Open the meeting with a moment of silence to reflect on why everyone is here and what the body hopes to achieve.
Say a prayer, such as the Serenity Prayer, or have someone read MA’s 12 Concepts for Service, the 12 Steps & 12 Traditions.
Have all in attendance introduce themselves. If they hold a service position within the meeting/group or district, state that position.
Depending on the size of the group and number of questions you select to discuss during the meeting, you may want to set an amount of time for each member to speak to ensure everyone who wants to has a chance to talk.
Explain the overall inventory procedures and decide on participant’s rights, discuss some questions to answer ahead of time and then during the inventory
Be sure to ask before getting into the questions: Is there anything else anybody would like to bring to the group to add to our list of topics or questions?
Feel free to use the sample inventory questions and whatever your group added at the preparation meeting so members can refer to it, and plan ahead of time what they’d like to say.
Review the pre-inventory questionnaire responses, you know your group best, and what issues it is facing (as well as its strengths) so be sure to include questions that speak to both the group’s strengths and weaknesses to have a balanced discussion.
Begin reviewing questions and calling on members to share their responses and opinions.When calling on members to speak, keep in order of raised your hands as much as possible, but allow members of the group the freedom to express their needs without getting too personal. Some things may come out that are uncomfortable for everyone. Try to keep the tone as loving as possible – don’t allow anything to get out of hand.
Remind members to place “principles before personalities” if it seems like the meeting is becoming heated, you might consider pausing for a moment and saying the serenity prayer together to “reset” and refocus the group.
Consider ensuring that those who haven’t spoken on an issue yet speak/are called on before members who have already spoken on that specific topic so that more voices can be heard. To ensure the minority opinion is heard, consider asking if anyone feels differently about something then calling on anyone who has their hand raised.
Your group has autonomy and discretion to choose the questions that will best facilitate a fruitful discussion, including questions drafted by group members.
