Guidance for a Successful A.R.T.S. Meeting
Q: What experience, strength, and hope can A.R.T.S. offer for starting a successful meeting?
A: There are A.R.T.S. meetings all over the world held on telephone conference call, online via video, and face-to-face.* We welcome new meetings of all kinds, interests, and at all times. When aligned with the Twelve Traditions, healthy meetings are the foundation and a most critical aspect of any Twelve-Step fellowship. This document outlines recommendations for starting a meaningful and sustainable A.R.T.S. Anonymous Meeting Group.
As stated in Tradition Three of A.R.T.S. Anonymous, the only requirement for membership is a desire to identify, express, and fulfill our creativity. New A.R.T.S. meetings start because people feel the need to have a meeting and there isn’t one available. Members take it upon themselves to find like-minded individuals to support a new meeting, schedule it, post it, and if in-person, find the location.
Founding group members should be prepared to commit to regular attendance for the first six to twelve months, until a larger core can assist in service positions. Throughout its history, members of A.R.T.S. have started meetings all over the United States, as well as in Canada, Mexico, England, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Israel, Greece and Australia.
Feel free to draw from the A.R.T.S. Meetings Basics pamphlet, and/or modify the sample formats found on the Meetings page of the A.R.T.S. website. Once your meeting has started, register it using the link on the Meetings page. The A.R.T.S. World Service Office will send a confirmation of your meeting details, and post it on the online meeting schedule.
*See Logistical Suggestions for Holding a Meeting on the A.R.T.S. website for detailed startup information for phone, online and in-person meetings.
