75th General Service Conference
April 27th – May 3rd, 2025 Midtown, New York
Concept I
Bill, one of our founders, proposed a plan to create a “service structure” to facilitate Twelfth Step work across the country and around the world. This structure would bring to bear the collective conscience of the groups on matters affecting “A.A. as a whole.” At the heart of this structure would be the A.A. groups themselves, providing both the conscience and financial support for A.A. services throughout the Fellowship. Today, we call the service structure that developed from Bill’s plan the General Service Conference structure, or simply, general service.
How do the groups make their thoughts and wishes—their group conscience—known?
While the General Service Conference operates all year round, the annual meeting, usually held in April, is the culmination of the year’s activities, the time when the collective group conscience of U.S./ Canada A.A. comes together to take actions that will guide the groups in the years that follow.
CONFERENCE MEMBERSHIP
There are approximately 135 voting members of the General Service Conference acting together as guardians of A.A. and of the Steps and Traditions. They are composed generally as follows:
• 93 area delegates (who make up at least two-thirds of the Conference body)
• 22 trustees of the General Service Board
• 6 non trustee directors from A.A.W.S. and Grapevine
• 15 A.A. staff at the General Service Office (A.A.W.S., Grapevine and La Viña)
One Person, One Vote Each Conference member has one vote, even if they attend in more than one capacity (for example, a trustee who serves as a director of A.A.W.S. or Grapevine as well as on the General Service Board).
Path for an Agenda Item
How the Conference Operates
The Committee System
Each Conference committee meets twice early in the week (and occasionally more often, if necessary). During their deliberations, Conference committees have a range of options available to them. They can address the agenda items as they are, modify them, and even consider new agenda items. They can take no action on an agenda item, generally reporting out why they are taking no action in their report. They can report suggestions or observations, usually in the form of Additional Committee Considerations.
The committee may refer an item back to one of the trustees’ committees for more information or additional research, to be addressed by a subsequent Conference.
Alex, How did you pick the topics to discuss at Pre-Conference Assemblies?
In Panel 72 we tried the MOCK Conference pre conference at our area, and with great success we will be doing it again.
With that in mind, we are more interested in the group conscious than the individual thought.
During your committees today you will be assigned to a “Conference Committee” just like the 93 delegates are randomly put on a committee.
GSRS will be given a number at random and will be asked to participate with that committee.
What happens at the Pre-Conference Assemblies?
There will be printed “Pre-Conference Packets” available at all the Pre-Conference Assemblies. This “packet” will also be available in Google Drive in which the link has been emailed to your DCM and is available on the alt.Delegate page. In Google Drive, there is more information available for your review.
There will be brief presentations on each of the agenda items and then we will “open the floor” for members to share freely their thoughts, express opinions, ask questions, etc. We attend together so we can learn from each other. Be open-minded, willing to listen, and willing to participate.
Please take your own notes, but a summary of all Pre-Conference Assemblies will be posted the area website and emails.
Now what?
Prepare for your business meeting or special meeting. Your group will be much more engaged if you feel comfortable talking about the agenda item. If you only feel comfortable preparing for one topic, fine with me!
You know your group!
If you get stuck preparing, call myself, Manya your service sponsor, DCM, past delegate….wow you have a lot of people you can ask for help!
Watch for Key Words
Consider – “Consider a request that the words "Donation" and "Contribution" be swapped under Warranty One in “The Twelve Concepts Illustrated” pamphlet.
Discuss – This is really an area where the Conference is trying to find the conscience of the Fellowship.
Review – By this point a decision has been made in the past and it’s all about making sure the “project” is going in the direction the Fellowship envisioned. It’s not about wordsmithing.
�Questions that can help explore your group’s conscience�Take good notes!
Does it help the still-suffering alcoholic?
Is it helpful, relevant, useful, in line with our steps, traditions, and concepts?
What needs to be corrected, revised, or updated?
Do we feel like we need more information?
Got it! Now what?
Share it with me!
4. Email delegate@msca09aa.org
Please make sure you read over what you are sending me so I can clearly understand what you are trying to share.
Whew, glad that’s over!
Delegate report back -
May 18th, 2025
I love you Area 09!
I am so humbled to be serving the most amazing Area in the conference!
Alex W., Area 09 Panel 74 Delegate.
This is serious business, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously!