Responsibilities

As a General Service Representative (GSR), you are the link between the group and “A.A. as a whole.” You are a channel through which news, information, opinions and ideas can flow back and forth. Importantly, this also gives your group a voice in the affairs of the Fellowship.

Staying informed

There is a LOT of information in general service. The agenda topic season especially can seem overwhelming. Besides attending the district meeting, you should connect with your DCM and other GSRs (on Slack, email, phone). There are workshops, study meetings, newsletters, and literature. Read more >

• March 11 District 04 Agenda Topic Workshop
• PRAASA

Keeping your group informed

Sharing your knowledge about current happenings in general service with your group is one aspect of being a GSR. Of course, not everything you learn will be of use or interest to your group, use your best judgment about what to share. In general, it’s best to keep reports brief.

If there is a lot of information you want to share, a separate sharing session may be scheduled. This is especially the case when gathering an informed group conscience.

Gathering a group conscience

An informed group conscience reflects the collective conscience of the group, following a review of pertinent information, sharing individual opinions, and practicing A.A. principles, including a willingness to listen to any minority opinions with an open mind. For more, see What Is an Informed A.A. Group Conscience?

• How To Conduct a Sharing Session
• Example scripts for conducting a group conscience
• Example presentations for group conscience
• Example notes from a group conscience

Gathering a group conscience

• How To Conduct a Sharing Session
• Example scripts for conducting a group conscience
• Example presentations for group conscience
• Example notes from a group conscience

Presenting your group’s conscience

Our Delegate wants to know your group’s conscience, but also WHY your group feels that way. They will be assimilating information from many other groups in Area 06, so it’s best to not get into the weeds. Here are some best practices:

• Report substantial consensus, not specific vote counts (e.g. “my group had substantial unanimity in favor of this topic” vs. “my group had 10 people in favor, 3 opposed, and 1 abstention.”)
• Report consensus comments rather than every individual comment that says the same thing. Try to summarize the major points of agreement.
• Highlight any minority opinions. Here individual comments may be all you have, and they’re important to consider.
• Write down what you’re going to say.
• Practice, practice, practice!

For more detailed explanation about this, see How To Report Your Group Conscience.

There are several ways to communicate your group’s conscience to our Delegate. The traditional way is “going to the mic” at the Pre-Conference Assembly (either physically, or virtually on Zoom).

• Pre-Conference Assembly
• Email
• Webform
• Other?

Resources

• Service Manual PDF
• GSR Kit
• GSR Checklist
• Glossary of service terms

Study Material

• Service Manual Study Questions
• Presentations
• Essays
• Presentations

• What is General Service?