news

Area 28

9/13/26 –

Fall Assembly Change!
The GSR/ DCM Workshop on Saturday night is cancelled.
The spiritual speaker on Sunday morning is cancelled.
We expect to wrap up our Area business around 7:00PM Saturday.
This change may decrease the need for a number of attendees to require lodging Saturday night.

All other details remain the same. See you in Portland in October!

9/6/26 – Proposed revised Area Guidelines have been updated at https://maineaa.org/documents/

There is also this message from our Guidelines Committee:

Consistent with our past practice, the Guidelines Committee presents the work the committee has done for members to review. GSRs are encouraged to review changes with their Groups. The proposed guidelines for the Young Peoples Committee may be of interest.

Note also the motions from Fall Assembly of 2025 and Spring Assembly of 2026 have been added to the appendix at the back of the Guidelines.

Changes of substance are noted in track changes and highlighted in yellow for easy reference. We will be voting on adoption of these changes at the Fall Assembly. Note that the Guidelines Committee does not make policy. We document current practice and help to operationalize new procedures consistent with successful Assembly motions.

Note that the Table of Contents and line spacing will be updated after the track changes are approved.

Many thanks to the dedicated members of the committee!

General Service Office (GSO)

6/15/26 –

On Sale Now!
Plain Language Big Book – Audiobook Edition
A tool for understanding the book Alcoholics Anonymous

New from A.A. World Services, Inc., the Plain Language Big Book audiobook is intended to help listeners better understand the book Alcoholics Anonymous — fondly called “the Big Book” by generations of A.A. members and considered the basic text of the A.A. program of recovery.

This new format describes A.A.’s Twelve Step program in simpler language than the original Big Book, which was first published in 1939.

The Plain Language Big Book presents in simpler language:

The ideas contained in the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous
Specific A.A.-related words and phrases used in the original 1939 book
Vocabulary in the original book that may be dated or not familiar to readers
The core content of the original Big Book without member stories — often called the “abridged edition.”

Upon publication, the audiobook will be available at https://onlineliterature.aa.org/audiobooks for purchase.

5/22/26 – 12 Concepts for World Service Animated Video – We are pleased to announce that the Twelve Concepts for World Service animated video is now available for viewing in English, French, and Spanish. The video was adapted from an A.A. Great Britain version in adherence to an Advisory Action of the General Service Conference of the U.S./Canada.

The video is based on the A.A. pamphlet The Twelve Concepts for World Service Illustrated.