Baltimore Intergroup Council of Alcoholics Anonymous

Group Secretary Duties

"The AA Group...Where it all begins" pamphlet will suggest how a group is organized and how to get started. It doesn't tell anybody what to do. But for new members, new officers, and any other interested A.A.'s, it shows many the good, proved-by-experience ways other members have used in their groups to "stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety."

Each group is different. Almost never is a secretary responsible for all the things on this list, but the secretary should at least know who in the group is responsible..

Most groups require at least 6 months continuous sobriety for the secretary job. The secretary has a high level of responsibility and the job should not be rushed into. It helps if the secretary has held other jobs with the group, such as coffee maker or greeter. That way the secretary will be familiar with setting up the meeting and closing up afterwards.

Contact Baltimore Intergroup at 410-663-1922 or Fax: 410-663-7465 to tell them you are the new secretary of the meeting. Even better, stop by the offices at 8635 Loch Raven Blvd., Suite 4, 2nd floor, to introduce yourself. If your group has just one meeting, Intergroup will put you on the mailing list for Intergroup bulletins. Bring the bulletin to the meeting and post it, read it aloud or make it available, whatever is the group practice.

In many groups, the secretary is responsible for opening and locking up. Find out what needs to be done to secure the building or meeting room. Know who to contact if there is a problem with the room.

It is the secretary that welcomes newcomers to the meeting. When a new person calls the Intergroup Office, they are told of the meeting location and it is suggested that when they get there, to introduce themselves to the secretary. AA is a program of attraction. So, it is important to be sensitive to a new person and it is also suggested that you get a group member of the same sex to talk to the newcomer.

Frequently, the secretary arranges for speakers. A variety of speakers is best, reflecting different backgrounds, lengths of sobriety and experiences before and after. In many groups, the secretary is expected to visit other meetings to find speakers not often heard in the area. Arranging for speakers from outside the usual meeting ;circuit; is a very rewarding part of the secretary;s job. It may not be easy at first (Just as it is difficult at first to call someone). But it is worth the effort.

It is O.K. to let the speaker know what the meeting format and to encourage the speaker to have a topic and to be brief. Discussion meetings go better when many people have a chance to speak. If the meeting is a speakers meeting where the speaker is expected to speak the whole hour, let the speaker know in advance. Above all, if the group conscience has established a meeting format, follow the format.

Each group has but one primary purpose to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Remember that the reason for the meeting is to carry out the group's primary purpose.

Almost everywhere, the secretary opens and closes the meeting. Record the speaker's name and other information about the in the group log, if there is one.

Make newcomers feel welcome. Some groups have a system for assigning a temporary sponsor for the newcomer. If your group has such a system, find out how it works and let the newcomer know about it. Let the newcomer know that there are other meetings. Freely share your experience, strength and hope. Remember that no one speaks for A. A., even the group secretary. If you don;t know the answer to a question, it;s OK to admit it.

If necessary, the secretary handles disruptions during the meeting. Often, the speaker will do this or an experienced group member will speak up. If you must take action, Just pray for guidance and act with the spirit of helping the group. It's not necessary to be hasty, since many people run out of wind on their own. If not, a calm suggestion to the person to give others a chance to speak is usually enough.

The secretary sees to it that the collection is turned over to the treasurer. Often the secretary counts the collection and records the amount in the meeting log. Sometimes the secretary handles the treasurer duties of depositing the money and paying the bills. In any case find out where the collection goes: how much goes for rent, for refreshments, for literature. Of the amounts left after expenses, how much goes to Intergroup, to Maryland General Services, to the General Service Office in NewYork.

Every month, the Intergroup Bulletin includes a list of anniversaries for the upcoming month. Anniversaries must be mailed to Intergroup, so as not to tie up the phones. This must be done by the tenth of the previous month. Find out whether this is the secretary;s responsibility in your group.

If the group has a membership roster, the secretary my be responsible for maintaining it. Or the group may want to circulate to members a list of active group members with phone numbers. Find out whether your group has such a practice and what your responsibility is.

Most groups elect a member to pick up literature. If not, the secretary can pick up literature from the Intergroup office. There is a cost for most literature, but some is free. New groups can receive deferred payment credit for purchasing literature.

You will see things about the group that could be improved. You may get ideas from other meetings that you will want to your group to adopt. Or people (group members or others) may suggest to how you should run the meeting. Just remember that the secretary does not ;run; the group. By our second tradition, the ultimate authority is our higher power as expressed in our group conscience. Although some groups allow the secretary more room for personal style than others. It helps to check with other group members to see if the group has already spoken on an issue, or whether your idea is one that the group conscience should address.

Know the other group members and who does other jobs for the group. Who is the Intergroup rep? Who is the institution rep? Who handles the literature? Who is the G.S.R.? Try to find out about these other jobs and who you can turn to for answers to questions you or others have.