One of our conference delegates for the South East Region describes how we go about getting and giving feedback on the annual conference questions. It starts with an overview of the 2025 process in South East Region and is followed by a description of how we actually get feedback from Intergroups on the 2025 Questions for Conference.
AA GB GENERAL SERVICE CONFERENCE 2025
Conference is the Fellowship’s annual Group Conscience meeting. Your views and those of your group are represented at Conference by six delegates elected by AA South East Region. Conference serves the interests of members and their groups. AA’s Board Trustees are responsible for acting on the decisions which Conference makes.
Each year, Conference discusses questions submitted by members of our Fellowship. The questions do not come from the General Service Office or the Board – they come from individual members and groups.
Some decisions made by Conference last year included: • Voted in favour of creating a version of the Big Book that contains stories from GB and Continental Europe.• Approval of use of videos for Women in AA, Bluelight services, LGBTQIA+, People of Colour in AA• Revise the chapter in AA Service Handbook on ‘AA’s employed in the alcoholism field’.
Your views are now being sought on a broad range of topics which will be discussed at this year’s Conference, including: •Can the fellowship (you) help provide a definition of what ‘Cross Sharing’ is?• How can the fellowship help to ensure the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous are always open to those who have a desire to stop drinking – regardless of problems other than alcohol?• Can the fellowship consider inclusivity and add clarity in relation to ‘special interest groups’ within the AA structure, so we remain within our traditions?• Should the terms Open & Closed meetings be changed?• Does the fellowship think a leaflet should be created that explains the use of language in the Big Book and 12 x 12, bearing in mind the historical period it was written?• Can the fellowship consider and provide feedback, could increasing or decreasing the term of service for service positions attract more members into service?• Can the fellowship consider and provide feedback on how to improve our common welfare at all levels of AAGB and encourage groups to seek their own conscience regarding the safeguarding guidance if an issue arises in relation to inside the law / outside the law / if someone feels they have been falsely accused.• Would the fellowship provide feedback on the use of the phrase “men for men, women for women” in the Sponsorship explained leaflet and would the fellowship recommend that a card should be produced that could be read out at meetings that states some guidance about getting a sponsor.• Would the fellowship consider the creation of a video which is aimed at encouraging Men into AA. This would be added to the collection of videos that already exist on topics of Women in AA, Armed Forces, People of Colour, Bluelight Services and LGBTQIA+.• Would the fellowship discuss and offer experiences of the use of the ‘Pink Form’ and suggest ways for groups to more regularly update their group information.• Would the fellowship share its experience on how our message of recovery can be better carried to online platforms such as: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitch, Vimeo whilst remaining faithful to our traditions.
These questions in full and other literature revision points to be discussed at this year’s Conference are set out in AA Service News Winter 2024, which is available on the AA website: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/AA-Service-News-Winter-2024.pdf
What are we looking for from you?We want your views – as individuals, groups and through your Intergroups. You may not have views on all the questions. One view on one question could make an impact. Try to find time to discuss these topics with your fellow group members. Perhaps you could meet before or after your regular meeting to discuss them. How about three sessions of 20 minutes between now and mid-March? What happens next? Discuss the questions and record the views expressed, ideally through your Intergroup’s Pre-Conference meeting. If you cannot make your Intergroup meeting, you can send your response to email address confdel.se@aamail.orgPlease make sure that you carefully number your responses with the Committee Number and Question Number. All email submissions will be forwarded automatically to all six delegates and alternate delegates. Please submit your responses by Friday 28th March 2025 so that your delegates can discuss the collective feedback at the Region meeting on Sunday 6th April.
How do I ask a question?If you wish to have your views on other AA matters discussed at Conference 2026, submit your own question to be considered by 31 August 2025. Terms of reference for Questions for Conference 2025 is available on this link along with guidance on how to submit a question for Conference: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Conference-Steering-Committee-Terms-of-Reference-2025.pdf
Being a Conference Delegate and getting feedback from an Intergroup
An Alternate Conference Delegate is expected to be fully invested in the conference questions process same as a Delegate, but would only attend conference if one of the Delegates cannot attend that year, a bit like how an understudy still needs to be fully conversant with what is going on.An Alternate Conference Delegate is expected to join the other delegates at the South East Region assemblies as much as possible and especially at the workshop session at the beginning of the year arranged by the delegates with an option of in person or on Zoom. This workshop session is very important and kicks off that year’s activities. It is held shortly after the questions are published. In that session, the delegates and alternates discuss what we think the questions are asking for, so we have a better understanding to be able to provide explanations to GSRs from our Intergroups. It is during this workshop session that Delegates and Alternates decide who will be running and who will be attending the sessions for the 11 Intergroups. We share the load but it is important for Alternates to be part of this.
The 3 sessions we offer to hold for the 11 Intergroups in South East Region are: 1. A conference workshop, usually on Zoom, where we give an overview of the conference process and talk through the questions to all GSRs who attend from that Intergroup 2. A pre-conference feedback session. Either on Zoom or in person. This is where we listen to GSRs reading back their group responses. 3. A post-conference readout and explanation of the published report with the outcome of Conference.The meeting on Friday in East Sussex is session 2 for that Intergroup.This is where GSRs feedback their groups responses and decisions to each question. The attending Delegates and Alternates note this all down and aggregate these responses to determine any consensus and minority opinions. The person leading the session (who is decided in the year beginning workshop) takes the notes from the other delegates and summarises the session. After all Session 2s have been completed, the responses are pooled and shared and the Delegates then collate all the information regarding the Committee they are assigned to (1-6). The Alternates can help across any of the Committees.So in summary, the Alternates are important to help the 3 sessions be successful, and being part of them keeps them conversant with what is going on in general.Where to start…. There is a whole chapter in the Structure Handbook on the Conference process and the responsibilities of the Delegates and Alternates which explains a lot, I started by reading that and looking on the AA website and reading the conference questions for that year. There is also a pamphlet giving an overview: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/General-Service-Conference-The-Conscience-of-AA-GB.pdf While the other delegates were very helpful and informative, I found I needed to take it upon myself to find out what the role entailed.It is a lot of work and a quite a commitment, so anyone involved needs to ask themselves if they have enough time, availability to attend workshops, and drive to do the role. It sounds like you may have been somewhat cajoled into the role, which is how many service positions are filled anyway, but it is up to you to decide if you would like to continue with the Alternate. If so, attending the session on Friday will go a fair way to helping you get more involved. For this Friday session, Richard will be leading and Marie will also be there, in addition to you. Between you all you can work out who will ‘host’ the session and who will be noting down the feedback. Then after the session you can pass any notes you have made to Richard who as lead for that session will collate the responses. We should then end up with a consolidated list of responses for each pre conference session (2) that can be shared to all and the Delegate from each committee can then focus on the responses to their assigned committeeit’s an interesting session and you’ll be a like a reporter with your notepad. Like a good reporter, it is our job to understand what their actual sentiments are, sometimes buried in lots of words and ‘feeling’ about a topic, without putting words into their mouths, but feel free to ask questions of responses to help the GSR get to their point.
A A SOUTH EAST REGION 