| The
Twelve Concepts for World Service were written
by A.A.’s co-founder Bill W., and were adopted
by the General Service Conference of Alcoholics
Anonymous in 1962. The Concepts are an
interpretation of A.A.’s world service
structure as it emerged through A.A.’s early
history and experience. The short form of the
Concepts reads: |
| 1 |
Final responsibility and ultimate authority
for A.A. world services should always reside in
the collective conscience of our whole
Fellowship. |
| 2 |
The General Service Conference of A.A. has
become, for nearly every practical purpose, the
active voice and the effective conscience of our
whole society in its world affairs. |
| 3 |
To insure effective leadership, we should
endow each element of A.A.—the Conference, the
General Service Board and its service
corporations, staffs, committees, and executives—with
a traditional “Right of Decision.” |
| 4 |
At all responsible levels, we ought to
maintain a traditional “Right of
Participation,” allowing a voting
representation in reasonable proportion to the
responsibility that each must discharge. |
| 5 |
Throughout our structure, a traditional “Right
of Appeal” ought to prevail, so that minority
opinion will be heard and personal grievances
receive careful consideration. |
| 6 |
The Conference recognizes that the chief
initiative and active responsibility in most
world service matters should be exercised by the
trustee members of the Conference acting as the
General Service Board. |
| 7 |
The Charter and Bylaws of the General Service
Board are legal instruments, empowering the
trustees to manage and conduct world service
affairs. The Conference Charter is not a legal
document; it relies upon tradition and the A.A.
purse for final effectiveness. |
| 8 |
The trustees are the principal planners and
administrators of over-all policy and finance.
They have custodial oversight of the separately
incorporated and constantly active services,
exercising this through their ability to elect
all the directors of these entities. |
| 9 |
Good service leadership at all levels is
indispensable for our future functioning and
safety. Primary world service leadership, once
exercised by the founders, must necessarily be
assumed by the trustees. |
| 10 |
Every service responsibility should be matched
by an equal service authority, with the scope of
such authority well defined. |
| 11 |
The trustees should always have the best
possible committees, corporate service
directors, executives, staffs, and consultants.
Composition, qualifications, induction
procedures, and rights and duties will always be
matters of serious concern. |
| 12 |
The Conference shall observe the spirit of
A.A. tradition, taking care that it never
becomes the seat of perilous wealth or power;
that sufficient operating funds and reserve be
its prudent financial principle; that it place
none of its members in a position of unqualified
authority over others; that it reach all
important decisions by discussion, vote, and
whenever possible, substantial unanimity; that
its actions never be personally punitive nor an
incitement to public controversy; that it never
perform acts of government; that, like the
Society it serves, it will always remain
democratic in thought and action. |
| Copyright
© by Alcoholics Anonymous® World Services Inc. Reprinted with
permission |
