Sunrise Semester
Sherpa Guide

A Sherpa is the technical moderator of a Sunrise Semester meeting. You are not the chairperson and you do not run the recovery content of the meeting. Your job is to make sure the meeting starts on time, runs smoothly and safely, and ends on time — so the chair and the fellowship can focus on the meeting itself.

Concretely, a Sherpa:

• Starts the Zoom meeting and claims the host role using the host key.
• Sets the safety controls (waiting room behavior, screen-share lock, rename lock).
• Promotes the chairperson and a backup to Co-Host.
• Manages audio: mutes disruptive background noise, helps newcomers unmute.
• Manages the “raise hand” queue so the chair can see who wants to share.
• Posts key links in chat (meeting format, Daily Reflection, 7th Tradition).
• Responds immediately to any disruption or “Zoom-bombing.”
• Hands host/co-host off cleanly if they need to leave early.

You do not need to be an AA member with any particular length of sobriety to be a Sherpa — this is a service position focused on the technology. Familiarity with the meeting flow still makes you far more effective.

1. Attend the Sunrise Semester business meeting (held monthly — confirm the current date and time with the General Chair; historically the 2nd Tuesday).
2. Let the group know you’d like to serve as a Sherpa.
3. You’ll be paired with an experienced Sherpa for your first one or two meetings so you can shadow before flying solo.
4. Get the host key from a group officer. Do not share it.
5. Watch the Facebook group for the post listing chairs and Sherpas for the current two-month rotation — the secretary posts this after the business meeting.

The Sunrise Semester Sherpa Training slide deck (v3.0) — same material as this written guide, in presentation form. Use the arrows to step through, or open it full-screen.

Equipment

• An internet-connected computer (strongly preferred over phone/tablet — host controls are fuller on the desktop app).
• The Zoom desktop app installed and updated (Zoom Workplace 6.7 or newer).
• Optionally a second device so you can also see the meeting the way an attendee does.

Credentials and settings

Get these from your Zoom administrator / General Chair ahead of time:

1. Host Key — a 6-digit code that lets you claim the host role. This is the correct and secure way to become host. It replaces sharing the administrator’s Zoom email and password. Never distribute the host key outside the Sherpa/chair team, and never post it publicly.
2. “Join Before Host” enabled — so attendees (and you) can enter before a host is present, then claim host with the key. If you cannot get in early, ask the administrator to confirm this is on.
3. Screen sharing restricted to host — set at the account level so attendees cannot share by default. You can also enforce this in-meeting via Host Tools.

You only need to do this once. If Zoom is already installed, make sure it’s updated to the latest version (Zoom Workplace 6.7 or newer) — open Zoom, click your profile picture, and choose Check for Updates.

1. Go to zoom.us/download and download Zoom Workplace for your operating system.
2. Open the downloaded installer and click Continue.
3. When prompted, choose Install for me only (usually does not require admin rights).
4. Click Install, wait for it to finish, then open Zoom.

Sunrise Semester uses the same meeting ID and password all week, so you’re not creating a new meeting — you’re joining the standing meeting and then claiming host.

Times below assume the standard 7:15 AM meeting start. Adjust for Saturday men’s (8:00 AM) and women’s (9:30 AM) meetings.

In current Zoom (Zoom Workplace 6.7+), the safety controls that used to sit under the Security shield are consolidated under Host Tools in the meeting toolbar (and mirrored in the right-side host panel). This is the single most important control for a Sherpa to know. Open it as soon as you claim host.

Recommended settings for a Sunrise meeting:

Also available from Host Tools: Enable Waiting Room (optional), Suspend Participant Activities (emergency stop), Remove Participant, and Report to Zoom.

Because Sunrise Semester is an open meeting, we can never make it 100% closed — the newcomer must be able to get in. The goal is to make disruption hard, and to respond fast when it happens.

Prevention (set before the meeting)

• Password on the meeting (stops random ID-scanning bots).
• Screen sharing set to host-only — the most common Zoom-bomb is a hijacked screen share.
• Rename disabled.
• Waiting Room available if your group chooses to use it during a wave of disruptions.
• Two people with controls (host + at least one co-host) at all times.

If a disruption starts — the fast response

1. Hit Suspend Participant Activities (Host Tools). This instantly disables everyone’s audio, video, chat, annotation, and screen sharing, hides profile pictures, ends breakout rooms, and locks the meeting so no one else can enter. It buys you calm to act. (Host or Co-Host required.)
2. Identify the offender in the Participants list.
3. Remove them: hover their name → ⋯ More → Remove. Optionally Report to Zoom and check “Don’t allow this participant to rejoin.”
4. Resume by re-enabling the features you need from Host Tools.
5. Reassure the room briefly and hand back to the chair. No need to dwell on it.

Sunrise Semester uses the same meeting ID and password all week. To invite someone, copy and paste:

Some meetings play a speaker recording. If you are the Sherpa for a speaker-tape session:

• Arrive earlier — closer to 6:30 AM for a 7:15 meeting — so you can test audio and screen share.
• Only the host or co-host should share screen/audio for the tape.
• Confirm Share Screen remains host-only for everyone else.
• Have a backup plan if playback fails (chair leads discussion instead).

Sunrise Semester holds open meetings; all are welcome. Each day has a slightly different format. Bookmark the current formats and share the link with the chairperson.

Content and links the chairperson typically reads or shares. Sherpas often paste these into chat at the start so attendees can follow along.

Preamble

Source: AA World Services

How It Works

Source: Alcoholics Anonymous, Chapter 5

Chairs commonly read from Chapter 5 (“How It Works”), including the Twelve Steps. Keep a Big Book or the day’s meeting format PDF handy rather than pasting the full reading into chat.

Daily Reflection

Read at the start of many Sunrise Semester meetings. Paste this link in chat so attendees can open it and volunteer to read:

You can also point people to this site’s Daily Reflection on the home page. If the aa.org link 404s, search “AA Daily Reflections” on aa.org and update it.

7th Tradition