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Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship made up of many groups. Each AA group is autonomous, guided by the Twelve Traditions and the collective conscience of its members.
To help groups stay connected and share experience across the Fellowship, AA developed a service structure. This structure allows groups to communicate with one another and take part in decisions affecting AA as a whole.
Service in AA begins with the Group. Members who wish to participate in wider service may do so through their District, Area or at a National level.
For information about current national opportunities, see Service Roles.
The General Service Structure
The General Service Structure connects AA groups across Australia and helps carry the collective conscience of the Fellowship to the General Service Conference. Through this structure, groups share experience and participate in decisions that guide AA services.
The Upside-Down Triangle
In Alcoholics Anonymous, service is often described using an upside-down triangle.
This symbol helps illustrate an important principle of AA service: authority and responsibility flow from the groups to all other parts of the structure.
AA groups sit at the top of the triangle because they are the foundation of the Fellowship. Through their Group Service Representatives (GSRs), groups share their experience and express their collective conscience.
Districts and Areas help carry the voices of groups forward. Through Area Delegates, this shared conscience reaches the General Service Conference, where matters affecting AA Australia as a whole may be discussed.
The General Service Board and the General Service Office exist to serve the Fellowship by supporting AA’s service activities and helping provide resources to groups across Australia.
In this way, the structure reminds us that the ultimate responsibility and authority for AA services rests with the AA groups themselves.
The Structure Includes
Groups
The foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous. Each group is autonomous and guided by its own group conscience.
Districts
Districts help local groups share experience and coordinate service activities.
Areas
Areas bring groups, and in some cases districts, together and provide a forum where groups participate in wider service discussions and decisions.
General Service Conference
The Conference is where Delegates and Trustees from across Australia gather to share the collective conscience of AA groups and consider matters affecting the Fellowship.
General Service Board
The Board serves the Fellowship by supporting AA services and helping guide national service activities.
General Service Office (GSO)
The office supports the work of the Board and Conference by providing administrative and practical resources to AA groups and members across Australia.
This structure helps ensure that AA services remain guided by the voice of the groups.
Local Service
Most service in AA takes place locally.
Members may serve in roles such as:
- Group Service Representative (GSR)
- District service roles
- Area service roles
- Special committees that are concerned with local and/or regional matters
Members interested in local service are encouraged to speak with their Group, District, Area Committee or local Central Service Office to learn more.
General Service
At the national level, members may serve in roles that support the work of the General Service Board and the General Service Office.
These positions arise from time to time through the rotation of service.
Central Service Offices
In some parts of Australia, Central Service Offices (CSOs) provide additional local services such as meeting lists, helplines, and literature distribution. CSOs operate independently and are not part of the General Service Structure, though many AA members participate in both.
Members interested in these service activities can contact their local office for more information.
