Frequently Asked Questions
What is YPAA?
YPAA is an acronym which comes from Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous. Though many members of our committees and attendees of our events & conferences are young in age, for our purposes, young means room to grow. All alcoholics, regardless of age, are welcome to attend. We think that any members of AA, who are willing to grow in their sobriety, are young alcoholics.
What is the History of YPAA?
"Young People’s Groups (YPGs) began appearing as early as 1945 in Los Angeles, Cleveland and Philadelphia and now can be found all across North America. In 1957, a group of young U.S./Canada A.A.s started ICYPAA to provide a setting for a yearly celebration of sobriety among young people in A.A. Two years later, at the Fellowship’s 25th Anniversary Convention in Long Beach, California, Bill W. noted that the age of new members was much lower than when he and Dr. Bob founded A.A. in 1935. In a letter to ICYPAA, dated June 15, 1969, Bill wrote, “...in recent years I have found nothing for greater inspiration than the knowledge that A.A. of tomorrow will be safe, and certainly magnificent, in the keeping of you who are the younger generation of A.A. today.”"
from Box 4-5-9 (Vol. 51, No.2/April/May 2005, pg. 6
from Box 4-5-9 (Vol. 51, No.2/April/May 2005, pg. 6
IS YPAA part of Alcoholics anonymous (AA)?
It depends on the committee/meeting/conference, as each is independent, however a lot of YPAA are.
Below are two statements from A.A. about whether or not YPAA groups are a part of A.A., along with a letter from Bill Wilson to ICYPAA in 1969:
Below are two statements from A.A. about whether or not YPAA groups are a part of A.A., along with a letter from Bill Wilson to ICYPAA in 1969:
Yes, ICYPAA is a part of A.A., as are young people in A.A. committees at the state and regional levels, as long as the events they organize are run by A.A. members, for A.A. members, and there is no other affiliation. ICYPAA is listed in our confidential A.A. directories under “Special International Contacts.”
from Box 4-5-9 (Vol. 54, No.1/February/March 2008, pg. 9
from Box 4-5-9 (Vol. 54, No.1/February/March 2008, pg. 9
"From time to time the General Service Office is asked if ICYPAA and young people’s groups are “part of A.A.” The answer is definitely yes. ICYPAA and its attendees are committed to reaching out to newcomers–no alcoholic is ever turned away, regardless of age–and to involvement in all facets of A.A. service. In most local A.A. meeting directories, young people’s meetings are listed along with others, though in some areas asterisks may identify them as YPGs. Members of these groups often can be found serving at the national, state, area and group levels. ICYPAA conventions and conferences are vital A.A. activities and as such are listed in the Box 459 'Calendar of Events.'"
Box 4-5-9 (Vol. 51, No.2/April/May 2005, pg. 7
Box 4-5-9 (Vol. 51, No.2/April/May 2005, pg. 7
Letter from Bill W. to the 12th ICYPAA (International Conference of Young People in AA)
What is ISCYPAA?
ISCYPAA is the Illinois State Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous. The first conference was held in 1983. You can see a lot of our history by visiting our Archives.
Does attending ISCYPAA cost Anything?
ISCYPAA is a self-supporting A.A. event. Each attendee must register for the conference. Hosting a large-scale A.A. event takes money. The host committee sets its registration fees at the rate they need in order to run a fiscally responsible event. A scholarship fund exists in order to help pay the registration fees for attendees who cannot afford the full registration amount. Please don’t let the cost of the registration fee keep you from attending ISCYPAA. You can reach out to the Host Committee in advance, if you would like. You can also feel free to reach out to the Advisory Council to discuss this.
Where does all the money go?
Putting on a conference costs money. The hotel/conference center/venue must be paid, along with other expenses that the Host Committee has committed to. Other major expenses usually include items such as audio-visual equipment and services for the main meetings and entertainment, merchandise, pre-conference events, food and beverage, and registration materials.
Once expenses have been paid and the prudent reserve has been refilled, ISCYPAA sends 100% of the money leftover to AA [GSO, each of the 3 areas in Illinois (Area 19, 20, & 21), and to other AA causes]. You can find out more by reading the Advisory Council packet.
Once expenses have been paid and the prudent reserve has been refilled, ISCYPAA sends 100% of the money leftover to AA [GSO, each of the 3 areas in Illinois (Area 19, 20, & 21), and to other AA causes]. You can find out more by reading the Advisory Council packet.
When I register/attend ISCYPAA, is there anything else that I agree to?
All ISCYPAA attendees are expected to abide by the guidelines outlined in the Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policies
How can I get in touch with YPAA committees in my area?
The first thing to try is simply going to the meetings in your local area and keeping your eye out for other young people. Sometimes young A.A.s will gather at the local clubhouse meeting on a Friday or Saturday night, or at a meeting on a college campus. Look through your local meeting list for any meetings that refer to young people in their names. Quite often, you can find YPAAs this way.
You can view our listing of the YPAA committees within the State of Illinois by clicking on our Host and Bid Committee list & map here.
You can also email our outreach chair or any other member of advisory through our Advisory page. We would love to help you connect to other members in your area.
You can view our listing of the YPAA committees within the State of Illinois by clicking on our Host and Bid Committee list & map here.
You can also email our outreach chair or any other member of advisory through our Advisory page. We would love to help you connect to other members in your area.
What do I need to do to get a bid committee going?
First, check to see if we have other YPAA committees currently in your area. If we do, you can reach out to the committee to find out how to get involved. Please email our Outreach Chair or another member of the Advisory Council if you need help getting in touch with an existing committee.
If there's not already a committee in your area, you're welcome to form one! You (and, if you know of other people who want to start one) would set a date & time for your first meeting where you would elect people to positions of your committee. Make sure to announce the date and time of the meeting to as many meetings as you can (even if someone at those meetings isn't interested in YPAA, they might know someone who would be). Please make sure to reach out to our Outreach Chair to let them know of the time & date so we can help you spread the word and be there to help you!
Please check out the Resources section of the Host & Bid Committees section of our page. You may want to look at the bid requirements and the other resources available. Please don't get intimidated, as members of the Advisory Council are available to help!
If there's not already a committee in your area, you're welcome to form one! You (and, if you know of other people who want to start one) would set a date & time for your first meeting where you would elect people to positions of your committee. Make sure to announce the date and time of the meeting to as many meetings as you can (even if someone at those meetings isn't interested in YPAA, they might know someone who would be). Please make sure to reach out to our Outreach Chair to let them know of the time & date so we can help you spread the word and be there to help you!
Please check out the Resources section of the Host & Bid Committees section of our page. You may want to look at the bid requirements and the other resources available. Please don't get intimidated, as members of the Advisory Council are available to help!
How can someone who is younger be an alcoholic?
Alcoholism can develop at any age. A.A. does not diagnose alcoholics. People have to decide for themselves whether or not they have a problem with alcohol.
If you feel like you are the only person your age in A.A., we can help you. This is one of the reasons why ISCYPAA exists. Many of us came to A.A. in places where there were very few young people in A.A. Email someone on the Advisory Council and we will help you connect with other young people in A.A.
A.A. has a few pamphlets that may help you to figure whether or not you are an alcoholic, or for someone to understand younger alcoholics. They are (click on each to be taken to the PDF versions on A.A.'s website):
If you feel like you are the only person your age in A.A., we can help you. This is one of the reasons why ISCYPAA exists. Many of us came to A.A. in places where there were very few young people in A.A. Email someone on the Advisory Council and we will help you connect with other young people in A.A.
A.A. has a few pamphlets that may help you to figure whether or not you are an alcoholic, or for someone to understand younger alcoholics. They are (click on each to be taken to the PDF versions on A.A.'s website):
