group conscience????

[Tazman53]

Most meetings I go to has a specific night they have a group conscience, one of them does not, how do you have one? Just ask during anouncments?

[CarolD]

If you are a member of that group
you ask your GSR to call one.

It's probably in the Service Manuel
I don't recall for sure tho.

[Tazman53]

I poked around the AA website and could not find any specific direction, but it probably is and I just can't find it.

[CarolD]

Your Central Office will have or order you a Service Manuel.

It's handy to have for esoteric questions
and to wave around at your own GC.

[Carol87]

You can read and/or print the service manual at the AA site ... do a search for Service Manual ... (It is a PDF file ... )

[yogurt75]

I don't remember there being anything specific about holding a group conscience at the local level in the AA Service Manual. In most groups I've been a member of, any MEMBER of that particular group can call for a group conscience discussion for a direction for the group. After group inventory meetings we also used to hold group conscience votes to alter or otherwise change direction, format or other procedural areas.

Maybe in a newer Service Manual they do go into depth but after a while, I just gave up collecting yearly volumes which reflect the actions of the previous year's GSC.

Tradition Two states that FOR OUR GROUP PURPOSE we have but one ultimate authority... that authority is a loving God as expressed through the Group Conscience.

[Sugah]

My home group meets twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday. More home group members show up on Saturday night, so once a month, directly following the monthly district meeting (which is held on a Tuesday night), we have a group conscience after the meeting. This way, any news from district can be passed on, and any issues that require a vote from our GSR at the next district meeting can be discussed.

This is a very small area (population-wise) with a decent number of meetings, and our home group of 15 members or so is a large, active one. As different as we all are, we're usually all in agreement on things, so, if something comes up in between group conscience meetings that requires a decision, we'll round up 3-5 folks after a meeting or on the telephone and have an informal group conscience meeting. Ideally, we announce at a meeting, but that's not always possible (things come up between meetings). We all trust each other to honor the traditions and act in the best interest of the group, but checking with each other helps our accountability and sometimes helps clarify a fuzzy perspective on something.

Peace & Love,
Sugah

[RufusACanal]

Concepts Checklist

Service Material from the General Service Office
A service piece for home groups, districts, areas


Concept I: Final responsibility and ultimate authority for A.A. world services should always reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship.Does our group have a general service representative (G.S.R.)? Do we feel that our home group is part of A.A. as a whole and do our group’s decisions and actions reflect that?
Do we hold regular group conscience meetings encouraging everyone to participate? Do we pass that conscience on to the district, area, or the local intergroup meetings?
Is the “collective conscience” of Alcoholics Anonymous at work in my home group? In my area?
Where do we fit in the upside-down triangle of A.A.?
Are we willing to do what it takes to insure that our democracy of world service will work under all conditions?


Reprinted from AA Service Material

[Barto]

Just razor your hand and state that you’d like to call for a group conscious.

If you are in the room (with a desire to…), you are member of the group.

[Tazman53]

Thanks to all, Barto that is what I pretty much have been led to do. What is the worst that could happen? I could look or feel foolish!!! Nothing new there!!! LOL

[GlassPrisoner]

The meeting I chair typically holds business meetings as required. Any changes to the format, meeting time, etc are dicussed and voted on there.

When someone however, gives up a commitment, they'll usually announce it at the end of the meeting, and a group conscience is taken to approve the new commitment taker.

[Tazman53]

GP that is the way things are in all the other meetings I go to except that one, to me the most important meeting in our area, the New Comers meeting.

[Emimily]

where did my post go?! hmm...

[sugErspun]

Originally Posted by Emimily

where did my post go?! hmm...

You mean this one?

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ml#post1739889 (Putting it all out there.....)

there are two similair threads running..

[jimhere]

There is a pamphlet called "The A.A. Group," one of the better ones actually. It describes what a group conscience looks like and how it evolves.

My home group takes its inventory twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. We just had the spring inventory last weekend.

We take a full day, starting with a potluck. Then we take inventory, then new business in which motions are brought. We can only change group conscience at this time. After new business we elect trusted servants.

Our business meetings are usually short, with trusted servants giving reports. We have a steering committee that handles matters of policy and brings recomendations to the group.
Jim

[Tommyh]

Taz,yougurt is right.Anyone can call for one anytime.

We take them as needed.We usually ask the chairperson to announce them during the "do we have announcements or business" part of our meeting...and we like to have them announced 1 week before we have them.Our home group meets 4 nights per week so we need to announce it at least one week prior.

[Pinkcuda]

Tradition 4 says that all Groups are Autonomous. The decision as to when and how to call a Group Conscience should not be decided above and beyond the Group Level.

[Tazman53]

Well last night went okay, not exactly the way I had hoped it would go, but that is okay, talked to some folks, who are going to find out who is in the home group.

As crazy as this sounds the one person I do know finally that is in the home group wants me to take over the GSR from him!!! He said that he would get me the paperwork and then we would talk. I want to do this right so when he calls me I am going to tell him I will do it if he calls a GC/business meeting and I am elected to take the position. That could be the perfect time to bring up a few other things.

It seems to me that if any group should work hard at doing it right in regards to spreading the message it should be a "Beginners Group".