September 2020

Highlights from the September 2020 Issue:

This issue centers on the careful and complex process of reopening in-person meetings. The main theme is responsibility—balancing the need to help the suffering alcoholic with the obligation to protect public health.

The editorial frames this through Tradition Four, emphasizing that while groups are autonomous, their decisions must consider the impact on the broader fellowship. It raises real concerns about outbreaks linked to meetings and the ethical responsibility to prevent harm.

Articles detail what reopening actually looks like in practice: limited attendance, strict rules (masks, no contact, no exceptions), contact tracing, and a more structured, less intimate environment. The tone is realistic—meetings will not feel the same, and not everyone will return. At the same time, the issue acknowledges that reopening may bring back members who were lost during the shift online, while also recognizing that some will remain virtual permanently. It presents reopening as an experiment rather than a return to normal.