Service Board Inventory Notes June 21, 2025

Service Board Minutes
Written By

**These notes are from comments and discussions during the inventory meeting only, and not necessarily accurate representations of current GNOSB by-laws or procedures.

What is the primary purpose of the Service Board?

  • Oversee the Three Entities: Big Deep South, Central Office, Day at the Park

  • To provide the information to Greater New Orleans Area through committees

  • Give a platform for the local districts to communicate with themselves and the local community

  • Be there to support and coordinate efforts for all the AA Groups

  • Subcommittees specific to Service Board: Website, Answer Phone, PI/CPC, T&C, etc.

  • Provide support to different districts

  • To go to different districts and see how we can be of service to them

  • To oversee that money donated is used correctly

  • Had fiduciary responsibility to the people they serve

  • Provide infrastructure

Is the Service Board effectively fulfilling this purpose?

No:

  • It has failed so many times at doing its stated purpose

  • It goes in a cycle

  • AA has grown and the office is swamped with tasks and cannot keep up

  • We might need more professional help

  • Not enough people are on the same page

  • Just looking at the attendance here, there is a clear breakdown in participation

  • People are not attracted to getting involved

  • Those trying to do the work are getting side tracked, confused, and shunned

  • The service structure within the Service Board is very confusing

  • Officer positions have been filled by people who have admitted they do not know what they are doing

  • Not enough money is going to Central Office

  • Big Deep South is not an effective fundraiser and did not have enough oversight for many years

  • Service Board is confused about its Central Purpose: is it Central Office or many other things

  • It is too much work for just a handful of people

  • The current people on Service Board all took their positions as replacement midterm

  • The current board is trying to follow the bylaws but most of the other entities don't know them

  • Most committees have set ways they have done it and don't want to change (read BDS)

  • There is a lot of polite southern resistance to breaking up the good old boys club

  • Big Deep South basically made Service Board its subcommittee which is backwards

  • Does the Service Board need the subcommittees? It did not have them before Katrina

Yes/Partial:

  • Some things are working while others are not

  • Is not effective to Central Office but might do other things well

  • Some things are done really well, and cleaning things up nicely, but facing a lot of pushback

  • Day at the Park donated its money to create a literature fund which was great

  • Is really trying — there are a handful of people who are really trying

Are there any areas where the Service Board is not meeting its goals?

  • The committees are confusing — reorganizing what they do so it is not repeating what the districts and meetings already do; maybe ask what districts and meetings need

  • Doing a website overhaul would be a great place to start

  • I would like to see the Unity and Service Meeting back, or Budget and Finance, or we can hire people to do these jobs

  • Problems with Big Deep South

  • The office is overworked

  • Working on bringing Central Office to the 21st Century

  • Focusing less on alternative AA literature because we can't compete with Amazon

  • Having people both willing but ABLE to be in those positions in Service Board

  • Need to find a way to make it more attractive to make people want to be of service

  • It used to be standing room only in here

  • Print out some of the guidelines in the monthly bulletin with the QR code next to it so you can see more if you want to

Are Service Board Representatives from all AA groups in the Area participating?

  • Sometimes a little effort helps but sometimes it doesn't (our CO Chair went to all the District meetings for her first 6 months and they did not come when she had to stop)

  • We are trying to get the money to be hybrid

  • Maybe we need an outreach chair

  • A lot of the people do not want to participate because they see it as political

  • But we do provide the minutes in the bulletin and on the website

How can the Service Board encourage maximum participation in decision making?

  • If the groups are not here then we cannot accurately reflect them

  • It has to start at the group level — we need to encourage the group reps to exist and participate

  • It helps to have clear job descriptions

  • Making this atmosphere welcoming for people to be in here

  • This is all about being trusted, and being a trusted servant

  • People are more likely to be involved for one day events with 2 month commitments

  • Bring your sponsee to the meetings

  • Huge emphasis on sponsorship and working with the alcoholic, but not on service work

  • Work in tandem (maybe with district event chairs) to do service workshop events

  • Get positions filled by people who are willing, able, and competent

  • Districts get attendance by visiting groups and offering support — maybe do that

  • Service Board needs unity within itself; there has been a lot of tension between Central Office and Big Deep South, and that is where some people think it is political

  • Maybe need an outreach chair

  • There used to be a file that SBRs had to fill out so we knew who you were and what meeting you repped

  • The email and office line get contacted all the time, so people are contacting, just not in the meeting

  • Go to homegroup business meetings

How transparent is the communication between the Board, Representatives, and Groups?

  • NO: The board is not transparent

  • YES: Service Board does its best to be transparent through Central Office

  • YES: Central Office is very clear about what it does with splits, group contributions, direct donations, Central Office backer donations, etc.

  • NO: The Treasurer was not very good at her job and is routinely absent

  • NO: Big Deep South was not transparent about its finances

  • I have no idea

Participation is the essence of spirituality

Are there clear guidelines for running meetings and 3 Legacies procedures?

  • Meetings have been made to feel unsafe by past members who have gotten aggressive

  • There has been a large amount of tension in meetings and it usually centers around BDS

  • It is not conducive to doing service work and growing spirituality

  • There has been bullying going on

  • Minority opinions are being heard, Robert's Rules of Order are followed, we make sure we have a quorum, and table things when needed

Are we choosing our leaders with care?

  • We are so desperate for people that if you stand we take you

  • Current Chair has had so little support that she has had to reach out to those in lower service positions for help

  • Requires a lot of situational awareness, service awareness

  • Positions have been filled from an emergency standpoint, not a qualified standpoint

  • No encouragement or support either to the board or from the board

  • The bylaws do have outlines for Service Board positions

Does the Service Board avoid allowing any member to assume excessive authority? Do we practice rotation of service?

  • There has never been a chance to practice rotation at the Service Board level

  • Problems with Warranty 10:

  • There are positions where people have too much responsibility without enough authority

  • There are people who have too much authority without responsibility

  • Where there is the ability to rotate, most people are willing to rotate

Are matters of authority clearly defined? Do we trust our trusted servants?

  • We could get more detailed but very few people read and follow things that are personally given to them

  • Do not trust the trusted servants — everybody is operating from a position of fear

  • Sometimes the job descriptions do not help

  • There needs to be a clear description of the job, both orally explained and written, and if you are not able, then do not stand

Is the Board fulfilling its 7th Tradition responsibilities? Is it being prudent with the money contributed?

  • We are being prudent but we do not have enough

  • It is hard for the board to be prudent when other treasurers are not doing their job

  • Day at the Park and Big Deep South are great events but they cost a lot of money

  • The salaries of the folks who work at Central Office (we cannot afford to keep our people employed)

  • It is hard to make a budget when you don't get financials from subcommittees

  • Day at the Park is getting more expensive and is no longer being offset by Big Deep South contributions

  • This place is harmony when it is functioning correctly and it is just so sad now

 
Next

GNOSB Meeting Minutes — March, 2026