Service in AA is not straightforward. Many of the service assignments appear straightforward, because they superficially resemble everyday activities, but they're not everyday activities; they're service assignments.
Let's take teamaking.
At many meetings, if one glances across at the teamakers' station, there's a big queue, which is moving slowly. One hesitates to join the queue, because it's unclear who is even in the queue and who is milling around; the people at the front seem to be chatting endlessly; the queue is barely moving.
Who is responsible for this mess? The teamakers.
Here's how I do tea at meetings.
The aim:
- To serve people immediately.
- To keep the queue to no more than a couple of people.
- To keep the queue moving quickly.
If there's a long queue, something's gone wrong.
Here's what I do to avoid this:
- Never run out of hot water
- Never run out of cups
- To do this, have as many kettles are as necessary
- If there isn't enough space to store more than one kettle at the venue, bring one or two from home; kettles are not heavy, and a rucksack will hold two or three
- Fill up empty kettles and turn them on immediately
- Have the cups already set out with tea bags and instant coffee
- Have a separate table, away from the hatch, for milk, sugar, disposal of teabags, and biscuits
- Ask the next person what they would like
- Serve it (this takes 5 to 10 seconds)
- Push the cup towards them and direct them to the other table
- Ask the next person what they would like
- Chat only if there is no queue
- If there is a queue, and someone tries to chat, say, Lovely to see you; let's have a chat a little later; I need to get on and serve the next person
- Politely and kindly anyone who is loitering by the hatch to move away to enable the next person to be served (or simply ask the next person over the loiterer's shoulder; this usually constitutes a sufficient hint)
- If the queue is melding with general standers-around, politely and kindly ask the standers-around to move away from the hatch
This avoids a queue being generated because of:
- Running out of water or cups
- People dithering with milk, sugar, biscuits, and squeezing teabags (none of which need to be done before the next person is served)
- People blocking the queue by loitering, fussing, milling, dithering, wittering, or simply staring blankly into space waiting for something edifying to happen
And you know what, people appreciate this. I've often noted, at meetings where the refreshments are operated effectively, efficiently, and harmoniously like a military operation, people comment positively on how helpful this is.
Is there anything spiritual about this? Yes. You're treating people's desire or need for refreshments as important, so you're treating them as important. There's nothing spiritual about being so nice and relaxed that a queue develops and keeping a dozen people waiting.