Just started a two year term as my group GSR. Attended my first area assembly. Gonna be fun learning the business side of AA. Guess I gotta stay sober another two years now. Dang commitments.
Just started a two year term as my group GSR. Attended my first area assembly. Gonna be fun learning the business side of AA. Guess I gotta stay sober another two years now. Dang commitments.
Good job, now you get to learn about patience, love and tolerance, and dealing with wackjobs and their control issues, and then going home and looking in the mirror and realizing I was one of them, if I had to do it all over again I would, I personally think it is an incredibly important part of the maturation process, I spent a lot of years in Service work and stayed sober through all of them
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it's not the change that's painful, it's the resistance to change that is painful
I chair a meeting one night a week, am the group chair person, and am a sponsor. Maybe not service work according to AA, but I'm also a counselor at a 90 day inpatient treatment center. When I think about it, I do it more for me than I do for them. As bad as this may sound, seeing the pain on the new faces helps me remember how much it sucks out there.
Brian
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Nothing ever truly dies. The universe wastes nothing. Everything is simply, transformed. :confuse:
Congratulations, get ready to grow. I was a GSR and eventhough I did not know too much about that position I learned and enjoyed learning. A lot of the times I was quiet. Personally, I love listening. I asked questions when I did not understand something. I do service work everyday. Keep Coming Back!
Great point Klaatu......My boyfriend and I had that same discussion. After visiting his mother and aunt. Its not the most exciting thing but means the world to them. Its our job to help other people. I am also the GSR for our group here in Flint, MI. Just starting my 2 year term. Guess I will have to stay sober too!!
Being a trusted servant is a wonderful way to share your ESH and the commitment, I believe, does help our own selves. I've held most service positions at one time or another-currently group secretary. The most helpful thing for me is the wealth of information in the A.A. literature (especially booklets like "The A.A. Group: Where It All Begins" and the various guides). When people get to arguing, which they will, the literature is the foundation on which I place my position. I have found over the years that sometimes even the "old timers" who have held various positions may not be reliable sources of information, if you are a bit of an A.A. "purist" and prefer to stick with the core information as it has been written and passed on. People will still argue but I can "sleep at night" knowing I did the best job I could in keeping with the integrity of the program, whether or not others choose to go off in some other direction.
One cool part is that my sponsor is the alt DCM so we will get to travel to some of these together. I really look forward to this part of my journey. Thanks for the replies.
I've been a GSR, two terms as treasurer in my home group, did prison meetings for about 18 months and for a while I was doing a weekly detox center meeting. I don't know if I did anybody else any good but I stayed sober. It was what I needed to do at the time.
We had three people rotating the treasurer position in my home group, now we've added a 4th or else it would have been my turn again the beginning of this year.
I have been secretary/treasurer of a couple different groups. And am currently founder, chair, treasure, and GSR of my home group. Nobody else will take any of the service jobs so as to keep a contact with NY, I hang in there. I have helped and organized a few different Area meetings and a few workshops. Im currently the District Treasurer.
Sobriety is not a result of service work ... Service work is a result of sobriety
Good for you Dale! Have fun and keep it simple and bless you for your service.
I think a service commitment is very important. I've been secretary, treasurer, Book/literature guy and alternate GSR in the past.
Currently I'm the Business Manager @ my home-group (lead the H-group meetings). I get to my home-group early every week to help set up etc, but mostly make sure my sponcee's are doing their service work.
I really think the best service work I can do is get others involved in service and set a good example, the worst thing that can happen to a group is for just a few people to do everything.
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Rob
"There ain't no Coupe DeVille hiding in the bottom of a Cracker Jack Box."
the worst thing that can happen to a group is for just a few people to do everything.
Agreed. Unfortunately, that's the way my home group has been for several years now. There's a group of about 6 of us who keep switching positions just so they can be filled. We get all kinds of new comers, but they never seem to stick around long enough to get involved. We also have those who will call it their home group, but maybe only attend 2-3 times a month and never show up at the group conscience meetings. For me, getting involved was what really made me feel a part of the fellowship. I finally found a place where I belonged, and wanted to give back. I got involved very early in service work and can honestly say that it's what helped me get to where I am today in my sobriety. Nothing like a pissed off group of drunks waiting at the door when it's 22 degrees outside and want in to warm up with a cup of coffee to keep you responsible and on time.
Brian
-- Edited by Klaatu on Thursday 20th of January 2011 11:05:50 AM
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Nothing ever truly dies. The universe wastes nothing. Everything is simply, transformed. :confuse:
