Alcoholics Anonymous has been called an upside-down organization because the “ultimate responsibility and final authority for… world services” resides with the groups -- rather than with the trustees of the General Service Board or the General Service Office in New York.

In Concept I, Bill traces how this came to be. The first step in 1938 was “the creation of a trusteeship,’ first called the Alcoholic Foundation, renamed in 1954 the General Service Board. Why? To perform the services the groups could not do for themselves: eg., uniform literature, uniform public information about AA, helping new groups get started, sharing with them the experience of established groups, handling pleas for help, publishing a national magazine, and carrying the message in other languages and in other countries. A service office was formed to carry on these functions under the board’s direction. Both the board and the office looked to the co-founders, Bill and Dr. Bob for policy leadership.

In the midst of the “exuberant success” of early AA, Dr. Bob became fatally ill and Bill asked, “When Dr. Bob and I are gone, who would then advise the trustees and the office?’ The answer, Bill felt, was to be found in the collective conscience of the AA groups. But how could the autonomous, widely scattered groups exercise such a responsibility?

Over great resistance by the trustees and members devoted to the status quo, Bill managed to “sell” the idea of calling an AA General Service Conference (see Concept II), and eleven years later Bill was able to declare, “The results of the Conference have exceeded our highest expectations.’

This Concept is rooted in Tradition Two which states: “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.”

Activities report given by Kris S.  Still looking into location and menu for spring event.  Motion was made and carried to give a budget of $2,500 for event.  A motion was made to have a separate account for the activities committee, instead of using 7th tradition money.  This motion was to be carried back to groups for their input    

Pearl of the Month   ©  AA Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p 5
Who cares to admit complete defeat?  Admission of powerlessness is the first step in liberation.  Relation of humility to sobriety.  Mental obsession plus physical allergy. Why must every AA hit bottom?
With permissions, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. 

Food For Thought
Contributions are made to Food For Thought by recovering alcoholics who have this outlet to share feelings and opinions about living in recovery. The material included does not necessarily express the views of Harrisburg Area Intergroup, or Alcoholics Anonymous. It is simply an opportunity for recovering alcoholics to express thoughts they would like to share. Why not share something of yourself with our readers?

My sponsor once told me that being humble meant being teachable.  When I came to this program, I was full of pride. I was right and everyone else was wrong.  I was in control of my own destiny.  Upon closer inspection, however I saw that my own destiny was looking pretty grim.  My life was falling apart.  My career was gone, people avoided me and my wife thought I was crazy.

Entering A.A. I was immediately confronted with humility.  I had to admit I was powerless over alcohol, that my life had become unmanageable, that a power greater than myself (not me) would be necessary to restore me to sanity.  Then, to top it off, I had to turn my will and my life over to this power.

I must add that, for me part of being humble is to remember that, no matter how long I have been sober, I'm just one drink away from a drunk.  That my sobriety is dependent on my spiritual condition and that is dependent on my humility.

From "viewpoint" - North County Intergroup Newsletter, Vista, California, May/Jun e 2002

This Month in AA History
1931    The Common Sense of drinking by Richard Peabody, was published.  It strengthened the concept of alcoholism as an illness and contained the statement "Half measures are to no avail.  The book later became a prominent reference source in the early AA fellowship

1971    William Griffith Wilson, 36 years sober, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, died of emphysema in Miami Beach.  It was his and Lois' 53rd wedding anniversary.  In 1990 Life Magazine named Bill among the 100 most important figures of the 20th century.  Time magazine did the same years later.

SOBRIETY NEWS is published monthly, and is usually available on the website the Tuesday night before the first Thursday of each month, so paper copies can be distributed to Reps at the Intergroup meeting. You can locate this newsletter, as well as lots of other stuff that would interest members of groups belonging to the Harrisburg Area Intergroup, at http://www.aaharrisburg.org