Conference Questions (2013) forum discussion (contd)

Committee No. 2 

Question 2: 

Would the Fellowship discuss, share experience and make recommendations on the question of:
  
What can AA do to better carry the message to young alcoholics both inside and outside of the Fellowship?

More specifically, would Conference consider, discuss and make recommendations on the following:

a. What can be done to make AA more of an attractive place to young people inside of AA?
b. What can be done to make AA more of an attractive place to young people outside of AA?
c. Consider updating the “Too Young?” poster with input from younger members?
d. Could young people be represented in the AA structure?

Background

In Continental Europe Region there is a position of Young People contact who has a Liaison Officer role with full voting rights.

Ref:

Too young poster AAGB
Too young poster AA US
Too Young pamphlet 

[See also: The Traditions, Preamble and Concepts]

Extracts:

“The background to this question states “In Continental Europe Region there is a position of Young People contact who has a Liaison Officer role with full voting rights.” I wonder what the motivation was for creating this liaison position; whether it was motivated by the AA groups or whether it just came from someone’s idea which was floated at the regional assembly. Was the decision to create this new position, which gives one individual AA member the equivalent voting power of one third of all the AA groups in an intergroup at the regional assembly, made by passing the decision down to all the AA groups and intergroups in the region, and was it with full background? Was the decision passed by a two thirds majority vote of the AA groups and Intergroups within the region? Or was it a decision which was passed at the level of the Regional assembly, without consulting the AA groups and Intergroups?

When I was serving in my intergroup, the Public Information Liaison Officer had a small team involved in PI work. One of the members of the team had the co-opted responsibility of ‘School Talks Co-ordinator’, arranging school talks. This person arranged around 40-50 talks per year, having their own school talks team within the PI team. They did not have liaison voting rights at intergroup. It seems to me the creation of a Young Peoples Contact Liaison position is doubling up both on PI liaison and the established telephone and electronic helplines; If it is needed, I think the position ought to be a non-voting co-opted position under the PI Liaison, Telephone Liaison, or Electronics communications officers. At a time when so many service positions are unfilled in the service structure, it doesn’t make much sense to me to create another service position which doubles up on existing services. There have been additional positions with full voting rights added to the service structure in recent years, Electronic Communications Liaison Officer and convention conveners (Convention conveners used to be a co-opted position without voting rights). I am concerned that if more new liaison officer positions with full voting rights continue to be created, then this could upset the balance of power within the service structure; taking power away from the AA group conscience, via their GSRs and Regional Reps, and giving it over to other elected positions; thereby creating a system of hierarchical management. This needs to be avoided at all costs. Young people can call the national and local telephone helplines/ GSO email/ local intergroup emails anytime they want to. They can also do service on these helplines in order to help young people who are calling AA. Do they need a special contact or to be a special contact? I don’t think so."

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

See also AA Minority Report 2013