Where does it say newcomers are the most important?
Where does the statement "The newcomer is the most important person in the meeting" come from? Is it in The Big Book?
The statement is not quoted from the Big Book, but it's a fundamental principle of our fellowship and our program of recovery (Tradition 5 & Step 12) and it's implied in the basic text of the Big Book.
In speaking of the purpose of meetings on page 160 the Big Book says "Aside from fellowship and sociability, the prime object was to provide a time and place where new people might bring their problems."
If the primary purpose of holding a meeting is to give newcomers a place to find help, it follows that the newcomer is the primary reason for others to attend a meeting; the newcomer is the one who needs to understand the problem and our solution for "real" alcoholics (p.21) who want to stop drinking (p. 24-29).
