Originally Posted by
navysteve 
Exactly, so the secretary, as a trusted decision should make a decision. There are things called the twelve concepts, which mostly apply to the service structure at a larger level. But just like with the traditions, we can incorporate them into our personal recovery:
http://silkworth.net/pdfBillW/Bill-W...rd-Concept.pdf
The third concept speaks about right of decision. As a trusted servant you have such a right even at the lowest levels of AA service.
Not every decision in AA requires a consensus.
Sadly, many AA's are as unaware of these principles as they are the steps and traditions. Just go to a district or area meeting and you'll see what I mean.
The concepts are just a broad form of the second tradition, which is about the voice of God being found in the group conscience and about how we trust our servants to use the authority we give them responsibly. Many groups can't come to that because they aren't conscious as a group.
The right of decision comes from intuitive thought. If I've woken up, and my thought life is cleared of wrong motives I can trust my thinking and rely on intuitive thought. But no, we stay asleep and in the dark and afraid to use the right of decision, because after all "My mind is a dangerous neighborhood to go into alone."
Jim