Article: Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem. It is self-supporting, non-professional, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere in North America. There are no age or education requirements to becoming a member of AA. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about their drinking problem.  The primary purpose of AA is to help alcoholics stay sober and assist others who may turn to AA for help achieving sobriety. AA does not recruit members, nor actively seek to turn everyone sober. Still, AA welcomes new members and encourages sharing and support among members.  Some people are required to attend AA by court order. Others choose to attend AA due to their personal struggle with alcoholism. If you are not sure if AA is right for you, you can take a 12 question quiz on the Alcoholics Anonymous website to determine if you are ready for AA. You may be worried about being hugged as soon as you walk into an AA meeting or hounded with questions about your problems. In fact, AA meetings are not like going to the doctor or like going to a prayer circle. They are casual and though you may be encouraged to speak, you are not required to say anything and you can decline to speak if you are uncomfortable. The AA/Support Group Guidelines, which are followed every meeting are:  Keep confidentiality: “What you hear stays here”. Make “I” statements: Avoid using “you” or “we”. For example: “I am Stephan. I am an alcoholic.” Stay in the “Here and Now”: Share what you are dealing with today or this week. Share feelings about your experiences, strengths, and hopes. No fixing or advice giving to other members. No crosstalk or asking of questions. Listen first. AA meetings do not cost anything to attend. There is usually a collection passed around at the end of the meetings to cover the cost of renting the meeting space and paying for refreshments. But there is no expectation to contribute.  Quite a few AA meetings are held in church halls, but only because they are convenient and affordable venues. AA groups are in no way affiliated with any religious organizations. The AA program can be spiritual, but what exactly this means is left up to individual members to decide. Every AA meeting is 1 hour long. It will have a set format and structure, so after your first meeting, you can expect mostly the same format every time. The only thing that will change is the topic of discussion. One of the traditions of AA is that members are all trusted servants, so no one governs the group. But there will be a Chairperson who has volunteered to lead, or chair, that particular meeting. Usually this will be someone who has a number of years in AA recovery. The basic structure of most AA meetings is:  Welcome: Chairperson starts the meeting with a welcome such as, “I am Jenna, an alcoholic. I would like to welcome you to the Monday evening AA meeting. We would like to give a special welcome to new attendees and have you introduce yourselves.” New attendees will then introduce themselves, though this is not required. Chairperson reads the “AA Preamble”: "ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety." The Chairperson then asks a member to read the “How It Works” section from the AA book. The “12 Traditions” of AA are read by a member or members.  The AA/ Support Group Guidelines may be reviewed if new people are present. The Chairperson suggests a topic or step for discussion. Each time someone shares, they will begin by first saying their name, for example, Mark: “I am Mark, I am an alcoholic.” The group will then respond with a greeting, such as “Hi Mark.” After someone finished sharing, the group will respond with thanks, for example, “Thanks Mark.” This builds respect. When it is time for the meeting to close, the Chairperson will ask the attendees for someone to chair the next meeting. She will then ask all attendees to stand and hold hands and say the “Serenity Prayer”: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference". At the end of the prayer, the group may say "keep coming back it works if you work it". The meeting is now officially over. Attendees may stay and have informal discussions or ask questions of one another before leaving. Coffee or tea may be available after the meeting.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Understand the character and purpose of AA. Learn the rules and guidelines of AA. Get familiar with the structure of an AA meeting.
Article: This job is very messy. You will have drywall and paint everywhere, so you need to make sure everything is well covered. You can drape furniture in old sheets, drop cloths, or tarps. You may also want to cover vents so it doesn't spread throughout your house. You can tape plastic over them to prevent dust from going through. If you're worried about damaging your furniture, it's best to just move it out of the room. You should definitely move any fragile or antique pieces out of the room, if possible. If you want to minimize your cleanup, put tarps or drop cloths on the floor. That will help contain the mess, so you can pick it up and take it elsewhere, away from your floors. Tape the tarp down around the edges using painter's tape. Don't forget to wear safety goggles and a dust mask to protect yourself from the debris. If you're worried about lead paint, consider wearing a respirator instead of just a dust mask. You may also want gloves when applying the joint compound. If you have an old house, you'll likely be dealing with lead paint. In that case, you'll need to take extra precautions, such as removing everything from the room, or covering it up with 2 sheets of plastic, each one 6 millimeters thick. You should also wear clothes you can throw away or disposable coveralls, along with gloves, goggles, a HEPA respirator, and a hair covering. Vacuum any dust off you with a HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Cover the furniture in the room. Move furniture out if you're nervous about dust. Put tarps down on the floor. Protect yourself with safety gear.