Group Service Positions

A Group or Home Group is composed of members of a meeting that consider that meeting to be the one special meeting that they prefer to attend and at which they feel most at home. It is also the meeting where one’s vote concerning Group Conscience is taken. A person may be an AA member if they say so, but to be a Group member one must be invested in the Group i.e. regularly attend, and serve the group. Types of Group Service listed below:

1. Greeter: Greets people entering the meeting room and welcomes them.

2. Set-up, Clean-up: These members serve helping to make the meeting place well set-up and well maintained.

3. Coffee Maker: Makes sure coffee is ready when the meeting starts and doesn’t run-out during the meeting.

4. Chairperson: Conducts the meeting.

5. Treasurer: Deposits meeting collection for the group, pays bills, keeps tract of expenditures, reports at business meeting.

6. Secretary: Take the minutes of the business meeting.

7. Group Service Representative (GSR): Represents the Group Conscience at the District level. Usually acts as chairperson at business meetings.

8. Steering Committee Member (SCM): Where a place has many meetings, each Group may be represented by a SCM, the SCMs would meet, discuss and resolve common issues and report to the GSR, the GSR would then represent the Conscience of all the meetings at a particular place. The GSR would in effect represent an ‘Umbrella Group,’ i.e. the meetings at 123 Backdoor Place.

Each Group sets suggested guidelines for each position. Some only need the willingness of the person, numbers 1, 2, and 3. The other positions may have suggested lengths of sobriety to hold the position. Lengths of sobriety for various positions vary from Group to Group.

Meeting Formats

A Meeting Format is an outline or guideline for conducting a meeting. Format for a meeting dependent upon the formality of the meeting, informal meetings have less structure than formal meetings,  location of meeting also makes a difference, different regions even of the same country conduct meetings differently. One thing that never changes: an alcoholic is always welcome at AA meetings. AA members always feel at home wherever there are AA meeting.

As a general rule a chairperson is in charge of the meeting and calls it to order, followed by an opening prayer, moment of silence, reading of the AA Preamble, reading from the Big Book (usually a portion of Chapter 5, How It Works,) introductions, announcements, topic of discussion, pass the basket, closing reading and or prayer.

In smaller meetings everyone in turn gets a chance to speak without limit or pass. In larger meetings members are limited to the time they may speak before being cut-off. Alternatives in large meetings include splitting-up into smaller groups or being called upon by the chairperson to speak. A Popcorn meeting is one where one speaks if one has something to say, in no particular order.

Go to meetings…

Going to meetings is where you’ll find the AA fellowship. At meetings you’ll establish new social contacts, get a sponsor, and probably do your first service work; you’ll also learn about AA and recovery from alcoholism. People at AA meetings are introduced by first name and last initial, e.g. Bill W. So, just what types of meetings are there? Below are listed the main types of meeting you’re likely to encounter.

Open meetings: Open for all to attend, AAs, friends, parents, and spouses of AAs, sober-never-drank-just-curious types, nursing students, social workers, psychology students. These can be any type of AA meeting, if you are worried about your anonymity, you’ll probably want to avoid these if many non-recovering people attend these meetings. Non AA or non-recovering people are not invested in remaining anonymous, or keeping your anonymity.

Closed meetings: These meeting are open only to alcoholics. These can be any type of AA meeting. People that attend these meeting are invested in preserving their and others anonymity.

Open Speaker Meeting: These are a particularly popular type of open meeting. Only the speaker reveals that they are alcoholic. The speaker is usually introduced by first name and last initial e.g. Mark R. The speaker relates their story sharing experience, strength, and hope; what it was like, what happened, what it is like now. Some meetings have a brief question and answer period after the speaker finishes their story.

Big Book meeting: These meetings use the book Alcoholics Anonymous-the basic text of AA, as their guide through the steps. These meetings may or may not read the personal stories in the back of book. The main text, the first 164 pages contain the program of recovery of Alcoholics  Anonymous; it is this part that is usually studied in detail.

Step meetings: These meeting study the 12 steps in order. Some meetings use the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions as a study source for the steps. Many meetings that use the 12X12 set aside one meeting a month to study a tradition.

Other AA Literature meetings: These meetings use Daily Reflections, As Bill Sees It, Living Sober, Came to Believe, or Grapevine, as a topic source for discussion.

Discussion meeting: These meetings vary in how the topic is chosen; some have a standard topic list to choose from, some allow the chairperson to select the topic, still others ask for a topic suggestion from among those present at the meeting.

What type of meeting is the best to attend? The best type meeting to attend is the one you’ll continue to attend regularly. Many members attend more than one type of meeting weekly. Many also have a favorite meeting that they make their ‘Home Group.’ This is the meeting that they never miss, and in which  they hold a group or service position.