52.
Would the A.A. Groups of our fellowship consider a reorganization of the Conference committee tasks in such a way as to allow a more thorough review of the activities of the General Service Office, the General Service Board and the Fellowship as a whole over the preceding year?
Four committees to review the activities of the General Service Office, the General Service Board and the Fellowship as a whole and two committees to discuss topics or questions submitted by the Fellowship:
a.
One
committee to review the activities and work of the GSB with special
attention to how effectively the GSB has aided groups in carrying the
message to the still suffering alcoholic over the past year.
b. One committee to review the activities and work of the GSO with special attention to how effectively the GSB has aided groups in carrying the message to the still suffering alcoholic over the past year.
c. One committee would review activities and work within the Fellowship as whole, with attention to Regional, Intergroup and Group levels with special attention to carrying the message to the still suffering alcoholic.
d. One committee would review the full financial report by the GSB for the previous fiscal year with focus on any large expenditures or commitments and in addition review administrative procedures and decision making processes.
e. Two committees would work on Topics or Questions submitted by the fellowship as all six committees now do, this would allow for four to six Topics or Questions per Conference.
b. One committee to review the activities and work of the GSO with special attention to how effectively the GSB has aided groups in carrying the message to the still suffering alcoholic over the past year.
c. One committee would review activities and work within the Fellowship as whole, with attention to Regional, Intergroup and Group levels with special attention to carrying the message to the still suffering alcoholic.
d. One committee would review the full financial report by the GSB for the previous fiscal year with focus on any large expenditures or commitments and in addition review administrative procedures and decision making processes.
e. Two committees would work on Topics or Questions submitted by the fellowship as all six committees now do, this would allow for four to six Topics or Questions per Conference.
Background
and Intention of the topic:
Intention:
The
question of the content and relevance of Conference Topics and
Questions is raised regularly, both in topics submitted to Conference
itself as well as at Group, Intergroup and Region meetings.
It
is possible that one issue which contributes to this recurrence is
that there are so many Topics and Questions. In the need for between
12 and 18 ‘questions’ we often resort to issues that barely touch
the lives of our members
in their everyday lives. Participation in the Conference process,
essential for a proper functioning of the process is low.
Groups, Intergroups and Regions often express experiencing a distance or disconnection between themselves and Conference, the GSB and even GSO.
Groups, Intergroups and Regions often express experiencing a distance or disconnection between themselves and Conference, the GSB and even GSO.
Changing
the content and focus of (some of) the committee work, putting more
emphasis on review and discussion of the current affairs and
activities of GSB and GSO may lead members at all levels of our
Fellowship to better feel their Ownership, and Responsibility for
these levels of service. It is meant to be a true expression of the
opening phrase of Concept One “Final responsibility and Ultimate
authority for A.A. world services should reside in the collective
conscience of our whole Fellowship” at the level of The General
Service Conference of Great Britain.
It
is not the intent that this become a vehicle to unfairly criticize or
nitpick at either the GSB or GSO. Nor is this intended to preclude or
override the responsibilities and duties of GSO, the GSB, their
staffs and consultants. The process should be one of Respect and
Consideration with awareness of Tradition two foremost in our minds.
Furthermore all involved need to be focused on that which is the Very
Best for Alcoholics Anonymous rather than on matters of personal
prestige or personalities rather than principles.
Recent
discussion of this issue or of similar issues.
Conference
2104, no. Conference 2013, no. Conference 2012, No . Conference 2011,
No.
Similar
or older discussions:
2010, Committee Four, Topic 2 – regarding the intention behind the Topics or Questions
2010, Committee Three, Topic 2 – regarding how Conference may be made more attractive to the membership as a whole.
2010, Committee Three, Topic 2 – regarding how we may better participate in the process of generating and formulating Topics or Questions for Conference.
2010, Committee One, Topic 2 – regarding the frequency of Conference, annual or Biannual (every other year).
2009, Committee Five, Topic 2 – regarding recording and uploading plenary sessions of Conference.
2009, Committee Two, Topic 1 – regarding Conference taking a regular Inventory of itself
2010, Committee Four, Topic 2 – regarding the intention behind the Topics or Questions
2010, Committee Three, Topic 2 – regarding how Conference may be made more attractive to the membership as a whole.
2010, Committee Three, Topic 2 – regarding how we may better participate in the process of generating and formulating Topics or Questions for Conference.
2010, Committee One, Topic 2 – regarding the frequency of Conference, annual or Biannual (every other year).
2009, Committee Five, Topic 2 – regarding recording and uploading plenary sessions of Conference.
2009, Committee Two, Topic 1 – regarding Conference taking a regular Inventory of itself
Background:
1. Concept One
2. Alcoholics Anonymous comes of Age , page 217‐218:
“On their first day, the delegates inspected our Headquarters, got acquainted with the service staff, and shook hands with the Trustees. In the evening there was a briefing session under the name of "What's on your mind?" We answered questions of every description. The delegates began to feel at home. Seeing their quick understanding and confidence, our spirits rose. We all sensed that something momentous was happening; this was a historic moment. One strenuous session followed another. The delegates inspected A.A.'s finances and listened to reports from the Board of Trustees and from all services. There was warm but cordial debate on many questions of A.A. policy. The Trustees submitted several of their own serious problems for the opinion of the Conference. With real dispatch the delegates handled several tough puzzlers about which we at Headquarters were in doubt. Though their advice was sometimes contrary to our own views, we saw they were frequently right. They were proving as never before that A.A.'s Tradition Two was correct. Our group conscience could safely act as the sole authority and sure guide for Alcoholics Anonymous. As the delegates returned home, they carried this deep conviction with them."
1. Concept One
2. Alcoholics Anonymous comes of Age , page 217‐218:
“On their first day, the delegates inspected our Headquarters, got acquainted with the service staff, and shook hands with the Trustees. In the evening there was a briefing session under the name of "What's on your mind?" We answered questions of every description. The delegates began to feel at home. Seeing their quick understanding and confidence, our spirits rose. We all sensed that something momentous was happening; this was a historic moment. One strenuous session followed another. The delegates inspected A.A.'s finances and listened to reports from the Board of Trustees and from all services. There was warm but cordial debate on many questions of A.A. policy. The Trustees submitted several of their own serious problems for the opinion of the Conference. With real dispatch the delegates handled several tough puzzlers about which we at Headquarters were in doubt. Though their advice was sometimes contrary to our own views, we saw they were frequently right. They were proving as never before that A.A.'s Tradition Two was correct. Our group conscience could safely act as the sole authority and sure guide for Alcoholics Anonymous. As the delegates returned home, they carried this deep conviction with them."
3.
The Fellowship as a whole has "Final responsibility and ultimate
authority" for AA services. How can we then determine to what
extent we are living up to that responsibility at the various levels
of service in terms of the past year?
4. A recurring theme in Conference inventories at Regional and Conference level, as well as in questions themselves, concerns the perception of Conference, the GSB and GSO by the general membership. There is often dissatisfaction with the content of conference questions and reports as being of little relevance to the individual group or member. Having the majority of the committees review the work of the past year and make recommendations would result in a clearer perception that The Groups themselves are the ‘owners’ of AA and that they truly do bear ‘Final responsibility and ultimate authority’ in more than lip‐service level. These reviews should not be overly politically correct or polite, but they do need to be done in the spirit of Love and Service. There should be a realization that if there are problems at any level of A.A. then it is WE, the Groups, who bear the responsibility. There is no Us and Them, only WE. There need be no fear of overly critical or personal attacks as the committees will approach their remit with attention to mutual respect.
5. Possible Working Guidelines:
Love and Tolerance of others is our code
Trust God, Clean House, Help Others
Love and Service
Big Book, page 164: ‐ “Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order. “
B.B. page 124 ‐ “This painful past may be of infinite value to other families still struggling with their problem. We think each family which has been relieved owes something to those who have not,”
Bib book, page 86 : “Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life?”
4. A recurring theme in Conference inventories at Regional and Conference level, as well as in questions themselves, concerns the perception of Conference, the GSB and GSO by the general membership. There is often dissatisfaction with the content of conference questions and reports as being of little relevance to the individual group or member. Having the majority of the committees review the work of the past year and make recommendations would result in a clearer perception that The Groups themselves are the ‘owners’ of AA and that they truly do bear ‘Final responsibility and ultimate authority’ in more than lip‐service level. These reviews should not be overly politically correct or polite, but they do need to be done in the spirit of Love and Service. There should be a realization that if there are problems at any level of A.A. then it is WE, the Groups, who bear the responsibility. There is no Us and Them, only WE. There need be no fear of overly critical or personal attacks as the committees will approach their remit with attention to mutual respect.
5. Possible Working Guidelines:
Love and Tolerance of others is our code
Trust God, Clean House, Help Others
Love and Service
Big Book, page 164: ‐ “Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order. “
B.B. page 124 ‐ “This painful past may be of infinite value to other families still struggling with their problem. We think each family which has been relieved owes something to those who have not,”
Bib book, page 86 : “Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life?”
Terms of Reference No. 7 Process is already in place.
Comment:
There's NOTHING quite like a committee to ensure NOTHING gets done! And if you're
wondering where the buck finally stops …. look in the mirror!
Cheers
The
Fellas (Friends
of Alcoholics Anonymous)
PS
For AA Minority Report 2013 click here
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