Q&A mode from after the opening Serenity Prayer to the closing Serenity Prayer at the end. Q&A is also used for the phone number exchange and the actual Q&A afterward.
· Remember to unmute yourself when it is your turn to speak as the chair.
Phone Commands
HOST COMMANDS:
Manage Q&A
*5 Mute
COMMANDS FOR EVERYONE:
*2 Caller Count
*3 Exit the call
*4 Instructions - hear the list of available keypad commands
*6 Self Mute (when not in Q&A mode)
Suggested Mtg Outline
· Start with Serenity Prayer.
· Put meeting into Q&A mode.
· Read the intro items (Greeting, Preamble, … ).
· Ask for volunteers to read one of the Twelves and later, The Promises or Our Awakening.
· Ask newcomers to join the queue if they would like to introduce themselves.
· Ask for participants to join the queue for sharing.
· After sharing, allow for claiming of seats.
· Hop out of Q&A for closing Serenity Prayer.
· Back in Q&A for phone number exchange, questions, additional timed shares.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hello everyone. My name is _____ and I’m powerless over marijuana. Welcome to this open meeting of the “Marijuana Anonymous World Phone Meetings”or MAWPM (mahw-pum) group. Our website, ma-phone.org, hosts three independent MA groups. We meet daily at 7 AM, 10 AM, Noon and 8 PM, and also Tuesday through Friday at 10 PM US Eastern time zone.
Serenity Prayer
Before the Serenity Prayer, we will take a moment of silence.
[Chair: Pause for 5 seconds.]
Thank you.
Make sure you are unmuted to participate. The Serenity Prayer starts with the word, God, and that’s the Higher Power of your own understanding.
We will do the call-and-response version, where I say a line and you repeat it.
God, grant me the serenity . . .
[Chair: pause]
To accept the things I cannot change . . .
[Chair: pause]
The courage to change the things I can, . . .
[Chair: pause]
And the wisdom to know the difference.
[Chair: pause]
These phone meetings are managed using Q&A mode. To participate in the meeting, join or remove yourself from the queue by pressing *6-1. When the system tells you, “You may now ask your question,” that means it’s time for you to speak.
I am now putting our call in Q&A mode.
[Chair: Put meeting into Q&A mode for the entire meeting until the closing Serenity Prayer by pressing *01.
Please be sure to mute when someone else is speaking and un-mute when you talk.]
I am Responsible.
Whenever anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help,
. . . I want the hand of Marijuana Anonymous to be there.
And for that: I am responsible.
Today I’ll ask twice for volunteers to be of service and read from our literature. First, would someone please enter the queue by pressing *6-1 to read the Twelve Steps? Later on during the meeting, I will ask for one volunteer to read “The Promises” or “Our Awakening”. These are available on the ma-phone.org website under Readings & Resources, Meeting Readings or on the MA app.
Marijuana Anonymous is a fellowship of people who share our experience, strength, and hope with each other that we may solve our common problem and help others to recover from marijuana addiction.
The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using marijuana. This is to adhere to the singleness of purpose concept, but many of us have found that the only way that we can keep our sobriety is to abstain from all mind and mood altering chemicals, including alcohol.
There are no dues or fees for membership. We are self-supporting through our own contributions. MA is not affiliated with any religious or secular institution or organization and has no opinion on any outside controversies or causes. Our primary purpose is to stay free of marijuana and to help the marijuana addict who still suffers achieve the same freedom. We can do this by practicing our suggested Twelve Steps of recovery and by being guided as a group by our Twelve Traditions.
[Required] I will now check for a volunteer to read.
[Chair: Press *02 to check for volunteers.]
Hi.
[Chair: MUTE YOUR PHONE WHILE THEY READ; UNMUTE WHEN THEY FINISH.]
Thank you ______ for your service.
[Chair: After reading, press *04 to mute the last caller.]
What happens at an MA meeting?
People discuss their problems with marijuana, what they did to recover, and what life is like now. We have found that, as a group, we can achieve for ourselves results which, as individuals, we failed repeatedly.
MARIJUANA ANONYMOUS uses the 12 Steps of Recovery founded by Alcoholics Anonymous, because it has been proven to work!
[Welcome Newcomers]
Before we begin sharing, we want to welcome any newcomers or anyone returning to MA. Please introduce yourself by first name; there will be time for sharing later. Whether you share today or stay to listen, we’re glad you’re here and hope you keep coming back.
Press *6-1 to join the queue.
[Chair: Pause for 5 seconds, then press *02 to check for newcomers and welcome them individually.]
[If no newcomers introduce themselves, skip ahead to "Meeting Focus".]
Please stay on the line after the meeting to ask questions, receive support, and learn about recovery resources. Please join us Wednesdays at noon and Thursdays at 8PM Eastern time for our newcomer meetings.
[Chair: If you, the chairperson, cannot stay after the meeting to greet newcomers, then ask for a volunteer with 90 days or more.]
-----------------------------------------------------
Meeting Focus
The focus of the meeting is the ”MA Promises”
Would a volunteer please join the queue by pressing *6-1, to read “The Promises” or “Our Awakening”?
Before we begin to explore the “Promises”, let’s first consider what is meant by the term “promises”. Generally speaking, promises give a person an assurance or right that a particular thing will happen.
Several words can be used to describe “Promises” including: Assurances, Possibilities and Rewards.
Throughout the Marijuana Anonymous basic text, “Life With Hope”, we can find references to several promises, rewards or gifts that we can receive as a result of working the MA 12 Step Program.
Those listening are invited to reflect on how these promises have been fulfilled in your own life as a result of working the 12 Step Program. I will now check the queue for someone to read “The Promises” or “Our Awakening”.
[Chair: Press *02 to check for volunteers.]
Hi, would you like to read “The Promises” or “Our Awakening”?
[Chair: MUTE YOUR PHONE WHILE THEY READ; UNMUTE WHEN THEY FINISH.]
Thank you ______ for your service.
[Chair: After reading, press *04 to mute the last caller.]
Meeting Norms
It is now time for sharing. We ask that you stay focused on the topic of recovery from marijuana addiction and share your own experience, strength, and hope by using “I” statements instead of speaking for the group or others by using "you, us, we or our". Please keep your share to 4 minutes and confirm my one minute notice. There’s no need to stop abruptly; just wind down your share.
To provide a safe environment, we do not use excessive profanity or engage in crosstalk, which we define as giving someone advice, mentioning their name, or referring to their share. You can speak to others and ask questions after the meeting. I will follow these guidelines as well. If these guidelines are crossed, any member may ask the chairperson to reread the crosstalk statements.
To share, press *6-1. The system will say, “You can now ask your question,” which means it’s your turn to share.
[Chair Commands for reference only:
*01 enter Q&A mode
*02 advance to next caller
*03 exit Q&A mode
*04 mute current caller]
Advance to next caller, *02,
“It’s your turn to share…”]
[Chair: time shares and when one minute left say:
“One minute”]
[Chair: repeat one minute if speaker does not acknowledge notice.]
-------
[Chair -- If needed:]
“Check your phone to see if you are muted.”
"Gentle time.”
[Pause to allow them to finish their thought]
“I’m going to advance the queue.”
---------
[Chair for ALL meetings: During long pauses in shares, chairperson or another person can read from “Life with Hope”, “Life with Hope Workbook” or MA pamphlets, preferably related to topic.
Note: Only excerpts are available on the MA website.
Check the Queue after every 2-3 paragraphs to see if anyone is ready to share]
[Chair: Throughout the meeting, continue to remind callers of the topics, “As a reminder, today’s topic is the MA Promises”
When there is nobody in the queue, there is no need to reiterate topics after each share as it takes away time for sharing.]
Closing (at about 53 minutes into the mtg)
That’s all the time we have for sharing during the meeting. The opinions expressed by individuals do not represent MA as a whole. What you’ve heard at the meeting is confidential and should go no further.
If you haven’t shared yet, it’s now time to claim your seat by pressing *6-1. This means announcing your first name and, if you’d like, your location and day count. This helps us all know that we are not alone in our recovery.
[Chair: press *02 to check the queue for seat-claimers.
Press *04 to mute last caller.]
Please stay on the line after we close to exchange phone numbers, ask questions, and join in fellowship.
Our 7th Tradition states that MA has no dues or fees. We are self-supporting through our own contributions. For information on how to contribute to MA World Services, please go to Meetings & Contacts, Tradition Seven on the ma-phone.org website.
Please give what you can and Keep Coming Back!
If you have an MA-related announcement press *6-1.
· Service is an important part of recovery. If you have 60 days of continuous sobriety and are interested in being a chairperson, these meetings, Eastern time, are available: Tuesday at 10pm and every other Tuesday at 8pm. Reach out to the Chairperson Coordinator, Rick, about these meetings or other opportunities. His contact info is on the ma-phone.org website under Meeting Scripts --> MAWPM Meeting Chair List.
[Chair: list of open meetings can be found here Chairpersons List]
· All members are invited to our monthly MAWPM Group Conscience Meeting at 1:10 PM on the second Sunday of each month. The next meeting is June 11. To submit an agenda item, e-mail agenda-mawpm@ma-phone.org.
· MAWPM needs an alternate delegate for the MA World Services Conference from May 26-29. This person would be a backup in case the other 2 delegates are unable to attend. If you have one year clean and sober and are willing to serve, email agenda-mawpm@ma-phone.org.
· Please help us find speakers with at least 9 months clean and sober for the Saturday Night Live 8PM Eastern meeting. Ask if anyone might be interested at other MA meetings, talk to your MA contacts, or volunteer to speak yourself. Those who are interested can text Jesse at 413-563-2159.
· There’s lots of exciting stuff happening in MA. Check out the announcements page on our website, ma-phone.org, under Readings & Resources, MAWPM Announcements.
I’ll check to see if there are additional announcements.
[Chair: Check the queue with *02.]
Thank you to everyone who provided service, those who shared, and those listening. [Optional: read names] Welcome again to the newcomer(s). We’re glad you’re here. Keep coming back! Connection is the opposite of addiction.
I will now take us out of Q&A mode and put us into mute all mode for the Serenity Prayer.
[Chair:
Press *03 to end Q&A,
[FYI: After pressing *5, the system will say one of these 3 things:
If it says “muted” or “unmuted”, press *5 again until it says “...THEY CAN UNMUTE THEMSELVES”.]
You will need to unmute yourself by pressing *6.
Let’s do the all-together “we” version, starting now...
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, EVERYONE! The meeting is concluded.
[Optional per 12/8/19 Group Conscience]
Keep coming back. It works!
[Chair: Allow time for everyone to thank you for the meeting.]
MEETING AFTER THE MEETING
I will put our call back in Q&A mode for phone number exchange.
[Chair: Press *01 to go back to Q&A.]
We have found telephone contact with other MA members between meetings to be supportive to maintain sobriety. We suggest that newcomers take down phone numbers from those who share and call the people you feel comfortable with. For those who do share, please be mindful that you are sharing in a public space. No one is required to give out their phone number. If an outreach call makes you feel uncomfortable, consider ending contact with that person and refer to the Safety Support page on our website where Safety Support Team contacts are listed. Inappropriate incidents are infrequent, but they have happened.
Mention your willingness to be a sponsor or temporary sponsor. Sponsorship enhances recovery through one-on-one guidance on working the Twelve Steps and applying them in your life. We suggest you listen for those who “have what you want.
[Chair: Press *02 to check for numbers.]
Do any newcomers have any questions at this time?
[Chair: Press *02 to take newcomer questions.
If you do not know the answer, ask others to get in the queue to share their experience, strength, and hope.]
[Chair: For meeting attendance verification, attendee must e-mail date & time of meeting with chairperson's name and topic discussed to attendance@ma-phone.org within 48 hours of meeting. Please tell them this is only for phone meetings on this line, not in person or Zoom meetings. If multiple verifications are needed, they will be sent weekly.]
Would anyone who didn’t get a chance to share during the meeting like to take a share?
[Chair: Press *02 to allow additional sharing.]
[Chair: When queue is empty, end Q&A mode by pressing *03.]
Would anyone like to hear the announcements?
[Chair: if anyone wants to hear the announcements, read the first section only of MAWPM Announcements.
This page can be found at ma-phone.org under Readings and Resources, MAWPM Announcements.]
***Please keep fellowship safe by maintaining an atmosphere of recovery. Sexual harassment, violence, gossip, and targeting others erodes trust and group unity and will not be tolerated.***
[Chair: A Safe Place pamphlet (is approved by GC but not conference approved literature)]
It is now time for fellowship.
[Chair: Optional - give prompts for recovery discussion in fellowship if line is quiet, e.g., “What are you doing for your recovery today?”, “Does anyone have any challenges they would like to hear experience, strength and hope about?”]
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