A Weekly 12 Concepts Study will be held at the Winston Salem Intergroup Office, 1020 Brookstown Ave, Room 11, Winston Salem, Tuesday, May 24, 6-7 PM.
This week we will be studying Concept III, led by Reid M., DCM District 23, Greensboro.
Concept lll: 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.”
-Jerry S. is a G.S.R. He is attending an area assembly at which the selection of the site for his area’s next convention will be made. Jerry’s group has discussed this matter at length and has voted unanimously in favor of holding the convention in the town where the group meets.
Jerry’s sponsor has taught him that a truly informed group conscience can be reached only after the experience of all members who wish to speak has been heard. His sponsor has also taught him that the greater the number of voices the wider the experience and the more satisfactory the final outcome is likely to be. So in spite of the fact that Jerry agrees with the position his group has already taken, he tries to listen to the debate with an open mind. He is surprised to hear some fellow G.S.R.’s share information his group had not had to discuss. The points that these G.S.R.’s make are so compelling that Jerry becomes convinced that the best thing for his area is to hold the convention several hours away from his town. However, Jerry knows his group is adamant that the convention be held in their town. He is not at all sure they would agree to the other location even if they were present at the assembly and had heard the new information.
-What can Jerry do? Can he vote according to what he now believes is in the best interest of the area as a whole, even if his group might not agree?
-Can he or should he ask for the vote to be postponed to the next assembly so he and
others can take the new information back to their groups?