As I have said before in the other Concept posts, I know that the concepts are all theoretical because they require that we delegate our authority to “delegates” – which is a violation of Spiritual Law – and therefore is guaranteed to fail, but for those of you who are interested in learning the Concepts – I am going through them, here, just to show that they are an extension of the Traditions at the World Level.
Concept 4:
At all responsible levels, we ought to maintain a traditional “Right of Participation,” allowing a voting representation in reasonable proportion to the responsibility that each must discharge.
You can use this concept at the group level and call it the Responsibility of Participation. In order to get a group conscience all members of the group must participate – not just in “voting” – but in speaking their mind. There is so much BS that goes on in AA. Honestly. So much of a fake group conscience is about the high you get from just voting in a bunch of new stuff. Sad. But the Right of Participation means that everyone gets to have their one vote and should have their discussion – their ideas and their points-of-view through the Traditions. Unfortunately these days the way they have it rigged, at the Conference Level, the Staff and the Board have more of a vote than the Delegates and the Groups because they know the Agenda.
The lack of rotation in the Staff for example is a huge problem. There are people who have worked at the office for over 30 years who have a super agenda and although they have rotated through the service desks a number of times, they still have way more clout than anyone in the Office because they have the advantage of having been there for years and they know to get their agendas pushed through. That’s a Tradition 9 violation – something that Bill never thought of when he was setting up the office – really there should be a cap set on the length of time any one person can work in the office.
Because of this time length the Staff has more voting representation than the rest of us. They have the ear of the Board everyday in NY. Their main goal is to get their pensions funded and so that leads to them constantly bugging the Board about ways to make money. Hence, our goal of corporate poverty is out the window. The Staff are behind a lot of the the goings on – driving the Board to think in terms of scarcity. They have a huge weight in their voting representation, because once they get the Board in their pocket – the Delegates who show up once a year for a week, are just pawns in their game.
But if this worked – Right of Participation – or Responsibility of Participation – it would mean that there is no hierarchy – because the newest person, in the 2nd Tradition, who speaks up, could have the answer from God. It means to give everyone who is involved in the AA General Service Conference, a voice but an equal voice based on their “job”. It’s purpose is to overthrow the possibility of the Tyranny of the Minority… which we have now.
It represents Traditions 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, & 12 – by assuming that we all will have the willingness to stand up for AA knowing that if it dies we will also die; that God’s voice comes through all of our voices in the Group Conscience filtered through the principles of the Traditions; that all who have a desire to stop drinking are included; that we are a spiritual entity because we use that responsibility of participation to unify in equality as a group; that we are an organism, not organized; that we participate only on issues that pertain to AA, not outside issues; that we place principles before personalities; and that we practice genuine humility, giving God the credit.
You can practice Concept 4 in your life, by speaking up for principle in your family, at your job, in your AA group – speak your mind. But don’t try to get your way through manipulation with your voice – don’t overshare – have your one voice and one vote.
Anonymous Alcoholics 