The General Service Board (The Trustees)

Dear Self Support Chairs, recently I had a discussion about Self Support with one of the District Chairs, we discussed that Self Support was about "money and time" and about knowing about A.A,. and what is happening in all levels of service. Would you pay your cellphone bill with out reading the detailed report ?
With that thought in mind here is a great overview of the General Service Board, aptly and kindly written by Joe D. past Delegate to Area 83. My thanks to Joe for is continued service to Area 83 and his help with this topic.


The General Service Board

The General Service Board (the Trustees) is the chief service arm of the Conference, and is essentially custodial in its character. . .Excepting for decisions upon matters of policy, finance, or A.A. Tradition liable to seriously affect A.A. as a whole, the General Service Board has entire freedom of action in the routine conduct of the policy and business affairs of the A.A. service corporations. . . .
*excerpt from the Conference Charter

The Trustees of Alcoholics Anonymous are concerned with everything happening inside and outside A.A. that may affect the health and growth of the fellowship. Whenever a decision on movement-wide policy is needed, they turn to the General Service Conference. Trustees are members of the Conference body, therefore, they participate in policy-making — but as individual Conference members, not as a group.

The Trustees do much of their work through our two operating corporations, A.A. World Services, Inc. and The A.A. Grapevine, Inc., and through the Trustees’ committees. There are eleven standing committees of the Board of Trustees, most of which are the opposite numbers of Conference committees and stay closely in touch with delegate members of those committees throughout the year. Trustees’ committees meet quarterly, with subcommittees and individuals assigned to work on projects throughout the year. Membership averages about six or seven per committee and consists of Trustees and directors of A.A.W.S. and the Grapevine; a few committees also include appointed committee members with particular expertise in the subject area. The chairperson is a Trustee, and the secretary is usually a G.S.O. staff member.

This relationship was established when the Conference structure was first set up, and over the years, the only changes considered necessary have been in the composition of the General Service Board, not in its duties or responsibilities. The Bylaws of the General Service Board describe fully all aspects of the workings of the board.

The General Service Board consists of 21 men and women, 14 alcoholics (Class B) and seven nonalcoholics (Class A), who bring varying talents and backgrounds to their service responsibilities. In the words of a former Eastern Canada Regional Trustee – Class B – Boozers, Class A – Amateurs.

There is always a careful balance on the board between Trustees who are elected primarily to bring regional and A.A. service experience to the board and those selected primarily for business or other professional backgrounds.

Two major changes in board composition have taken place over the years. The first was in 1962, when because of the Fellowship’s growth, it was necessary to broaden the base of Trusteeship to bring in A.A.s who had service experience in different areas of the U.S. and Canada. At that time, the board was increased in size to make room for several A.A. Trustees from states and provinces away from New York City.

In 1966 came the next major change. From the beginning, there had been a majority of nonalcoholics on the board. By the mid-1960s, however, A.A. had solid experience in running its own affairs and had developed a practical method for bringing in Trustees from a distance. So the Fellowship took the next major step and reorganized its board to include seven nonalcoholics and fourteen recovering alcoholics.

There are eight regional Trustees, six from the United States and two from Canada, who serve a four-year term. All Trustees represent the Fellowship as a whole — regional Trustees bring to the board’s discussions a regional A.A. point of view and experience that is invaluable. When time for rotation occurs, each area in the region can nominate one candidate. Voting on these candidates takes place at the General Service Conference by delegates from the region, and an equal number of members of the Conference Committee on Trustees and from the Trustee’s Committee on Nominating. The third legacy procedure is followed – many regional Trustees have come from the hat. Each Regional Trustee serves on two or three of the Trustee’s committees and during the middle two years of their 4 year term serve on either A.A.WS or Grapevine Corporate boards.

In addition to the eight regional Trustees, two Trustees-at-large, one from the U.S. and one from Canada, ensure that the entire Fellowship is well represented on the board. They, too, serve a four-year term. The Trustees-at-large are members of the Trustees’ International Committee and other Trustees’ committees, and can be appointed as directors of one of the corporate boards. They may fill in for regional Trustees, as needed or requested. Trustees-at-large also serve as the World Service Meeting (location alternating between New York City and a meeting outside US/Canada) delegates representing the U.S. and Canada. Trustees-at-large also serve as delegates at the Zonal Meetings of the Americas, known as the Redela Meeting (Reunion de Las Americas). The Zonal meetings are held on the off years between World Service Meetings. At election, each area in either Canada or the US can nominate a candidate. The area’s nominees are voted on at a regional luncheon at the General Service Conference with only one candidate from each region being selected for the US and two candidates from each region in Canada being selected. Regional nominations are voted on by third legacy procedure by delegates from either the US or Canada and by the members of the Trustee’s Nominating Committee.

In addition to Class A Trustees, regional Trustees and Trustees-at-large there are four general service Trustees, two from the A.A. World Services Board and two from the Grapevine, who serve on these boards and were nominated by each of these boards to be members of the General Service Board. In practice these general service Trustees have served as non-Trustee board members of their respective board for up to 4 years. The selection is presented to the Trustee’s Nominating Committee and the General Service Committee on Trustees and finally to the General Service Conference for disapproval, if any.

Class A Trustees are sought by the General Service Board because they have specific skills or knowledge in areas such as business, religion, medicine, treatment etc. The Service Manual describes them as”…persons who are not and have not been afflicted by the disease of alcoholism and who express a profound faith in the recovery program upon which the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous is founded.” The Fellowship is notified of a Class A Trustee vacancy through Conference members, current and past Trustees and Box 4-5-9.

After resumes are reviewed by the Trustee’s Nominating Committee, selected candidates attend a General Service Board weekend and are interviewed. The General Service Board approves the candidate and forwards their recommendation to the Conference Committee on Trustees. Finally, having reviewed their resume, the Conference Committee forwards the name of the recommended Class A Trustee to the General Service Conference for disapproval, if any. Class A Trustees serve for up to six years, one year at a time and are appointed to Trustee’s committees and may serve on either A.A.W.S. or Grapevine boards.

Class A’s have shared that they feel they have a lot to learn to be on an even par with Class B’s and generally have no experience with the Service and Conference structure before joining the Board. The Fellowship has always wondered what motivates nonalcoholic professionals to become Class A Trustees. A number have responded: “It is our privilege. Alcoholism has touched our families. A.A. has touched us and our families in positive ways beyond our wildest dreams. A.A.’s message of recovery is carried from one alcoholic to another. We are grateful to all A.A. members who carry the message.”

Leonard Blumenthal, nonalcoholic Chairman of the General Service Board has worked with alcoholics professionally for 40 years. He saw the A.A. process at work in an A.A. meeting for the first time in 1966. He feels dedicated to this program, which is “helping people to stay better.” He expressed gratitude to all A.A. members who share their journey with him and promised: “You’ve got me as a lifer.”

Herb Goodman, Class A Trustee expressed his gratitude for “this touching and moving question” and feels lucky that he has been welcomed into this wonderful Fellowship. Herb was nominated by a professional friend who kept disappearing to meet “friends” on international business trips.

Class A Trustees are different in that they are selected because of their professional experiences and since they are not members they need not be concerned with anonymity. They can use their names and show their faces when dealing with the media.

We in the Fellowship owe a debt to the men and women that serve on our General Service Board for the tireless efforts they put forward to ensure that our program of recovery continues to grow and prosper. And rest assured that Concept Nine, good service leadership, is alive and well at every level of service, in particular, at the General Service Board.

*more information regarding the General Service Board can be obtained from Chapter Nine of the A.A. Service Manual