Frequently Asked Questions

Below there are frequently asked questions arranged by category.

A central office or intergroup is an A.A. service office that involves partnership among groups in a community — just as A.A. groups themselves are…
No. Each A.A. entity — group, district, area, central office and GSO — provides a specific service and is autonomous. Contributions should be made…
There are many different ideas about what alcoholism really is. The explanation that seems to make sense to most A.A. members is that alcoholism is a…
Occasionally a person who has been sober through A.A. will get drunk. In A.A. a relapse of this type is commonly known as a “slip.” It may occur…
Every two years each of the 93 Areas elects a representative who votes on behalf of the Area at the annual General Service Confence. This…
The District Committee Member (DCM) is the elected leader of the district committee which is made up of all GSRs in the district. The DCM reports…
The general service representative (GSR) is an elected member of your home group. It is a two-year service commitment. The GSR is your home group’s…
There is a “Contact us” link at the bottom of every page provides information on how to contact GSO Clicking on “Contact us” takes you to a page…
An open meeting of A.A. is a group meeting that any member of the community, alcoholic or nonalcoholic, may attend. Nonalcoholics may attend opens…
While there is no formal list of promises in the Big Book, some A.A. members refer to the following passage from the Big Book, Chapter 6: Into Action…
The A.A. Guidelines represent the shared experience of A.A. members and groups throughout the United States and Canada. They also reflect guidance…
The “Twelve Steps” are the core of the A.A. program of personal recovery from alcoholism. They are not abstract theories; they are based on the trial…