Resources For Members
Spreading the Message
AA Responsibility Pledge:
"When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of AA always to be there and for that I am responsible"
Some of the aims of Intergroup and AA are to spread the message to the still sick and suffering alcoholic and to raise awareness of AA in order to attract new members.
We would like to build up a "pool" of people that are willing to help Intergroup Officers so that we can carry the message further in the following areas.
Public Information
Employment
Prisons
Probation Services
Young People
Health
Armed Services
More information on any of the above Service Positions can be found in the latest copy of The AA Service Handbook for Great Britain available from GSO website,
Direct link to A.A. shop click on the following link The AA Service Handbook for Great Britain
Alternatively previous version can be downloaded from Document Library / Handbooks / AA Service Handbook for Great Britain 2022,
Direct link: AA Service Handbook for Great Britain 2022
If you are interested or willing to help please contact:
Notts/Leics Intergroup secretary: secretary.nleic@aamail.org
Group Finance Guidelines
The Guidelines have the following recommendations for taking care of group finance:
The group should appoint a Treasurer to collect the money and pay group bills, preferably someone who is 1+ years sober.
The treasurer should keep good, simple records (a cashbook), which should be open to inspection at all times.
The treasurer should count the pot money after the meeting with another responsible group member, and enter the amount immediately in the group cashbook.
The treasurer should pay all bills as they arise - tea, coffee, literature, rent. Pot money should not be used for social purposes such as dances, cakes, raffle prizes etc; a separate pot should be sent round if groups want to contribute to such activities. Payments should be made by cheque wherever practicable, and all receipts collected and stuck in the group cashbook.
Intergroup will always issue a receipt, which should be stuck into the cashbook with other receipts.
The treasurer should preferably keep group money in a group account, which should have at least 2 group members as signatories, as the statement would then provide an additional record of the group finances.
The treasurer should report to the group at least once a month regarding the group financial position, and should send any surplus money, after bills have been paid and a prudent reserve set aside (1 month's running expenses), to Intergroup.
Contributions to Intergroup should be made via your group's GSR.
The East Midlands Telephone Service
The local helpline covers the East Midlands region, comprising Notts/Leics and Derbyshire Intergroups.
It is run by a committee which has been asked to revisit the principles we follow in accepting people into service as responders and 12 steppers so that, as required by the revised service guideline 6 on AA telephone services, we can show that "responders and 12 steppers are chosen with care".
The committee has decided that the most effective way we can ensure we meet this requirement is to ask the meetings in the three intergroups to sponsor people into service. Each meeting has forms for you to nominate people. The revised service guideline states that "a minimum of 12 months continuous sobriety is regarded as ideal for the roles".
Even if members of your meeting are already 12 steppers and responders could you still include them on the list so that we can establish the most up to date listing as possible (especially for 12 steppers).
We intend to circulate meetings regularly and have included additional copies of the form so that you can keep a record at your meeting of who you have sponsored into service.
The guidelines that follow include details of the service, the role of the responder and a note about 12 stepping. We hope these guidelines will make it clear what the roles entail for those considering service in this vital area of carrying the message.
THE EAST MIDLANDS TELEPHONE SERVICE is manned in four hour shifts through the day from 8am to midnight every day of the week by responders. They are able to route the calls to the helpline through to the telephone number in their home.
THE ROLE OF THE RESPONDER is to establish that the caller has a desire to stop drinking, gain the caller's confidence and obtain from them their name, telephone number and where they live. This is so, that with their agreement, they can be contacted by a 12 stepper of the same sex that lives near them. The responder explains that to the caller and gains the agreement of the caller to that action during the call. So the call is kept relatively brief as the 12 step work is done by the 12 stepper.
Responders are given an up to date 12 step list at the time of joining the service as well as a comprehensive information pack explaining the role in greater detail than the brief note above.
Any calls the responder makes can be claimed for from their intergroup treasurer.
We are looking for both permanent responders who are willing to do a regular 4 hour daily shift and reserves who are able to offer cover from time to time.
The shifts are:
8am to noon
noon to 4pm
4pm to 8 pm
8pm to midnight.
ROLE OF 12 STEPPER The main purpose of telephone services is to put the suffering alcoholic in touch with an AA member, or an AA group. For 12th step work it is vital that the responder links male caller to male 12 stepper, and female to female. This is a higher priority than a geographical link.
Every 12 stepper needs a copy of 'Hints and Suggestions for 12 Steppers' and every group should have a copy so that group members wanting to be nominated as a 12 stepper can refer to it.
As the 12 stepper, it is your objective to get the caller to a meeting, by sharing your experience strength and hope with the them, so that the caller can identify with the problem and see that you have found a solution. Some callers are not willing to consider going to a meeting and there is nothing further you can do if this is the case; AA has no other solution to offer.
The meeting you suggest should ideally be taking place very soon after the call, and be one that the caller is geographically close to, so they will easily be able to return to it in future. The best meeting will be your home group, if this is suitable for the caller. If you have offered to be available for meetings other than your home group, you should always consider the caller's needs when suggesting a meeting to attend together. Ideally you will meet the caller and attend the caller's first meeting together; you may choose to visit the caller at home or meet the caller in a public place before attending the meeting. This decision is up to you, and you should always follow the guidance in 'Hints and Suggestions for 12 Steppers'.
If the caller cannot or will not attend a meeting, encourage them to call the helpline again if they change their mind. If they want to attend a meeting that you cannot attend, try to put them in touch with a 12 stepper from that group - ask the caller if you can pass their number to X, so that X can continue the 12 step work.