What is an Area Assembly?
The Area Assembly is a meeting of General Service Representatives (GSRs) and committee members to discuss Area affairs and to elect officers and a delegate to the General Service Conference, held in New York City.
May anyone attend the Area Assembly?
All members of A.A. are encouraged to participate in the workshops and sharing sessions of the Area Assembly.
Where and when is the Assembly?
Area 38 Assemblies are held four times a year, specifically, in the Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. The location rotates across the state. Dates for upcoming assemblies are available in the right column of this page and on the event calendar.
Who is eligible to vote during Area Assemblies?
Voting members are as follows: the Area Committee members or their alternates; all GSRs or their alternates; the Delegate; the Alternate Delegate; the Area Chairperson; and, the Alternate Area Chairperson.
What is Third Legacy Procedure?
It is a special type of electoral procedure that A.A. uses to elect delegates. Eligible candidates are voted on by GSRs and members of the Area Committee. The first candidate to get two thirds of the vote, tallied on the blackboard, is elected. Anyone with less than one fifth of the total is withdrawn, except the top two candidates. After the third ballot, anyone with less than one third of the total votes is withdrawn. After the fourth ballot, if no candidate has two thirds of the total votes, the Chairperson asks for a show of hands to determine if a fifth ballot will be taken. If the motion for a fifth ballot is defeated, the remaining names are placed in a hat and the first name drawn out of the hat becomes our Delegate. A more detailed description of “Third Legacy Procedure” can be found on page S20 of The A.A. Service Manual.
What is Roberts Rules?
Roberts Rules of Order is a manual of parliamentary procedure that many organizations use as guidelines to facilitate meetings. Area 38 uses a modified version of Roberts Rules to help assembly run smoothly. There are several unique aspects of facilitating an AA business meeting, such as minority opinion, that are not included in Roberts Rules. Check out this cheat sheet for a more information.
How can I keep in touch with Area Servants outside of Assembly?
Area officers, committee chairs, and DCM have email addresses that can be found at this link, or you can use the form found here.
Summary of Assembly Actions
Older documents may be found in the Area Archives