"If General Service is truly AA Service Work, why aren't more groups represented at the Area Assembly by General Service Representatives, (G.S.R.s)?"
(4 Messages) (Last Post:
=========
Question 1) Of the four regular meetings I attend two have GSR positions, although one meeting has been unable to fill a GSR position vacant for 2 months. All are registered with GSO and contribute to GSO, Dist 5, Area 9 and our Central Office.
The meeting which I am GSR allows only one report a month and the group offers minimal support and interest. I sometimes gave a small report during the month when the call for A.A. related announcements is made. Gathering a group conscience, if necessary, on just one issue requires the full time and effort of my monthly report. The members don't really care.
The only meeting I attend which has regular business meetings is that previously stated which has the vacant position. Unfortunately, all meetings are attended by the same core people who rotate through the meeting's various commitments.
Question 2) I personally prefer the once monthly area gatherings. GSR"s that don't or won't attend area meetings will not attend whether there are one meeting or fifty meetings. The number of meetings is irrelevant to whomever is unwilling to spend a Sunday in service. Two day events? Nah.
Question 5) I like the idea of the hand out. I think this should begin with GSR school at the district level and continue at the area level GSR school. I was told to look up Roberts Rules of Order on the web. I did, and I wasn't going to spend time trying to decipher all that legalese. A handout explaining procedures actually used at area (or district) level would be a great help to incoming GSR's. I have yet to receive an explanation; and motions, amendments, etc. are concepts I'm still learning. Explaining this important information would lessen the intimidation factor from a new GSR's first encounter with district or area service.
In my opinion the most important information for a new GSR would be to explain "Roberts Rules of Order" --as we use it -- rather than telling them to look it up on the web or in the library.
(Message ID 2.004) (Date
=========
1. Question: Is your group registered with GSO, the Area? Answer: Yes.
a. Question: If it is registered, does the group understand the importance of participating with the District, Area, GSO? Answer: There are a few who understand very well.
b. Question: Does your group have a regular business or group conscience meeting? Answer: Yes. Once a month following the recovery meeting.
c. Q: Does the Group have a GSR and if so, do they express the group opinion on business matters? Ans: Yes. Yes.
2. Question: Do we have too many Area meetings? Ans: No, I don't think so.
a. Question: Should the Area Assembly consider making the Assembly meetings 2-day events, combining the business of the Assembly with non-business activities, (such as Saturday night guest service speakers, workshops, presentations)Š..? Answer: Yes, I think the assembly should consider anything that might make it more attractive to get involved.
b. Answer: I would like to see only Service Committee members attend Area Service Committee meetings. Although it would be a large committee, I think it would be less confusing to GSRs to attend only where they have a vote. I don't believe that the conversations and discussions about the proposals are helpful to GSRs. I think the DCMs and
3. Question: Should districts move toward having more multiple-district sponsored, (such as county-wide) events, such Cooperation with the Professional Community (CPC) lunches, Archives presentations/workshops, General Service Workshops, Traditions Workshops, Concepts WorkshopsŠ as opposed to district-only events? Answer: I don't know. This is a new idea to me and, although it sounds good theoretically, I think success would depend upon the of the folks making the arrangements for the events and the effectiveness of the publicity.
4. Question: Would the Area benefit by holding a bi-annual Area Inventory, based upon, but not restricted to, the 13 point inventory laid out in the A.A. Group pamphlet? Answer: I don't know. The inventories we've taken in the past have resulted in few improvements. I think the discussion of the points raised in the last inventory at least makes it known that someone cares enough to address and hear opinions. I think a bi-annual Area Inventory might be too often.
5. Question: Given the assumption that understanding the process will increase participation, and to copy what the General Service
6. Question: Is the tone of discussion at Area meetings too confrontational? Answer: I think there has been more insulting and personally confrontational arguments made in the past few years. I think it is frightening to new GSRs to hear personal attacks on others from the microphone. I think it indicates that some of us seem to doubt others' motives or ethics or honesty. When we come from the point of view that everyone in General Service has AA's best interest at heart, then we do not need to impugn the motives or actions of others. I believe that personal attacks should always be out of order and the chairman should immediately ask the speaker to rephrase the statement without the personal attack. We learn how to disagree in General Service because we have differences of opinion about how to accomplish what is best for AA and to make 12th Step Work possible, and, at the same time, we MUST learn how to disagree in an agreeable form. This is not easy for us because most of us have no diplomatic skills...quite the contrary! This is a place where we are given the opportunity to learn how to be tolerant, compassionate, loving and, yes, cooperative. We also need to learn how to serve rather than mandate, and gracefully go along with the group conscience when it doesn't agree with ours. HOW we do things is, I believe, far more important than WHAT we do. Do we look like we care for each other and support various opinions? Or do we look as if we dislike and disparage each other with groans and grumblings. Are we patient with people who are trying to learn how to speak from a microphone or present a contrary opinion? We all have much to learn and this is a wonderful place to learn it...if we give each other a chance.
(Message ID 2.003) (Date
=========
As your currently serving Area Registrar, I would like to present a few statistics regarding this topic for your consideration. In maintaining the database, I am aware of the number of Group Change Forms submitted and the huge gap between listed positions and attendance at Area Meetings.
As of
There are a total of 980 GSR's registered in the database. Do we see 980 GSR's at Area Assemblies? The September Assembly had 48 GSR's in attendance. This number represents about 5% of those eligible to attend. The GSR has the responsibility to vote at Three (3) Area Assemblies per year.
Many new GSR's attend the GSR schools prior to each Area Meeting, with an average attedance of 20 New GSRs per meeting. If those New GSRs who attend the GSR Schools participated actively or even just attended Area Meetings, we would have to hold Area Meetings in small stadiums; but with our average of 44 GSRs per Assembly, the Masonic Lodge in
In thinking about this topic and looking at the questions suggest as topics in the on-line forum, my question is; Why do 95% of GSRs not attend Area Assemblies? Why are we getting so many NEW GSRs who do not return to the Area after ONE Area Meeting, and why has the number of attendees at Area Meetings not increased noticibly in 5 years?
====
1. My group is registered to my knowledge. And we have regular business meetings. They do not understand the importance of participating in the District. Nor do they understand the informed group conscience process. I have just become a GSR prior we did not have one. I think that for this group the lack in participation has come from a lack of knowledge on what a GSR is, What GSO is, and why the need to participate in this process. I see a lot of what is going on in the meetings is not a clear understanding of service positions that each meeting should have and unlike where I gained sobriety the importance of everyone having a service commitment. Most secretaries in meetings don't fully understand the responsibilities of their service commitment to the group. There is not a transfer of positions where the outgoing member teaches the incoming member. There is also not a lot of rotation in service commitments lots of people stay in the same position for years and years in meetings. I have seen people serving in the same position for over 5 years.
2. I don't think we have too many area meetings. What I would suggest though is minutes or written reports made available to the GSR's of what is going on in each committee so that everyone is aware of what each committee is doing or what they are trying to do and need help with so that since a GSR cannot attend all committee meetings they can take back information on all committees to their group so that members of their group can volunteer or participate in committees that interest them and could use their help. This would also help the members of AA to be aware of what is going on in AA as a whole.
3. I definitely think that tradition workshops, and service workshops would be extremely beneficial. Many members take on service commitments without any understanding on how to perform their responsibilities to the group and it can be very daunting to members walking into a room and trying to figure it out. I think though that these workshops should be broken down into service commitments where people can take classes within their district just like we do with GSR's. New Secretary classes, new treasurer classes....i.e.....we could hold them once a month within each district.
4. This is a very difficult process to hold in a large forum. We did an annual group inventory in my original home group but we had a group inventory committee that was responsible for this process. They than reported back to each group to receive their input on the questions and then took that back to the committee and they worked on the inventory reporting back to the group. If Area did this it would be good to have a GSR rep from each district on the committee that than compiled the input from their district and brought that to the inventory and then reported back to their group.
5. This would be very beneficial. I had some support at my first Area meeting but was not sure on what the process was.
a. Who is allowed to vote today?
b. Why, when and how may a motion to table be put forward?
c. What is “calling the question” and when is it appropriate?
d. How and when is a “friendly amendment” offered? What distinguished a “friendly amendment” from a regular amendment
e. What is the responsibility of the Chairperson during the meeting?
f. Who is the Vice-Chair?
g. Are Area meetings guided by “Roberts Rules of Order”?
h. What is an ad hoc committee? How is it created? Who creates it? What is a standing committee? A coordinate committee?
i. What is a “motion to re-consider”?
j. How can a member communicate gripes, concerns and/or thank-yous to the appropriate people?
k. What other information would be helpful in a handout like this?
========