Your meeting has a time, a place, and people in the chairs. But is it also a group?
In A.A., a meeting is a scheduled gathering where alcoholics share recovery, while a group is an ongoing fellowship with members, trusted servants, business meetings, and a voice in A.A. service.
Many meetings remain simply meetings, and that can be perfectly appropriate. But when a meeting develops a stable membership and wants to take responsibility for its own affairs, it may be time to consider becoming an A.A. group. A simple way to ask the question
If your meeting is only a time and place on the schedule, it may not need to be a group. If it has people who consider it their home group, hold regular business meetings, elect trusted servants, support A.A. services, and want to be linked to A.A. as a whole, then it is acting like a group already.
Signs your meeting may be ready to become a group
— Members regularly attend and identify the meeting as their home group.
— The meeting needs decisions made by group conscience rather than by one or two people.
— There is a need for trusted servants, such as a secretary, treasurer, General Service Representative, or intergroup representative.
— Contributions are being collected and the meeting needs a responsible way to handle rent, literature, prudent reserve, and service contributions.
— The meeting gathering wants to participate in local A.A. service and be connected with the General Service Office.
When a meeting may not need to be a group
Some meetings are hosted by an existing group, held temporarily, or created to meet a specific need. In those cases, listing the meeting locally may be enough. A meeting does not need to become a separate group unless the members want that responsibility and are willing to maintain it.
What becoming a group means
Becoming a group is not about status. It is about service and responsibility. A group usually takes care of its own practical affairs, conducts business meetings, follows the guidance of the Twelve Traditions, and carries the A.A. message through its members and service positions. The pamphlet “The A.A. Group … Where It All Begins” describes an A.A. group as the place where A.A.’s service structure begins and explains how each group can be linked to A.A. as a whole.
The practical answer
It is suggested that meetings consider becoming a group if the members want a home group, a group conscience, trusted servants, financial responsibility, and a connection to the wider A.A. service structure. If the meeting simply needs to appear on the local schedule so people can find it, then listing the meeting may be the right first step.
In Lansing, local direction comes from Lansing Central A.A. resources. A new group can complete the Alcoholics Anonymous New Group Form linked through LCAA at https://aalansingmi.org/resources-foraa-groups/ New or updated meeting information can be submitted through the New Meeting/Update Form for local directory, printed directory, and Meeting Guide app updates. When in doubt, bring the question to the meeting’s regular attendees and ask: Are we a meeting, or are we ready to serve as a group?
Clarification: To register a new A.A. group with the GSO, complete the Alcoholics Anonymous New Group Form (aa.org/gso-new-group-listing-guidelinesform) and submit it directly to G.S.O. at Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163. Submitting your meeting/group on the LCAA website does not get you registered with GSO, as stated in our June 2026, “A.A. Groups and Meetings: Key Differences and Registration Basics.”
Note: This article is based on A.A. Conference-approved literature, especially “The A.A. Group … Where It All Begins,” which explains what an A.A. group is, how a group functions, how a new group can be started, and how each group can be linked to A.A. as a whole. It also draws on the G.S.O. New Group Form guidance, which states that G.S.O. lists groups rather than individual meetings, and on Lansing Central A.A. resources for local meeting updates and group information.