AA’s 2025 International Convention

Language of the Heart

Even at the Vancouver airport the game was afoot. Who were the 40,000 anonymous alcoholics heading down to the Convention Center? Bet that lady over there wearing the “Smith & Wilson University” shirt is. Then out to the main airport lobby where AA volunteers were on hand to guide us on how to use the Skytrain to get downtown.

Even blocks away from the Center you could start seeing blue name tags – first a few and then dozens and dozens. Then it became a groundswell where even moving through the crowd was tough. Block parties began Thursday night at 8pm. Have you ever seen 5,000 AAs rockin’ out?

There were meetings every hour on the hour starting at midnight Thursday. The main event started at 9am Friday morning with mini-Leads, info sessions, & panels in 10 different languages. Topics ranged from “Tolerance and Trust” to “AA and Correctional Facilities” to “Pain: The Touchstone of Growth.” Speakers were from around the world – my first mini-Lead was a New Zealander.

These workshops continued long into the day, ending around 5:30pm. Meanwhile, spread across the hotels were 25 hospitality suites featuring AA subgroups, e.g., “Deaf AA and Friends,” (Continued on page 2)

“International Conference of Secular AA,” “International Pilots and Aviation Industry,” and (of course) “Irish.” In the Convention halls were exhibit booths for “Carry‑the‑Message,” “GSO Archives,” and “Grapevine/La Viña.” Both Al-Anon and Alateen had their meetings with over 1,800 Al-Anoners registered for the weekend.

The crowd roared in approval as a fife & drum band loudly introduced Friday night’s 8pm Big Meeting at BC Place. There was a Flag Ceremony where the 80+ represented countries had their flags paraded across the stage to great applause. Three mini-Leads followed – a woman from New York, a gentleman from Helsinki, and a Cree Indian woman from Vancouver. The Helsinki mini-Lead broke down several times during his recovery story demonstrating the Convention’s theme, Language of the Heart.

Saturday was rinse and repeat. Tons of meetings. Food trucks of every variety. Beautiful views of the mountains across Vancouver Harbor. Cool breezes. And wonderful opportunities to just stick your hand out and say, “Hi, I’m from Cleveland.” I met, not one, but two women who peppered me with questions about Clarence Snyder. I know many Cleveland AAs who have never heard of him, and here, 3,000 miles away, we talked about the lengths he was willing to go to stay sober. Towards day’s end, Ohioans gathered for an impromptu photo shoot complete with the iconic OHIO formed by four AAs holding their arms aloft. I counted at least 20 Clevelanders I readily identified in the crowd. What a blast!

Back at BC Place Saturday night for the Oldtimers Big Meeting, and boy, we were not disappointed. Twelve AAs, each with 50+ years, regaled us with witty, poignant, inspiring, and funny 5 minute mini-Leads. Worth the price of admission. More dances ended the night and went into the morning (while I was in bed).

Sunday was the day to start saying goodbye to new friends. I can’t tell you how many AAs I told to get ahold of me if they were ever in Cleveland or at Founders Day. The Closing Big Meeting began at 9am and brought closure to an emotion filled weekend. Do yourself a favor, and, just this once, don’t live one day at a time. Instead, take your calendar and mark the weekend of July 4th, 2030, for AA’s 95th Anniversary to be held in St. Louis. See ya there!

P.S. Gratitude to Vancouver AA and the 5,000 volunteers. They did a fantastic job.

By: Paul R.