Twelve Concepts of Alcoholics Anonymous

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Twelve Concepts of Alcoholics Anonymous



The Twelve Concepts of AA do for AA as a world-wide organizations what the 12 Steps do for personal recovery and what the 12 Traditions do for
harmonious and effective functioning of AA Groups.(More information about
AA's 12 Steps and 12 Traditions can be found in the AA books, Alcoholics
Anonymous and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.)
The 12 Concepts for World Service provide the framework within which AA as
a world-wide organization functions. The 12 Concepts are listed below in
"short form." For a detailed explanation on how they operate, obtain a
copy of the AA book, The A.A. Service Manual combined with Twelve Concepts for World Service by Bill W., 1997-1998 Edition.

1.Final responsibility and ultimate authority for A.A. world services
should always reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship.
2.The General Service Conference of A.A. has become, for nearly every
practical purpose, the active voice and the effective conscience of our
whole Society in world affairs.
3.To insure effective leadership, we should endow each element of A.A. --
the Conference, the General Service Board and its service corporations,
staffs, committees, and executives -- with a traditional "Right of
Decision."
4.At all responsible levels, we ought to maintain a traditional "Right of
Participation," allowing a voting representation in reasonable proportion
to the responsibility that each must discharge.
5.Throughout our structure, a traditional "Right of Appeal" ought to
prevail, so that minority opinion will be heard and personal grievances
receive careful consideration.
6.The Conference recognizes that the chief initiative and active
responsibility in most world service matters should be exercised by the
trustee members of the Conference acting as the General Service Board.
7.The Charter and Bylaws of the General Service Board are legal
instruments, empowering the trustees to manage and conduct world service
affairs. The Conference Charter is not a legal document; it relies upon
tradition and the A.A.purse for final effectiveness.
8.The trustees are the principal planners and administrators of overall
policy and finance. They have custodial oversight of the separately
incorporated and constantly active services, exercising this through their
ability to elect all the directors of these entities.
9.Good service leadership at all levels is indispensable for our future
functioning and safety. Primary world service leadership, once exercised
by the founders, must necessarily be assumed by the trustees.
10.Every service responsibility should be matched by an equal service
authority, with the scope of such authority well defined.
11.The trustees should always have the best possible committees, corporate
service directors, executives, staffs, and consultants. Composition,
qualification, induction procedures, and the rights and duties will always
be matters of serious concern.
12.The Conference shall observe the spirit of AA. tradition, taking care
that it never becomes the seat of perilous wealth or power; that
sufficient operating funds and reserve be its prudent financial principle;
that it place none of its members in a position of unqualified authority
over others; that it reach all important decisions by discussion, vote,
and whenever possible, by substantial unanimity; that its actions never be personally punitive nor an incitement to public controversy; that it never
perform acts of government, and that, like the Society it serves, it will
always remain democratic in thought and action.
From The A.A. Service Manual combined with Twelve Concepts for World
Service by Bill W., 1997-1998 Edition, preceding the introduction to the
12 Concepts.

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Principles of the Twelve Concepts

1. Responsibility
2. Reliance
3. Trust
4. Participation
5. Democracy
6. Accountability
7. Balance
8. Consistency
9. Vision
10. Clarity
11. Respect
12. Spirituality

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"First Concept"

The First Concept of The Twelve Concepts is that:

"Final responsibility and ultimate authority for A.A. world services should always reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship."
---The A.A. Service Manual combined with Twelve Concepts for World Service by Bill W.

The structure for AA is all designed to provide that the direction taken by AA is that of the group conscience of the whole fellowship, not the dictates of a few.

Individual AA members come together to form Groups. Groups are arranged in Districts, and Districts are arranged in Areas. There are generally several Areas in a State. Several states are arranged in each Region. AA in the United States and Canada is under the General Service Boad. The United States and Canada send two delegates to the World Service Board that has world-wide responsibility.

Groups elect GSR's (General Service Representatives) which attend District meetings. The GSR's in a District elect a DCM (District Committee Member) to lead the District meetings and to represent the District at meetings of the Area Committees. Meetings of GSRs in an Area are called Assemblies. Area Assemblies send delegates to the AA-wide General Service Conferences that are held every two years. The General Service Conference determines matters of AA policy, and the General Service Board operates the day-to-day business of AA.

Thoughts

Do we know who the GSR is for our Group? Would we be able to desribe how AA functions to someone interested in performing service work?


"The Second Concept"

The Second Concept of AA is:
"The General Service Conference of A.A. has become, for nearly every practical purpose, the active voice and the effective conscience of our whole Society in world affairs."

---The A.A. Service Manual combined with Twelve Concepts for World Service by Bill W., 1997-1998 Edition

When AA was first starting, Dr. Bob and Bill W. had extensive responsibility and authority over how AA was set up and operated. In St. Louis in 1955 at the General Service Conference, this was placed with AA groups which delegated their authority to the Conference through their selection of chosen representatives who are fully empowered to speak and act for them. As Bill W. says, "[T]he principle of amply delegated authority and responsibility to 'trusted servants' must be implicit from the top to the bottom of our active structure of service. This is the clear implication of A.A.'s Tradition Two." (The A.A. Service Manual, p. 10).

Thoughts

Do we know enough about how AA operates and governs itself to explain these things to newcomers? Could we be more effective carrying the message to alcoholics who still suffer if we knew more about how AA operates?


"3rd Concept - Right of Decision"

AA's Third Concept of World Service is that:
"As a traditional means of creating and maintaining a clearly defined working relation between the groups, the Conference, the A.A. 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"

The A.A. Service Manual combined with Twleve Concepts for World Service, 1997-8 edition, p. 13-16

The First Concept established that the responsibility and authority for AA world services resided in the collective membership of AA. The Second Concept established that the membership through the groups delegated that authority to the AA General Service Conference. In this Third Concept, the various Boards, corporations (e.g., Grapevine), staffs, and committees are given the right to decide which problems they will dispose of themselves and upon which matters they will report, consult, or ask specific directions.

In practice this concept means that AA's "trusted servants" ought to carefully weigh the wishes of the members, but that they are also trusted to exercise their own judgment in the light of all circumstances, facts and arguments that become known to them during the voting or deliberation process.

Thoughts

Do we understand that when we elect GSR's or DCM's we are electing more than "messengers," that they have and are expected to exercise a Right of Decision?


"4th Concept - Right of Participation"

The Fourth Concept of World Service provides that "At all responsible levels, we ought to maintain a traditional 'Right of Participation,' allowing a voting representation in reasonable proportion to the responsibility that each must discharge." The A.A. Service Manual, Combined with Twelve Concepts for World Service, by Bill W., 1997-8 Ed.

In this Concept, AA provides that all groups within AA should be given a right to participate in the affairs of AA. This Concept provides not only that groups of alcoholics be permitted to participate, but also that staffs that include nonalcoholics should also be permitted the right to vote in proportion to the responsibility they discharge. This insures that every skilled element needed to make informed decision have a right to participate and provides a voice for people with knowledge of how things operate day-to-day.

Thoughts

Isn't it a good idea that all elements within AA have a right to participate? Is this concept carried out in the AA clubs and groups to which we belong?


"Concept Five -- Right of Appeal"

Concept 5 of the Twelve Concepts of World Service reads:

"Throughout our world service structure, a traditional "Right of Appeal" ought to prevail, thus assuring us that majority opinion will be heard and that petitions for the redress of personal grievances will be carefully considered."

Under this concept, all minorities are encouraged to file minority reports whenever they feel a majority to be in considerable error. Even when the minority may be partially or entirely in error, they perform a valuable service by compelling a thourough debate on important issues. They are our chief protection against an uninformed, misinformed, hasty or angry majority

Thoughts

Do we appreciate the great extent to which AA tries to maintain the dignity of individual members and to safeguard everyone from potential excesses of majority rule? Do we practice that same regard for everyone in AA at our own, personal level?


"Sixth Concept -- Chief Initiative"

The Sixth Concept of the Twelve Concepts for World Service is that:
"The Conference recognizes that the chief initiative and active responsibility in most world service matters should be executed by the trustee members of the Conference acting as the General Service Board."

Just as the groups must as a practical matter delegate much of their authority to the Conference, so the Conference must delegate much of its authority to the Trustees; otherwise the Trustees would be unable to act in the absence of the Conference. In essense, AA operates like a corporation with the groups being stockholders who elect Delegates who act on their behalf at the "Annual Meeting" or Conference. The General Service Board Trustees are essentially the directors of the "holding company" that owns and controls the subsidiaries that actually carry on much of the work of AA.

Thoughts

Do we appreciate the great responsibility and authority we are exercising when we elect GSR's and DCM's?

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"7th Concept: Legal vs. Practical Control"

Thought for TodAAy
The Seventh Concept of the Twelve Concepts of World Service states that::
"The Charter and Bylaws of the General Service Board are legal instruments, empowering the trustees to manage and conduct world service affairs. The Conference Charter is not a legal document; it relies upon tradition and the A.A.purse for final effectiveness.."

This concept at first appears to set up a conflict -- the trustees are given full legal authority, but the concept acknowledges that without the backing of the Conference and through it the funds and support of the local groups, the trustees could not, as a practical matter, go completely off on their own.

Thoughts

Do we appreciate how much we all, in and out of AA, depend on others to be reasonable and accommodating in what they do? Do we ourselves always try to be reasonable and accommodating when we are given a little authority over someone else, do we do onto them as we would be done onto?


"Eighth Concept -- Trustee Oversight"

The Eighth Concept of World Service provides, in it short form that:

The trustees are the principal planners and administrators of overall policy and finance. They have custodial oversight of the separately incorporated and constantly active services, exercising this through their ability to elect all the directors of these entities."

This concept continues the defining of responsibilities and authority begun in the earlier concepts. It limits the role of the Trustees in the A.A. Grapevine, Inc. and A.A. World Services, Inc. to the kind of oversight achieved by electing the directors of those independent entities, but essentially discouraging them from playing day-to-day roles as active administrators or executives of those companies.

Thoughts

Are there areas in our private lives where we should resist the tempatation to micro-manage, perhaps in the affairs of our spouses or children or parents? Don't we really have our own duties and responsibilities with which we should be concerned?


"Concept 9 -- Leaders & Leadership"

Concept Nine of the Twelve Concepts for World Service states, in its short form:
"Good service leadership at all levels is indispensable for our future functioning and safety. Primary world service leadership, once exercised by the founders, must necessarily be assumed by the trustees.

At first blush, this might seem to be at odds with the Twelfth Tradition that reminds us to place principles before personalities. However, it recognizes the fact that AA members will permit themselves to be lead but they do not generally suffer being told what to do. As Bill Wilson said, it is like we are saying to our leaders, "Act for us, but don't boss us."

If AA is to survive to be able to help more suffering alcoholics, it is imperative that we all find and support the very best General Service Representatives ("GSR's") -- after all, they are the ones who select District Committee Members ("DCM's") and who ultimately select Delegates to the Conference.

Thoughts

Do we fully appreciate all the time and devotion our current GSR's donate as a labor of love on our behalf? Do we support them when asked? If we think we have talents and gifts that could be used on behalf of AA shouldn't we get into action?


"10th Concept -- Responsibility & Authority"

The Tenth Concept of World Service states, in its short form:

"Every service responsibility should be matched by an equal service authority, with the scope of such authority well defined."

This concept is the principle that underlies some of the earlier concepts relating to the groups having the ultimate authority but then having that authority being delegated ultimately to the Conference and then to the Trustees, but with the delegation of authority always being accompanied by a clear statement of the scope of authority and responsibility.

Thoughts:

Isn't this a principle that we could use in our lives outside AA? If we're going to hold someone responsible for producing certain results, shouldn't we give them the authority needed to make those things happen? At the same time, don't we need to sharply define what that authority is, for their protection and our protection?


"11th Concept -- The Best"

The Eleventh Concept of World Service, in short form, states as follows::

"The trustees should always have the best possible committees, corporate service directors, executives, staffs, and consultants. Composition, qualification, induction procedures, and the rights and duties will always be matters of serious concern."

This concept recognizes that the trusted servants who work for the various AA entities need to be carefully selected because they will have the most day-to-day contact with members and others interested in AA. The Twelve Concepts of World Service specifically mentions the nominating, budgetary, public information, literature and general policy committees as requiring people with very specific skills and outlooks.

Thoughts:

Do we appreciate the services of the paid staff at the club or central service office in our area? When is the last time we said a simple "thanks" to them? Why not do that today?


"12th Concept -- AA Tradition"

The Twelfth Concept of World Service, in its short form, states as follows:
"The Conference shall observe the spirit of AA. tradition, taking care that it never becomes the seat of perilous wealth or power; that sufficient operating funds and reserve be its prudent financial principle; that it place none of its members in a position of unqualified authority over others; that it reach all important decisions by discussion, vote, and whenever possible, by substantial unanimity; that its actions never be personally punitive nor an incitement to public controversy; that it never perform acts of government, and that, like the Society it serves, it will always remain democratic in thought and action."

In its long form, the Twelfth Concept is actually Article 12 of the Conference Charter. It is considered so important that it can be changed only by written consent of three-quarters vote of the directory-listed AA groups, and then only after six months has been allowed for deliberation.

Thoughts:

How do our groups and clubs measure up to this Concept? Could it be worthwhile to maybe discuss this Concept at our group conscience meetings?