Frequently Asked Questions
What is a General Service Representative?
The general service representative (G.S.R.) has the job of linking his or her group with A.A. as a whole. The G.S.R. represents the voice of the group conscience, reporting the group’s thoughts to the district committee member and to the delegate, who passes them on to the Conference. This communication is a two-way street, making the G.S.R. responsible for bringing back to the group Conference Actions that affect A.A. unity, health, and growth. Only when a G.S.R. keeps the group informed, and communicates the group conscience, can the Conference truly act for A.A. as a whole. FINANCIAL SUPPORT: Current experience indicates that many groups provide financial support for their general service representatives to attend service functions.
What is a District Committee Member?
The district committee member (D.C.M.) is an essential link between the group G.S.R. and the area delegate to the General Service Conference. As leader of the district committee, made up of all G.S.R.s in the district, the D.C.M. is exposed to the group conscience of that district.As a member of the area committee, he or she is able to pass on the district’s thinking to the delegate and the committee. (The pamphlet “Your D.C.M.,” available from the General Service Office, provides basic information on this service job.) FINANCIAL SUPPORT: Current experience indicates that many districts provide financial support for their D.C.M.s to attend service functions. Invariably, this pays off in increased activity, interest, and group participation.
What are the responsibilities of the Treasurer?
The treasurer pays approved financial responsibilities of the district and keeps financial records for the district which are reported regularly to the district body. In most cases, the treasurer is responsible for encouraging contribution support for district, area and G.S.O. services.
What is the Correctional Facilities Committee?
The purpose of a correctional facilities committee (C.F.C.) is to coordinate the work of individual A.A. members and groups who are interested in carrying our message of recovery to alcoholics behind the walls, and to set up means of smoothing the way from the facility to the larger A.A. community through prerelease contacts.
What is the Cooperation with the Professional Community Committee?
Members of C.P.C. provide information about A.A. to those who have contact with alcoholics through their profession. This group includes health care professionals, educators, members of the clergy, lawyers, social workers, union leaders, and industrial managers, as well as those working in the field of alcoholism. Information is provided about where we are, what we are, what we can do, and what we cannot do.
What is the Public Information Committee?
The purpose of P.I. service work is to provide accurate A.A. information to the public when requested. P.I. committees visit schools, businesses and community meetings for this purpose. They also serve as resources for our friends in the local media, emphasizing our Traditions of anonymity, singleness of purpose and nonaffiliation, as well as offering A.A. public service announcements to radio and television stations.
What is the Treatment Facilities Committee?
Treatment facilities committees are formed to coordinate the work of individual A.A. members and groups who are interested in carrying our message of recovery to alcoholics in treatment facilities, and to set up means of “bridging the gap” from the facility to an A.A. group in the individual’s community.
What is a Grapevine Representative?
Grapevine representatives (GvRs) and La Viña representatives (RLVs) perform a service for A.A. members, bringing them two vital tools of recovery — the A.A. Grapevine and La Viña. GvRs and RLVs are engaged in practical, hands-on work. Their basic job is to make the magazines available to the group, to encourage A.A.s to read them, subscribe to them, and use them in Twelfth Step work.
What is the structure of the General Service Conference?
Diagram of General Service Conference structure
THE GROUP: The communication process starts with the group, which lets its group conscience — for or against change, approval or disapproval of a proposed action — be known to its elected general service representative (G.S.R.). The G.S.R. (see Chapter Two) makes sure the group’s wishes are heard and fully considered at the district and area levels, and that they are part of the delegate’s thinking at the Conference. After each annual Conference, the G.S.R. is responsible for making sure that group members are informed about what went on at the Conference and made aware of the full range of Advisory Actions (see Chapter Seven).
THE DISTRICT: Groups are organized into districts, collections of groups located near one another. The G.S.R.s of these groups select district committee members (D.C.M.s), who become part of the area committee (see Chapter Three for more on the district).
THE AREA: The U.S./Canada Conference is divided into 93 areas, made up of a state or province, part of a state or province, or in some cases parts of more than one state or province. At the area assembly, a delegate is elected to represent the area at the annual Conference meeting (see Chapters Four and Five for more on the area and its activities).
THE CONFERENCE AND THE DELEGATE: At the annual Conference meeting, matters of importance to the Fellowship as a whole are first considered and discussed by one of the standing Conference committees, then brought to the full Conference in the form of committee recommendations. All Conference members then have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the recommendations before they are voted on. Committee recommendations that are approved become Conference Advisory Actions (see Chapters Seven and Eight for more information on the Conference).
After the Conference, the delegate reports back to the area, working through D.C.M.s and group G.S.R.s. At the same time, any Conference Advisory Actions that were referred to the trustees are sent to either the appropriate trustees’ committee, G.S.O., or the A.A. Grapevine for implementation.
Membership in the Conference consists of area delegates, trustees, directors of A.A. World Services and the Grapevine, and A.A. staff members of the General Service Office and the Grapevine. Traditionally, area delegates make up at least two-thirds of the Conference body.
THE TRUSTEES: The General Service Board (see Chapter Nine) is made up of 21 trustees. It meets quarterly, and its actions are reported to the Fellowship through quarterly reports and also in the Final Conference Report. The board’s two operating corporations, A.A.World Services, Inc. and The A.A. Grapevine, Inc., report in the same way (see Chapter Ten). A.A.W.S. is the corporation that employs G.S.O. personnel, directs G.S.O. services, and is responsible for book and pamphlet publishing. The Grapevine corporate board employs the magazine’s editorial and business staffs and publishes A.A.’s monthly magazine and related materials.Reprinted in part from the A.A. Service Manual and A.A. Guidelines with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
What is an A.A. Group Inventory?
Many groups periodically hold a "group inventory meeting" to evaluate how well they are fulfilling theirprimary purpose: to help alcoholics recover through A.A.’s suggested Twelve Steps of recovery. Some groups take inventory by examining our Twelve Traditions, one at a time, to determine how well they are living up to these principles. The following questions, compiled from A.A. shared experience, may be useful in arriving at an informed group conscience. Groups will probably wish to add questions of their own:
- What is the basic purpose of our group?
- What more can our group do to carry the message?
- Is our group attracting alcoholics from different backgrounds? Are we seeing a good cross-section of our community, including those with special needs?
- Do new members stick with us, or does the turnover seem excessive? If so, why? What can we as a group do to retain members?
- Do we emphasize the importance of sponsorship? How effectively? How can we do it better?
- Are we careful to preserve the anonymity of our group members and other A.A.s outside the meeting rooms? Do we also leave what they share at meetings behind?
- Does our group emphasize to all members the value of keeping up with the kitchen, set-up, cleanup and other housekeeping chores that are essential for our Twelfth Step efforts?
- Are all members given the opportunity to speak at meetings and to participate in other group activities?
- Mindful that holding office is a great responsibility not to be viewed as the outcome of a popularity contest, are we choosing our officers with care?
- Are we doing all we can to provide an attractive and accessible meeting place?
- Does our group do its fair share toward participating in the purpose of A.A.—as it relates to our Three Legacies of Recovery, Unity, and Service?
- What has our group done lately to bring the A.A. message to the attention of professionals in the community—the physicians, clergy, court officials,28 educators, and others who are often the first to see alcoholics in need of help?
- How is our group fulfilling its responsibility to the Seventh Tradition?
Quoted from "The A.A. Group" pamphlet (Pg. 27 printed, Pg. 28 in PDF)
