Area Assembly Agenda - July 2026
Trusted ServantPlease reach out to the Area Chair at chair@area41org if you have any questions about the Assembly Agenda. The agenda is subject to change! Sessions with (H) below will be available hybrid.
Area 41 Assembly with Business Meeting (Hybrid: In Person and Online)
July 11-12, 2026Quality Inn and Conference Center I-80 Grand Island
7838 S Hwy 281, Bldg A, Grand Island, NE 68803
308-384-7770
(In order to get the Area 41 reduced rate, you must reserve your room four weeks prior to the Area 41 meeting.)[Zoom Meeting ID added week of event]
🛜Please get acquainted with how to join online at area41.org/hybrid.More about Area 41 and assemblies: area41.org/service
Schedule
| Saturday, July 11, 2026 | ||
| 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM | First Timers' Orientation (H) | Important for First Time Attendees! |
| 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Area Committee Meetings (H) Committee/Service Position(s) (DCMs Assigned) Accessibilities, Accommodations, Treatment & Remote Communities (7/14/28) Agenda/Workshop (6/21/30) Archives/Archivist (9/10/18) Cooperation with the Professional Community & Public Information (1/16/22) Corrections (3/20/24) Finance (19/26/29) Grapevine (5/13/23) Literature (2/11/12) Report & Charter/ Newsletter/ Registrar (4/8/32) Technology & Communications/ Audio-Visual/ Webmaster (15/25/31) | All GSRs are strongly encouraged to attend the committee meeting of their choice. |
| 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Lunch *on your own* | No Motion Required, Just Hunger! |
| 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Delegate Report (H) 76th General Service Conference | Latest updates from A.A. as a whole to bring back to your group. |
| 3:30 – 4:00 PM | Area 41 Budget Presentation(H) | What local services do our contributions make possible? |
| 4:15 – 5:30 PM | Workshop – Anonymous and Accountable (H) The Spiritual Balance of Humility in Service | |
| 4:15 – 5:30 PM | Workshop – Power of the Purse(H) How Groups Influence Service Through Support | |
| 4:15 – 5:30 PM | Workshop – DCM Lifeline Practical Support for DCMs Serving their Districts | |
| 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM | Dinner *on your own* | Regroup, Refuel, Return! |
| 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM | Speaker Meeting and Q&A – Marita R., Mesquite, NV (H) | |
| Sunday, July 12, 2026 | ||
| 7:30 AM – 8:20 AM | Open A.A. Breakfast Meeting | Rise and Shine |
| 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM Wordly interpretation available | Reports and Q&A (H) -District Committee Members (DCMs) -Officers -Area Committees - including additional committee considerations for agenda items still in committee -Service Positions -Ask It Basket | 🔗Ask It Basket  |
| 10:45 AM – 1:00 PM ish Wordly interpretation available | Area 41 Business Meeting (H) -Roll Call -Old Business -Agenda Items Moved to Vote -New Agenda Items Presented | Participate in the group conscience! |
Old Business: Voting Items (5)
✅(VOTE) Agenda Item 2026-01-10 005 Floor Action from January 2026 Assembly (Report and Charter)
That past Delegates be granted lifetime voting privileges at Area Assemblies, effective immediately upon completion of their service term as Delegate.
📌Background (click to hide/show)
The Report & Charter committee took no action on this agenda item. When this happens, the submitter can make a motion for a non-emergency floor action. If this motion passes, the full Assembly will discuss the agenda item at the next business meeting. The submitter made the motion, and it passed at the April 2026 Assembly, making this a voting item at the July 2026 Business Meeting.
Tradition 2 – The Area decides through its informed group conscience who is eligible to vote. The Area most recently changed this procedure in 2014 when GSRs were allowed to vote again.
Concept 4 – Voting representation in proportion to their responsibility that each must discharge. While past delegates are not part of the Area 41 Committee, they are asked to serve in various ways – chair First Timers’ Orientation, chair ad-hoc committees, facilitate elections, and continue to attend Assemblys (sic) to provide institutional memory and be elder statesmen.
The submitter conducted a survey of 60 Areas and found 30 allow past delegates to vote.
✅(VOTE) 2026-04-11 001 (Agenda)
Elect the host district for the 2027 Area 41 State Convention.
📌Background (click to hide/show)
Each year, Area 41 selects a host district for the annual state convention. The responsibilities of the State Convention host committee are found in the Area 41 Service Handbook.
✅(VOTE) Agenda Item 2022-04-02 005g (Agenda - from FUNction Ad Hoc)
Remove the requirement that the Area Chair hold committee meetings on Saturday morning from 9am-12pm.
📌Background (click to hide/show)
A past action requires the Area Chair to schedule committee meetings on Saturday morning. The FUNction Ad-Hoc Committee suggested eliminating this requirement to allow the Area Chair flexibility when setting the assembly agenda. Historically, at the April Assembly, committees typically meet for a shorter period at some point due to General Service Conference preparation.
✅(VOTE) Agenda Item 2026-04-11 002 (Finance)
Send contribution acknowledgements to groups or members that contribute to Area 41 and provide an email address.
📌Background (click to hide/show)
Area 41 previously sent contribution acknowledgements to groups and members as an expression of gratitude and accountability for funds received. This practice is no longer followed. At the General Service Board level, the GSB continues to send contribution acknowledgements through the GSB Treasurer.
A.A.’s service structure is built on gratitude, responsibility, and trust. Tradition Seven reminds us that contributions are both a spiritual practice and an expression of group conscience. Acknowledging contributions affirms stewardship, reinforces transparency, and strengthens the relationship between the Area and the Fellowship it serves.
To balance this practice with responsible use of Area funds, the adoption of email acknowledgements is proposed as a cost-effective alternative when a current email address is available.
✅(VOTE) Agenda Item 2026-01-10 002 (Report and Charter)
Proposed Newsletter Chair Scope and Responsibilities:
- Serve as a point of contact for items to be published in the Newsletter, following guidelines set by the Area 41 Report and Charter Committee. The focus is on sharing Area 41 information with members to help them reach an informed group conscience.
- Assist the secretary in maintaining a current list of all Area Officers, Area Committee Chairpersons, District Committee Members, and past Delegates.
- Remove last names, make necessary grammatical edits, and create a Spanish-language translation of the Newsletter.
- Deliver materials to the printer for publication and provide a digital copy of the Newsletter to the secretary. Publish and distribute the Newsletter within six weeks of an Assembly, in a cost-effective manner
📌Background (click to hide/show)
In keeping with Concept X, we need to clearly define the scope of all service positions. Currently, there is no defined scope for the Newsletter Chair. Establishing one will clarify the responsibilities of the role, and ensure that the authority given is appropriately matched to the responsibilities the fellowship has entrusted to this position.
New Agenda Items Assigned to Committee (6)
ℹ️(NEW) Agenda Item 2026-07-11 001 (Agenda)
If the infeasibility of paying for or otherwise providing food and/or beverages is a barrier to a district’s sponsorship of a Four Corners Workshop that would otherwise be scheduled by the Area, the Area Workshop Chair, in consultation with the Agenda Committee and with notice to the Treasurer, has the discretion to spend up to $60 per Workshop for the purchase of food and/or beverages for the workshop. If the exercise of that discretion would necessitate an increase in the Workshop Chair’s budget, prior approval of the Treasurer must be obtained.
📌Background (click to hide/show)
The purpose of the Four Corners Workshops is to bring the Area to more locations in Nebraska—especially those parts of Nebraska that are geographically separated from the largest population centers where multiple districts are located in close proximity to each other. Host districts and the Area collaborate to plan these workshops. The Area pays for the venue cost. Cost of food and beverages for workshops is borne by the sponsoring district(s). The goal of this agenda item is to get workshops to more parts of the Area even when a willing district’s limited resources make providing sufficient food and beverages infeasible. This item would provide discretion to determine whether this additional support is needed to fulfill the purpose of the workshop. This is discretion the Workshop Chair currently does not have.
ℹ️(NEW) Agenda Item 2026-07-11 002 (Literature and Finance)
Establish Cash on Hand, Inventory, and Operating Balance Guidelines for the Literature Committee.
📌Background (click to hide/show)
The Literature Committee manages funds, cash on hand, and, where applicable, inventory in support of its ongoing responsibilities. At times, these amounts can fluctuate without clearly defined parameters, which may increase the risk of holding excess cash, funds, or inventory beyond what is reasonably needed for quarterly operations.
This proposal is not intended to limit the committee’s ability to carry out its work, but rather to provide reasonable guardrails that support accountability, financial clarity, and the responsible stewardship of Area 41 funds and assets. Establishing defined thresholds for cash on hand, inventory reporting, and bank balances aligned with quarterly operational needs will help ensure consistency in reporting and reduce potential liability associated with holding unchecked funds or inventory.
ℹ️(NEW) Agenda Item 2026-07-11 003 (Grapevine/La Viña and Finance)
Establish Cash on Hand, Inventory, and Operating Balance Guidelines for the Grapevine / La Viña Committee.
📌Background (click to hide/show)
The Grapevine / La Viña Committee manages funds, cash on hand, and, where applicable, inventory in support of its ongoing responsibilities. At times, these amounts can fluctuate without clearly defined parameters, which may increase the risk of holding excess cash, funds, or inventory beyond what is reasonably needed for quarterly operations.
This proposal is not intended to limit the committee’s ability to carry out its work, but rather to provide reasonable guardrails that support accountability, financial clarity, and the responsible stewardship of Area 41 funds and assets. Establishing defined thresholds for cash on hand, inventory reporting, and bank balances aligned with quarterly operational needs will help ensure consistency in reporting and reduce potential liability associated with holding unchecked funds or inventory.
ℹ️(NEW) Agenda Item 2026-07-11 004 (Cooperation with the Professional Community & Public Information)
Amend the Area 41 Website Guidelines by adding a new paragraph immediately after paragraph 3.g.2:
h. For the purpose of defining Area 41’s agreed-upon anonymity protection for the website, all documents published on the area41.org server shall be clear of members’ last names and/or likenesses, including last names contained in email addresses. The Technology and Communications Committee and Webmaster may redact any last name found in a document provided for the website prior to uploading. Because even “closed” or “private” online spaces may reveal an individual’s identity, Area 41 requests that all documents hosted on the website remain anonymity protected whether located in public or restricted sections of the website.
📌Background (click to hide/show)
Paragraph 3.d.1 of the Area 41 Website Guidelines states: “An anonymity protected version of the Area 41 Newsletter shall be available on the website within 14 days of receipt from the Area 41 Newsletter Committee chair.”
Recent newsletters provided for posting have included members’ last names within personal email addresses. This agenda item asks the Area to exercise its group conscience to further define what constitutes an “anonymity-protected” document for the purposes of posting on the Area website.
A similar practice has previously been applied to event flyers posted on the website, where last names and email addresses containing last names are redacted prior to posting. This practice appears in Website Committee reports dating back at least to 2007.
A.A. literature does not state that a last name within an email address alone constitutes an anonymity break. However, the concern arises when an email address containing a member’s last name appears in a document connected with A.A. membership or service identity.
Paragraph 3.f.2.iii of the Area 41 Website Guidelines also states that restricted pages must remain anonymity protected. The full text of 3.f.2 reads as follows:
“2. Area 41 Website Restricted Pages
- These pages are available from the password protected page accessed through the “Members services” menu on the Area 41 websites home page.
- If desired, each officer, committee, and district may work with the Area 41 Website Committee to design a web page to assist that officer, committee, or district in doing its work within the Area 41 service structure.
- These restricted pages must still be anonymity protected. When needed, access to members contact information can be provided from the database; it cannot be part of the HTML page.”
This motion seeks to clarify the Area’s shared understanding so that website documents may be prepared and posted consistently, and so that web servants are not placed in the position of interpreting anonymity protections when documents received for posting do not align with the anonymity principles of Tradition Eleven.
ℹ️(NEW) Agenda Item 2026-07-11 005 (Agenda)
That Area 41 to review the current level of participation at the General Service Conference, ensuring that the Area’s continued involvement is contingent upon a service environment that adheres to A.A. principles and safety standards.
📌Background (click to hide/show)
In alignment with the Twelve Concepts for World Service, Area 41 recognizes its fundamental role in the A.A. service structure. This agenda item is brought forward to address the ongoing necessity of active participation in the General Service Conference, weighed against the primary responsibility of Area 41 to:
- Exercise Group Conscience: Act as the vital link between local groups and the Conference, ensuring the collective voice of our membership remains the guiding authority.
- Safeguard the Trust of the Fellowship: Maintain transparency and accountability, honoring the trust placed in the Area by individual members and groups.
- Ensure Safety and Well-being: Provide a supportive environment that protects the spiritual, physical, and emotional safety of its trusted servants.
Serious Concerns Reported: This consideration is necessitated by feedback from past General Service Conference members within Area 41. These members have shared serious concerns regarding the Conference environment. These reports suggest a climate that may compromise the safety and well-being of our trusted servants, potentially hindering their ability to perform their duties and maintain their personal recovery.
ℹ️(NEW) Agenda Item 2026-07-11 006 (Agenda)
That Area 41 determines whether to send a Delegate to the upcoming General Service Conference Panel 77, based on an evaluation of the Conference environment and its alignment with our Area’s spiritual principles, safety responsibilities, and the strategic exercise of our collective power.
📌Background (click to hide/show)
In alignment with the Twelve Concepts for World Service, Area 41 recognizes its fundamental role in the A.A. service structure. This agenda item is brought forward to address the necessity of active participation in the General Service Conference, weighed against the primary responsibility of Area 41 to:
- Exercise Informed Group Conscience: Protect the autonomy of local groups by ensuring their collective voice remains the guiding authority for A.A. as a whole.
- Address Concerns Over GSC/GSB Actions: Evaluate recent departures from traditional procedures, including controversial literature changes and budget allocations that may not reflect the fellowship's intent.
- Ensure Safety and Well-being: Safeguard the spiritual, physical, and emotional safety of its trusted servants. Following past Conferences, members within Area 41 have reported serious concerns.
Agenda Items Still in Committee (14)
- Agenda Item 2026-05-22 004 Report & Charter: Allow for the option to vote electronically with virtual platforms during all area voting.
- Agenda Item 2026-04-11 005 Finance: Approve the 2027 Area 41 Budget.
- Agenda Item 2026-04-11 006 Report & Charter and consult Technology & Communications: Review recent changes to Area 41 service material and documentation posted on www.area41.org without requiring logging into Member Services, and create a policy for what requires logging in vs. being publicly available.
- Agenda Item 2022-04-02 005m Accessibilities, Accommodations, Treatment, and Remote Communities (from FUNction Ad Hoc): That Area 41 establish a procedure to ensure that all shared Area documentation, publications, and communications are translated into Spanish.
- Agenda Item 2022-04-02 005h Agenda (from FUNction Ad Hoc): Area 41 shall have an Orientation Workshop at the Election Assembly for all new Officers, Area Committee Chairs, and Service Positions to learn about their new service responsibilities.
- Agenda Item 2022-04-02 005i Agenda (from FUNction Ad Hoc): Area 41 shall have a 3rd Legacy Workshop in July preceding the Elections.
- Agenda Item 2022-04-02 005k Agenda (with consult from Delegate from FUNction Ad Hoc): That the Area 41 Chairperson, either personally or through delegation to the Agenda Committee or another appropriate servant, ensure that the fellowship is provided with a yearly or rotational (two-year) flyer or PDF listing Area and Region-wide events. This schedule should include: 1) Dates, locations, and brief descriptions of events, and 2) Information on where to find additional or updated details (such as the Area 41 website). The flyer should be printable and easy to include in the newsletter or post at meetings or online. This item is not intended to include events with short notice or frequent changes (e.g., Four- Corners Workshops or similar).
- Agenda Item 2026-01-10 008 Agenda: Amend the Scope of the Agenda Committee in the Area 41 Guidelines and Service Manual to Include a Defined Inventory Process.
- Agenda Item 2026-01-10 004 Finance: Review Area 41 bank account structure and consider a change to consolidate bank accounts with the Area Treasurer handling Area 41 bill payments and reimbursements instead of each officer and committee chair having an individual bank account.
- Agenda Item 2022-04-02 005j Report and Charter (from FUNction Ad Hoc): All documents distributed at or by Area 41 should have a revision date on them.
- Agenda Item 2022-04-02 005n Report and Charter (from FUNction Ad Hoc): That Area 41 make District Committee Member (DCM) reports available on the Area 41 website rather than printing them in the Newsletter.
- Agenda Item 2022-10-09 014 Technology & Communications: To create an Email Subscription Service.
- Agenda Item 2023-04-15 008b Technology and Communications: Create guidelines and answer Traditions questions for future Area 41 purchases of electronic equipment. Determine who Area 41 should purchase electronic equipment for, how the items should be handled, used, protected, stored or passed along. Address questions of ongoing costs (subscriptions, maintenance, etc.) have not been addressed.
- Agenda Item 2026-01-10 007 Technology & Communications (and consult with Finance): Purchase of Additional Hybrid Meeting Equipment. Area 41 will purchase additional equipment to support hybrid meetings and events, which allow for both virtual and in-person participation, in an amount up to $2,500 including tax.
- Proposed Equipment:
- Two projectors, one laptop, one small amplifier, six additional webcams with tripods, and cases for audio equipment storage and transport
- The AV Servant will be responsible for oversight, management, and storage of this equipment.
- Proposed Equipment:
