Welcome to Area 09

For most A.A.s, membership in a home group is one of the keys to continuing sobriety.  In a home group, they accept service responsibilities and learn to sustain friendships.  The home group affords individual A.A.s the privilege of voting on issues that affect the Fellowship as a whole; it is the very basis of the service structure.  While most A.A. members attend other groups regularly, the home group is where they participate in business meetings and cast their vote as part of the group conscience of the Fellowship as a whole.

The general service representative (GSR) 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.

A district is a geographical unit containing the right number of groups – right in terms of the committee member’s ability to keep in frequent touch with them, to learn their problems, and to find ways to contribute to their growth and well-being.

The number of groups per district varies widely, from as few as five in a rural district, to 90 or more in a metropolitan district.  Population density and the geographic size of the district, which will affect the ability of the D.C.M. to communicate with the groups, would be key factors determining the number of groups a district will have.

LINGUISTIC DISTRICTS: To encourage participation of the maximum number of groups, some areas have incorporated linguistic districts within their structure.  These districts are made up of groups that conduct meetings in a language other than English.  They usually have a bilingual D.C.M. or liaison.  Their boundaries may be independent of the conventional geographic district boundaries.

The area committee is composed of all district committee members, area officers, and chairs of area service committees.  There should be enough districts and committee members to ensure good communication between the committee and the groups.  In the absence of a D.C.M., the alternate D.C.M. is a voting member.

In some areas, past delegates serve on the committee, with or without a vote; in others, only the outgoing delegate is a committee member, with or without a vote.  The decision on the status of past delegates is up to the group conscience of the area assembly.

The delegate has a demanding job, not only because a large amount of time and work are involved, but because it is the delegate’s responsibility to serve the U.S./Canada Conference as a whole.  As voting members of the Conference, delegates bring to its deliberations the experiences and viewpoints of their own areas.  Yet they are not representatives of their areas in the usual political sense; after hearing all points of view and becoming fully informed during Conference discussion, they vote in the best interests of A.A. as a whole.

In all its proceedings, the General Service Conference shall observe the spirit of the A.A. Tradition, taking great care that the Conference never becomes the seat of perilous wealth or power; that sufficient operating funds, plus an ample reserve, be its prudent financial principle; that none of the Conference Members shall ever be placed in a position of unqualified authority over any of the others; that all important decisions be reached by discussion, vote, and whenever possible, by substantial unanimity; that no Conference action ever be personally punitive or an incitement to public controversy; that though the Conference may act for the service of Alcoholics Anonymous, it shall never perform any acts of government; and that, like the Society of Alcoholics Anonymous which it serves, the Conference itself will always remain democratic in thought and action.

General Warranties of the Conference

Concept XII

Twelve Concepts for World Service

English

The GSR Preamble:

We are the General Service Representatives.

We are the link in the chain of communication for our groups with the General Service Conference and the world of A.A.

We realize the ultimate authority is a loving God as he may express Himself in our Group Conscience.

As trusted servants, our job is to bring information to our groups in order that they can reach an informed group conscience.

In passing along this group conscience, we are helping to maintain the unity and strength so vital to our fellowship.

Let us, therefore, Have the patience and tolerance to listen while others share,

The courage to speak up when we have something to share, And The wisdom to do what is right for our group and A.A. as a whole. fellowship. Let us, therefore, Have the patience and tolerance to listen while others share,

The courage to speak up when we have something to share, And The wisdom to do what is right for our group and A.A. as a whole.