HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR FIRST

•  Tell a member you’re going. Text them just before you go with the time you plan to leave. Leave at that time and text the person to let them know. Every time I relapsed it was at a work function when I stayed longer than my planned departure time because I “wasn’t having fun yet”

•  Drink sparkling water with lemon or lime. Looks like an alcoholic drink and no one ever asks any questions.

•  Always make sure you have a drink in your hand, don’t put it down. Set yourself a time to leave and call a Fellow.

•  Get yourself a soft drink and keep it in your hand, or get something to eat. Most people will not say anything.

•  Treat it like an experiment or as if you are undercover – your mission is to observe other people and see how they behave at work functions. If you are anything like me, it will be the first time you’ve noticed other people in this kind of environment. I was always the first to get drunk and I assumed everyone else did that too…. How wrong was I?!!