Meeting Guidelines
Basic guidelines for all HIGNA meetings:
Our meetings are a mixture of closed or open meetings as indicated in the meetings format codes.
Open: Denotes that all are welcome to attend these meetings but sharing is restricted to only those who identify as addicts.
Closed: Denotes that the meeting is only for those who identify as addicts.….
CLARITY STATEMENT
We are presented with a dilemma; when NA members identify themselves as addicts and alcoholics, or talk about living clean and sober, the clarity of the NA message is blurred. To speak in this manner suggests that there are two diseases, that one drug is somehow separate from the rest, requiring special recognition.
Narcotics Anonymous makes no distinction between drugs. Our identification as addicts is all-inclusive, which allows us to concentrate on our similarities, not our differences. Please keep in mind when you share that this could be someone’s first and only contact with Narcotics Anonymous. We are here to carry the message not the mess. The newcomer is the most important person at any meeting.
We ask that you please confine your shares to those matters relating to and affecting your recovery and the 12 Step Program of Narcotics Anonymous.
We also ask that you refrain from abusive language, personal attacks or expressing opinions on outside issues in line with our Traditions.
Our 1st Tradition tells us that ‘Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends on NA unity’ and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that all our meetings retain an atmosphere of recovery.
We would remind our members that disruptive or abusive behaviour that threatens the atmosphere of recovery and the safety of the meeting place will not be tolerated and, as such, will be addressed in as loving and caring a way as possible by the meetings trusted servants.
Please see the Our Virtual Presence and Disruptive Behaviour in Meetings IP’s
Anonymity Statement:-Tradition 12; Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities. Tradition 12 tells us that anonymity is one of the core principles of our program and we would ask that when attending our meetings we all do our best to remember that gossip can be very damaging to our fellowship and individual members.