Nine—Each A.A. group needs the least possible organization. Rotating leadership is the best. The small group may elect its secretary, the large group its rotating committee, and the groups of a large metropolitan area their central or intergroup committee, which often employs a full-time secretary. The trustees of the General Service Board are, in effect, our A.A. General Service Committee. They are the custodians of our A.A. Tradition and the receivers of voluntary A.A. contributions by which we maintain our A.A. General Service Office at New York. They are authorized by the groups to handle our overall public relations and they guarantee the integrity of our principal newspaper, the A.A. Grapevine. All such representatives are to be guided in the spirit of service, for true leaders in A.A. are but trusted and experienced servants of the whole. They derive no real authority from their titles; they do not govern. Universal respect is the key to their usefulness.
Delegate, delegate, delegate!
When I first came into the rooms of AA, I would volunteer to be the timekeeper for the Zoom meetings I attended. I made a sign with a piece of paper and markers that said, ‘TIME’, and would hold it in front of my camera when the timer I’d set on my iPhone went off. I put myself forward to read passages from the literature and eventually served as a greeter for the meetings. I began attending business meetings and started to see how our group worked as a whole to keep the meeting running. “So that’s where the PayPal contributions go”, I thought as I learned about intergroup and the General Service Officer and boards. Behind the scenes of our simple online meeting were many members of our group practicing the ‘Spirit of Service’. When our hybrid (online/in person) meeting dissolved I had the opportunity to take on even more service as Secretary and speaker finder while maintaining the online meeting.
Tradition 9 reminds me that I only have the opportunity to take on service positions because another member of AA rotates out of the role and into another commitment supporting the group. It shows me how no job is truly ever too small, reminding me that we recover together not individually. I’m able to see where others are equally qualified to serve in the positions required to keep the group and the meetings going. This is especially useful in keeping my ego in check.
The service structure shows me that the positions can be filled by anyone willing to practice spiritual principles. Holding on tightly to the service positions and gracefully rotating out of them means I can practice honesty by showing up and being where I say I’m going to be and doing what I say I’m going to do. Handing over the position to another member means sharing the logistics and my experience with the role, but not expecting another member of AA to do things the way I do.
While these skills make me a useful member of AA, they also transfer to other areas of my life: home, family, work, community and beyond. They allow me the integrity of knowing what my personal responsibilities are and the ability to give others the dignity of meeting their own.
– Heather B.