How to Prepare a Large-Print AA Chair Script
A chair script is easy to read at a desk and surprisingly hard to follow under a dim light with a room waiting. Prepare a copy that a volunteer can read from the actual chair. Start with the group’s current format and test where each page turns.
Begin with the group’s current copy
Ask the secretary or regular chair for the version in use. Check the opening, reading order and ending before you adjust the type. If two files disagree, ask which text the group has agreed to read. Keep local instructions separate from fellowship readings so the next volunteer knows which parts the group can edit.
Find out whether readers need a printed page, a digital document that can zoom, or both. Someone may prefer a large sheet on the table, while another person wants a smaller booklet that lies flat. Our guide to large-print and Braille AA literature helps when the group needs an official reading in a different format.
For any personal recognition cue, ask what the group needs on the page. Keep private names and dates in a separate place and follow the anniversary announcement consent guide before including details.
Lay out the pages for speaking
Start with a clear typeface and increase the size until the person using the script can read it from their usual position. Break long paragraphs at natural pauses. Keep an instruction such as “Pause for the reading” on its own line and mark it clearly as a cue. Use the same treatment for each cue so it is obvious even when someone glances down quickly.
If the format says who reads next, give that instruction enough space to stand out. Put a page number in the same corner on every sheet. Keep a spoken sentence together where possible. If a reading continues on the next page, mark the turn at the bottom so the reader can finish the line before looking for what comes next.
Try the pages in normal room lighting. A glossy sleeve may catch reflections from an overhead fixture. Set the script on the chair’s usual table or lectern and ask the volunteer to read the first minute aloud. Adjust what actually slowed them down.
Keep the spare in sync
Mark the date of the approved script on the back page. Keep a second copy where the substitute chair can find it. If the group changes the order of readings, update the source file, replace both printouts and remove any obsolete pages from the binder.
The first-time chair guide covers preparation for the whole meeting. Use it with the new copy and ask a substitute to locate the opening, discussion cue and closing without help. The same approach to putting materials within easy reach applies when setting up a literature table for another group.
If you share a digital copy, ask the reader to open it on the device they plan to use. Check that they can make the text bigger without losing their place. Keep a printed copy for occasions when the screen is hard to see or the device is unavailable.
When a volunteer needs an official reading in a larger format, check the publisher’s current listing. For example, A.A. publishes a large-print version of This Is A.A.. Use the format that suits the reader and verify the title against the group’s current reading list.
Medallions to consider
If the script includes a milestone presentation, confirm the duration on the coin before the meeting.
The photos show sample milestones. Confirm your choice in the Sobriety Time selector.
Tricolor Opulent Deep Blue Diamond Sparkle
Elite deep-blue design with a stone-set triangle. The selector lists 18 months and annual milestones from 1 to 65 years.
Tricolor Glittering Silver
Deluxe silver-colored design. The selector lists annual milestones from 1 to 40 years.
Common questions
Is there one correct print size?
Ask the person who will use the script. The distance from the page, the light and the typeface all affect readability.
Do we need to rewrite the chair format?
Start with a layout change. Use the group’s normal process if you also want to change the words or order.
Keep reading
Compare designs and milestone options in Elite Medallions and Deluxe Coins.
