TeleService Opportunities
TeleService offers several meaningful ways for AA members to help carry the message to those who reach out for help. Whether returning a 12-Step call, answering the hotline, or helping make AA more accessible for members with special needs, each opportunity supports AA’s primary purpose and helps keep the hand of AA available.
12-Step Service connects AA members with people who have contacted the hotline and are seeking help with alcoholism. Volunteers return calls and share their own experience, strength, and hope through a calm, supportive conversation.
TeleService volunteers help answer incoming hotline calls, provide meeting information, offer support, and help connect callers with appropriate AA resources.
Special Needs Service helps support members who may face barriers to attending or participating in AA meetings by helping connect them with accessible meetings, resources, and appropriate assistance.
For more information about these opportunities, requirements, and how to volunteer, please visit the TeleService Opportunities page.
General Secretary
The group secretary is generally expected to:
- Conduct the group’s regular meetings according to the group’s conscience
- Announce and/or mail information about important AA activities and events
- Maintain minutes of business meetings
- Maintain and update a strictly confidential file of names, addresses and phone numbers of group members and know which members are available to visit still‐suffering alcoholics
- Keep a record of members’ sobriety dates, if the group so wishes
- Maintain a bulletin board for posting AA announcements, bulletins and newsletters
- Make certain that the General Service Office and Central Office are informed, in writing, of any changes of address, meeting place or group officers
- Accept and assign calls for Twelfth‐Step help
- Share with group members the mail from other groups and Central Office
If you’d like more information on how to become involved as a GSR, please see cnia.org
Meeting Secretary
The Meeting Secretary is responsible for conductingthe AA meeting in accordance with the group guidelines,as well as finding chair people and making sure the room is set up and the coffee person has taken care of his/her duties. The sobriety requirement is usually six months to one year.
Treasurer
The Treasurer collects 7th tradition money, pays groups expenses, maintains accurate records, and disburses H&I money and any surpluses according to the group’s conscience.
Intergroup (Central Office) Rep
The intergroup representative participates in business meetings with other such representatives several times a year to share their group’s experience in carrying the AA message. The intergroup rep tries to keep the group well‐informed about what the local intergroup is doing.
Chairperson
A chairperson shares his or her experience, strength and hope at a meeting and also may suggest a discussion topic depending on the meeting format.
General Service Representative (GSR)
As the group’s link with the General Services Conference, the GSR:
- Represents the group at district meetings and area assemblies
- Keeps group members informed about general service activities in their local areas
- Receives and shares with their groups all mail fromthe General Service Office
- May assist their groups in solving a variety ofproblems, especially those related to the Traditions
If you’d like more information on how to become involved as a GSR, please see cnia.org
Alternate GSR
An alternate GSR is elected at the same time as the GSR in the event that the GSR is unable to attend all district and area meetings.
Literature Representative
The group’s literature representative makes certain that AA Conference‐approved books and pamphlets are on hand for meetings and are properly displayed. Other Various and Sundry Positions
- Set up before the meeting
- Coffee‐makers
- Greeters
- Clean up after the meeting
Bridging the Gap (BTG)
Bridging the Gap is a temporary contact program, designed to help the alcoholic make the transition from a treatment or corrections facility into the nearest AA group or meeting.It is suggested that the temporary contact take the newcomer to a variety of AA meetings; introduce him or her to other AAs; introduce the newcomer to AA Conference‐approved books (particularly the Big Book), pamphlets and the AA Grapevine; insure that he or she has the phone numbers of several AA members, and share the experience of sponsorship and a home group.The intent is to provide the newcomer with your help for a limited time. You need not have experience with treatment facilities. Your qualifications are experience as an alcoholic and recovery in AA. If you’d like more information on how to become involved in BTG, please contact [email protected]
AA Grapevine/La Viña
Representative (GvR/RLV)
The job of the GvR and RLV is to familiarize members with the Fellowship’s international journal, The AA Grapevine, its bi‐monthly Spanishlanguage magazine La Viña, and the enhancements to sobriety the magazines offer.GvRs and RLVs participate in the activities of their area’s Grapevine committee, announce the arrival of new magazines at the group each month, encourage members to submit articles and illustrations, and explain how members can order their own subscriptions.
