Rob B

I am interested in hearing members experience with the service structure of their homegroups. My former home group is a double header on Friday night, Open discussion from 6:30-7:30 ussually about 50 people, open speaker from 8-9 ussually 10-15 people. My observation and experience is this, 2% of the people do 100% of the work and keep the jobs for years, Occassionaly someone will show up to the business meeting, take a job, and then not do it. So, after months of prayer and meditation asking God for guidance I stepped down from the treasurer position which I have held for a few years.Tonight I announced my resignation, stating
rent needs to be paid, books bought, chips, bought, etc.. Nobody stepped up.As I said in the meeting, this is in your hands now, and ultimately God's.

So, for folks who have functional homegroups, what is your experience? My group has destroyed itself from within, Bill Wilson wrote extensively about this, see my blog on tradition for a more comprehensive overview of the importance of tradition. On A happier note, a few of us have formed a primary purpose group, we follow tradition and study the big book, we have quite a few commitments to detox units and treatment facilites, this is the fellowship I seek.

sugErspun

My homegroup is similair to your primary purpose group - a breakoff from a much larger and much more 'visible' AA group. People were fed up, and left - this was long before I came around, they have many meetings a week now in a few different cities in the area (They have grown quite a bit). Now the group seems to be pretty peaceful - there is never any friction about commitments, they are assigned every 3 months (no problem with volunteers) other than the chair which is a year commitment and is voted on, the chair oversees that the group is in accordance with the area, and that the commitments are taken care of, people are not disturbing the neighborhood/or the other meeting that goes on in the same church facility at the same time.

The people in my homegroup seem to be grateful that they have a meeting that sticks to the book and the steps and has been able to function smoothly for many years.

CarolD

We rotate service committments and positions.
We use GC's to iron out the problems
and to elect our trusted servants.

No big news there....

Tommyh

I was talking with my sponser several weeks ago about this very issue.Sponsership is the best solution.A breakdown of good sponsership results in nobody doing anything.
My home group usually does rotate around and share the work except on a few things like clean up..we need to improve there.

now,our home group treasurer has served for a few too many yrs,but thats the one position where we hang onto a person if they do a good job,experience has proved you cannot put anyone there,so when we get a good one,we keep them.

we rotate GSR`s,Intergroup delegates,etc on time and usually keep a alternate handy.

In the building where my home group meets,we have 2 other groups meeting there.
We formed a steering committee from all 3 groups and we share coffee,books,litature,etc..
I am the steering committee`s treasurer,and have been for 2 years.I was going to rotate out this year,but they asked me to stay on for another 2 years..So,I did

speaker meetings is what brings in the most money for us.We don`t interfere with those meetings.On Fridays and Sunday nights,thats the only meeting we have.We try and get speakers who have a good AA message and are from another group ,perferablely from out of town.

carring the message to the places in the community is essential,our problem is we don`t have anyplaces here but prisons,so we go there.The nearest detox is 60 miles away

RufusACanal

"On A happier note, a few of us have formed a primary purpose group, we follow tradition and study the big book, we have quite a few commitments to detox units and treatment facilites, this is the fellowship I seek."


I can't change what others do, but I can sure start a new meeting. Excellent thread.

Treasure2Find

Good Thread....

There were a few years that I got into the politics of home groups. I had a speaker discussion meeting that I was a member of and it was my job as chairperson once a month to bring in a speaker and make coffee. Being the only active member I was the only one bringing in the speakers. So one week out of the month we had a speaker and the other three we had an open discussion. The other members went to one mtg. a week (OURS) and didnt bother to get speakers. After about a year of this attendance really got low.

I had to move on took another commitment elsewhere. I was sad that I had to move and leave the group but they told me I could always come back and that I would always be a member.

I went back a few years later and the meeting that had been there for 20 years had now packed up shop. I think it was a good thing. Now under new Management I heard they sprouted up somewhere else and are doing great.

Congratulations on steeping down with your treasure’s spot. Maybe God needs someone else to step up to the plate or God needs that meeting to go.

nandm

We ran into a similiar situation in my home group. We did a group inventory that really brought this to light. Our solution has been to have our regular business meeting members each pull someone aside each meeting and asign them a task such as greet people at the door, clean the coffee caraffes when the meeting is over, put away the Big Books, clean up after the meeting, etc.... We are hoping that by doing this we will ultimately get people more involved, at least our regular meeting members. We have been fortunate enough that our regular business meeting members have been willing to trade the service positions around so they are not stuck with the same ones all the time. We have also been able to pull new people in periodically.

Unfortunately, many people do not realize that part of giving back is keeping the meeting doors open and to do that takes manpower. I am not sure what the ultimate solution is but I do think it is a fairly common problem.

Good topic.

Kellye C

We have a group conscience meeting once a month. Our service positions are held by members of the steering committee which are members elected yearly by group conscience. With the exception of GSR (2 years) all positions are 1 year. The majority of our steering committee members, including my husband and I, are members with 2 - 5 years sobriety although we have members with lots more sobriety. Our group has become increasingly dysfunctional this past year. I was told by an older member that the oldtimers are stepping back and letting us sink or swim and then will basically come in and pick up the pieces if they have to. This is wonderful considering one of the biggest problem people is someone who claims 19 years. Anyway, the newcomers are encouraged to get involved with service work including making coffee and cleaning up as well as reading how it works, passing out chips and after 30 days sober starting to co-chair meetings. There is a lot of apathy in the group with a handful of people doing the lion's share of the work the rest content to walk over the filth and contribute to it by not picking up after themselves, using the group as a dumping ground for their old clothes or refusing bring food to the monthly gatherings. It is very discouraging. These same people are the first (and loudest) to complain. It is so frustrating!

IAs stated, both my husband an I are members of the steering committee. I got involved as speaker rep my first year sober because I knew I had to have something to tie me to the group so that I wouldn't just slip off into the sunset. The next year I ran for an office and didn't get it and spent half a year working on a resentment (smile). Last year I was nominated for treasurer and spent the year in what is for sure the hardest role and most headaches. Neither hubby or I was going to run for an office this year but you know what they say about the best laid plans. Nobody ran for treasurer and everyone expected me to do it another year. Long story short I am starting my second year now and hubby is secretary this year. I am hopeful that by the time we have elections again in November of next year somebody will step up but I'll cross that bridge when it gets here.

They tell me these things go in cycles and that things will get better. I hope so. The group has been around for many, many years so I have to believe that it is true.

It is helpful to see the experiences of other groups, sort of a measuring stick to guage our group by.

Take care,
Kellye