Your AA General Service Office

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Your A.A. General Service Office

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How G.S.O. Began

In the late 1930's, a small office in Newark, N.J., staffed by co-founder Bill W. and a secretary, was enough to maintain contact among the first 100 A.A. members. Soon, the fast-spreading Fellowship needed a real world service office, and "headquarters" was shifted to New York City, with moves from Vesey Street to Lexington Avenue to East 44th Street and to East 45st as membership grew into the hundreds of thousands. From 1970 to 1992 G.S.O. was located at 468 Park Avenue South.

G.S.O. Today
In 1992, G.S.O. moved to 475 Riverside Drive, where both A.A. World Services and Grapevine personnel are housed on two floors. For the present membership of over two million, an all-A.A. staff offers the services outlined in this folder. A.A. and non-A.A. employees handle finances; type letters and bulletins; note group records, literature and contributions; ship material your way; and file incoming letters to add to the rich storehouse of A.A. experience at you G.S.S.

Archives
"When did A.A. start in your area?" "Why was the word 'honest' dropped from the Preamble?" Such questions are answered daily by the staff of the A.A. archives, a G.S.O. service born in 1973. Its projects include: microfilming long-accumulated records; retaping valuable tapes; collecting oral history tapes from early members; gather local material from individuals and groups; helping researchers inside and outside A.A.

Literature
Where does the Big Book come from? The other A.A. books? The pamphlets in your group's literature rack? The work of A.A. World Services, Inv., the Fellowship's publishing company, goes on at G.S.O. Translations of A.A. literature are also available here. The staff member on the literature assignment serves as secretary of the trustees' and Conference Literature Committees (as other staff members do on the committees appropriate to their jobs).

Loners and Internationalists
No meetings nearby? An A.A. in that situation may ask to be listed at G.S.O. as a Lone Member. Letters arrive from fellow Loners and other A.A.s often listed as Loner Sponsors). If the lonesome A.A. is a seafarer, the A.A. Internationalists extend a welcome via G.S.O. Loners-Internationalists Meeting, an A.A. meeting by mail for those who cannot attend regular meetings, is prepared by G.S.O. and mailed bimonthly to participants, Housebond A.A.s, known as Homers, are also members of the LIM Group

Public Information
If you find the A.A. message being carried on a network TV or radio program or in a national publication, chances are that G.S.O. helped to supply information. The staff member on the P.I. desk provides A.A. facts for the media, answers thousands of inquiries yearly from the general public, and is touch with local P.I. committees and contacts. From G.S.O., they can order aids like the P.I. Workbook, Guidelines, and TV or radio spots. Reports from local committees on public information and on cooperation with the professional community are shared in Box 4-5-9

Cooperation With the Professional Community
These days, more and more professionals, agencies, industrial programs, and professional associations are going to the aid of the alcoholic. To make sure they're aware of the long-range help offered by A.A., G.S.O. prepares special literature (such as the newsletter for professionals, About A.A.) and, on their request, sends the Professional Exhibit to their national conferences. They may invite the staff member on this assignment (or other A.A.s) to attend. This G.S.O. desk is also an information exchange point for the increasing number of local C.P.C. committees.

Correctional and Treatment Facilities
For A.A.s in "inside" groups, G.S.O. is a link with A.A. "outside". Staff members on these two assignments correspond with the groups and members; excerpts their letters for the special Correctional Facilities and Treatment Facilities sections in Box 4-5-9; list "outside" A.A.s for the Corrections Correspondence Service.

International Conventions
Beginning at Cleveland in 1950, when A.A. was 15 years old, the Conventions have since brought members from around the world together at five-year intervals in joyful celebration of A.A.'s anniversaries. Convention information is relayed to the Fellowship through Box 4-5-9 articles and flyers with facts on housing and transportation

General Correspondence and Service Material
"Let's write to G.S.O." Because thousands of other groups or members did, queries can be answered with A.A. shard experience. All staff members handle general correspondence from specific areas - rotating to others regularly, just as they do in their service assignments (which also involve correspondence). Useful ideas and information are relayed in service material such as A.A. Directories, the Guidelines, tapes, films, the Group Handbook, and Box 4-5-9, and pamphlets are sent to groups free of charge.

International and World Service Meeting
As Bill W. foresaw, G.S.O. has become only "the senior service center" among many in worldwide A.A. This "oldtimer" office maintains contact with younger general service offices and literature distribution centers everywhere. The World Service Meeting (started in 1969 and now biennial) is held alternately in New York City and an overseas country. The staff member handles correspondence with overseas offices, works with the Publications Department on translations of A.A. literature, coordinated the WSM and is responsible for the World Service Meeting Report.

General Service Conference
Months before each annual Conference, the staff member assigned to the Conference begins sending information and questionnaires to the delegates, who send back answers, queries, and agenda suggestions. G.S.O. arranges the meeting site, delegates' housing, record-keeping, and other details; sums up proceeding in Box 4-5-9; covers them fully in the Conference Report. Delegates and area committee members also receive the Quarterly Report, on activities of the General Service Board. All year, G.S.O. is the communications center for the U.S.-Canadian service structure.

A.A. Regional Forums
Started in 1975, these weekend A.A. Forums are held four times a year-each in a region of the U.S. or Canada that has extended an invitation. Representatives of the General Service Board and G.S.O. and GV staffs participate in each Forum with A.A. members living or visiting in the region. The purpose of the meetings is to provide better communications among all levels of service for the region concerned. Planning and coordination, in conjunction with regional trustees and delegates, are handled at G.S.O.

Spanish Services
A nonrotation A.A. staff member serves on this assignment to provide service to Spanish-speaking A.A. members. Coordinating and revising Spanish translations is part of this assignment., as well as welcoming visiting Spanish-speaking A.A.s to G.S.O.

The A.A. Grapevine
Since 1944, the Grapevine has been the monthly magazine of Alcoholics Anonymous. Articles and drawings-reflecting growing A.A. maturity over the years-are not paid for, but contributed in free sharing of experience and thought, as at an A.A. meeting. members of the editorial staff are A.A.s; the controller, circulation supervisor, and clerical workers are nonalcoholics. Published material is protected by copyright, held by The A.A. Grapevine, Inv.-a corporation entirely separate from A.A.W.S. All stories submitted are acknowledged with personal letters.

What Can You Do for G.S.O.?


Share your experience with G.S.O. Your letters on the challenges that groups and members face today can help other A.A.s carry our message.
Keep G.S.O. informed. Only you can make sure that directories and files contain up-to-date information on groups, meetings, committees, intergroups and central offices.
Remember Tradition Seven. All of A.A.-G.S.O. as well as your group-is committed to self- support. Popular plans for contributions to G.S.O. are: Birthday Plan-on an A.A.'s anniversary, $1.00 for each year; monthly or quarterly contributions by groups, perhaps on the 60-30-10 plan- 60% to intergroup of central office, 30% to G.S.O., 10% to the area committee. Most to be desired is a participation by every group-no matter what the amount.
Let newcomers know about their General Service Office.
Come to see G.S.O.. You'll be warmly welcomed, given a full tour, and introduced to staff members, department heads, and G.S.O.'s office neighbors, the Grapevine folks. Staff trips and correspondence keep G.S.O. forever close to hometown A.A.-but it's a special delight to meet you here at your General Service Office.
I am responsible...
When anyone, anywhere
reaches out for help, I want
the hand of A.A. always to be there
And for that: I am responsible.


This is A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature.