AAIBX

Alcoholics Anonymous

                                                                 District 92 Serving Eastern North Carolina

The District: 

District Officers:

District Representatives:

Alternate District Committee Member (Alt DCM)                                           

District Committee Member (DCM)

Secretary  

Treasurer 

Grapevine Representative

General Service Representative (GSR)

Alternate General Service Representative (Alt GSR)

District Committees:

Corrections Facilities Committee

Cooperation with the Professional Community /Public Information

Web Committee  

A district is a geographical unit containing the right number of groups — right in terms of the committee member's ability to keep in frequent touch with them, to learn their problems, and to find ways to contribute to their growth and well being.  In the majority of areas, a district includes six to 20 groups. In metropolitan districts, the number is generally 15 to 20, while in rural or suburban districts the number can be as small as five.  District 92, which covers the Inner Banks of North Carolina, is composed of 17 groups.

Email -

dcm@aaIbx.org

The District Committee Member is an essential link between the group G.S.R. and the area delegate to the General Service Conference. As leader of the district committee, made up of all G.S.R.s in the district, the D.C.M. is exposed to the group conscience of that district. As a member of the area committee, he or she is able to pass on the district's thinking to the delegate and the committee. (The pamphlet "Your D.C.M.," available from the General Service Office, provides basic information on this service job.)  Also see The AA Service Manual page 30

Financial Support:

Current experience indicates that many districts provide financial support for their D.C.M.s to attend service functions. Invariably, this pays off in increased activity, interest, and group participation.

Qualifications:

The District Committee Member has usually served as a G.S.R. and is elected by other G.S.R.s to take responsibility for district activities. If the person chosen is a current G.S.R., a new G.S.R. should be elected to fill his or her position.  A D.C.M. should have enough sobriety (generally four or five years) to be eligible for election as delegate.  He or she also needs to have the time and energy to serve the district well.

Duties:

The D.C.M.'s job is primarily that of two-way communication. The D.C.M.:
• Regularly attends all district meetings and area assemblies.
• Receives reports from the groups through G.S.R.s and through frequent personal contacts with groups in the district.
• Holds regular meetings of all G.S.R.s in the district.
• Helps the Conference delegate cover the area, which would be impossible for the delegate to do on a group-by-group basis.
• Assists the delegate in obtaining group information in time to meet the deadline for A.A. directories.
• Keeps G.S.R.s informed about Conference activities; this includes setting up opportunities for the delegate's Conference report, occasionally making the Conference report if the delegate cannot be present, and inviting the delegate to regular district meetings.
• Makes sure that G.S.R.s are acquainted with The A.A. Service Manual, the Twelve Concepts for World Service, the G.S.O. bulletin Box 4-5-9, workbooks and guidelines from G.S.O., and any other service material.
• Helps G.S.R.s make interesting reports to groups, and encourages them to bring new A.A. members to service events.
• Keeps groups informed about Conference-approved books and pamphlets.
• Organizes workshops and/or sharing sessions on service activities.
• Regularly keeps in touch with the alternate D.C.M. and the delegate; sends district minutes to the delegate and alternate, and exchanges them with other districts.
• Brings Traditions problems to the attention of the delegate.
• Makes a regular practice of talking to groups (new and old) on the responsibilities of general service work.

Term, Eligibility, and Election Procedures:

The D.C.M.'s term of office is two years, coinciding in most areas with the terms of the delegate, committee officers, and G.S.R.s. Some areas, however, rotate half their committee members each year. D.C.M.s are generally elected in the fall of the year. The election should take place after the G.S.R. election and before that of the area delegate, because the D.C.M. is chosen either from among currently serving G.S.R.s or from a combination of past and present G.S.R.s. In most areas, a candidate for an area committee officer or Conference delegate must be a committee member before being eligible for election. While district meetings to elect committee members are most often held in advance of area assemblies, and separate from them, occasionally travel distances make this impractical and/or a hardship. (This usually means more districts should be set up.) If necessary, therefore, meetings to elect committee members can be held immediately before area assemblies at the place where the assembly meets.  The committee member who is finishing a term sets up the election meeting and, in most districts, notifies the G.S.R.s who have just been elected and those who are going out of office.
The method of election should be decided by the area assembly or by the district committee. Some options are:
• Most district committees allow all current voting members of the district committee to vote in district elections.
• Some committees also allow newly elected G.S.R.s a vote, even though they might not take office until some time after the election.
Many district committees include alternate D.C.M.s, a secretary and/or treasurer, and other officers or service committee chairpersons in addition to the D.C.M and G.S.R.s. Sometimes, these jobs are held by the G.S.R.s already on the committee; sometimes, they call for additional voting members, who are eligible to stand for D.C.M.
Election is either by written ballot or show of hands, with a majority needed to elect. A district may also choose to follow Third Legacy Procedure, which requires a two-thirds majority.

Email -

alt-dcm@aaIbx.org

The Alternate District Committee Member is a backup for the D.C.M. If the D.C.M. resigns or is unable to serve for any reason, the alternate steps in. Usually, the alternate is elected at the same time as the D.C.M., by the same procedure. Alternate committee members should be encouraged to assist, participate, and share in the D.C.M.'s responsibilities at district and area meetings

Email -

secretary@aaIbx.org

Like chairpersons, secretaries need to be good all-around group servants. Each district has its own procedures, but unless other officers or committees are in the picture, the secretary generally is expected to:
·  Take the roll call at each district meeting to determine quorum.
·  Read the minutes of the previous meeting making any corrections as requested by the members.
·  Accurately record the minutes of each meeting and see that there are sufficient copies to distribute at next meeting.
• Announce, email and/or mail information about important A.A. activities and events.
• Maintain and update a strictly confidential file of names, addresses, and telephone numbers of group members (subject to each member's approval).
• Make certain that the General Service Office, Area 51 and the local district are informed, in writing, of any changes of address, meeting place or district officers.

Email -

treasurer@aaIbx.org

Tradition Seven: Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.  A.A. districts are self-supporting through their group’s voluntary contributions.
Supports all district entities, usually on a monthly or quarterly basis.
Treasurers generally maintain clear records (a ledger book is helpful) and keep their district informed about how much money is taken in and how it is spent. They may make monthly reports to the group and post financial statements quarterly. Problems can be avoided by keeping district funds in a separate district bank account that requires two signatures on each check.
A.A. experience clearly shows that it is not a good idea for a district to accumulate large funds in excess of what is needed, plus a prudent reserve, an amount to be determined by the group conscience. Group troubles also may arise when extra-large donations—in money, goods or services— are accepted from one member.
The Conference-approved pamphlet "Self-Support—Where Money and Spirituality Mix" makes suggestions as to how groups may support A.A. services.
Additionally, G.S.O., area and sometimes district committees and your local intergroup accept contributions from individual A.A. members— not exceeding $2,000 in any one year. Bequests or in-memoriam contributions of not more than $2,000 are acceptable on a one-time basis, but only from A.A. members.
Some members celebrate their A.A. anniversaries by sending gratitude "gift" to the General Service Office for its world services—usually one dollar for each year of sobriety.

The job of the GvR is to familiarize members with the Fellowship's international journal, the A.A. Grapevine, and the enhancements to sobriety it offers through articles written by A.A. members, based upon their personal experiences in recovery. Sometimes called "a meeting in print," it also offers a monthly calendar of special A.A. events.
GvRs participate in the activities of their area's Grapevine committee, if there is one. They announce the arrival of the Grapevine at the district meeting each month and explain how members can order their own subscriptions.
New GvRs and RLVs should send their name, address, group name and group service number to: the Grapevine, 475 Riverside Dr., Room 1040, New York, NY 10115. They will then receive quarterly mailings containing order forms for the magazine and for books, tape cassettes, CD and other special items available.
For subscriptions to the AA Grapevine, checks should be made out to the Grapevine, Inc.

The general service representative has the job of linking his or her group with A.A. as a whole. The G.S.R. represents the voice of the group conscience, reporting the group's thoughts to the district committee member and to the delegate, who passes them on to the Conference. This communication is a two-way street, making the G.S.R. responsible for bringing back to the group Conference Actions that affect A.A. unity, health, and growth. Only when a G.S.R. keeps the group informed, and communicates the group conscience, can the Conference truly act for A.A. as a whole.

Financial Support:

Current experience indicates that many groups provide financial support for their general service representatives to attend service functions.

Qualifications:

• Experience shows that the most effective G.S.R.s have been active in group, inter-group, or other service, where they have developed a desire to serve, and encountered situations in which the Twelve Traditions have been called upon to solve problems.
• Usually, prospective G.S.R.s have at least two years of continuous sobriety.
• They have time available for district meetings and area assemblies.
• They have the confidence of the group, and an ability to listen to all points of view.

Duties:

• G.S.R.s attend district meetings.
• They also attend area assemblies.
• G.S.R.s serve as the mail contact with the General Service Office, and they are listed in the A.A. directories as contacts for their groups. They receive the G.S.O. bulletin Box 4-5-9, and keep their groups abreast of A.A. activities all over the world.
• They serve as mail contact with their district committee member and with the area committee.
• G.S.R.s supply their D.C.M.s with up-to-date group information, which is relayed to G.S.O. for inclusion in the directories and for G.S.O. mailings.
• They are knowledgeable about material available from G.S.O. — new literature, guidelines, bulletins, videos, tapes, kits, etc., — and they are responsible for passing such information on to the groups.
• They learn everything they can about the Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts and are familiar with this manual, the books Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions and A.A. Comes of Age, Twelve Concepts for World Service, and the pamphlets "The A.A. Group," "A.A. Tradition - How It Developed," "The Twelve Traditions Illustrated," and "The Twelve Concepts Illustrated."
• They usually serve on group steering committees.
• They work with group treasurers to develop practical plans for group support of G.S.O., such as the Regular Contribution Plan and the Birthday Plan. They encourage the group to support the area and district committees and local central offices or Intergroups, and they are familiar with the leaflet "Self-Support: Where Money and Spirituality Mix."
• They participate in district and area service meetings, and often help with planning for area get-togethers and conventions. Following these events, they make reports to their groups for the benefit of those who could not attend.

G.S.R.s serve for two years and the term frequently runs concurrently with those of committee members and the delegate. They represent their home group and are nominated and elected by group members.
Some groups hold a special election for the G.S.R. To emphasize the need for selecting strong G.S.R.s, such a meeting can provide information on the role of G.S.R.s and their work in the district and area. (A basic resource is the pamphlet "G.S.R.: May be the Most Important Job in A.A." ) Nominations can be made by a steering committee or during a group business meeting. A plurality is generally sufficient for election.

Term and Method of Election:

Notification:

As soon as a G.S.R. is elected, the group should provide the district and area committees, the local intergroup/central office, and G.S.O. with the following information: 1) group name and service number, 2) the new G.S.R.'s name, address, and telephone number, and 3) the previous G.S.R.'s name (so it can be removed from the mailing list).
G.S.R. KIT: When G.S.O. has been notified, the new G.S.R. receives a kit containing a covering memo, The A.A. Service Manual/Twelve Concepts for World Service, useful pamphlets and leaflets, and a literature order form.

An alternate should be elected at the same time, in case the G.S.R. is unable to attend all district and area meetings. Alternates should be encouraged to assist, participate, and share in the responsibilities of the G.S.R., attending district and area meetings when feasible, depending on local needs

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