District 9, Area 29 of Alcoholics Anonymous Carroll County, Maryland

OUR A.A. LANGUAGE A LIST DEFINING SOME OF THE TERMS USED & HEARD IN A.A. A.A.G.V. - A.A. Grapevine, Inc. / A.A. Grapevine Board One of the two operating corporations of the General Service Board. A.A.G.V. is responsible for the production and content of the A.A. Grapevine and La Viña magazines. The A.A. Grapevine Board reports directly to the General Service Board and is accountable to the Fellowship through the Conference Grapevine Committee. A.A.W.S. - Alcoholics World Services, Inc. One of the two operating corporations of the General Service Board. A.A.W.S. is responsible for producing and distributing A.A.'s literature and related material for the U.S. and Canada. The A.A.W.S. Board reports directly to the General Service Board and is accountable to the Fellowship through A.A.'s General Service Conference. Alternate A service worker who, at the group, district or area level, assists, supports, and participates in service responsibilities, and stands ready to step into the service position if the person occupying it is no longer able to serve. Area A geographical division within a state or province from which the Conference delegate is elected. Often there is one area to a state or province. Where there are many A.A. groups close in together, there may be two, three or more areas in a state or province. For example, there are six areas in California and four In Ontario. (Note: District 9 is a member of Area 29, Alcoholics Anonymous - (MGS) Maryland General Services) Area assembly A meeting of G.S.R.s and committee members to discuss area affairs and, every other year, to elect a delegate and committee officers. Area committee A committee made up of district committee member (elected by the G.S.R.s in each district) and area committee officers. The area committee generally serves as a "steering committee" for the area. Bridging the Gap (BTG) / Pre-Release Contacts A.A. members volunteer to be temporary contacts and introduce those coming out of treatment facilities to Alcoholics Anonymous. These Twelfth Step efforts frequently include pre-release contacts for alcoholics transitioning from A.A. within correctional facilities to A.A. on the outside. CF or Corrections - Corrections or Correctional Facilities Committees Corrections committees carry the message behind the walls by taking meetings and A.A. literature into correctional facilities. Corrections committees also develop working relationships with professionals in the field. Class A (Nonalcoholic) Trustee There are 7 Class A trustees who are members of the General Service Board, men and women who are recognized professionals in their own fields. They have a loving commitment to Alcoholics Anonymous and some experience in working with A.A. and its members. Historically, A.A. has relied on its non-alcoholic friends to represent us in the media. As non-A.A.s, they do not have to worry about their anonymity. Class B (Alcoholic) Trustees There are 14 Class B trustees who are members of the General Service Board. They are men and women A.A.s who are strong in one or more of the following areas: length of sobriety, business or professional background, leadership, and grasp of A.A structure. CPC - Cooperation with the Professional Community CPC Committees build relationships with professionals who come into contact with active alcoholics and may be able to refer them to A.A. Delegate The person elected every two years by the Area Assembly to serve the U.S. and Canada as a whole at the annual General Service Conference in New York City. The delegate communicates the actions of the Conference to A.A.s in his/her area. Is the primary point of contact between the area and the rest of A.A. service structure in the U.S. and Canada. D.C.M. - District Committee Member An experience GSR elected by the other GSRs. The DCM is the chairperson of a geographical unit of the A.A. service structure - a district - and represents the groups that meet there. The DCM is an essential link between the groups' GSRs and the area delegate. The DCM is automatically a member of the Area Committee, chairs the regular district meetings, attends all area meetings, and often attends regional meetings. Director (nontrustee) An A.A. member who serves on the corporate board of either A.A.W.S. or the Grapevine; directors are selected for business or professional experience that relates to the activities of the corporation. (The directorate of both corporate boards also includes trustees and A.A. staff.) District A geographical unit within the area that is coordinated by a District Committee Member. Where there is a large number of A.A. members who speak another language, linguistic districts have been formed. (Note: The A.A. Groups of Carroll County, MD constitute District 9, Area 29, Alcoholics Anonymous) District Meetings Meetings of the DCM's and GSR's of groups in a district. GSB - General Service Board The legal entity that oversees the operation of A.A.'s service corporations, A.A.W.S., Inc. and the A.A. Grapevine, Inc., as well as the General Service and Grapevine Offices. GSC - General Service Conference For this event, the 93 delegates from the U.S. and Canada come to New York City for a week each April for a closed business meeting to conduct the business of A.A. in the U.S. and Canada. The 21 members of the General Service Board, G.S.O. staff members, and nontrustee directors of A.A.W.S., Inc. and the A.A. Grapevine, Inc. are also voting members of the Conference. G.S.O. - General Service Office/ New York Provides services to groups in the U.S. and Canada and publishes A.A. literature. G.S.R. - General Service Representative An A.A. member elected by the group to participate in discussions and activities at the group, district and area level. GSRs vote for the District Committee Member (DCM) and the delegate and area officers. GSRs are sometimes involved with group inventories or helping the group look at its challenges in the light of the Twelve Traditions. GSRs serve as mail contact for the group. Keep the group informed about activities and information from the district, area and G.S.O. GV - Grapevine - A. A. Grapevine Magazine The international journal of A.A. and "our meeting in print" published monthly. GVR - Grapevine Representative The group, district or area contact with the Grapevine office. Intergroup (Central Office) Handle local services only for a specific geographical area and are not connected with A.A.'s worldwide affairs. May coordinate local Twelfth step calls, print directories and meeting lists, and in some places furnish public information speakers for non-A.A. groups and for A.A. meetings in institutions. (Note: District 9, Area 29 groups are generally affiliated with either the Baltimore Intergroup Council of Alcoholics Anonymous (Baltimore, MD) or the West / Central Intergroup of Maryland (Frederick, MD). La Viña Magazine Spanish language "our meeting in print" magazine published bimonthly. Includes original stories from Spanish-speaking A.A. members and also some translations of Grapevine stories. PI - Public Information P.I Committees at the district, area, trustee, and Conference level help carry the message by working with the media and the general public. It is through this activity that A.A. informs the world at large about the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. Region A grouping of several states or provinces from which a Regional Trustee is elected to serve on the board of trustees. There are six regions in the United States, two in Canada. (Note: District 9, Area 29 is a member of NERAASA - Northeast Regional Alcoholics Anonymous Service Assembly) Service Manual First written in 1951 by Bill W. to outline basic service principles and procedures. Sharing Session A group. District, area, or Conference meeting in which everyone is invited to contribute ideas and comments on A.A. matters, and during which no actions are taken. TF - Treatment Facilities TF committees work to improve A.A.'s cooperation with treatment center professionals who refer alcoholics to A.A. These committees may also take meetings and literature into treatment facilities and volunteer to be temporary contacts to help those coming out of treatment facilities to find and attend to local meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. Third Legacy Recovery is A.A.'s first legacy, Unity its second, and Service is the third legacy. In this sense, service is the sum total of A.A.'s services, from a Twelfth Step call, to A.A.'s coast-to-coast and worldwide service activities of carrying the message of recovery and hope. There is also a Third Legacy voting procedure that is sometimes used in A.A. (More information on this can be found in the Service Manual, Chapter 1). Trustee The General Service Board is composed of 21 trustees. The trustees of Alcoholics Anonymous are concerned with everything happening inside and outside A.A. that may affect the health and growth of the movement. Trustees of the General Service Board have a spiritual and legal responsibility to protect A.A.'s Steps, Traditions, Concepts, principles and the integrity of the message of Alcoholics Anonymous. (See Class A trustee and Class B trustee.)