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Creating a 2/3 Delegate voting majority at Conference while respecting Concept IV (Right of Participation)
In any future AA Australia General Service Conference where Delegates make up less than two thirds majority of overall voting members:
• On any vote where all delegates vote the same way, this is to be considered the equivalent of a mathematical 2/3 voting majority.
2/3 voting majority of Area Delegates at Conference is a long-held desire of the Australian fellowship, with multiple topics being put up in previous years to achieve it; all of which have failed. Why? Commonly, the suggestion is to remove votes from the other voting members of conference, which of course conflicts with Concept IV, AA’s Right of Participation. Bill W himself warns against this:
‘Certainly, our Trustees and service workers are no less conscientious, experienced, and wiser than the Delegates. Is there any good reason why their votes are undesirable? Clearly there is none. Hence, we ought to be wary of any future tendency to deny either our Trustees or our service people their Conference votes’ – C4 Essay.
As such, to achieve a 2/3 Delegate majority, a fresh and more spiritual approach is required; one that doesn’t erode C4 – one of AA’s foundation principles.
WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND OR REASON FOR THE TOPIC?
From the get-go AAWS (US/Canada) has had a 2/3 majority of Conference Delegates. Given we based our service structure on their model, it follows that a 2/3 majority of Delegates might be beneficial for us too. However, we would need 30 Area Delegates to achieve it. Right now, we only have a possible maximum of 24. It has been many years since all Areas in Australia have been able to send a Delegate to Conference. It’s time AA Australia started to ‘live life on life’s terms’. We can create a 2/3 majority of delegates in spirit, even if not mathematical.
As such, all we need to do is accept that, no matter how many Area Delegates turn up to Conference in any given year, if they all vote the same way, then this can be considered as spiritually equivalent to an actual 2/3 Area Delegate majority.
DO YOU HAVE A SUGGESTED SOLUTION?
Perhaps in time, member appetite will for general service will increase to the point where we achieve 30 Areas (bearing in mind we have 2 more Areas than we did 5 years ago).
Until then, we can consider any time Area Delegates vote 100% the same way at Conference its considered a binding decision on the Board. By the way this seems to be the sole stated reason for AAWS having 2/3 Delegate majority (ref: pp40 AAWS Service Manual), so in doing what is proposed in this topic, we achieve the same outcome – just in a different way.
How can voting be done? 2 suggestions:
- Using a different coloured ‘Yes’ voting ball for delegates, than for other voting members.
Currently I believe a single colour is used.
- Allowing Area Delegates to always vote prior to other voting members, thus allowing for their vote to be cast and counted separately.
HOW WILL THE ALCOHOLIC WHO STILL SUFFERS OR THE FELLOWSHIP OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS BENEFIT FROM THIS SUGGESTION?
AAWS and many other AA Conferences around the world enjoy all their Areas being active. This leads to a complete set of Delegates turning up at Conference, representing 100% of the fellowship when big decisions are made. Surely this only assists the alcoholic who is still suffering. They are at the heart of our Primary Purpose, as should be every Area Delegate vote.
In AA Australia we are currently not so fortunate. Many groups currently lack an appetite for General Service, and perhaps a less-than 2/3 Area Delegate voting majority contributes to such member disinterest. Perhaps members are thinking “Why participate in General Service if my Delegate’s vote matters less than it would in other Conferences?’ Overcoming this issue, while fully respecting our democratic Right of Participation, may serve to create more opportunities for selfless participation in service…and that may well lead to less drinks being picked up.
WHAT ARE THE ESTIMATED COSTS OF IMPLEMENTING THIS SUGGESTION?
Zero cost, other than potentially buying a specific set of different coloured balls for Delegates to use for voting at Conference.
HAVE YOU ASKED YOUR GROUP, DISTRICT OR AREA TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT THIS TOPIC AND, IF SO, WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?
Ironically enough, I am writing this topic within ??????? – an Area without a functioning Committee or Delegate. As such, I am on my own, without a District or Area Assembly to consult with. I literally hope this topic goes some way to improve this situation.
