This is a manual on how to become a Northern Illinois Region 20 A.A. service representative.
This service manual outlines the structure and responsibilities of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) groups within the Northern Illinois Area 20. It details the role of General Service Representatives (G.S.R.s), how meetings are conducted, and the hierarchy of groups, districts, and area levels. The manual also covers the General Service Conference process, including agenda distribution, voting procedures, and communication chains between groups and area leadership.
It provides guidance for new G.S.R.s on attending meetings, holding group business meetings, and participating in district and area assemblies. The document includes sections on committees, elections, financial guidelines, and parliamentary procedures to ensure consistent service operations across the area.
… much attention has been drawn to the extraordinary liberties which the A.A. Traditions accord to the individual member and to his group: no penalties to be inflicted for nonconformity to A.A. principles; no fees or dues to be levied….voluntary contributions only; no member to be expelled from A.A. — membership always to be the choice of the individual; each A.A. group ought to conduct its internal affairs as it wishes - it being merely requested to abstain from activities that might injure A.A. as a whole; and finally that any group of alcoholics gathered together for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group provided that, as a group, they have no other purpose or affiliation.
The average District has about 40 Groups in it.
There are typically about 135 voting members: 93 elected Delegates from the A.A. membership, 21 Trustee members of the General Service Board, 3 A.A. World Services Inc. Directors, 1 Grapevine Inc. Director, the G.S.O. General Manager, the staff members of the General Service Office, the Executive Editor/Publisher of the Grapevine and 2 Grapevine staff members.