Notifying the Area of Your Group’s Online Meeting Information

If your group has begun offering online meetings in lieu of meeting in person, please use the Temporary Suspension of In-Person Meetings form to notify the Area Registrar.

Online Meeting Passwords

Why Does My Meeting Suddenly Have A Password?

In response to the “Zoom Bombing” phenomena, Zoom has instituted a global policy change which will require passwords for meetings scheduled with a personal meeting ID, and apply passwords to all meetings which have already been scheduled using a single-license pro, or free tier account.

The net result of this is that many Zoom meetings in Area 43 are now password protected, even if you did not have a meeting password when you originally scheduled it.

Suggested Password for Meetings in the Area

Area 43 is issuing the following recommendations for meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous on Zoom:

  • The Area will not publish meeting passwords in the interactive meeting guide, or Meeting Guide mobile application
  • Meetings are encouraged to apply the following convention for their meeting passwords: districtX

    Where X is the district number in which your meeting is held.

For example, an online meeting that is held in the fictional town of Bedrock Falls, NH which is part of District 99, then their meeting password would be: district99

Why Use This Convention?

Using a common convention for all meetings provides the Area 43 Office, and Hotline staff, a simple way to provide passwords to callers looking for meeting information. We always want to make sure the newcomer can access a meeting.

The common password syntax is:

  • Easy to remember
  • Simple to enter
  • Shareable without posting the password alongside the meeting ID

What If I Don’t Want to Use It?

Respecting Tradition 4, which states that every A.A. group ought to be autonomous, except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole, we recognize that some groups may choose to apply a meeting password that does not follow with the Area’s suggestion. This is a decision that should be made within your group conscience.

The Area Office and Hotline staff will not be tracking individual meeting passwords, and will not publish meeting passwords on the area website. If a member or newcomer calls looking for a meeting, they will be given a meeting ID, and the district# password.

If your meeting password does not follow the convention, then newcomers and visitors may have a more difficult time gaining access to your meeting. But this convention for passwords is merely a suggestion of the Area staff.