“It also indicated that strenuous work, one alcoholic with another, was vital to permanent recovery.” (Foreword to the Second Edition, Big Book)
The point of service is to enable the two primary vehicles of recovery: meetings and sponsorship.
Sometimes, service can take on a life of its own and seem to exist for its own sake. Business meetings, group conscience meetings, Intergroup meetings, and complex service structures develop, and the actual benefit of these meetings and structures is often a trickle compared to the great cataracts of time and effort that are poured into them.
A few things I’ve learned about service:
- Keep admin to a minimum
- Deal with practical problems swiftly and pragmatically
- Leave the group conscience only to make ‘final decisions on large matters of general policy and finances’
- Otherwise: leave the officers just to handle things.
- Don’t over-regulate: let common sense solve most situations
- Keep in mind the purpose of carrying the message