What is an Intergroup (central office)?

Your intergroup, or central office, is often where the sick alcoholic first calls or shows up for A.A. help.

There are more than 600 intergroup offices functioning through the world performing vital A.A. services. Although local Intergroups operate independently of A.A.'s worldwide service structure, they are a vital part of the Fellowship.

Intergroup is an A.A. Service office that involves partnership among groups in a community, just, as A.A. groups themselves are partnerships of individuals. It is established to carry out certain functions common to all the groups, functions that are best handled by a centralized office. It is 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.

What does an Intergroup (central office) do?

Methods and goals vary from one area to another, but generally intergroup's

responsibility is to:

1. Respond to phone or walk-in requests for help from sick

alcoholics and, when appropriate, arrangements for A.A.

volunteers (listed with Intergroup) to accompany them to an A.A. Meeting.

2.Maintain A.A. listings in local phone directories, handle phone

and mail inquiries, and route them to local groups, thus

distributing Twelve Step work on a geographical basis so that

Newcomers are assured of help.

3. Distribute up to date meeting lists.

4. Stock and sell A.A. literature

6. Serve as a communications center for participating groups -

often issuing newsletters or bulletins to keep groups informed

about one another.

6. Arrange systems for groups to exchange speakers.

7. Coordinate the efforts of Intergroup Committees.

8. Sometimes provide information on treatment centers,

hospitals, and halfway houses.

9. Handle requests for information about A.A. from local news

media, arrange local radio or TV programs about AA., and

furnish speakers for non-A.A. organizations.

10. Cooperate with local, district and area committees (some

intergroups elect members to serve as area liaisons and

welcome their participation in intergroup meetings)

11. Maintain communication and cooperation - but not

affiliation - with community and helping professionals in the

fields of alcoholism.

How does an Intergroup function?

Service centers have no authority on their own account, they derive it from participating groups. The groups maintain control over the central office through their representatives, who reflect the groups' conscience in the service center operations.

In most areas, any group that so wishes can belong to the local intergroup; which is supported by contributions from its member groups. These contributions are purely voluntary. Occasionally, they are groups that do not support a central office. In these cases the spirit of contributing voluntarily that prevails throughout A.A. should also characterize the raising of funds for the office. If groups can't or choose not to pay their share of the costs, they shouldn't be denied the services of the office

Central offices and general service committees are complimentary, rather than competitive, AA operations. Both exist to help insure AA unity and to fulfill AA's primary purpose of carrying the message. Importantly, a local service system of this type seems to work better if it is handled separately from the work of the area general service committee, which already has more than enough to do.

Most intergroups function with only one or two paid workers and so rely heavily on AA volunteers for help. Tradition Eight states "Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers."

Note. Although this Tradition allows for the hiring of a few paid workers to perform the necessary duties of running a central office, the Intergroup Association of Fairfield county is an all volunteer effort, comprised of AA members from the local area, fulfilling the duties of Board of Trustees, working on special committees, mail out literature and answering incoming calls for help.

But its very nature, a service office involved making financial commitments quite different from those usually encountered in the operation of an AA group. Office rent and supplies, phone bills, printing costs of monthly newsletters, renting halls for events, speaker exchanges, etc., are regular monthly expenses for Intergroup. Some suggested methods for financing a central office are -

a) Group Collections.. AA groups participating in the financial

support of the service they chose to make their contributions

by setting aside fixed sums from the regular contributions.

b)Special Contributions... AA members can make individual

contributions on a voluntary basis directly to intergroup.

(Such donations should not exceed $2,000 in any one-year.)

c) Drive and Events...Some service offices conduct periodic drives

or funds. Others hold yearly banquets, conventions, and

similar events, using the 'profits' for support of the office.

Note. In addition to contributions made to Intergroup to local AA groups and personal donations made by participating in the Anniversary Club, are profits from scheduled fellowship events are put back into printing costs, postage, literature, phone service, rent, and other day to day operating expenses of Intergroup.

Many AA's; have found that serving on Intergroup event committees, helping to answer phones, and doing what else needs to be done, greatly enriches their sobriety and broadens their circle of friends.

[Reprinted from the A.A. pamphlet. The AA Group...and AA Guidelines, Central or Intergroup Offices...with permission from AA Worldwide Services].