online meeting / Zoom info
- pancakemarathon
- Jun 18
- 13 min read
Updated: Jun 20
Meeting Verification, to get
If you attend an online meeting,
make sure it is
AA
NA
CMA
Here’s how it usually works:
At the start of the online meeting,
ask the meeting host/co-host (chairperson) to verify if they do meeting verification.
just to make sure you are at the right meeting.
They may
have you send your info too the email they give.
send you a confirmation email or sign your meeting paper digitally.
when sending info they ask for:
your email/ steponehalfwayhouse@gmail.com/ your name / what other info they want (based on house rules of the meeting).
then write on your meeting paper:
day /
time/
name of meeting: went to online meeting.
what kind of meeting: AA / NA / CMA
Remember, whether your meeting is in-person or online, your commitment to showing up and participating is what counts. Don’t let format stop you from completing your requirements.
online meeting / Zoom info
Go to a search engine
Type in the meeting of your choice
Some online meetings and info
Once you find the online meeting you like: all you need is
Then you find there zoom
ID
Password
zoom app on phone
All you really need is the zoom app on your phone
So keep in mind that if you have other apps on your phone
That will take up space on your phone
Make your phone slower
But if that is easiest for you to get to the meeting then go with all the apps you need.
If on the computer then you can
Use the web version of zoom
This is what I use, instead of the computer app.
As I don’t like to take up space on my computer
And it slows the computer down
As well as makes the internet work harder too
Or you can use the computer app.
You can do more with the computer app
So if you like that then go with that.
Let’s Be Clear — In-House Meetings Are Optional
There seems to be a little confusion floating around about what's actually required when it comes to meetings in recovery — especially for those within their first 90 days.
So let’s clear the air.
Nobody ever said you have to go to the in-house meetings. What they did say — and what has always been the standard — is that during your first 90 days, you’re expected to attend an AA, NA, or CMA meeting. That’s it. The format, location, or setting of the meeting wasn’t specified.
In-house meetings are offered as a helpful and accessible option, especially for those getting adjusted or without reliable transportation. But they’re not mandatory. And choosing to go to a meeting elsewhere — one that resonates with you more or fits your schedule better — is still fully valid and completely within the guidelines.
Recovery is about finding what works, what speaks to you, and what supports your willingness to grow. Some find that in-house meetings are their foundation. Others might need to explore and branch out a little to find their rhythm. Both are okay. What matters is that you show up — somewhere — with honesty, willingness, and an open mind.
Let’s stop policing the where and focus on supporting the why. Let’s stay honest about what’s expected, and not create added pressure where it doesn’t belong.
We’re here to recover — together — not to enforce what was never said.
Let’s Be Clear — In-House Meetings Are Optional, Showing Up Isn’t
There seems to be some confusion about what’s actually required when it comes to meetings — especially for those in their first 90 days at a halfway house or recovery program.
So let’s make it simple:
You do not have to attend in-house meetings. That was never the rule.
What is expected — and has always been made clear — is that within your first 90 days, you’re required to attend
an AA,
NA, or
CMA meeting.
The format? That’s up to you. It can be in-house, out in the community, or even online — just as long as you’re showing up somewhere that supports your recovery.
Now, let’s talk real talk:
Are all meetings the same? Not always.
In my experience, there’s a certain connection you get from face-to-face meetings that’s hard to replicate online. There’s body language. There’s energy. There’s the moment after the meeting when someone looks you in the eye and says, “You’re not alone.” That kind of connection can be life-changing.
Online meetings have their place, though. They’re accessible, flexible, and for many people, they’ve been a lifeline. But they can also feel distant — like you’re watching recovery rather than participating in it. You might find yourself distracted, multitasking, or even isolating behind a screen. That’s not judgment. That’s just something to be aware of.
The bottom line is this:
There’s no excuse to not show up for your recovery.Whether it's face-to-face or online — your life is still happening, and your willingness to participate in it matters.
Don’t overcomplicate what was never complicated.You're required to attend a meeting — not a specific one.You're encouraged to connect — not just check a box.You're invited to grow — not just coast through the days.
So if you're looking for a loophole, maybe pause and ask yourself:What am I really avoiding?Because no matter where you go — in-house, Zoom, church basement, or community center — if you’re present, the message can still reach you.
Let’s Be Clear — In-House Meetings Are Optional, Showing Up Isn’t
There seems to be some confusion about what’s actually required when it comes to meetings — especially for those in their first 90 days at a halfway house or recovery program.
So let’s make it simple:
You do not have to attend in-house meetings. That was never the rule.
What is expected — and has always been made clear — is that within your first 90 days, you’re required to attend an
AA,
NA, or
CMA meeting.
The format? That’s up to you. It can be in-house, out in the community, or even online — just as long as you’re showing up somewhere that supports your recovery.
Now, let’s talk real talk:
Are all meetings the same? Not always.
In my experience, there’s a certain connection you get from face-to-face meetings that’s hard to replicate online. There’s body language. There’s energy. There’s the moment after the meeting when someone looks you in the eye and says, “You’re not alone.” That kind of connection can be life-changing.
Online meetings have their place, though. They’re accessible, flexible, and for many people, they’ve been a lifeline. But they can also feel distant — like you’re watching recovery rather than participating in it. You might find yourself distracted, multitasking, or even isolating behind a screen. That’s not judgment. That’s just something to be aware of.
The bottom line is this:
There’s no excuse to not show up for your recovery. Whether it's face-to-face or online — your life is still happening, and your willingness to participate in it matters.
Don’t overcomplicate what was never complicated. You're required to attend a meeting — not a specific one. You're encouraged to connect — not just check a box. You're invited to grow — not just coast through the days.
Reflection Question:
Where do you feel the most connected — and are you willing to go there, even if it takes a little extra effort?
Call to Action:
Ask someone today what meetings helped them the most early on. You might find a new place to hear what you need — or be exactly where someone else needs you to be.
So, What Is the Purpose of an In-House Meeting, Anyway?
For many, in-house meetings offer convenience. They're nearby, familiar, and easy to attend — especially during early recovery when everything can feel overwhelming. And there's nothing wrong with that. Structure and accessibility are valuable tools when you're rebuilding a life.
But here's where we get honest: Just because it’s in-house doesn’t mean it automatically counts as a meeting in the traditional fellowship sense.
Fellowships like
AA,
NA, and
CMA have guidelines —
one of which includes being self-supporting through our own contributions (Tradition 7).
In-house meetings usually don’t pass a basket, collect group conscience, or maintain open formats tied to the World Services structure.
That’s okay — but it also means it’s not technically a recognized meeting in the formal sense.
So why do they exist?
Because accountability matters. Because proximity can help in the early days. Because when three or more people gather — not just two — it makes it harder to fake it.
In-house meetings were built on this idea: you can't manipulate a recovery you’re actually living in. With more eyes, there’s more truth. With more voices, there’s more reflection. And with more presence, there’s more potential for connection — even when you’re still learning how to show up.
Now, does that mean you can’t be a hypocrite in recovery? Not at all. In fact, it might be a sign you’re growing.
If you say one thing and struggle to follow through, guess what? That’s a start. It shows you’re aware. It shows you’re wrestling with integrity. And that wrestling match? That’s where transformation happens.
But no matter what setting you're in — in-house, outside, or online — here’s one truth that never changes:
You’re not alone. Your Higher Power sees your efforts. Others in recovery recognize the work — or the lack of it. And most importantly, you see you. And that’s who you’re truly answering to.
So go to meetings. Be real.Use the in-house setting if it helps — just don’t use it to hide.Whether you're there because it's easy or because it's all you've got, what matters most is that you're honest about where you're at and willing to grow.
Summary: Understanding the Role of In-House Meetings in Recovery
This blog post clarifies a common misconception: you are not required to attend in-house meetings during your first 90 days. The actual requirement is to attend an AA, NA, or CMA meeting — the format and location are up to you. While in-house meetings are available for convenience and accessibility, they are not mandatory unless explicitly stated.
The post explores the differences between in-house/face-to-face meetings and online meetings. Face-to-face settings often provide deeper human connection, body language, and opportunities for real-time support. Online meetings, while convenient and legitimate, can sometimes feel distant or isolating. Still, there is no excuse not to show up for your recovery in some form — your life is happening, and your effort to engage matters.
The post also dives into the purpose of in-house meetings. Though they may not fully align with World Service Fellowship standards (like passing a basket or formal group structure), they serve a purpose: accountability. In-house meetings are typically designed for three or more people, which helps reduce the chances of manipulation or dishonesty — a structure built to prevent someone from “faking it” unnoticed.
However, being a hypocrite in early recovery isn't failure — it's growth. Saying one thing and trying (but struggling) to live it is part of developing character and practicing principles in all your affairs. What matters most is the honesty behind your effort. Your Higher Power sees it. So do others in recovery. And most importantly, you see you — and that’s where real change begins.
Summary: In-House Meetings, Accountability, and the Heart of Recovery
Here’s a revised and expanded summary with integrated clarification using the 12 Steps, 12 Traditions, and 12 Promises to enrich the understanding of in-house meetings and recovery participation as a whole:
Summary: In-House Meetings, Accountability, and the Heart of Recovery
This post sets the record straight: in-house meetings are not mandatory. During the first 90 days of residency, what’s actually required is attending a 12-step meeting — whether AA, NA, or CMA. The location and format (in-house, community-based, or online) is flexible. The key requirement is participation, not placement.
🔹 12 Steps Connection
At the core of recovery is action — not perfection. Step 1 begins with admitting powerlessness, and attending meetings (of any kind) is an expression of willingness (Step 3) and action (Step 12). Showing up — even awkwardly, imperfectly, or inconsistently — is part of practicing Step 10’s ongoing inventory and Step 11’s conscious contact.
So, whether you’re in an in-house meeting or a church basement, your presence reflects your effort to grow spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.
🔹 12 Traditions Insight
From a Traditions perspective, Tradition 3 reminds us that the only requirement for AA (or NA, CMA) membership is a desire to stop drinking or using. Not attendance at a specific place. Not conformity to a local setting.
Tradition 5 emphasizes that each group’s primary purpose is to carry the message. If a meeting—whether in-house or online—is helping someone stay clean or sober, then it's fulfilling that purpose. However, Tradition 7 states that groups should be fully self-supporting, which is why many formal meetings pass a basket. In-house meetings usually don’t — which doesn’t make them invalid, but it does make them structurally different from World Service-recognized groups.
This helps explain why some people say in-house meetings aren’t “official.” They may lack elements like self-support, group conscience, or rotation of service — all elements that uphold the spirit of the 12 Traditions.
🔹 12 Promises Perspective
The 12 Promises (from the Big Book, pages 83–84) begin to manifest when we engage honestly with recovery. Whether at a community meeting or a private one, these promises unfold through willing participation, not forced compliance. For example:
“We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it” (Promise 7) becomes possible when we stop hiding behind convenience and start showing up where we can heal.
“We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us” (Promise 11) comes from taking responsibility — like choosing meetings that challenge us to connect instead of settling for what’s easiest.
The Promises aren’t tied to a location. They’re tied to honesty, effort, and action — all of which can happen in-house or out in the world.
In-House Meetings: What They Offer (and What They Don’t)
What they offer:
Convenience, especially in early recovery
Structure and accountability
A chance to be seen, especially by housemates and staff
Lower barriers to attendance
What they lack (compared to community-based or World Service-aligned meetings):
Self-support and financial contribution (Tradition 7)
Group autonomy and structure (Tradition 4, 9)
Broader diversity of experience and voices
Despite this, an in-house meeting can still be a real meeting — because all it takes is two or more people gathered for the purpose of recovery. And in-house, it’s often built around three or more, to support accountability and prevent isolation or manipulation of the process.
Final Reflection
Being in recovery doesn't mean you never stumble. It means you keep showing up, especially when it’s inconvenient.So whether it’s a Zoom room, a circle of chairs in a halfway house, or a local church meeting:
Show up. Be honest. Grow from where you are.
Because in the end, you’re never alone.Your Higher Power sees your effort.And the Steps, Traditions, and Promises will meet you there — wherever there is.
Let me know if you’d like a visual version of this or broken into sections for posting on your website or social media.
In-House Meetings Are Optional — But Showing Up for Your Recovery Isn’t
Here’s the full and final expanded summary blog post, now incorporating your point about the wide range of recovery archetypes, while keeping the heart of the message intact:
Title: In-House Meetings Are Optional — But Showing Up for Your Recovery Isn’t
Let’s clear something up right now:You do not have to attend in-house meetings.That’s not what was said — not by staff, and not by any fellowship.
What is required during your first 90 days is this:Attend a meeting from one of the core fellowships — AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), NA (Narcotics Anonymous), or CMA (Crystal Meth Anonymous).
That's it.
You can attend community meetings, online meetings, speaker meetings, or even outside fellowship events — as long as they’re tied to AA, NA, or CMA at least once within that window. After that, your path can widen.
Because here’s the truth:There are over 34 known archetypes of recovery today — with countless branches and unique styles that speak to different people in different ways. Some follow religious roots, others spiritual; some are strictly 12-step, others are trauma-informed, CBT-based, or even creatively expressive.
And all of that is valid.
But those first 90 days?They're about building a foundation — and those three fellowships (AA, NA, CMA) offer something solid, time-tested, and globally supported.
So What’s the Deal with In-House Meetings Then?
In-house meetings are not formal World Service meetings. They often lack:
Self-support (Tradition 7: "Every group ought to be fully self-supporting...")
Group structure like rotating service or group conscience
Open diversity — you're mostly hearing from the same few people
But that doesn’t make them useless.They serve a purpose — especially in early recovery.
They’re convenient
They provide built-in accountability
They help prevent manipulation (e.g., falsifying attendance)
They ensure there are witnesses to your presence and participation
They’re often built around the idea that three or more addicts should be present — not just two — so no one’s trying to “fake it till they make it” without being seen.
And Let's Be Real...
Recovery welcomes hypocrites — because we’ve all said one thing and done another while learning how to live differently.
What matters most is this:
You see your actions.
Your Higher Power sees your actions.
And others who’ve walked this path? They recognize sincerity — and they spot denial too.
It’s not about shaming where you’re at.It’s about telling the truth — starting with yourself.
12 Steps | 12 Traditions | 12 Promises – A Recovery Framework
12 Steps call us to honesty, willingness, and action. Showing up for meetings — any meetings — helps us live into Steps 1 through 12, especially Step 12: “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message…”
12 Traditions give us the structure to serve others while protecting the spirit of unity. For example:
Tradition 3: The only requirement is a desire to recover — not a mandate to attend a certain room.
Tradition 5: Each group has one purpose — to carry the message. If that’s happening in your meeting, the Tradition is alive.
12 Promises remind us that real transformation is possible:
“We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.”
“We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.”
These aren’t just feel-good quotes. They’re outcomes of showing up honestly, no matter where you sit.
Final Takeaway
Whether you’re sitting in an in-house meeting, a church basement, or in front of your laptop on Zoom, it all comes down to presence.
Ask yourself:
Am I here to be seen — or to truly see myself?
There’s no wrong place to start — but there is a wrong time to give up.And that time is never.
So show up.Anywhere.But be real.
Would you like this turned into a downloadable sheet for your Step One Meeting Book or posted visually for the Wix site?
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