Conference questions (2014) – almost! (contd)

“36. Given the service commitment required to be a Conference delegate, would Conference consider introducing a specific and separate guideline for Conference delegates, which can better help in the selection and preparation of delegates and their alternates?

Background

In the 2010 Conference report, the response to the inventory question (question 2) from Committee 5 ‐ on improving the method of Conference reporting back to the membership – did not address the issue of improving the existing communication between Conference and the membership as a whole.

Ideally all delegates would readily understand the implications of each question in terms of the Concepts, Traditions and the Conference Charter. As our trusted servants it is vital that all Conference delegates are fully armed with the facts in order to truly serve the Fellowship.

Our literature has plenty to say but it would be useful to have that gathered in one pamphlet or guideline to ensure that delegates are sufficiently informed about what the position entails.

It could also provide guidance about which literature should be read by an aspiring delegate or alternate. For example:

 ∙ GB Service Manual

 ∙ World Service Manual

 ∙ Conference Charter and warrantees

 ∙ 12 Traditions

 ∙ 12 Concepts

 ∙ AA Comes of Age

 ∙ Recent previous Conference reports

Terms of Reference No. 7 Covered in recently approved Structure Handbook for Great Britain, page 93”

Comment: And they wonder why the majority of the fellowship is so disengaged from participation in the service structure above group level! But it always serves the interests of hierarchies to make their operations as obscure and as technical as possible ensuring thereby their machinations remain incomprehensible to the rest of us. In this fashion they remain the 'masters' of their mysterious craft whilst excluding the remainder from any real participation. AA has been and is a profoundly undemocratic organisation with a leadership (?) that is unelected, and which for the most part remains effectively unaccountable (by design). With an ever increasing proliferation of guidelines (ignored largely by those who have no interest in AA principles eg. cult members and groups) and burdened by an expanding and mostly unnecessary 'bureaucracy' (eg. region) - even as the membership is static if not actually decreasing - AA shows every sign of disappearing into a mire of its own making. The production of yet more guidelines does not, we would say, suggest a solution! Maybe fewer!

See here for a full list of other questions that didn't quite get through the 'filter'

Cheers

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)