In AA, we use the Steps, the Traditions, the Concepts, and the various other items of literature available to us to guide decision-making. The decision at issue here is how to elect officers.
The basic duties of the officers are set out in the Intergroup section of the AA Structure Handbook for Great Britain (4th edition, 2018). In certain cases, qualifications are set out, e.g. in relation to Regional Representatives. These will not be rehearsed here, as they are present in the Handbook, but the existence of qualifications should be noted, as this is relevant to the election of the officers. There is also extensive information about the duties of officers in the AA Service Handbook for Great Britain (4th edition, 2018).
Principles for electing officers
Officers rank amongst the leaders in AA: to quote Bill W in his essay Leadership in AA: Ever a vital need, 'Our leaders do not drive by mandate, they lead by example.' Whether the role is to run the business of Intergroup (Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer), represent the Intergroup to Region (Regional Representative), or represent AA to the outside world (most of the other officers), the skills of leadership, extensively discussed in this essay, are vital.
A further quotation: 'A leader in AA service is therefore a man or a woman who can personally put principles, plans, and policies into such dedicated and effective action that the rest of us want to back him up and help him with his job.'
Bill W suggests that 'we ought select that leadership on the basis of obtaining the best talent we can find, making sure that we land that talent, whatever it is, in the spot where it will do us the most good.'
Other principles: Tradition V is relevant to the selection of officers: our aim in AA is to ensure that the message is carried as effectively as possible both within and outside the fellowship of AA. The purpose of service is to support that function. Whilst it benefits the individual in their own recovery, that benefit is secondary. The primary decision-making criterion therefore is the fitness of the candidate(s) for the role, in terms of experience, special skills, and temperament. Without the spiritual awakening afforded by taking all of AA's Twelve Steps, an individual is unlikely to have the equanimity, poise, and character to place the role first and discharge the associated duties diligently and effectively. In addition, an individual will not be able to present the twelve-step programme to the outside world or implement its principles within AA if all Twelve Steps have not been taken.
Quotations from the Twelve Concepts for Service:
'... great emphasis is laid on the need for a high order of personal leadership, on the desirability of careful induction methods for all incoming personnel ...' (Introduction)
'... the composition of these ... committees and service boards, the personal qualifications of their members, the manner of their induction into service, ... will always be matters for serious care and concern ...' (Concept XI)
'... their quality and dedication, or their lack of these characteristics, will make or break our structure of service ...' (Concept XI)
Taking into account the above:
It is clear from our service literature that officers should not be selected carelessly or hastily, and that any service committee, including an Intergroup, should make efforts to ensure that a candidate's suitability for a role is assessed by the committee, in this case the Intergroup, before a decision is made.
To this end, the following procedures (or their equivalents) are widely used in AA (from Groups all the way to Conference Committees and Sub-Committees to the General Service Board) to maximise the likelihood of suitable and effective officers being elected:
- Vacancies together with job descriptions are widely advertised and circulated within the Intergroup prior to the stated election date.
- Individuals are encouraged to put themselves forward.
- An AA service CV is prepared: this is a simple written document setting out the sobriety date plus the individual's service history. Not everyone who is voting in an election will be personally familiar with the candidate in question's service history. This solution ensures that voting members of Intergroup can make an informed decision as part of the Intergroup's group conscience (Tradition II).
- This CV is circulated in advance of the meeting at which the election takes place so that it can be considered by the members of the Intergroup.
- Some people writing service CVs will also affirm their completion of the Twelve Steps and their knowledge of the Twelve Traditions and the Twelve Concepts, which the effective discharge of responsible duties requires.
- Sometimes suitable candidates, although they have completed the Twelve Steps, lack knowledge of the Traditions and Concepts, but as long as the individual has a Service Sponsor to guide them in acquiring this knowledge, this can be acceptable.
- Candidates are invited to introduce themselves to the Intergroup prior to the election with a brief presentation (1 to 2 minutes) of service history plus why they would like to do this particular service and/or what they would like to bring to the role.
- Obviously, a candidate needs to be present to do this; the traditional etiquette is that individuals are not elected in their absence except by prior arrangement.
- This, together with the written CV, gives the voting members a full picture of the candidate before they proceed to a vote.
- Members of the Intergroup may then ask questions of the candidates.
- The Intergroup then votes on the candidate(s), with the aim of ensuring that the most suitably qualified take up the role.
- (The Third Legacy Procedure, or elements of it, can be used if there are more than two candidates.)
- The voting is by written, secret ballot (writing the name on a slip of paper or 'yes'/'no' if there is only one candidate), to place principles before personalities and preserve anonymity (Tradition XII).
- Generally, a two-thirds majority is required for an election.
- If there are two candidates, however, the candidate with more votes is generally elected.
- As a courtesy, candidates are asked to leave the room during the ballot and are called back for the result to be presented. It can be awkward for everyone for an individual to be present for the ballot.
It is sometimes asserted that producing a service CV is onerous for the individual, off-putting, and prohibitive. This may be the case for some individuals, but anyone who is unwilling or unable to spend the relatively short amount of time required to list his or her past service assignments is unlikely to be willing and able to shoulder the considerable burden and pressures of being an Intergroup officer. If necessary, IT assistance can be provided for those without IT skills, although, again, most roles cannot be adequately performed without IT skills. The primary purpose of service is for work to be performed well, not to help the individual performing the service (Tradition I: common welfare).
Producing a service CV is also the first element in officers' accountability to those that they serve (Tradition VIII, Concept III). Trusted servants are indeed trusted, but that trust is earned through accountability. Most people are pleased and proud to present their service history in order to demonstrate their willingness and suitability to continue serving.
The above process does take a little time, but the time is minimal in the light of the considerable responsibilities involved, and the damage that can be done if an unsuitable person is appointed.
The above process is successfully employed at London Region (North) and, in various forms, at other Intergroups. In my experience, the above process has never caused any problems, but I have seen very significant problems arise through the careless and hasty election of unsuitable officers, from damage to relations with outside agencies through to the collapse or near-collapse of Intergroups.