Service Board & Central Office

What is Central Office/Intergroup?

An A.A. service office that involves partnership among groups in a community — just as A.A. groups themselves are partnerships of individuals. An intergroup/central office is established to carry out certain functions common to all the groups — functions that are best handled by a centralized office– and it is usually 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 alcoholics who still suffers. (Reprinted from The A.A. Service Manual, p. 160 with permission from A.A. World Services)

[Note: Locally, this is our Central Office, located at 638 Papworth Ave, Ste A, Metairie]

MG-02 A.A. Guidelines: Intergroup or Central Offices

Group Representation at an Intergroup/Central Office [aka Service Board]

Service centers usually have no authority on their own account; they derive it from the participating groups. Intergroup/central offices are A.A. service entities, and are “directly responsible to those they serve,” as described in Tradition Nine. Local group representatives participate in forming the group conscience that guides the service center operations.

In most communities, an intergroup/central office committee or steering committee is set up to handle the administrative activities of the service office. The steering committee holds regularly scheduled meetings and deals with general policy and plans. Periodically, the steering committee reports to group representatives on intergroup/central office problems and accomplishments. It is extremely important to keep a two-way flow of information going between the intergroup/central office and groups.

[Note: Locally, this collection of group representatives, committees, and Board of Trustees, is known as our Service Board. The GNO Service Board is the steering committee for Greater New Orleans Central Office.]

Each group in the community is asked to send both a representative and an alternate representative to a special meeting to form an intergroup/central office committee (also called a steering committee in some places). In large communities, it is sometimes necessary to divide the groups into zones, with a zone representative serving several groups. Once formed, the committee takes over the responsibility for the project and outlines its aims and purposes for approval by the participant groups. Such an outline might cover these points:

Listing of all groups in the community that want to participate
A reminder that financial support is voluntary and not a condition of membership (in keeping with A.A. tradition)
A clear explanation that responsibility for the maintenance of the service office rests with the groups. Therefore, each group should name an intergroup/central office representative and an alternate to serve a specified term as the connecting link between the group and its intergroup/central office.
A summary of the functions of the intergroup/central office and an explanation of how it will be staffed and operated.
A discussion of how the service office will handle such vital matters as inquiries from newcomers, relations with the press, and similar duties.
Assurance that the service center will be operated in keeping with A.A. Twelve Traditions.

(Reprinted from A.A. Guidelines: Intergroup or Central Offices with permission of A.A. World Services)