Latest news

At the General Service Conference to be held in November 2013, nominations for the following positions will be reviewed:
Southern Region Trustee (Victoria and Tasmania)
Western Region Trustee (Western Australia)
The successful candidate will take up his/her position on 1st January 2014 for a four year period and will be required to attend meetings of the General Service Board and the General Service Conference. General Service Board meetings are held over weekends in February and July and the final General Service Board Meeting/General Service Conference is held over a four-day period (Thursday – Sunday), during the first week of November.
For a full description of desired qualifications, please refer to the Australian AA Service Manual.
These include:
Length of sobriety: 10 years
Business or professional background
Leadership
Grasp of AA structure
Work Load / Availability
Interested members are invited to apply for these positions. Application forms can be obtained by sending an email to valerie@aa.org.au , by telephoning (02) 9599 9966 or writing to General Service Office, 48 Firth Street, Arncliffe, NSW 2205.
Your application forms will then be sent on to the appropriate Regional Areas, who will make their selection by Third Legacy Procedure for forwarding on to the General Service Conference for approval. The successful candidate will then be formally elected by the General Service Board. Applications should be received at General Service Office no later than Friday 27th September 2013.

The General Service Conference to be held in November 2013 will elect a new World Service Delegate. Applications to stand for election are invited from members.
The position is for a four- year term. Qualifications:
Applicants should be legal residents and citizens of Australia.
They should have at least five years current unbroken sobriety in AA,
and service experience at a national level. They should have demonstrated leadership qualities, genuine service interest, organisational ability, and a knowledge and love of AA. Responsibilities:
Attend two World Service Meetings and two Asia/
World Service DelegateOceania Service Meetings in the four- year term of service.
Write a Country Report and/or Presentation for the World Service Meeting and Asia/Oceania Service Meeting. Be fully informed on AA in their countries and/or zones.
Attend General Service Board meetings and the General Service Conference in Sydney each year.
Attend the National Convention each year.
Report to the Fellowship via Conference, Board meetings, AA Around Australia and AA Service meetings like Regional Forums, Area Assemblies and District Meetings their observations of the World Service Meeting and Asia-Oceania Service meeting.
Actively support, help organise and inform the fellowship about the International Sponsorship Fund “Brown Paper Bag” collection held during Founders Week in June each year.
Applications must be received by GSO no later than Friday 27th September 2013.

The General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous Australia is seeking nominations for the position of General Service Trustee.  The position is for four years, commencing 1st January 2014.  General Service Trustee applicants should reside within commuting distance of the General Service Office. 

Nominations will be considered when the Board meets in November 2013 and the successful candidate will be chosen by Third Legacy Procedure.  The appointment of the successful candidate will then be ratified at the General Service Conference.

Duties:

• To attend General Service Board meetings held at weekends in February and July.   The trustee must also be available to attend the Board meeting and General Service Conference held over four days in November.
• To attend meetings at the General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous Australia in Arncliffe, NSW on a monthly basis, as part of the General Service Office Management Group.
• Be available to General Service Office staff in an advisory capacity throughout the year.
• Provide continuous service to the General Service Board throughout the year.

Qualifications:

• Sound business or professional background.
• Leadership skills.
• Understanding of General Service Structure.
• Several years of continuous sobriety.
• Availability.

Please telephone Valerie at the General Service Office on (02) 9599 8866 or email valerie@aa.org.au for further information, or to obtain an application form.

Applications must be received by no later than Friday 27th September 2013.

AA is about recovery, unity and service. Carrying the message to the sick and suffering alcoholic is a vital part of our personal recovery and also that of our organisational profile. For those of us who live in large urban areas or large country towns, and who are fit and well, access to the services of AA and its meetings is something that we can at times take for granted. Not all of us however are mobile or within easy reach of meetings.

“Remote communities are defined as those separated from the programme of Alcoholics Anonymous by language, geography and culture and by impairment of sight and hearing.”

We would like to hear from you if you have experience in working in remote communities whether by geography or it may be experience gained in the health services field or working with charities that assist disabled people.

If you have experience working with people who for whatever reason are in isolated circumstances then we need your help now. There will be things that you know that will greatly assist AA in carrying the message so please contact the Trustees’ Remote Communities Committee at gso@aa.org.au or ring Valerie (02) 9599 8866.

This is a very special way that you can assist in the carrying of the message and to strengthen your sobriety through service.

The 2011 General Service Conference affirms that:
1) It appreciates that all AA members share a great passion for our Fellowship.
2) It has a duty to support all members and Groups across Australia. It operates according to
a body of principles and relationships by which AA can function as a whole. This may
require it to express a view on vital AA policy matters or on any hazardous deviation
from AA Traditions.
3) AA Groups are autonomous and the primary source of authority for the Fellowship.
Accordingly, Groups can decide to which AA service entity they donate member
contributions.
4) It is the guardian of AA world services for Australia and accepts its custodianship of the
Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions and its obligation to assist in carrying the
message in Asia and Oceania.
5) Separate General Service and Central Service structures are essential to carry the
message in Australia.
6) The most effective way to carry out the function of Conference is through a single National
Office.
7) The General Service Board is empowered to act on its own responsibility, within the
provisions of its own charter and by-laws.
8) Carrying the AA message in Australia is substantially funded from profits made from the
sale of AA literature. This requires the General Service Board to hold the Australian
copyright, protect AA trademarks, approve, publish and supply AA literature to
members and the public.
9) The existing AA public liability insurance continues to protect group office bearers against
being sued in the event that damage occurs at a meeting. A single national public
liability policy reduces the risk of that insurance cover becoming the subject of
dispute.
10) It understands that Conference is not a seat of power, but needs to act in the best interests of all members attending the 1,938 AA meetings listed on the AA website.
11) Any issue that significantly affects the Australian Fellowship must in future receive at least a two-thirds majority vote at Conference, and
12) It will do everything possible to avoid any punitive action on members or create public
controversy.
Conference is issuing this statement so that all members can share in the principles of recovery, unity and service that Conference embodies. This message summarises Conference’s
commitment to the long term health of our Fellowship.
Related Links:
Twelve Steps: http://www.aa.org.au/members/twelve-steps.php
Twelve Traditions: http://www.aa.org.au/members/twelve-traditions.php
Twelve Concepts: http://www.aa.org.au/members/twelve-concepts.php
© Alcoholics Anonymous 2011
The words ‘Alcoholics Anonymous’ are the registered Trade Mark of the
General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous, Australia.

Help Wanted - Editor - Flyer

Do you have a passion for PI? (that's Public Information).
Have you got what it takes to carry the message to a national audience?
Got ink running through your veins?
A unique position has become available thanks to Conference Advisory Action #055/2009:
The General Service Conference resolved that a newsletter for professionals be published, similar to the newsletter published by the GSO in New York, entitled About AA: a newsletter for pro-fessionals (the newsletter may be viewed at www.aa.org). The newsletter would be published quarterly or biannually by posting it on the national website, as is currently done by the GSO in New York, and distributed by email to subscribers. A one-year service position of Editor is now vacant for this purpose.
For further information please contact General Service Office.