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TOPIC FORM - GENERAL SERVICE CONFERENCE 2009

THEME:  IS YOUR GROUP IN THE LOOP?

CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSION OF TOPICS IS FRIDAY 26^th JUNE 2009

That Conference Committee reports come back to full conference with:

1. The Traditions and Concepts that the committee considered might be affected by this Topic.
2. Bullet point reasons for the committee’s recommendation.

WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND OR REASON FOR THE TOPIC?:

We have been given the right of Decision. If the fellowship gives us that great trust then we have to report back why we changed our vote in detail, we can only do that if we are given good reason’s that the committee made their decision , otherwise we are changing our vote to the Committee’s recommendation on blind trust and that does not fulfil the responsibility and trust  that the fellowship has given us.

CONFERENCE CHARTER AUSTRALIAN SECTION

1. Purpose:

The Australian General Service Conference of Alcoholics Anonymous is a guardian of the

World Services and of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. The

Conference shall be a service body only; never a government for Alcoholics Anonymous.

CONCEPT III

As a traditional means of creating and maintaining a clearly defined working

relation between the group, the Conference, the AA General Service Board

and its several service corporations, staffs, committees and executives, and

of thus insuring their effective leadership, it is here suggested that we endow

each of these elements of world service with a traditional “Right of Decision”.

For example: knowing that theirs is the final authority, the groups are sometimes tempted to

instruct their Delegates exactly how to vote upon certain matters in the Conference. Because they

hold the ultimate authority, there is no doubt that the AA groups have the right to do this. If they

insist, they can give directives to their Delegates on any and all AA matters.

But good management seldom means the full exercise of a stated set of ultimate rights. For

example, were the groups to carry their instruction of Delegates to extremes, then we would be

proceeding on the false theory that group opinion in most world service matters would somehow

be much superior to Conference opinion. Practically speaking, this could almost never be the

case. There would be very few questions indeed that “instructed” Delegates could better settle

than a Conference acting on the spot with full facts and debate to guide it. Of course it is

understood that complete reporting of Conference actions is always desirable. So is full

consultation with Committee Members and Group Representatives. Nevertheless the “instructed”

Delegate who cannot act on his own conscience in a final Conference vote is not a “trusted

servant” at all; he is just a messenger.

This “Right of Decision” should never be made an excuse for failure to render proper reports of all

significant actions taken; it ought never be used as a reason for constantly exceeding a clearly

defined authority, nor as an excuse for persistently failing to consult those who are entitled to be

consulted before an important decision or action is taken.

When the committee’s recommendations come back to full conference without why they made the decision how can a Delegate report why he changed how his Area recommended he vote. A report saying he voted for the committee’s recommendation without explanation is not proper repoting.

HOW WILL THE FELLOWSHIP OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS BENEFIT FROM THIS SUGGESTION?  

It will show the fellowship that we have properly used the trust that they have given us.

WHAT ARE THE ESTIMATED COSTS OF IMPLEMENTING THIS SUGGESTION?

Zero

HAVE YOU ASKED YOUR GROUP, DISTRICT OR AREA TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT THIS TOPIC AND, IF SO, WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME? (Note: A full consultative process is recommended, but any Member or unstructured Group has the right to submit direct to National Office.)