For events outside of Districts 2 & 11: visit the Area 70 website aavt.org

Posting guidelines: Only AA events will be posted. “AA Event” is defined as: endorsed by an AA service structure entity such as a group or district; its purpose is to carry the message; inclusive for all AA members; free unless site (not AA) charges a nominal fee; follows the AA Traditions. To maintain anonymity, no personal contact information will be included. Contact webservant@burlingtonaa.org

Keep in Touch!
Would you like to get an email notifying you whenever something new is posted on burlingtonaa.org? Such as News, Events, or the latest issue of The Eye Opener... If so, email webservant@burlingtonaa.org (your email address will be kept confidential).

Districts 2&11 Print Meeting List - updated quarterly
Click here to download or print the current Districts 2 & 11 Meeting List on 8-1/2x14" paper.
--2024-03-24: This is the current edition (March 2024)
To get copies to hand out at District 2 meetings, contact the District 2 Meeting List Chair (via the District Committee Chair): dcm@burlingtonaa.org
To get copies to hand out at District 11 meetings, contact the District 11 DCM: area70dcm11@aavt.org

Milton At Last Ice Cream Social
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
United Church of Milton, 51 Main St, Milton, VT
Meeting 7:30-8:30
Ice Cream Social 8:30-9:00
Featuring live music by Kyle!
RSVP would be appreciated: miltonatlast@yahoo.com

The Next Full Area Assembly is June 8, in St. Johnsbury
Saturday, June 8, 2024, 9 am - 4 pm
United Community Church, 1325 Main St, St Johnsbury, VT 05819
Hosted by District 3.
9:00 am – Continental Breakfast
10:00 am – A.A. Service Workshop
11:00 am – Committee Meetings
12:00 pm – Lunch & Fellowship
1:00 pm – Business Meeting (Hybrid: ID 992 9496 6848 / Passcode 470526)

All AA members are welcome! Join us as we work together to carry the message through AA service! Meet new and old friends from around the State.

As part of their duties, GSRs & DCMs attend Full Area Assemblies. District Committee Chairs are requested to attend.

Meeting Date/Time/Location/Format Changes
--Brown Bag in Essex Jct will NOT be meeting on Saturday April 20 due to a Church function.
--Starting May 5, Sunday Morning Step Meeting will move from the Essex Senior Center to the Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Jct
--Sober Cinema, Thursday Apr 25, 2024: meeting online only, due to Church function.
--Widening Circle, Thursdays 5:30, Decker Towers, 230 St Paul St, Burlington: 2024-02-29: now meeting in the Community Room on 1st floor.
--Starting Monday, March 25, 2024, the format of the Monday Brown Bag Group in Essex Jct will change to reading from the AA Grapevine publication Prayer and Meditation, followed by 10 min of un-guided meditation, then discussion.
--Starting 2024-02-14: Milton At Last: both Wed & Fri mtgs are now 7:30-8:30

New Meetings
In-person: Gift of Desperation. Sundays, 3:30-4:30 pm, Turning Point Center, 179 South Winooski Ave, Burlington. Open, format varies-- Step, Speaker, AA Literature, Discussion.
In-person: Listen to it Sober. Mondays, 8-9:30 pm. Holy Family Parish Hall, 28 Lincoln St, Essex Jct, VT. Open, 11th step music and art based meditation meeting with open discussion.

Meetings That Could Use Support
Are you interested in mixing up your meeting schedule a bit, and attending a small meeting where everyone gets a chance to share if they want to, with no time pressure? Here is a list of small meetings whose attendance varies between 2 and 10. The regulars at these meetings would love to see some new faces! Some have considered folding but are holding on because newcomers often attend. Explore the AA community and help carry the message!

• High Noon (Wed, noon, First Methodist Church, 21 Buell St)
• Sane and Sober (Wed, 6:30 pm, Vibrant Church, 2025 Williston Rd)
• Milton At Last (Wed, 8 pm, United Church of Milton, 51 Main St)-- hybrid
• Thursday Noon Big Book Meeting (Thurs, noon, First Methodist Church, 21 Buell St)
• The Widening Circle (Thurs, 5:30 pm, Decker Towers, 230 St Paul St)
• Ambush (Fri, noon, First Methodist Church, 21 Buell St)
• Milton At Last (Fri, 8 pm)-- online
• Friday Night Speakeasy (Fri, 7 pm, Faith United Methodist Church, 899 Dorset St)

Submit YOUR Story to The Eye Opener!
The Eye Opener is a local AA newsletter, published monthly. GSRs from groups in Districts 2 & 11 sign up to submit 3 stories from their group members-- District 2 takes the odd-numbered months, District 11 takes the even-numbered months.
NEW!! You do not have to be a member of a group that has committed to submitting stories for that month. The editors will accept your story and publish it as soon as possible, as long as you are a member of an AA group in District 2 or 11!
See the Local AA Stories page for submission guidelines. We look forward to hearing from you!

Recovery Game Night Continues!
Every Saturday, 7-10 pm
Gratitude Garage, 8 Saxon Hill Rd, Essex Jct, VT
Enjoy a night of fellowship with coffee & snacks while playing games with your friends.
Games provided, but bring one if you have a favorite!
For more info: 802gamenight@clubmember.org

Website News
Please note that the zip code for the District 11 PO Box is 05453 (see Addresses for Contributions on Home page)
See the "What AA Members Have To Say" block on burlingtonaa.org's Home Page for links to free online Daily Reflections and the AA Grapevine's Podcast.
2023-09-19: Daily Reflections is now available in audio!

News from the AA General Service Office
Box 459 is the newsletter published 4x/year by GSO.
Read the current issue, and sign up here if you'd like an email whenever the latest issue is published. Past issues are available at this site, too. To understand more about how the General Service Board managers AA's finances, read a 3-part series "Inside A.A. Finances", in the summer, fall and winter 2023 issues.

In December, 2023, the latest Membership Survey was published-- as a pamphlet, and online in more detail. This publication lists various statistics about the AA membership, collected in 2022.

The Voice of AA in Vermont Has Been Heard!
The Area 70 Delegate has hosted 6 online sessions and moderated an in-person Pre-Conference Sharing Session. AA members in attendance have learned about topics that will be discussed at this year's General Service Conference (April, 2024), and given their input to our Delegate. He will consider this input when joining Delegates throughout the US and Canada to discuss and vote on them.

IF YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT CHANGING THE LANGUAGE IN THE BIG BOOK--THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME CONFUSION. TO CLARIFY--There are 3 separate efforts in progress:
1)Over the past couple of years, a "plain and simple language" translation of the Big Book (PLBB - all parts except the Personal Stories sections) has been in development. This is designed as an aid for people with lower level reading skills. It IS NOT a replacement for the Big Book, but rather an additional tool for recovery. It is not gender-neutral, does not remove the word "God", and the wording of the 12 Steps is left intact. The Delegates will review it in April and decide whether or not it is ready to be published. Click here for a list of PLBB FAQs.

2)A SECOND matter is that the Trustees Literature Committee at the General Service Office wants input from AA members about whether or not we should make any changes in the literature written by the AA founders. This concern arose after they received a lot of negative feedback about changes to the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions book, and the Preamble. Click here for the letter from the Literature Committee and the questions they'd like feedback on. If you'd like to express your opinion on these, please email our Delegate at Area70Delegate@aavt.org.

3)The 5th Edition of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous, is being prepared. As with each of the previous 4 editions, the Basic Text (164 pages), the Doctor's Opinion, and Dr. Bob's Nightmare will remain unchanged. As with Editions 2, 3, and 4, the Story Section of the Big Book will be updated, in order to better reflect changes in the breadth and diversity of the Fellowship.
Thanks to an AA member who wishes to remain anonymous for reminding me of this 3rd project!

To read the Final Report of last year's General Service Conference click here.

Service Opportunities
Service will keep you sober!
There are opportunities that require only as much of your time that you want to give. Many positions are 2-year commitments that turned over in January, but have not been filled, so come to your District Business meeting to participate! Dates & times on Home page.

The Archives Committee needs someone to gather meeting minutes. Contact webservant@burlingtonaa.org

The Answering Service needs phone numbers of AAs in Districts 2 & 11 who are willing to speak to someone who calls the Hotline. If someone calls the Hotline (802-802-2288) asking to speak to a member of AA, an Answering Service employee will take their number and have an AA member call them back. If you'd like to add your name to the list, contact Scudder, the District 2 Answering Service Chair: answeringservice@burlingtonaa.org

The Public Information/Cooperation with the Professional Community (PI/CPC) Committee needs members who will pick up AA literature from the Chair and deliver it to various locations around District 2 (Burlington). Contact the PI/CPC Committee Chair, if you'd like to help! pi@burlingtonaa.org

Corrections:
--Sponsor an incarcerated woman. Click here for flyer with details.
--Help put on AA mtgs at the women's facility.
--Write stories of recovery for a monthly newsletter, “A New Freedom,” which gets sent into all correctional facilities in VT and put on tablets for residents to read. Guidelines: 600-800 words, but no story turned down. Also, you don't need to have been in corrections. All stories of recovery are needed to carry the message. If you have a story to share (we all do!) please send to Area Corrections Chair: area70corrections@aavt.org
--Correspond by mail with incarcerated men at the St. Johnsbury facility.
--Bring AA meetings into the St. Johnsbury men's facility. If you know anyone closer to that area, please pass along this need.
--Pass on your old Grapevines to residents in the women's facility in South Burlington.
--For more information about any of the Corrections service opportunities, please contact District 2 Corrections Chair (corrections@burlingtonaa.org), or fill out the Corrections Volunteer Opportunities form-- Download the form, fill it out, save it, then attach it to an email and send it to area70corrections@aavt.org