SECRETARY HANDBOOK
INDEX
1.
Index to Subjects
2.
Brief History of A.A.
and
3.
To the New Secretary
4.
Requirements and Duties
of Group Secretary
5.
Financial
Responsibilities of the Secretary
6.
Financial
Responsibilities of the Secretary
7.
Group Organization
and Steering Committee
8.
Types of Meetings
9.
Types of Meetings
10.
Suggested Meeting
Agenda
11.
Suggested Meeting
Agenda
12.
Central Office
Services
13.
Anonymity and Who
“Runs” A.A.
14.
A.A. World Services
24-hour phone: 650.577.1310
email:AA@AA-san-mateo.org
BRIEF HISTORY OF A.A.
Our first members in
A.A. were Bill W. and Dr. Bob S., whose meeting in
Bill
W. had been a successful
In
The
two men noted that their own desire to drink disappeared when they tried to
share their recovery experience with other alcoholics. The chain reaction resulting from this
discovery has been responsible for the consistent growth of the A.A.
movement. Dr. Bob died in 1950 and Bill
W. in 1971. You can find their stories
in the Big Book -- "Alcoholics Anonymous". Their legacy is our lifesaving fellowship.
CENTRAL
OFFICE HISTORY
When
A.A. was pioneering in
in 1962 we
realized that A.A. on the
Every
year we handle a large number of calls for help from alcoholics or members of
their families. This is one of the
principal advantages of a Central Office.
It is essential that
your San Mateo County Fellowship Central Office receive adequate financial and
moral support of all A.A. groups and members in the county so that it may continue
to support the A.A. program for the alcoholic who lives, works, or visits
here. As of 1995, the San Mateo County
Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous serves over 300 Groups and Meetings.
TO
THE NEW SECRETARY
Congratulations
on being elected secretary of your group.
It can be a wonderful and rewarding experience for you.
This
handbook is designed to answer any questions you may have about your specific
responsibilities as secretary of the group and about A.A. in general.
Action is the magic word to insure sobriety.
Never
hesitate to ask for help from Central Office, and don't forget Tradition 2,
which says:
“For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority
-- a loving God as He may express himself in our group conscience. "Our leaders are but trusted servants;
they do not govern."
When you find it's time to pass this work of love on to your
successor, please make his or her appointment known to the San Mateo Central
Office by phoning
(650) 577-1310, so that they may be welcomed. Our fax number is
(650) 577-8529, and our web site contains a trusted servant form. www.AA-san-mateo.org. We also have an
e-mail address: email:
AA@AA-san-mateo.org.
If your successor
happens to be a secretary for the first time, you will want to be available to
them for the first few meetings of their term, or if you're eager to try other
meetings during that time, leave your phone number with the new secretary.
It
is recommended that new secretaries have at least six months of continuous
sobriety, when assuming the responsibilities of Group Secretary.
Part
of the responsibility of the rotating secretary is to PASS IT ON. Rotation is one of the important principles
in the structure and operation of a local group (and, indeed, throughout the
fellowship).
It means simply that A.A.s shy
away from the idea of an individual, no matter how competent, serving too long
as a group officer or member of a service committee. The suggested term of office for Group
Secretary is six months; for co-secretaries, one year. In A.A., it's the program, not the
personalities that count.
REQUIREMENTS
AND DUTIES OF A GROUP SECRETARY
A group Secretary should have at least six months of
continuous sobriety; be free to attend all meetings during the recommended term
of officer and to be early at the meeting place to insure it is properly
"set up" -- coffee made, arrange bulletins in order by number, etc.
1. Start and close all meetings on
schedule.
2. Obtain chairperson in advance
(Speaker and Speaker Discussion meetings). Speakers should be advised in
advance of the type of meeting and A.A.'s primary purpose.
3. Before the meeting starts, select
members to read "How it Works", "Traditions" and other
Group approved readings.
4. Have books and literature
available and on display.
5. Make A.A. related announcements
-- Request reports from Treasurer, Delegate, GSR, and H&I representatives
on a regular basis.
6. Facilitate Group business matters
(oversee elections, group consciences, etc.)
7. See that collection baskets are
passed around the room and are returned to the secretary.
8. Make sure that facilities are
clean and dishes put away after meeting. Turn off lights.
9. Maintain good relations with the
landlord, and insure that the rent is paid on time.
A
SPECIAL NOTE TO GROUP SECRETARIES
The Group Secretary is responsible for maintaining orderly
conduct of the meeting. Should a
disturbance arise during the meeting, the secretary should stand and perhaps
say something like this: "Pardon me, but I think we should continue with
the general discussion. Perhaps we can
discuss this after the meeting. "A good secretary should never interrupt
the discussion to interject his or her own thoughts. He/she seldom participates in the discussion
unless the group is small and time is plentiful.
FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE
GROUP SECRETARY
For
the peace of mind and protection of the secretary from any criticism, it is
suggested that each group have a treasurer.
Suggested continuous sobriety of a Treasurer should be 2 years and
willingness to serve a 2 year term.
If
your group does not have a treasurer, then this is an important part of your
job as secretary.
TREASURER
It
is highly desirable to keep a simple but formal record of funds received, costs
and disbursements of monies. This serves
as a record to assist your memory and as a point of pride to the group with
respect to their contributions. A
regular financial report should be made to the group. After each meeting, take a few minutes to
make a summary report of contributions received and expenses.
At
the end of each month, make a monthly report on forms provided by Central
Office and distribute your contributions to the Central Office and GSO in
A.A.
experience has taught us that it is not a good idea for a group to hoard
money. The funds should be distributed
on a monthly basis. Ask your steering
committee about this. Below are
suggested contribution distributions found in the A.A. approved pamphlet,
"Self-Supporting Through Your Own
Contributions":
|
FIRST: |
To
your own group Each
A.A. group is self-supporting. This
means you must pay rent, buy coffee and the refreshments (if any) and attend
to all other expenses of the group (like coffee pots, A.A. wall-hanging
signs, A.A. books, etc.) |
|
|
|
|
SECOND: |
To you own area 60% of the remainder of your balance
after Group Expenses should be mailed or delivered monthly to the Central
Office: |
|
|
FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE
GROUP SECRETARY (continued)
THIRD: To the General
Service Office
The services provided by General Service Office (GSO) in
General Service Office
P.O
Grand Central Station
IMPORTANT:
Make check payable to : "General Fund"
FOURTH: To
your Area Committee: Your contribution supports Area Assemblies,
Delegate's expenses, Public Information and Cooperation with the Professional
Community and Institutions work. 5% to:
|
|
|
FIFTH: |
To
your District: Your contribution supports District
communication with groups, providing group conscience at an assembly level
and serving as a link between Area delegates and GSR's. Send 5% to: |
|
District 5 - |
|
H&I: |
|
send contributions
to: H&I |
|
NOTE: |
|
Never send cash in the mail! |
GROUP ORGANIZATION
Each A.A. Group is
autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole,
therefore the type of Group Organization is usually determined by the group
conscience.
The
following suggested Group Organization is based on the experience of many
successful groups and should be used as a guide to establish an organization
best suited for your group. The size of
your group and type of meeting your members may help to determine the organization
required.
|
Steering Committee |
|
Secretary (Some groups also have a co-secretary) |
|
Treasurer |
|
GSR General Service Representative to
the District Committee (and alternate) |
|
Delegate to Central Office
Delegates Committee (and
alternate) |
|
Grapevine Representative |
|
Greeters to welcome newcomers and members to
meetings |
|
Coffee maker and coffee servers |
|
Literature person to obtain books and literature
for the group |
|
Hospitals & Institutions
Committee Representative |
|
People
to set up and take down chairs, tables, etc. |
|
Dish
washers and dryers when necessary. |
|
Program
Chairperson or Speakers Committee to get speakers. |
Consideration
should be given as to who will provide these services when a person delegated
for any such service is unable to assume responsibilities.
STEERING COMMITTEE
The
steering committee serves the group by providing convenient, experienced cross
section of group membership to whom problems of the group can be referred and
for handling "policy questions" that may arise within the group. It does not represent management of a group;
no individual or committee can do that.
The
steering committee may be comprised of the GSR, present and past secretaries,
treasurer and other concerned members of the group. Individual groups may set certain sugested minimum of sobriety for members of steering
committees, normally one year's sobriety.
Based
on the experience of a number of groups, here is a guide on how large your steering
committee should be:
|
Members
in Group |
Steering
Committee |
|
|
|
|
10 to 20 |
3 to 5 |
|
20 to 40 |
5 or 6 |
|
0 to 75 |
6 to 8 |
|
75 to 100 |
8 or 9 |
|
125 to 200 |
9 to 13 |
TYPES OF MEETINGS
Each
Group should determine by "Group Conscience" the type and format for
its meetings. Here are some common
formats used:
Speaker
Meetings: The secretary opens
the meeting with the recommended meeting format and then introduces the speaker
who shares their experience, strength and hope.
It is recommended that speakers have at least six months of continuous
sobriety and have an inspiring story of recovery. If the speaker has had addictions other than
alcohol, he/she should be requested to emphasize the alcoholism and hold
discussion of other addictions to a minimum.
Speakers should be advised in advance of the meeting time
and the maximum time they should speak.
If a speaker exceeds this time schedule, the secretary should pass a
polite note to the speaker advising him or her that the time is up.
Speaker-Discussion
Meetings: The same general
format as speaker meetings, except that the speaker may talk for about half of
the time left after the "opening".
He/she then selects a topic for discussion, which is related to
alcoholism or the A.A. Program.
Book
Study Meetings: Meetings to
review and discuss A.A. books, such as the “Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions”.
These meetings are usually opened in the same manner as "Speaker" and
"Speaker-discussion" Meetings, but instead of a speaker the Secretary
arranges to have an A.A. member who understands the topic under discussion at
that meeting, lead the discussion as chairperson.
It is suggested that as many members as possible participate
in the reading and discussion of the topic being considered. For this reason, it is suggested the
chairperson briefly qualify as an alcoholic and then share his/her overall
thoughts on the subject under consideration.
Usually a copy (or copies) of the book being discussed is
passed around the room and each member present is given an opportunity to read
one or two paragraphs (the number of paragraphs to be read should be announced
at the beginning of the meeting) until the chapter is completed.
After the chapter has been read, the chairperson will
usually ask for volunteers or will call on members to explain their
understanding of, or experiences with the subject
being considered.
TYPES OF MEETINGS (continued)
Discussion
Only Meetings: Same opening
format used by other meetings. Then the
secretary or chairperson asks the group if they have a subject related to alcoholism
or A.A. they would like to discuss. If
such a topic is suggested, it will be used, otherwise
the secretary or chairperson will announce a subject to be discussed. The members will then discuss the topic or
other subjects related to alcoholism for the balance of the meeting.
Special
Interest Meetings: A.A. members
who have special interests sometimes start special interest groups, such as
doctors, lawyers, women only, airline pilots, men's stag, teenage, pre-teenage,
gay, etc. Such special interest groups
are neither encouraged nor discouraged, however before starting such groups,
the members involved should determine if such groups are in the best interest
of unity in our A.A. Program as a whole and be governed by the group
conscience.
Open,
Closed and Public Meetings:
A closed meeting is for A.A. members, or for those who “have
a desire to stop drinking.”
An open meeting is for alcoholics, their families and
interested friends.
A public meeting is designated to acquaint key people in the
community (doctors, clergy, etc.) with the local availability of the A.A.
recovery program. An announcement of
this type of meeting generally appears in the local newspapers. The meeting is open to the general public and
professional people interested in A.A. and alcoholism are
especially invited to attend.
SUGGESTED MEETING AGENDA
The order of meetings
varies somewhat from area to area, but you can feel safe by following this
outline:
1. "Good
morning/afternoon/evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is the regular open/closed meeting of
the ____________________ group of Alcoholics Anonymous. My
name is____________________. I am an alcoholic and your
current Secretary/Co-Secretary."
2. “Shall we open
the meeting with a moment of silence to do with as you wish, followed by the
Serenity Prayer.”
“God, grant me the serenity
to accept the
things I cannot change,
courage
to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.”
3. “I shall now
read the definition of Alcoholics Anonymous, taken from our monthly
publication, the A.A. Grapevine:”
"Alcoholics
Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength
and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help
others to recover from alcoholism.
The
only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A.
membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination,
politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any
controversy; neither endorses not opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help
other alcoholics to achieve sobriety."
4. “__________
will now read the beginning of Chapter 5 of the Big Book.” (This may be
substituted by the beginning of Chapter 3 or other portion from the Big
Book. It is suggested only A.A. approved
literature be read.)
SUGGESTED MEETING AGENDA
(continued)
6. Ask any new
members to introduce themselves by their first names. Explain that this is not to embarrass them;
but rather so we may get to know them.
(A new member is defined as someone new to the Fellowship or in early
sobriety.) You may wish to ask if there
are any visitors, any A.A. members attending this meeting for the first time,
and if anyone is celebrating an A.A. birthday.
7. Ask for
announcements from the group pertaining to A.A.
Be sure to make your own A.A. announcements about the availability of
free literature, books for sale and any other general A.A. announcements. Make sure your delegate to Central Office,
GSR, H&I and Grapevine representatives have a
opportunity to give a report of their activities, when they have important
information to report.
8. Introduce the
Chairperson (speaker, speaker-discussion meetings).
9. The Chairperson
conducts the meeting in accordance with the format agreed upon with the
secretary.
10. Thank the
Chairperson after his/her presentation.
11. Pass the basket. (The time for passing the basket is optional --
some groups do so before the speaker, some after the speaker or
discussion.) Usually the secretary
precedes this by saying:
"We have no dues
or fees in A.A., but we do pay our own way.
In accordance with the Seventh Tradition, your contribution will be
appreciated. The money in the basket
pays the rent, buys coffee, and helps support General Service and our Central
Office.”
It
is also suggested that the H&I Pink Can should be passed separately
from baskets to avoid confusion of support .
|
12. |
Close
the meeting with the Serenity Prayer or a prayer of your choice for those who
wish to do so, if that is the custom of your group. |
NOTE:
Make every effort to open and close the meeting on
time. Be sure to tell your chairperson what time he/she
should finish his/her part of the
meeting.
24-hour phone:
650.577.1310
email:AA@AA-san-mateo.org
SAN MATEO
Our Central Office is a service office for Alcoholics
Anonymous…
·
Maintains A.A. listings in the area
telephone books.
·
Maintains and prints a schedule of A.A.
meetings in
·
Maintains a web site of AA meetings - www.aa-san-mateo.org
·
Answers telephone calls for help and
routes these calls to volunteer "Twelfth-Step" workers; maintains an
answering service for calls "after office hours".
·
Answers all letters for help, sending
along pertinent information and literature.
·
Assists groups by making A.A. books,
literature and supplies, such as this handbook available on a local basis.
·
Serves as a public relations office for
A.A. in the community.
·
Serves as a clearinghouse of
information relating to all participating groups, issues bulletins, reports,
significant group activities, special events of area-wide interest, changes in
group secretaries, etc.
·
Sponsors an Annual Anniversary Dinner
for our service area.
·
May publish and distribute literature
containing special interpretations of the A.A. Program (such as this handbook).
·
Maintains up-to-date listings of all
group meetings ;
the time and location of each and publishes meeting schedules.
·
Central Office is supported solely by the groups it serves and by
members of AA.
·
The address of our Central Office is:
|
Phone: 650
577-1310 email:AA@AA-san-mateo.org |
ANONYMITY
Always remember:
"Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us
to place principles before personalities".
A.A. is important.
Without it, the alcoholic is lost.
Who we are, what we do for a living and where
we live is not the important thing. Our
primary purpose is "to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve
sobriety".
At
the public level
Personal anonymity is our assurance to the world that none
of us will use the A.A. name for personal profit, prestige or power -- and our
assurance to the newcomer that his identify will not be revealed.
At
the private level
We are asked to respect the anonymity of the other
fellow. We should never reveal to
others the names of people we meet in A.A.
The individuals themselves are the only people who can determine whether
or not they want to tell of their association with A.A. A.A. experience has taught that no A.A. need to be anonymous to family, friends or neighbors;
disclosure there is usually right and good.
But this, of course, is up to the individual involved.
Special Note: At open or public
meetings, the secretary is requested to remind visitors of the importance of
anonymity. Clubs, halfway houses and
other institutions and organizations cannot represent themselves as Alcoholics
Anonymous since by tradition this is not permitted.
WHO “RUNS” A.A.
A.A. has no "leaders" in the usual meaning of the
term. No individual is authorized to
speak for A.A. on a local, regional, national or international basis.
A.A. gets things done largely through service committees,
and positions of responsibility or authority are filled on a rotating basis.
There are a few paid workers in the fellowship. These are found in the General Service Office
in
You are helping "get things done" by taking your
turn as secretary of this group.
A.A.'s
WORLD SERVICES
With
A.A. reaching all over the globe, we must have some way of keeping track of all
the groups and loner members, and some way of furnishing them with literature
and information.
To
do this job, we have:
The
General Service Board. (a
board of trustees)
Safeguards traditions and
service fund.
Oversees the operating service units, the
General Service Office,
"A.A. World
Services, Inc.", and the A.A. Grapevine, Inc.
The General Service Office (GSO)
Handles inquiries from
groups and the general public.
Prepares literature, issues periodic
bulletins, corresponds with"Loners", Institutional
Groups, and Overseas Groups (people in remote places
where there are no
meetings.).
A.A. World Services, Inc.
Handles
all details involved in the publication and distribution of A.A.'s basic texts -- Alcoholics Anonymous, Twelve
Steps and Twelve Traditions and A.A.
Comes of Age -- as well as all pamphlet literature.
A.A. Grapevine, Inc.
Publishes and distributes our monthly
magazine.
General Services Conference
Is the link between A.A. groups and
services committees.
It makes policy decisions on
matters that affect A.A. as a whole.