A
service piece for home groups, districts, areas
Some
of these discussion points were originally developed by an A.A. group and
further developed by the trustees’ Literature Committee to be distributed by
the General Service Office. While this checklist is intended as a starting
point for discussion by groups, districts or areas, individual A.A. members may
find it useful along with our co-founder Bill W.’s writings, a service sponsor
if you have one and reflection on your own service experience. Additional
information about the Concepts can be found in The A.A. Service Manual/Twelve
Concepts for World Service and “The Twelve Concepts Illustrated” pamphlet. (The
Concepts stated here are in the short form.)
Concept
I: Final responsibility and ultimate authority for A.A. world services should
always reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship. · Does our
group have a general service representative (G.S.R.)? Do we feel that our home
group is part of A.A. as a whole and do our group’s decisions and actions reflect
that? · Do we hold regular group conscience meetings encouraging everyone to
participate? Do we pass that conscience on to the district, area, or the local
intergroup meetings? · Is the “collective conscience” of Alcoholics Anonymous
at work in my home group? In my area? · Where do we fit in the upside-down
triangle of A.A.? · Are we willing to do what it takes to insure that our
democracy of world service will work under all conditions?
Concept
II: The General Service Conference of A.A. has become, for nearly every
practical purpose, the active voice and the effective conscience of our whole
Society in its world affairs. · Do we have an understanding of the history of
the General Service Conference (the “Conference”)? · What is a Conference
Advisory Action? Does our home group’s G.S.R., D.C.M., area delegate report
back to the group on the highlights of the Conference and Conference Advisory
Actions? · Is our group meeting its wider Seventh Tradition responsibilities?
Concept
III: To insure effective leadership, we should endow each element of A.A. —the
Conference, the General Service Board and its service corporations, staffs,
committees, and executives—with a traditional “Right of Decision.” · Do we
understand what is meant by the “Right of Decision”? Do we grant it at all
levels of service or do we “instruct”? · Do we trust our trusted servants —
G.S.R., D.C.M., area delegate, the Conference itself?
Concept
IV: At all responsible levels, we ought to maintain a traditional “Right of
Participation,” allowing a voting representation in reasonable proportion to
the responsibility that each must discharge. · Do we understand the spiritual
principles underlying the “Right of Participation”? · What does “in reasonable
proportion” mean? Do we understand when it is appropriate for A.A. paid staff
to have a vote at the General Service Conference or in our local service
structure? · Do we expect that, because we are A.A. members, we should be
allowed to vote at any group, even if we are not active members of that group?
Concept
V: Throughout our structure, a traditional “Right of Appeal” ought to prevail,
so that minority opinion will be heard and personal grievances receive careful
consideration. · Do we encourage the minority opinion, the “Right of Appeal”, to
be heard at our home group, district committee meetings, area assemblies and
the Conference? · What does our group accept as “substantial unanimity”? · Has
our group experienced the “tyranny of the majority” or the “tyranny of the
minority”? · Does our group understand the importance of all points of view
being heard before a vote is taken?
Concept
Vl: The Conference recognizes that the chief initiative and active
responsibility in most world service matters should be exercised by the trustee
members of the Conference acting as the General Service Board. · Are we
familiar with how our General Service Board (G.S.B.) Class A and Class B
trustees serve A.A.? Are we familiar with how our other trusted servants serve
A.A.? · Are we clear about the terms, “chief initiative” and “active
responsibility”? Can we see a direct link to our home group?
Concept
Vll: The Charter and Bylaws of the General Service Board are legal instruments,
empowering the trustees to manage and conduct world service affairs. The Conference
Charter is not a legal document; it relies upon tradition and the A.A. purse
for final effectiveness. · Do we act responsibly regarding the “power of the
purse?” · Do we realize that the practical and spiritual power of the
Conference will nearly always be superior to the legal power of the G.S.B.?
Concept
VIII: The trustees are the principal planners and administrators of overall
policy and finance. They have custodial oversight of the separately
incorporated and constantly active services, exercising this through their
ability to elect all the directors of these entities. · Do we understand the
relationship between the two corporate service entities (A.A. World Services,
Inc., the A.A. Grapevine) and the General Service Board? · How can the business
term “custodial oversight” apply to the trustees’ relationship to the two
corporate service entities? · Does my home group subscribe to G.S.O.’s
bimonthly newsletter Box 4-5-9? The A.A.Grapevine? Do I?
Concept
IX: Good service leadership at all levels is indispensable for our future
functioning and safety. Primary world service leadership, once exercised by the
founders, must necessarily be assumed by the trustees. · Do we discuss how we
can best strengthen the composition and leadership of our future trusted
servants? · Do we recognize the need for group officers? What is our criteria
for election? Do we sometimes give a position to someone “because it would be
good for them?” · Do I set a positive leadership example?
Concept
X: Every service responsibility should be matched by an equal service
authority, with the scope of such authority well defined. · Do we understand
“authority” and “responsibility” as they relate to group conscience decisions
by G.S.R.s, D.C.M.s and our area delegates?
·
Why is delegation of “authority” so important to the overall effectiveness of
A.A.? Do we use this concept to define the scope of “authority?”
Concept
Xl: The trustees should always have the best possible committees, corporate
service directors, executives, staffs, and consultants. Composition,
qualifications, induction procedures, and rights and duties will always be
matters of serious concern. · Do we understand how the roles of nontrustee
directors and nontrustee appointed committee members help serve and strengthen
the committee system? · How do we encourage our special paid workers to
exercise their traditional “Right of Participation?” · Do we practice rotation
in all our service positions?
Concept
Xll: The Conference shall observe the spirit of A.A. tradition, taking care
that it never becomes the seat of perilous wealth or power; that sufficient
operating funds and reserve be its prudent financial principle; that it place
none of its members in a position of unqualified authority over others; that it
reach all important decisions by discussion, vote, and, whenever possible, by
substantial unanimity; that its actions never be personally punitive nor an
incitement to public controversy; that it never perform acts of government, and
that, like the Society it serves, it will always remain democratic in thought
and action. · How do we guard against becoming a “seat of perilous wealth or
power?” · How do we practice prudent use of our Seventh Tradition contributions
and literature revenue? · Do we insure the spiritual liberties of all A.A.
members by not placing any member in the position of absolute authority over
others? · Do we try to reach important decisions by thorough discussion, vote
and, where possible, substantial unanimity? · As guardians of A.A.’s traditions,
are we ever justified in being personally punitive? · Are we careful to avoid
public controversy? · Do we always try to treat each other with mutual respect
and love?
Rev.7/1/02