Tips for Submitting News & Events
Please review the checklist before submitting.
Submission Policy
Area 53 welcomes website news and events submissions that promote communication, cooperation and unity in carrying the A.A. message from it's member groups, intergroups, districts, standing committees, intrastate Areas, and components of the General Service structure.
Examples of acceptable events:
- Sponsored events of Area 53's committees, districts, and groups within the districts that are registered within Area 53.
- Intergroup events that are registered with Intergroups in Area 53.
Examples of unacceptable events:
- An A.A. event that is not sposored by Area 53 or Intergroups in Area 53 or a registered A.A. group.
- Fundraisers
- Organizations outside the A.A. structure, such as:
- Treatment Centers
- Churches
The Basic Checklist
- Be sure to include your name and your group’s name with the submission so we can contact you if there are any questions.
- Make sure that personal anonymity is protected on the flyer (no last names).
- Choose the date wisely! Check the Area 53 Events Calendar to make sure the event does not conflict with another scheduled event.
- Include all pertinent information, i.e. Who, What, When, Where, Why.
- The event must be an Alcoholics Anonymous event.
- DO NOT use images that are copyright protected! (See below)
- Proof the entry! Check grammar, spelling, and most important, how well the flyer is communicating the event.
- Submit the flyer as a PDF document. Most word processing programs allow documents to be saved or exported as a PDF. Contact the Web Administrator if you need assistance.
- Submit the event to (or use the button below).
- Please allow three weeks for the submitted content to be approved and published.
We have a list of apps you can use to make a great flyer. If you use one of them, just be sure there is no advertising on them. Email us and we'll send you the list.
Graphics and Image Usage
Examples of images that are OK to use with proper credit.
Pamphlet cover graphics
A.A. entities have permission to reprint thumbnail or larger-sized graphics of A.A. pamphlet covers for A.A. purposes only. Place the copyright symbol © next to the graphic and include the following credit line: The above graphic is (or graphics are) used with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
The Circle and Triangle
Anyone can use this symbol.
Examples of images that are NOT OK to use.
AA Grapevine
Grapevine Cartoons may never be reproduced, as the Grapevine does not retain the copyright to cartoons.
Any other illustrations, photos or artwork found on aagrapevine.org.
The AA Grapevine, Inc., Logo and Artwork
Except as may be expressly permitted in advance by AA Grapevine, Inc., Grapevine does not grant permission to reproduce either its logo or its artwork or any cartoons on any other website or in any other publication.
See AA Grapevine Copyright and Reprints Policy
The “blue people” graphic from the homepage of www.aa.org
The Blue People graphic is a copyrighted design and registered trademark of A.A.W.S., Inc., with all rights reserved for use exclusively by the A.A.W.S. Board, AA Grapevine Board, the General Service Board of U.S./Canada, and General Service Office of U.S./Canada. Therefore, A.A.W.S., Inc. does not grant permission to use the Blue People to any other A.A. entity and/or to create a derivative of The Blue People for any use.
Any artwork displayed on any website
This includes any images or graphics from aa.org, aagrapevine.org and even just google. Assume that all images are copyright protected unless it is specifically labeled for reuse. Any image from a stock photo or stock image website that contains a watermark (a white imprint of their logo or text that covers the image) is not free to use.
Trademarks & Copyright Information from the A.A. Service Manual
A.A. World Services and Grapevine have registered a number of trademarks and logos, and the guidelines for using them are based partly on legal considerations and partly on the nature of A.A.
In 1993, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., announced that official use of all of the several circle/triangle trademarks and service marks was being discontinued.
The following is a complete list of registered trademarks and service marks that symbolize Alcoholics Anonymous, its work and its purpose:
- A.A.
- Alcoholics Anonymous
- The Big Book
- the “Blue People” graphic
- Grapevine
- La Viña
- The Grapevine
- AA Grapevine
- GV
- AA Grapevine Digital Archive
- and Audio Grapevine.
Additionally, the “Blue People” graphic is a copyrighted design and trademark of A.A.W.S., Inc., with all rights reserved for use exclusively by the A.A.W.S. Board, AA Grapevine Board, The General Service Board of U.S./ Canada, and the General Service Office of U.S./Canada (per A.A.W.S., Inc., June 17, 2016).
Use of these marks on goods or services that do not emanate from A.A., and have not been approved by A.A., both infringes upon and dilutes A.A. marks, in legal terms.
The resulting harm is that the marks and A.A. itself, since A.A. is what the marks symbolize, will come to be associated with a variety of products and services that are not part of A.A., and are not consistent with A.A.’s purpose.
This will cause the marks to lose their meaning and significance as symbols of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Substantially all of the publications and other material produced and distributed by A.A.W.S. and the Grapevine, including service material, are protected by copyrights that have been registered by the respective corporations.
These materials are valuable Fellowship assets, and are held for the benefit of A.A. as a whole.
Therefore, the reprinting and/or copying of these materials is carefully monitored by A.A.W.S. and the Grapevine in order to avoid any erosion or loss of the copyrights.
Reprinted from A.A Service Manual p. S80, with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.