MBAIAA Newsletter – March 2025
Published on March 28, 2025
Step 3 – “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”
“Therefore, we who are alcoholics can consider ourselves fortunate indeed. Each of us has had his own near-fatal encounter with the juggernaut of self-will, and has suffered enough under its weight to be willing to look for something better. So it is by circumstance rather than by any virtue that we have been driven to A.A., have admitted defeat, have acquired the rudiments of faith, and now want to make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to a Higher Power.”
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions – Pages 37-38
What’s Happening Locally
Monthly Intergroup Birthday Meeting
Due to an error in communication on my part, the originally scheduled host group will not be leading the event. Instead, the MBAIAA Intergroup will host! My apologies for any confusion and thank you for your understanding. We look forward to a wonderful evening together! – Oliver, Central Office Administrator
Time: Saturday, March 29th at 7:00PM
Place: Monterey High School Cafeteria – 101 Herrmann Dr. Monterey CA 93940
Speaker: George F.
Please come and support the fellowship! We will have cake & coffee and there will be much to celebrate – TOGETHER!
The monthly birthday meeting is an Open meeting held on the last Saturday of each month (except for December when the meeting is held along with a holiday banquet). The first part of the meeting includes a presentation of birthday medallions for those celebrating annual A.A. anniversaries – all alcoholics are invited to participate. Birthdays are followed by an A.A. speaker who shares for 40 to 45 minutes and the meeting ends about 8:30pm.
Coffee is typically ready no later than 6:30pm. Arrive early for good parking, fellowship, and a great seat!
Proposed 2025 MBAIAA Budget Available
The proposed 2025 Monterey Bay Area Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous (MBAIAA) budget is now available for review. This document outlines our anticipated expenses and income for the upcoming year, guiding our financial planning and operations. We encourage all members to review the proposed budget, ask questions, and provide input.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PROPOSED BUDGET >> (PDF)
Your feedback is important! Please reach out to your Intergroup Representative or Central Office with any comments or suggestions.
The budget will be discussed and voted upon at the upcoming Intergroup meeting on April 8.
Intergroup Meeting Minutes & Financial Reports – March 2025
A Note From Central Office
Hello everyone,
It’s been a lively month at Central Office! We’ve welcomed many members who stopped by to purchase literature, make contributions, and ask thoughtful questions. Your ongoing support – whether through visits, donations, or service – is truly appreciated. Thank you for helping us keep the hand of AA always available.
Our printed meeting schedules have been updated! A key change: online-only meetings are now listed at the top of each day’s schedule rather than grouped by city, making them easier to find. In any Group Contributions reports sorted by location, these meetings will now be categorized under “Online” Printed meeting schedules can be found in our office or on our website at under the Meeting Resources menu tab, and at the top of the Meeting Schedule page.
Thank you to all the groups who have agreed to host the birthday meetings for the rest of the year. Your host groups will be:
Apr 26: Carmel Women’s Thursday Night
May 31: P.G. Sunday Discussion
Jun 28: P.G. Friday Men’s Stag
Jul 26: Reflections (Carmel Valley)
Aug 30: Carmel Men’s Stag
Sep 27: Mighty Muffins
Oct 25: Seniors in Sobriety
Nov 29: The Noon Group (Fellowship Hall)
Dec 27: Steering Committee
Just a quick reminder to the group treasurers, please be sure to indicate your group name and GSO assigned group number on checks and any form of electronic payment (i.e. Venmo or Zelle). Also, please keep in mind that any contributions made via Paypal are subject to a fee and we do not receive your entire contribution.
In Love and Service,
Oliver
Unity Day Planning Meetings
There will be several plannning meetings leading up to Unity Day on June 8, 2025.
View the schedule of planning meetings on our Events Calendar >
All are encouraged to participate in planning and Hosting this celebration of AA’s 90th Birthday.
Available Space for Meetings
The Carmel Youth Center (4th & Torres in Carmel, next to the police station) has offered their facilities for rent! They have some beautiful spaces that would be perfect for AA groups to host meetings or events. Please contact Keith, (831) 620-2216, if you are interested in renting a space.
This large room has a beautiful view
This room has its own private entrance
There’s also a room with a kitchen (kitchen not shown)
MBAR 2026 Event and Committee News
MBAR 2026 Logo Contest – Submit Your Design!
Are you a creative thinker? Help shape the look of MBAR 2026 by designing our official logo!
How to Enter: Email your design to: mbarchair2026@gmail.com by May 5, 2025.
Design Guidelines:
- Theme: KEEP IT SIMPLE
- Must Include: The year 2026
- Requirements: Simple graphics, max 3 colors, and usable for a 2” x 2” logo
- Winner Announcement & Prize: The winning design will be revealed at the June Intergroup Birthday Meeting on June 28, 2025.
The winner will receive:
✔ Free entry to the 2026 MBAR Conference
✔ A free MBAR t-shirt
Let your creativity shine—submit your design today!
MBAR 2026 Committee – Volunteers Needed!
The MBAR Committee is growing, and we’re grateful for the amazing volunteers who have joined us so far. But we still need more helping hands to make MBAR 2026 a success!
Open Positions
We have a variety of roles available, whether you prefer working behind the scenes or being front and center. Here are just a few of the open positions:
🔹 Alanon Chair
🔹 Alanon Speaker Chair
🔹 Dance Chair
🔹 Decorations Chair
🔹 Dinner Chair
🔹 GSR Liaison
🔹 H&I Liaison
🔹 Literature Chair
🔹 Marathon Meetings Chair
🔹 Panel Chair & Co-Chair
🔹 Recording Chair
🔹 Registration Chair
🔹 Shuttle Service Chair
🔹 Social Media Co-Chair
🔹 Spanish Community Chair & Co-Chair
🔹 Steering Co-Chair
🔹 Steering Recording Secretary
🔹 Steering Treasurer
🔹 Welcome & Social Chair
🔹 And many more onsite volunteer roles!
Who Can Volunteer?
We welcome everyone—whether you’re introverted or extroverted, have plenty of free time or just a little, or simply want to give back and be part of an amazing team.
Interested? Email Jenn at mbarchair2026@gmail.com for more details or join one of our business meetings.
MBAR Business Meetings 2025 – Get Involved!
Want to be part of the MBAR 2026 planning process? Join our monthly business meetings for fun, fellowship, and a chance to contribute to this incredible event.
Meetings: 2nd Saturday of every month
Time: 10:00 AM (PST)
Location: Zoom
Zoom Details:
🔹 Meeting ID: 330 100 7207
🔹 Password: 2026
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be part of something special. Join us and help make MBAR 2026 unforgettable!
News From General Service
Hello everyone,
I’m Elena, your District Committee Member Chair, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to attend this year’s PRAASA (Pacific Region Alcoholics Anonymous Service Assembly) in Anchorage, Alaska. The theme of the event was “Working Together, Increasing Trust,” which focused on building unity across the Pacific Region. It was an inspiring and enriching experience with a packed schedule and a variety of important highlights.
One of the most engaging aspects of PRAASA was the Pacific Region delegate reports. I also had the opportunity to participate in panels covering significant topics, such as the involvement of young people in AA, the importance of a plain language Big Book, supporting remote communities, and the Pacific Region trustee report. Additionally, I attended the DCMC roundtable, where DCMCs from all 15 areas shared their experiences and insights.
A major highlight was the focus on accessibility. I am excited to share that deafaa.org now offers valuable resources for Deaf and Hard of Hearing members. AA literature is available in ASL on YouTube. Accessible AA meetings are hosted weekly. An exciting development is the January 17th, 2026 online forum for deaf alcoholics. The work being done in this area is impactful, and it was moving to see how far we have come in terms of inclusivity.
Looking ahead, we have our Pre-Conference Assembly in Santa Cruz on April 5 & 6, 2025 at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. This is an important event where GSRs, DCMs, and DCMCs from the entire Northern California Coastal Area will come together to share their groups’ consciences on agenda items for the General Service Conference. Our Delegate, Chitra, will take these voices to the conference. It’s a great opportunity to witness how we make decisions as a fellowship—so please come and see it in action!
In addition, I’m excited to share that District 01 (Monterey) presented a Proposed Agenda Item (PAI) for the 2026 General Service Conference at both the District and Area Business meetings. This PAI will also be discussed at the upcoming assembly. The request is that A.A. produces a public information service piece that delivers a simple and consistent message, incorporating QR codes for easy access. This piece would be used across the United States and Canada. We believe this initiative will help carry the message of A.A. to a broader audience in a more accessible and impactful way.
Together, we can continue to strengthen the unity of our fellowship and ensure that AA remains accessible to all.
In gratitude,
Elena
District Committee Member Chair