Concept III

From The AA Service Manual;

Concept III

“As a traditional means of creating and maintaining a clearly defined working relation between the groups, the Conference, the A.A. General Service Board and its several service corporations, staffs, committees and executives, and of thus insuring their effective leadership, it is here suggested that we endow each of these elements of world service with a traditional “Right of Decision.”

With the disclaimer that I may personally be mis-perceiving this, here are a couple of thoughts from the “talk” that follows in the service manual.

“We have seen how the A.A. groups, under the concept of the “group conscience,” are today holding the ultimate authority and the final responsibility for world services. We have also noted how, by reason of the Conference Charter and the “trusted servant” provision of Tradition Two, the groups have delegated to their General Service Conference full authority to manage and conduct A.A.’s world affairs.”

My thought – I’ve seen (and was privy to) a very strange act from a group member who attempted to call in a vote to a group conscience due to the fact they couldn’t make the group conscience on time and wanted to voice their negative vote to an issue they were sure was about to be brought up!

“But good management seldom means the full exercise of a stated set of ultimate rights. For example, were the groups to carry their instruction of Delegates to extremes, then we would be proceeding on the false theory that group opinion in most world service matters would somehow be much superior to the Conference opinion. Practically speaking, this could almost never be the case.”

Oh gosh, there we go with that “practical” stuff again

“There would be very few questions indeed that “instructed” Delegates could better settle than a Conference acting on the spot with full facts and debate to guide it.”

Aaah… FULL FACTS!!! And – debate for guidance. Now, here is something my perception and understanding relishes;

“Of course it is understood that complete reporting of Conference actions is always desirable. So is full consultation with Committee Members and Group Representatives. Nevertheless the “instructed” Delegate who cannot act on his own conscience in a final Conference vote is not a “trusted servant” at all; he is just a messenger.”

It is only my personal belief but I am very thankful for the checks and balances we in AA have in place through all our principles. Lives are at stake!