Concepts 7 - 12

Dry, dry, dry, but I'm glad and happy to have studied them.

C. 7: The Charter and Bylaws of the General Service Board are legal instruments, empowering the trustees to manage and conduct world service affairs. The Conference Charter is not a legal document; it relies upon tradition and the A.A. purse for final effectiveness.

Al-Anon C. 7: The Trustees have legal rights while the rights of the Conference are traditional. “…the legal system is not the only authority that can help us. When we consider traditional authority, we turn to the spiritual principles of the Legacies” [that is, the step, traditions, and concepts]. 

C. 8: The trustees are the principal planners and administrators of overall policy and finance. They have custodial oversight of the separately incorporated and constantly active services, exercising this through their ability to elect all the directors of these entities.

Al-Anon C. 8: The Board of Trustees delegates full authority for routine management of Al-Anon Headquarters to its executive committees. With Concept 8, we are reminded that we have options.

C. 9: Good service leadership at all levels is indispensable for our future functioning and safety. Primary world service leadership, once exercised by the founders, must necessarily be assumed by the trustees.

Al-Anon: For service work, I was advised to study the chapter on Concept Nine in the service manual that explains how to deal with criticism and how to make decisions as well as Bill W.’s essay on leadership there.

C. 10: Every service responsibility should be matched by an equal service authority, with the scope of such authority well defined.

Al-Anon C. 10: Service responsibility is balanced by carefully defined service authority and double-headed management is avoided.

C. 11: The trustees should always have the best possible committees, corporate service directors, executives, staffs, and consultants. Composition, qualifications, induction procedures, and rights and duties will always be matters of serious concern.

Al-Anon C. 11: The World Service Office is composed of selected committees, executives and staff members.

C. 12: The Conference shall observe the spirit of A.A. tradition, taking care that it never becomes the seat of perilous wealth or power; that sufficient operating funds and reserve be its prudent financial principle; that it place none of its members in a position of unqualified authority over others; that it reach all important decisions by discussion, vote, and, whenever possible, by substantial unanimity; that its actions never be personally punitive nor an incitement to public controversy; that it never perform acts of government, and that, like the Society it serves, it will always remain democratic in thought and action.

Al-Anon C. 12: The spiritual foundation for Al-Anon’s world services is contained in the General Warranties [AA’s six listed above in the concept in bold].

Al-Anon: “When we keep our focus on spiritual principles, even in the face of strong controversy [such as unjust attack], we discover our protection is in [our higher power’s]  hands,” and “these principles represent a healthy balance each of us can practice daily in all our affairs.”