Service Work

THERE IS A TREMENDOUS NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS TO DO SERVICEWORK WITHIN AA. WHY, YOU ASK,? WELL SERVICE WORK IS THAT AREA THAT HELPS TO CARRY THE MESSAGE , IT HELPS GROUPS MAINTAIN A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE GROUP AND THE GENERAL AA PROGRAM, IT GETS NEWCOMERS INVOLVED IN SOMETHING THAT MAY KEEP THEM SOBER, SOMETHING TO GET OUTSIDE OF THEIR OWN SELF. IT KEEPS THE AA COMMUNTY ALIVE AND WORKING.

WHAT KIND OF SERVICE WORK IS THERE? WELL FOR STARTERS, GETTING INVOLVED WITH YOUR GROUP, SUCH AS SECRETARY, GSR, OR INTERGROUP REP TO RESPRESENT YOUR GROUP ON MATTERS OUTSIDE OF YOUR OWN MEETING. IT CAN ALSO MEAN GETTING INVOLVED IN YOUR LOCAL DISTRICT COMMITTEE, SUCH AS CORRECTION, PUBLIC INFORMATION, TREATMENT, ETC, ETC.

WHO SHOULD GET INVOLVED IN SERVICE WORK? ANYONE WHO SAYS THEY ARE AN ALCOHOLIC, FROM SENIOR MEMBERS TO THE NEWCOMERS WITH JUST A SHORT TIME IN THIS PROGRAM... SERVICEWORK IS MORE THAN JUST SHOWING UP FOR A MEETING, IT MEANS RESPONIBILITIES, WORK, DEDICATION, AND AN OUNCE OF EXTRA TIME, PERHAPS SPENDING A FEW HOURS AT NIGHT ANSWERING THE HOTLINE...

HOW MUCH TIME IS INVOLVED? GENERALLY NOT AS MUCH AS MOST PEOPLE THINK, MOST MEETINGS SUCH AS DISTRICT OR INTERGROUP LAST ONLY AN HOUR FOR INFORMATION TO BE PASS AROUND AND TO BE RECIVED. COMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE GENERALLY THE SAME.

SERVICE WORK IS AN ABSOLUTE ESSENTIAL TO OUR COMMUNITY, MANY GROUPS DON’T HAVE A GSR OR INTERGROUP REP TO FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND THEM. THEY ARE BASICALLY ISOLATED WITHIN THEIR OWN MEETING. SPONSORS SHOULD ENCOURAGE THEIR SPONSEE TO GET INVOLVED, NEW PEOPLE CAN BRING IN NEW INSIGHTS, KEEPING THIS PROGRAM GOING A LOT LONGER.

AS IT IS NOW, MOST OF THE SERVICE WORK IS DONE BY THE SAME DEDICATED FOLKS, WHO FILL IN BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE WILL STEP UP, AND FOR THOSE WE THANK YOU, FOR YOU ARE THE BACKBONE IN THIS AREA, BUT EVEN THESE FOLKS NEED A BREAK.

PLEASE DON’T THINK “I DON’T WANT TO BET INVOLVED”, OR “ I DON’THAVE THE TIME," THAT KIND OF THINKING WILL DESTROY AA IN A HEARTBEAT, YOUR ARE INVOLVED IF YOU ARE AN ALCOHOLIC, DOING SOBER THINGS WILL KEEP YOU SOBER. AND HELP SOMEONE ALONG THE WAY.