The Third Legacy of Service
Alcoholics Anonymous was given Three Legacies by its founders and their fellow oldtimers: Recovery, Unity, and Service. The Third Legacy — Service — is the subject of the A.A. Service Manual (originally called The Third Legacy Manual), which was first presented at the St. Louis Convention in 1955 when Bill W. laid out A.A.’s full responsibility for its own continuation and growth.
Our Twelfth Step — carrying the message — is the basic service the A.A. Fellowship provides. It is our principal aim and the main reason for our existence. A.A. is a society of alcoholics in action. We must carry the message, else we ourselves can wither and those who haven’t been reached may never be. The sum total of all our service efforts is what we call the Third Legacy.
How Service Is Structured
Service in A.A. flows from the group outward through a structure of committees, delegates, trustees, and conferences — none of which accept outside contributions and all of which are self-supporting.
The Group Service Representative (GSR) is the most important position for connecting each group to the broader A.A. service structure. The GSR:
- Is elected or selected at the group level to represent the group at District meetings.
- Carries the group’s conscience to the District and brings District information back to the group.
- Attends district business meetings.
- Reports on YPAA activity within the district.
- Helps carry district information to local YPAA groups and committees.
- Helps connect young people to service opportunities across the broader structure of A.A.
The GSR (and the group conscience) at the district level then delegate and invite the district committee to make decisions. These decisions flow upward through Area and ultimately to the General Service Conference, which represents the conscience of A.A. as a whole. This is how every A.A. member has a voice in the functioning of A.A. worldwide.
Why Service Matters
The broader your involvement in service, the larger your circle of awareness and connection grows. Service keeps us grounded in the primary purpose of A.A. and ensures our message reaches the alcoholic who still suffers.
District 10 service representatives are available to attend your group’s business meeting to talk about service opportunities. If you’d like to know more, reach out through the contact information below.