Statement of Censure against the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous

 Click to enhance the original document 
( Note: In August, 1994, 10 Delegates to the General Service Conference signed a "Statement of Censure" against the General Service Board. The background to this Statement of Censure began at the 1994 General Service Conference when there was a censure, against the General Service Board, ready to be served. The reason for the censure, at this time, was because the General Service Board, in the minds of some delegates, gave too much authority to A.A.W.S. in regard to A.A.W.S. instigating litigation.
When the Chairperson of the General Service Board was told of this censure, by two delegates, he promised them that if they withheld this censure, he would set up a committee, made up of General Service Board Trustees, to oversee the actions of A.A.W.S. in regards to their litigation actions. The delegates withheld the censure.
At the July, 1994, General Service Board meeting, the Chairman of the General Service Board presented, to the A.A.W.S. Board, his plans to set up a liaison between a G.S. Board and the A.A.W.S. Board to better oversee litigation issues. A.A.W.S. turned down this committee. The Chairman of the Board then went before the General Service Board, and after Board members, that also served as A.A.W.S. Directors spoke, the General Service Board turned down this liaison Committee.
There was a general feeling that trust has been breached. As a result of this 'inaction' on the part of the General Service Board, the following Statement of Censure was issued.
"The General Service Conference, in the minds of the members of Alcoholics Anonymous, has served as the safeguard of our future. Carefully considering those actions and activities which would best place our society under Gods direction. This trust has been carefully placed and nurtured in the years which have ensued since the inception of the AA's Third Legacy Plan. Our journey has not been without its pitfalls, and in several cases the future appeared less than certain.

In each of these cases, however, there has been a reasonable exchange of ideas and perspectives between the General Service Board, its subsidiary boards, and the General Service Conference. At times the differences of view have been great, but never-the-less overcome with a willingness for discussion, review, and a diligent attempt at holding to AA's spiritual principles.

In recent years there has been a slow, but steady erosion of this delicate balance. Alcoholics Anonymous, either directly or indirectly, has found itself engaged in activities formerly considered well outside the realm of our spiritual path. Our service boards have begun to engage in struggles over power and property and have provided the opportunity for a small minority to seek prestige.

Although several attempts have been made, by members of the General Service Conference, to point to these deviations and ask for their correction -- all have been rebuffed. The variety of attempts which have been made, the breadth of AA servants who have engaged in these attempts, and the negation of these sometimes heroic efforts have culminated in a very narrow course of action left to those who would carry out their responsibility to their fellows and the alcoholic who still suffers.

Compromise and progress are firmly rooted in two abiding principles. The one being trust and the other honesty. Recent events have made clear that current conditions offer little hope of either. Conference committees have been supplied with partial records and information, facts and agreements essential to their task have been withheld from them, negotiations have been engaged in without the involvement of those most affected. It has become increasingly evident that substantial unanimity, through careful review and discussion, has been of little interest to those asked to carry out the responsibilities of our service office and boards.

Therefore, we the undersigned, being duly elected delegates to the General Service Conference -- the active voice and effective conscience of our society --  do hereby declare the censure of the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous. As a part of this censure statement, we hereby request that the General Service Board forward to all members of the General Service Conference a comprehensive plan which will achieve the following course of action:
1. Restore the balance of responsibility and authority called for by the Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts.
2. Remove Alcoholics Anonymous from participation in any lawsuits, either as a party to the suit, or consultant to the parties in a suit, currently in progress or contemplated. And to remain removed from this activity until such time as the General Service Conference can put forth a policy guiding further actions.
3. Provide a clear and comprehensive procedure by which the General Service Board, its subsidiary boards, and GSO management can be reorganized.
This plan is to be forwarded to all conference members by no later than September 15, 1994. It is with sadness, but firm resolve, that we hereby affix our names by letter."

Results:
The General Service Board never acknowledged this Statement of Censure in anyway. No response was forth coming. Not even the common courtesy , "we have received the statement." Because of this inaction on the part of the General Service Board, a Trustee member of the General Service Board signed the Censure.

After many months, of no response, the General Service Board sent the Statement of Censure to the Delegate's Trustees Conference committee for them to respond. Again, they laid aside their responsibility and let others do the work. When this Statement of Censure went to the Delegate's Trustees Committee, disunity followed.
 
It became an 'emotional issue' with sides being chosen, it became an issue of personalities before principles...sides were taken and the General Service Board played it to the hilt.
None of this disunity would have come about if the General Service Board did their job and answer the Statement of Censure as was their responsibility.
The Delegate's Conference Committee recommended to the General Service Conference, "After a thorough examination of the issues and information available and acknowledging that there may have been problems with communication at many service levels in the past, it was the sense of the committee that there has been improvement and, therefore, in the interest of maintaining AA unity and finding there was not sufficient cause, the committee unanimously recommended that the proposal to censure the General Service Board be dismissed."
This was voted on by the Conference and became an Advisory Action.
By the General Service Board sending this to the Conference Committee, it never had to respond to the issues involved in the Statement of Censure. By the General Service Board getting this into such a 'emotional' issues, the Conference, itself, never addressed the issues involved in the Statement of Censure. The issues were left unresolved.

The Statement of Censure can not be 'dismissed' by either the General Service Conference or the General Service Board. The General Service Board had been 'censure' by the fact they received the Censure. It didn't take add agreement to make it official. The Statement of Censure, against our General Service Board will remain just that. It will stand in the archives as just that.
 
Click to enhance the original background documents
 

 Click to enhance the original document 
( Note: In August, 1994, 10 Delegates to the General Service Conference signed a "Statement of Censure" against the General Service Board. The background to this Statement of Censure began at the 1994 General Service Conference when there was a censure, against the General Service Board, ready to be served. The reason for the censure, at this time, was because the General Service Board, in the minds of some delegates, gave too much authority to A.A.W.S. in regard to A.A.W.S. instigating litigation.
When the Chairperson of the General Service Board was told of this censure, by two delegates, he promised them that if they withheld this censure, he would set up a committee, made up of General Service Board Trustees, to oversee the actions of A.A.W.S. in regards to their litigation actions. The delegates withheld the censure.
At the July, 1994, General Service Board meeting, the Chairman of the General Service Board presented, to the A.A.W.S. Board, his plans to set up a liaison between a G.S. Board and the A.A.W.S. Board to better oversee litigation issues. A.A.W.S. turned down this committee. The Chairman of the Board then went before the General Service Board, and after Board members, that also served as A.A.W.S. Directors spoke, the General Service Board turned down this liaison Committee.
There was a general feeling that trust has been breached. As a result of this 'inaction' on the part of the General Service Board, the following Statement of Censure was issued.
"The General Service Conference, in the minds of the members of Alcoholics Anonymous, has served as the safeguard of our future. Carefully considering those actions and activities which would best place our society under Gods direction. This trust has been carefully placed and nurtured in the years which have ensued since the inception of the AA's Third Legacy Plan. Our journey has not been without its pitfalls, and in several cases the future appeared less than certain.

In each of these cases, however, there has been a reasonable exchange of ideas and perspectives between the General Service Board, its subsidiary boards, and the General Service Conference. At times the differences of view have been great, but never-the-less overcome with a willingness for discussion, review, and a diligent attempt at holding to AA's spiritual principles.

In recent years there has been a slow, but steady erosion of this delicate balance. Alcoholics Anonymous, either directly or indirectly, has found itself engaged in activities formerly considered well outside the realm of our spiritual path. Our service boards have begun to engage in struggles over power and property and have provided the opportunity for a small minority to seek prestige.

Although several attempts have been made, by members of the General Service Conference, to point to these deviations and ask for their correction -- all have been rebuffed. The variety of attempts which have been made, the breadth of AA servants who have engaged in these attempts, and the negation of these sometimes heroic efforts have culminated in a very narrow course of action left to those who would carry out their responsibility to their fellows and the alcoholic who still suffers.

Compromise and progress are firmly rooted in two abiding principles. The one being trust and the other honesty. Recent events have made clear that current conditions offer little hope of either. Conference committees have been supplied with partial records and information, facts and agreements essential to their task have been withheld from them, negotiations have been engaged in without the involvement of those most affected. It has become increasingly evident that substantial unanimity, through careful review and discussion, has been of little interest to those asked to carry out the responsibilities of our service office and boards.

Therefore, we the undersigned, being duly elected delegates to the General Service Conference -- the active voice and effective conscience of our society --  do hereby declare the censure of the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous. As a part of this censure statement, we hereby request that the General Service Board forward to all members of the General Service Conference a comprehensive plan which will achieve the following course of action:
1. Restore the balance of responsibility and authority called for by the Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts.
2. Remove Alcoholics Anonymous from participation in any lawsuits, either as a party to the suit, or consultant to the parties in a suit, currently in progress or contemplated. And to remain removed from this activity until such time as the General Service Conference can put forth a policy guiding further actions.
3. Provide a clear and comprehensive procedure by which the General Service Board, its subsidiary boards, and GSO management can be reorganized.
This plan is to be forwarded to all conference members by no later than September 15, 1994. It is with sadness, but firm resolve, that we hereby affix our names by letter."

Results:
The General Service Board never acknowledged this Statement of Censure in anyway. No response was forth coming. Not even the common courtesy , "we have received the statement." Because of this inaction on the part of the General Service Board, a Trustee member of the General Service Board signed the Censure.

After many months, of no response, the General Service Board sent the Statement of Censure to the Delegate's Trustees Conference committee for them to respond. Again, they laid aside their responsibility and let others do the work. When this Statement of Censure went to the Delegate's Trustees Committee, disunity followed.
 
It became an 'emotional issue' with sides being chosen, it became an issue of personalities before principles...sides were taken and the General Service Board played it to the hilt.
None of this disunity would have come about if the General Service Board did their job and answer the Statement of Censure as was their responsibility.
The Delegate's Conference Committee recommended to the General Service Conference, "After a thorough examination of the issues and information available and acknowledging that there may have been problems with communication at many service levels in the past, it was the sense of the committee that there has been improvement and, therefore, in the interest of maintaining AA unity and finding there was not sufficient cause, the committee unanimously recommended that the proposal to censure the General Service Board be dismissed."
This was voted on by the Conference and became an Advisory Action.
By the General Service Board sending this to the Conference Committee, it never had to respond to the issues involved in the Statement of Censure. By the General Service Board getting this into such a 'emotional' issues, the Conference, itself, never addressed the issues involved in the Statement of Censure. The issues were left unresolved.

The Statement of Censure can not be 'dismissed' by either the General Service Conference or the General Service Board. The General Service Board had been 'censure' by the fact they received the Censure. It didn't take add agreement to make it official. The Statement of Censure, against our General Service Board will remain just that. It will stand in the archives as just that.
 
Click to enhance the original background documents