1. New Intergroup/Central Committee Representative Orientation
Congratulations on becoming the voice of your group!

2. Central Committee =Intergroup
What is Intergroup?
Central Committee =Intergroup ≠
Central Office
A central or intergroup committee is an A.A. service office that involves partnership among groups in a community — just as A.A. groups themselves are partnerships of individuals. A central/intergroup committee is established to carry out certain functions common to all the groups — functions which are best handled by a centralized office — and it is usually maintained, supervised, and supported by these groups in their general interest. It exists to aid the groups in their common purpose of carrying the A.A. message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

3. What exactly does Central Committee do?
Oversees the operation of Central Office
Information exchange
The following services are over seen by standing committees
Public Information and Cooperation with the Professional Community
A.A. in Correctional
Treatment facilities
Night Watch
Convention
- The Steering Committee oversees central committee operations.
- There are also Area committees that will be giving courtesy reports – Archives and Accessibility
- For more information on standing committees, including the Steering Committee and ones on this slide, see your “Service Work” handout in the New IR Packet.

4. What does Central Office do?
The Buffalo Central Office is the administrative office for the Buffalo region, operated by Central Committee and with day-to-day operations handled by the Executive Secretary.
Services overseen by the Central Office:
Phone
Website
Newsletter – New Frontiers
Maintenance of office facilities
Prints and distributes meeting schedules
Provides information about meeting accessibility
Sells/distributes AA literature
Provides information about local AA-related events
- Our Executive Secretary is Terri Bateman. She is a paid worker – the only one we have! We pay her a fair wage, just as any other organization would, because we could not expect unpaid volunteers to carry out the many daily operational tasks that are needed to keep the office running smoothly. -

5. Why should I be here? Connecting your group with AA in the region
Building an INFORMED group conscience
You are the “hand of AA”!
As a Central Committee Rep, you will be the liaison between Intergroup and your home group. In order to have an informed group conscience, your home group members need to know all facets of an issue to be able to make good decisions. When they are in touch with other member groups in the area, they learn the latest and most accurate A.A. information, about commitments in their area. In order for the hand of A.A. to always be there each individual A.A. member needs to have the best information available so they can help the alcoholic who doesn’t know there is a way out.
Central committee
The frontlines
of A.A.

6. Okay, how does this thing actually work?
Presentation on the Tradition corresponding with the month
Reading of last months’ minutes (can vote not to do this)
Reports
Report-backs (question period)
Old business
New business
Announcements
Motion to close
- Each month, a member of the Intergroup body volunteers to give a short presentation (5-10 minutes) on their experience with the Tradition.
The reading of last months’ minutes is built into the structure of the meeting so that new attendees can learn what happened last month and so any errors can be addressed. All minutes from the previous month can be found in the New Frontiers newsletter. The Intergroup body almost always votes to dispense with the reading of the minutes to save time.
Committee chairs and Central Committee officers (Finance Chair and Executive Secretary) give reports each month to update the body on what they have been doing over the last month and any upcoming events or plans. Please hold all questions until the report-back period.
The report-back period allows for other members to ask questions about the reports that were just given. Please do not hesitate to ask questions if you have them! Even if you think it’s a “stupid” question! If you have one, chances are someone was thinking the same thing and didn’t speak up.
In old business, we review and discuss any motions that were brought up in previous months and determine as a body what should be done about them through a vote. We will discuss specifics of the voting procedure in the following slide.
New business is the time for any voting member of the body to bring up a new motion for consideration. Again, this process will be discussed further in the next slide.
The announcement period is for any member or visitor to announce upcoming AA-related events.
- Intergroup/CC is run as a formal business meeting. This might not sound very exciting, but this format makes it easier for all voices to be heard so that we can make the most informed decisions as a voting body and it helps to keep the meeting on track so we finish at a reasonable time. 
- There will be three people sitting at the front of the room, helping the meeting run smoothly: the Chair (Tina D.), Co-Chair (Raeanne F.), and Recording Secretary (Guy R.). The chair "runs" the meeting, calling on people to speak and keeping order. The secretary takes notes to that we have accurate minutes of our meetings. The co-chair takes the place of the chair if he/she is unable to attend, and assists with anything he/she may need. 
- If you have something to say during the meeting, raise your hand/go to the microphone and wait to be called on by the Chair.
- A general agenda format is included in your New IR Packet.
**Intergroup meetings typically last hours, and it is suggested that you plan to stay for the whole thing.
This is especially important because the voting portion of the meeting (the whole reason you're here!) occurs near the end. **

7. Voting Procedure: The Very Basics
Robert’s Rules of Order (Modified Version)
Motion
Second
Discussion
“Call the question/vote”
Who can vote?
Minority Opinion
- As another measure to help things run smoothly, we follow specific guidelines for voting.
- These guidelines are adapted from "Robert's Rules of Order." Many voting bodies outside AA also use these rules and find them helpful. Within AA, Robert's Rules are used throughout the service structure – from some groups' business/group conscience meetings to the annual General Service Conference. 
- Here, we will explain some of the most common guidelines used in voting at the Intergroup level. 
- Motion – Motions are made when a voting member of the body bring up something they feel needs to be changed.
- Second – Each motion needs to be "seconded" in order to move forward. This means another member of the voting body agrees with what is being proposed or thinks it's worth discussing further. 
- Discussion – Discussion occurs on a motion after it is seconded. The person who made the motion has the opportunity to speak on it first, to explain their reasoning for making the motion. Discussion should be limited solely to the motion at hand. All persons who wish to speak on the motion should be given a chance to do so before anyone is allowed to speak for a second time. We want to hear all points of view; things that have already been mentioned do not need to be repeated (if you've already heard your point of view, please don't repeat it!).  
- "Call the question/vote" - During discussion, if you feel all points of view have been heard, you may "call the question" to end discussion on a motion. A vote is then taken on whether or not the body feels ready to vote on the motion. A simple majority (more than ½ the voting body) is all that is needed for this to pass.
- Voting – The following are members of the voting body and are eligible to cast a vote: Intergroup Representatives (or alternates – only 1 vote per represented group), Committee Chairs, Executive Secretary, Recording Secretary, and Finance Chair. We hope, wherever possible, for a vote to pass/fail by substantial unanimity, but some votes only require a simple majority. 
- Minority Opinion – After a vote is taken, those not in the prevailing party will have an opportunity to state any new information as to why they were for/against the motion. Only those who are NOT in the prevailing party are allowed to talk at this time. After the minority opinion, the Chair will asked if this has changed anyone's vote. If minority opinion changed more than half the voting body's minds, the discussion on the original motion will be reopened and a new vote will take place.

8. Voting Procedure: The Slightly Less Basics
Substantial Unanimity
Simple Majority
Point of Information
Point of Order
Friendly Amendment
Motion to Table
Motion to Close
Third Legacy Procedure
- Substantial Unanimity - At least 2/3 of the voting body. It is generally preferred that all motions pass/fail by substantial unanimity so that we do not become slowly divided in half.
Simple Majority – Over 50% of the voting body votes for/against a motion
- Point of information – a member of the voting body says this when they feel as if discussion is perhaps ill-informed. This is used to help bring us to a well-informed group conscience.
- Point of order – a member of the voting body says this when a Robert's Rule procedure or group conscience is not being followed during discussion. Calling "Point of Order" stops discussion until the procedure is corrected.
- Friendly amendment – a member of the voting body may propose a "Friendly Amendment" to a motion that is already under discussion if a slight change in the wording or scope of the motion may be more favored. In order for the original motion to be amended, the creator of that motion, as well as the person who seconded it, must be in agreement and the group must agree by a simple majority before the amendment takes place.
- Motion to table – a member of the voting body may say this during discussion of a motion if it is felt that the body lacks enough information or cannot come to a clear group conscience and will need more time to consider the motion.
- Motion to close – after all reports, old business, and new business are concluded, someone will need to make a motion to close and this must be seconded. No vote is necessary. 
- Third Legacy Procedure – See diagram on Robert’s Rules handout

9. What is General Service
The General Service structure begins with the Groups, each of which elects one...
… General Service Representative (GSR) who serves for two years to represent their voice and vote at the local...
… District Committee meeting, which is a forum for GSRs to discuss things going on in their groups as well as area business. The District Committee elects a...
… District Committee Member (DCM - 2yr term) to represent that body's voice at the local...
… Area Assembly. In our area, GSRs and DCMs both attend and have a vote. Buffalo is located in Area 50, which encompasses Western NY and a sliver of Northern Pennsylvania. This is a body much like Intergroup, but they discuss business for the whole area and elect a... 
Delegate (currently Chuck B. - 2 yr term) as the voice of the Area at the...
… General Service Conference which is held in the NYC area once every year. This is where the business is handled for AA as a whole. This is where such important decisions as whether or not to publish a new edition of the Big Book or take a pamphlet out of circulation are made. 

10. What's the difference between Area and Intergroup?
Area helps keeps us connected and spreads information and ideas
Intergroup directly facilitates 12th step work
The way it currently functions, the Area/General Service Assembly (GSA) focuses more on the big picture: ideas, concerns, and future plans for AA as a whole and within the Area, whereas Intergroup focuses more on the day-to-day functioning of AA and services in the Buffalo region. GSA has several of the same standing committees that are present at the Intergroup level: Corrections, Treatment, and Public Information. They also have Archives, Accessibility, Website, and Grapevine committees We try to work in tandem the Area, which is currently focusing on increasing the scope and activities of its Districts.
One major distinction between the two bodies is that Area 50 and Buffalo Intergroup is that Area covers all of Western NY and our Intergroup just encompasses the Buffalo metro area.

11. What’s next??
If anything is unclear to you, feel free to ask questions (both now and during the meeting)!
If your current sponsor does not have experience with service outside the homegroup, it may be wise to get a "service sponsor" to help you grow in the service structure or consult with other members of AA who have experience at this level of service.
If you have not done so already, please get a Group Information form and update it to reflect the current contact and general information for your group. The completed form can be given to our administrator, Terri. 
There is a lot of great literature about service in AA – we encourage you to become as informed and enthusiastic as possible so that you're in the best position to represent your group and carry AA's message to the still sick and suffering!
- If you are representing a new group and have already gotten in the meeting list, a New Group Form will need to be filled out and submitted directly to GSO in New York City. Please see us if you have questions about how to do this.

12. Feedback Is there anything you are currently unclear about?
What did we go over that you already knew?
Did we help clarify anything for you?
What are you interested in learning more about that we didn't cover?

13. References "Buffalo Area AA Central Office" pamphlet
Central Committee Agenda Outline
Modified Robert's Rules of Order sheets 
"GSR School Presentation" from Area 50 (area50wny.org)
AA Service Manual