®

Twelve Concepts
for NA Service
A Guide to Local Services
1. To fulfill our fellowship’s primary purpose, the NA groups have IN NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS
joined together to create a structure which develops, coordinates,
and maintains services on behalf of NA as a whole.
2. The final responsibility and authority for NA services rests with the
NA groups.
3. The NA groups delegate to the service structure the authority
necessary to fulfill the responsibilities assigned to it.
4. Effective leadership is highly valued in Narcotics Anonymous.
Leadership qualities should be carefully considered when selecting
trusted servants.
5. For each responsibility assigned to the service structure, a single
point of decision and accountability should be clearly defined.
6. Group conscience is the spiritual means by which we invite a loving
God to influence our decisions.
7. All members of a service body bear substantial responsibility for
that body’s decisions and should be allowed to fully participate in
its decision-making processes.
8. Our service structure depends on the integrity and effectiveness of
our communications.
9. All elements of our service structure have the responsibility
to carefully consider all viewpoints in their decision-making
processes.
10. Any member of a service body can petition that body for the redress
of a personal grievance, without fear of reprisal.
11. NA funds are to be used to further our primary purpose, and must
be managed responsibly.
12. In keeping with the spiritual nature of Narcotics Anonymous, our
structure should always be one of service, never of government.

Copyright © 1989, 1990, 1991 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Twelve Concepts for NA Service were modeled on AA’s Twelve Concepts for World Service,
published by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. and have evolved specific to the needs of Narcotics Anonymous. 2002 Version
(with 2020 addenda)
 ®

Twelve Steps of
Narcotics Anonymous
1. We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our
lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could
restore us to sanity.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of
God as we understood Him.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the
exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of
character.
7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing
to make amends to them all.
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except
when to do so would injure them or others.
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong
promptly admitted it.
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious
contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for
knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried
to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in
all our affairs.

Twelve Steps reprinted for adaptation by permission of AA World Services, Inc.

A Guide to Local Services
IN NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS

Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Chatsworth, California
A Guide to Local Services in Narcotics Anonymous

Copyright © 1989, 1997 by

Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
All rights reserved. Published in the USA.

World Service Office

PO Box 9999
Van Nuys, CA 91409 USA
T 818.773.9999
F 818.700.0700
Website: www.na.org

World Service Office–CANADA

Mississauga, Ontario

World Service Office–EUROPE

Brussels, Belgium
T +32/2/646 6012

World Service Office–IRAN

Tehran, Iran
www.na-iran.org

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions adapted and reprinted by permission of

Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

This is NA Conference-approved literature.

Narcotics Anonymous®

The name “Narcotics Anonymous,” the stylized initials “NA” alone or within a double circle ,
the four-sided diamond enclosed in a circle , and the Original NA Group Logo

are registered trademarks and service marks of Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Incorporated.

The NA Way is a registered trademark of Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Incorporated, for its
periodical publication.

Twelve Concepts for NA Service is also published separately as a booklet available from World
Service Office. This material is non-adaptable NA Fellowship-approved literature. Twelve Concepts
for NA Service copyright © 1989, 1990, 1991 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All rights
reserved. The Twelve Concepts for NA Service were modeled on AA’s Twelve Concepts for World
Service, published by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., and have evolved specific to the
needs of Narcotics Anonymous.

The chapter in this guide entitled “The NA Group” is also published separately as The Group Booklet,
copyright © 1990, 1997, by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
This material is non-adaptable NA Fellowship-approved literature. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-55776-246-7 WSO Catalog Item No. 2111 7/20

 GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

Diagram of the NA Service Structure .......................................................................... v

Summary of the NA Service Structure ....................................................................... vii
Detailed Table of Contents ........................................................................................... ix
Introduction ................................................................................................................... xi
Twelve Concepts ........................................................................................................... 1
Developing NA Communities ..................................................................................... 21
The NA Group .............................................................................................................. 25
The Area Service Committee ...................................................................................... 45
Dividing Area Service Committees ............................................................................ 70
The Metropolitan Services Committee ...................................................................... 78
The Regional Service Committee............................................................................... 87
Local Service Centers ............................................................................................... 102
Sample Rules of Order.............................................................................................. 104
NA Intellectual Property Bulletin #1......................................................................... 112
Glossary ..................................................................................................................... 115
Index ........................................................................................................................... 118
Bulletins, handbooks, and other materials
available from the World Service Office .......................................................... 120
Addenda: Service System Options .......................................................................... 121
Twelve Concepts and Twelve Traditions
summary pullout sheet .................................................................................... 185

iii
 The Narcotics Anonymous Service Structure
The following is a brief description of the service units of Narcotics Anonymous. A more
complete description of service on the local level including groups, areas, metropolitan
services, regions, etc., can be found in this Guide to Local Services in Narcotics
Anonymous. Additional information about NA World Services may be found in A Guide
to World Services in Narcotics Anonymous.

The NA Group
NA groups are local, informal associations of recovering addicts. They are the
foundation of the NA service structure. Groups are formed for the primary purpose of
carrying the NA message of recovery, and all their activities should reflect that purpose.
Conducting Narcotics Anonymous meetings is the primary activity of an NA group. The
group may conduct its own affairs in whatever way seems fit to its members, provided
the group's actions are consistent with NA’s Twelve Traditions, and do not adversely
affect other groups or the entire NA Fellowship. In the conduct of the affairs of NA as a
whole, the groups delegate to the rest of the service structure the responsibility for the
fulfillment of NA services. Group service representatives (GSRs) are elected to
participate on behalf of the groups in the area committee and the regional assembly.

The Area Service Committee (ASC)

The area committee is the primary means by which the services of a local NA
community are administered. The area committee is composed of group service
representatives, administrative officers (chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary,
treasurer), subcommittee chairpersons, and the area's regional committee members.
The area committee elects its own officers, subcommittee chairpersons, and RCMs.

The Metropolitan Service Committee (MSC)

A metropolitan service committee may exist to administer a single set of coordinated NA
subcommittees in a city that has more than one ASC, eliminating duplication of services
and providing greater effectiveness in carrying the NA message.

The Regional Service Committee (RSC)

Regional service committees exist to pool the experience and resources of the areas
and groups it serves. The RSC is composed of regional committee members (RCMs)
elected by the region’s member-areas; these RCMs usually elect regional committee
officers from among themselves. RSCs organize regional assemblies at which GSRs
and RCMs discuss a wide range of service matters, including those likely to come
before the World Service Conference, and may elect a regional delegate and alternate
delegate to the WSC.

Zonal Forums
Zonal forums are service-oriented sharing and/or business sessions that provide the
means by which NA communities can communicate, cooperate, and grow with one
another. Although not a part of NA’s formal decision-making system, world services and
zonal forums interact in many ways.

vii
NA World Services (NAWS)
World services are those services which deal with the needs of NA as a whole, and
which NA offers to its members, its groups, and to society. The basic purposes of our
world services are communication, coordination, information, and guidance. We provide
these services so that our groups and members can more successfully carry the
message of recovery, and so that our program of recovery can be made more available
to addicts everywhere.

World Service Conference (WSC)

Unlike all other NA service bodies, the conference is not an entity; it is an event—the
coming together. Every two years, regional delegates, the members of the World Board,
and the executive director of the World Service Office meet to discuss questions of
significance to the Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous as a whole. The purpose of the
WSC is to be supportive of the fellowship as a whole, and to define and take action
according to the group conscience of Narcotics Anonymous.

The World Board (WB)

The purpose of the World Board of Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. is to
contribute to the continuation and growth of Narcotics Anonymous. The World Board
manages all activities of world services including oversight of the operations of the
fellowship’s primary service center, the World Service Office.

The World Service Office (WSO)

The purpose of the World Service Office, our main service center, is to carry out the
directives of the World Service Conference in matters that relate to communications and
information for the Fellowship of NA, its services, groups, and members. The World
Service Office achieves this purpose by maintaining correspondence with NA groups
and service committees, by printing and distributing WSC-approved literature, and by
maintaining the archives and files of Narcotics Anonymous.

The Human Resource Panel (HRP) and the World Pool

The Human Resource Panel facilitates an election/selection process that allows the
World Services Conference to choose trusted servants based upon the principles of
ability and experience, and help to allow members to be nominated from around the
world without having to be present at the conference to receive due consideration. The
HRP administers the world pool, which is the source for candidates that the HRP can
select from to recommend for WSC elections for the World Board, for the WSC Co-
Facilitators, and for the Human Resource Panel. The World Board can also draw
members from the pool to serve on board committees or project workgroups.

viii
 DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ........................................................ xi The Area Service Committee ........................... 45

Twelve Concepts for NA Service ....................... 1 Introduction ......................................................... 45
First Concept ......................................................... 2 The area committee and other NA services ....... 46
Second Concept.................................................... 3 Area committee participants ............................... 46
Third Concept........................................................ 4 Group service representatives (GSRs) ............... 47
Fourth Concept ..................................................... 6 Administrative officers ......................................... 47
Fifth Concept ......................................................... 7 Chairperson .................................................. 48
Sixth Concept ........................................................ 9 Vice chairperson ........................................... 48
Seventh Concept................................................. 10 Secretary ...................................................... 48
Eighth Concept.................................................... 11 Treasurer ...................................................... 49
Ninth Concept ..................................................... 13 Regional committee members (RCMs) ........ 50
Tenth Concept..................................................... 15 Elections and rotation ......................................... 50
Eleventh Concept ................................................ 16 Subcommittees ................................................... 51
Twelfth Concept .................................................. 18 Diagram: Area committee, subcommittees ......... 52
Developing NA Communities ........................... 21 Translations .................................................. 52
The first group ..................................................... 21 Hospitals and institutions .............................. 53
Initial NA service development............................ 21 Public information ......................................... 53
The national community grows ........................... 23 Phoneline ...................................................... 54
Literature supply ........................................... 54
The NA Group .................................................... 25 Newsletter ..................................................... 54
Introduction ......................................................... 25 Activities........................................................ 55
What is an NA group? ........................................ 25 Diagram: Trademarks ................................... 55
What is a "home group"? ................................... 27 Outreach ....................................................... 55
Who can be a member? ..................................... 27 Meeting lists .................................................. 56
What are "open" and "closed" meetings? .......... 28 Ad hoc committees ....................................... 57
Where can we hold NA meetings? ..................... 28 Area committee policy and guidelines ................ 57
What kind of meeting format can we use? ......... 29 Area inventory ..................................................... 58
Participation meetings .................................. 29 Participation ........................................................ 60
Topic discussion meetings ........................... 30 Area budgeting .................................................... 61
Study meetings ............................................. 30 Diagram: Fund flow ............................................. 62
Speaker meetings ......................................... 30 Other funding considerations .............................. 62
Newcomer meetings ..................................... 30 The monthly meeting........................................... 63
Question-and-answer meetings ................... 30 The sharing session ............................................ 64
Developing your format ....................................... 30 Group problems ............................................ 64
What kinds of literature should we use? ............ 31 Area committee issues ................................. 64
What is a group business meeting? ................... 31 Area committees in rural communities ................ 65
How does the work get done? ........................... 32 Diagram: Rural area configuration ...................... 66
How do we choose group officers? .................... 33 Learning days, workshops .................................. 67
What officers does a group need? ..................... 33 Creating new area committees ........................... 67
Secretary ...................................................... 33 Sample ASC agenda .......................................... 69
Treasurer ...................................................... 34
Group service representative (GSR) ............ 35 Dividing Area Service Committees ................. 70
Alternate GSR............................................... 36 How to divide....................................................... 71
Rotation and continuity........................................ 36 Area boundaries ........................................... 71
Group responsibilities ......................................... 36 Functional analysis ....................................... 72
Group support for other NA services .................. 37 To metro… .......................................................... 73
Diagram: Fund flow ............................................. 38 …Or not to metro? ............................................. 73
Serving our community ....................................... 38 Diagram: Area shared services .......................... 74
How can our group solve its problems? ............. 39 Function, not form ............................................... 75
Sample meeting format ....................................... 40 Multiple areas ...................................................... 75
New group checklist ............................................ 43 Why not a metro region? .................................... 76
New group registration form................................ 44

ix
The Metropolitan Services Committee............ 78 Local Service Centers .................................... 102
Why consolidate? ............................................... 78 Sample Rules of Order ................................... 104
Consolidation process ......................................... 79 Decorum statement ........................................... 104
Inventory of services and resources............. 79 Debate, limits .................................................... 104
Analysis of service needs ............................. 80 Motions .............................................................. 104
The metro plan ............................................. 81 Main motions ..................................................... 105
New focus for ASCs ..................................... 82 Parliamentary motions ...................................... 105
Fellowship review ......................................... 82 1. Amend .................................................... 105
Process reminders........................................ 82 2. Previous question ................................... 106
ASCs in the metro environment .......................... 83 3. Table ....................................................... 106
ASC responsibilities...................................... 83 4. Remove from the table ........................... 107
Communications ........................................... 83 5. Refer ....................................................... 107
ASC participants ........................................... 83 6. Reconsider or rescind ............................ 107
ASC funding needs ....................................... 84 7. Withdraw a motion .................................. 108
Diagram: Fund flow ............................................. 85 8. Substitute motion .................................... 108
Metro committee organization............................. 85 9. Adjourn ................................................... 108
Area divisions in cities served by an MSC .......... 85 Other procedures .............................................. 108
Diagram: Configuring local services with MSC ... 86 Order of the day .......................................... 108
The Regional Service Committee .................... 87 Point of information ..................................... 109
Introduction ......................................................... 87 Point of order .............................................. 109
Regional committee participants ......................... 87 Point of appeal ............................................ 109
Regional committee members (RCMs) ........ 87 Parliamentary inquiry .................................. 109
Regional delegate......................................... 88 Point of personal privilege .......................... 110
Alternate delegate ........................................ 88 Voting procedures ............................................. 110
Additional members ...................................... 89 Motion table ....................................................... 111
Resource assignments ....................................... 89 NA Intellectual Property Bulletin #1 .............. 112
Diagram: RSC with no subcommittees ............... 90
Regional committee meetings............................. 90 Glossary ........................................................... 115
Service forums .................................................... 92 Index ................................................................. 118
Regional assembly .............................................. 93 Bulletins, handbooks, service materials ...... 120
Regional delegate elections ......................... 93
Regional finances................................................ 95 Addenda: Service System Options ............... 121
Diagram: Fund flow ............................................. 95 Twelve Concepts & Twelve Traditions
Regional activities ............................................... 96 summary pullout sheet ............................ 185
Variations on the basic regional model ............... 97
Regional subcommittees ..................................... 97
Diagram: RSC with subcommittees .............. 97
Sharing-format subcommittees .................... 98
Direct service subcommittees ...................... 98
Diagram: Area shared services.......................... 99
Additional regional assemblies ......................... 100
Interregional cooperation .................................. 100
Diagram: Regional shared services .................. 101

x
 INTRODUCTION

There is only one requirement for NA membership, “a desire to stop using,”

but there are many benefits. One of these benefits is the privilege of service.
We who have the disease of addiction spent years of our lives locked up in
ourselves. We were cut off from the warmth and fellowship of other human
beings; our lives revolved almost exclusively around “getting and using and
finding ways and means to get more.” The love that connects one person to
another to the next, the selfless service that feeds and houses and clothes and
warms and nurtures humankind—of that love, of that selfless service we had no
part. That’s why it’s such a privilege in our recovery to be able to serve others, for
we come to know ourselves only in looking beyond ourselves and we keep what
we have only by giving it away. By empathizing with other members, by learning
to appreciate their needs, by placing them ahead of our own—by these things we
learn to love others, and in so doing we learn to love ourselves.
The service we do in our recovery is many things. We take a more active role
in our everyday lives, serving others as better friends, better family members,
better workers, and better citizens. When we find an NA meeting where we feel
at home and NA friends with whom we identify, we’ve found a home group, a
base for our own recovery and a place where we can serve other addicts by
sharing our recovery with them. The time, the experience, the empathy we offer
others in our home group we extend even further to those we serve in NA
sponsorship. All these ways of serving others demonstrate the spiritual
awakening of our Twelfth Step, evidenced in our efforts “to carry this message to
addicts and to practice these principles in all our affairs.” This guidebook
describes additional ways recovering addicts can be of service in Narcotics
Anonymous. Our hope is that A Guide to Local Services in NA will serve as a
portal to new paths of service for many, many NA members.
A Guide to Local Services in Narcotics Anonymous is intended to serve as a
resource to those in every country who have committed themselves to providing
the services necessary to carry our message to the still-suffering addict. Portions
of it may prove to be inappropriate for your use either because of geography,
national or provincial law, cultural differences, or the developmental state of your
NA community. If this is the case, your NA community should feel free to adapt
this guide to meet your own needs, provided that those adaptations are
consistent with NA’s Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts for
Service. For further information concerning local adaptation of material from A
Guide to Local Services in Narcotics Anonymous, contact NA’s World Service
Office.

xi
 NOTE
The first chapter of this guide,
“Twelve Concepts for NA Service,”
was approved in its entirety by NA’s
World Service Conference in 1992.
It is also published separately as
a booklet that can be purchased
from our World Service Office.
The booklet has a special study section
for individuals and groups.
 TWELVE CONCEPTS FOR NA SERVICE

The Twelve Traditions of NA have guided our groups well in the conduct of
their individual affairs, and they are the foundation for NA services. They have
steered us away from many pitfalls that could have meant our collapse. Our
various service units serve, for example, they do not govern; we stay out of
public debate; we neither endorse nor oppose any of the many causes that our
members may feel strongly about; our approach to addiction is a nonprofessional
one; we are fully self-supporting. The traditions have provided our fellowship with
essential guidance throughout its development, and they continue to be
indispensable.
The Twelve Concepts for NA Service described here are intended to be
practically applied to our service structure at every level. The spiritual ideals of
our steps and traditions provide the basis for these concepts, which are tailored
to the specific needs of our fellowship’s service structure. The concepts
encourage our groups to more readily achieve our traditions’ ideals, and our
service structure to function effectively and responsibly.
These concepts have been crafted from our experience. They are not
intended to be taken as the “law” for NA service, but simply as guiding principles.
We find that our services are stabilized when we conscientiously apply these
concepts, much as our steps have stabilized our lives and our traditions have
stabilized and unified our groups. The Twelve Concepts guide our services and
help ensure that the message of Narcotics Anonymous is available to all addicts
who have a desire to stop using and begin practicing our way of life.
1. To fulfill our fellowship’s primary purpose, the NA groups have joined
together to create a structure which develops, coordinates, and maintains
services on behalf of NA as a whole.
2. The final responsibility and authority for NA services rests with the NA
groups.
3. The NA groups delegate to the service structure the authority necessary to
fulfill the responsibilities assigned to it.
4. Effective leadership is highly valued in Narcotics Anonymous. Leadership
qualities should be carefully considered when selecting trusted servants.
5. For each responsibility assigned to the service structure, a single point of
decision and accountability should be clearly defined.
6. Group conscience is the spiritual means by which we invite a loving God to
influence our decisions.
7. All members of a service body bear substantial responsibility for that body’s
decisions and should be allowed to fully participate in its decision-making
processes.
8. Our service structure depends on the integrity and effectiveness of our
communications.

1
2 A Guide to Local Services in NA

9. All elements of our service structure have the responsibility to carefully

consider all viewpoints in their decision-making processes.
10. Any member of a service body can petition that body for the redress of a
personal grievance, without fear of reprisal.
11. NA funds are to be used to further our primary purpose, and must be
managed responsibly.
12. In keeping with the spiritual nature of Narcotics Anonymous, our structure
should always be one of service, never of government.

FIRST CONCEPT
To fulfill our fellowship’s primary purpose, the NA groups have joined
together to create a structure which develops, coordinates, and maintains
services on behalf of NA as a whole.
Our fellowship’s primary purpose is to carry the message “that an addict, any
addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live.”
One of the primary means by which that message is carried, addict to addict, is in
our meetings. These recovery meetings, conducted thousands of times each day
by NA groups around the world, are the most important service offered by our
fellowship.
However, while recovery meetings are NA’s most important service, they are
not the only means we have of fulfilling our fellowship's primary purpose. Other
NA services attract the still-suffering addict to our meetings, carry our message
to addicts in institutions, make recovery literature available, and provide
opportunities for groups to share their experience with one other. No one of these
services, by itself, comes close to matching the value of group recovery meetings
in carrying our message; each, however, plays its own indispensable part in the
overall program devised by the NA Fellowship to fulfill its primary purpose.
We can do together what we cannot accomplish separately. This is true in our
personal recovery and is equally true in our services. In new NA communities,
groups often perform basic services in addition to their meetings. But fulfillment
of the full range of NA services—phonelines, H&I panels, public information work,
outreach, and the rest—usually requires more people and more money than a
single group can muster on its own. The degree of organization necessary to
carry out such responsibilities would divert most groups from carrying the NA
message in their meetings. And the lack of coordination among groups delivering
various services on their own could result in duplication, confusion, and wasted
resources. For these reasons, most groups do not take such responsibilities on
themselves.
How, then, can NA’s groups ensure the fulfillment of these services? They do
so by combining their resources, joining together to create a structure which
develops, coordinates, and maintains those services for them, leaving the groups
free to carry out their own primary responsibility.
 Twelve Concepts 3

SECOND CONCEPT
The final responsibility and authority for NA services rests with the
NA groups.
The NA service structure has been created by the groups to serve the common
needs of the groups. Our fellowship’s service boards and committees exist to
help groups share their experience with one another, provide tools which help
groups function better, attract new members to group recovery meetings, and
carry the NA message further than any single group could carry it alone.
Because the groups have created the service structure, they have final authority
over all its affairs. By the same token, the groups also have the final
responsibility for the support of all its activities. The two go hand in hand.
Ideally, responsibility and authority are flip sides of the same coin; the
exercise of one is also an exercise of the other. When our groups provide the
resources—conscience and ideas, people, money—needed to fulfill NA services,
they also provide direction to the service structure. Let’s take a look at a few
examples of how this principle works.
The most important resource contributed to the service structure by an NA
group is almost exclusively spiritual: its ideas and its conscience. Without the
voice of the groups, the service structure may not know what kinds of services
are needed, or whether the services it provides are ones the groups want. The
groups provide the ideas and direction needed to guide the service structure in
fulfilling its responsibilities. By voicing their needs and concerns, the groups also
exercise their authority for the service structure they have created.
The people who give their time to service work are a vital resource; without
them, our service boards and committees would not exist, much less be able to
serve. The group’s responsibility to the service structure is to elect a group
service representative who will serve the best interests of the group and the
entire NA Fellowship. By carefully selecting its GSR, then providing that person
with regular support and guidance, the group exercises its ability to impact NA
services, both directly and indirectly. In choosing a qualified GSR, then sending
him or her out to serve on the group’s behalf, the group fulfills a large part of both
its responsibility and authority for NA services.
Money is required to fulfill NA services. Without it, our phonelines would be
closed down, our meeting lists would not be printed, there would be no NA
literature to distribute, our H&I panels would go without pamphlets, and our public
information workers would be unable to provide printed materials about our
fellowship to the community. In the Eleventh Concept, more will be said of the
use of money in fulfilling our primary purpose. The message of the Second
Concept in regard to money, however, is simple: Since the groups have created
the service structure to perform certain tasks, the groups are also responsible to
provide the necessary funds.
4 A Guide to Local Services in NA

So far, we’ve looked at what the Second Concept says to the NA group. This
concept also speaks to the service structure. The groups have, directly or
indirectly, created every one of our service boards and committees. The NA
groups have, directly or indirectly, provided the resources used by those service
boards and committees. The groups have established the service structure as a
medium through which, together, they can better fulfill our fellowship’s primary
purpose. Therefore, in all the affairs of all its elements, the service structure must
carefully consider the needs and desires of the groups. The Second Concept can
be seen as the groups’ way of saying to the NA service structure, “Be
responsible with the spiritual, personal, and financial resources we have provided
you. Seek our advice; do not ignore our direction.”
The NA groups bear the final authority in all our fellowship’s service affairs
and should be routinely consulted in all matters directly affecting them. For
example, proposals to change NA’s Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, name,
nature, or purpose should be approved directly by the groups. Conversely, if
something goes wrong in the service structure, NA groups are responsible to
take constructive steps to help correct the problem. Our experience shows that
radical action, taken in haste, serves neither the groups nor our services well.
Since change rarely occurs overnight, patience and acceptance may be called
for. Nonetheless, the exercise of final authority for NA services, a vital part of the
system of service established by our fellowship, is both the right and the
responsibility of the groups.

THIRD CONCEPT
The NA groups delegate to the service structure the authority necessary to
fulfill the responsibilities assigned to it.
The NA groups maintain final responsibility and authority for the service structure
they have created. Yet if they must involve themselves directly in making
decisions for all of our service boards and committees, the groups will have little
time or energy left to carry the recovery message in their meetings. For this
reason, the groups entrust the service structure with the authority to make
necessary decisions in carrying out the tasks assigned to it.
The delegation of authority can do much to free up both our groups and our
services. Service decisions not directly affecting the groups can be made
expeditiously; our phonelines, H&I panels, public information efforts, and
literature development projects can move forward at full speed to serve NA’s
primary purpose. And our groups, not required to ratify every decision made on
their behalf at every level of service, are freed to devote their full attention to
carrying the NA message in their meetings.
We often use motions and guidelines to help us apply the Third Concept. We
clearly describe each task we want accomplished, and the kind of authority we
are delegating to those who will fulfill the task. However, even the most
exhaustive set of guidelines cannot account for every eventuality. Our trusted
 Twelve Concepts 5

servants will serve us best when we grant them the freedom to exercise their
best judgment in fulfilling the responsibilities we’ve assigned them. Our services
must remain directly accountable to those they serve; yet they must also be
given a reasonable degree of discretion in fulfilling their duties. A group, service
board, or committee should consult its collective conscience in arriving at its own
understanding of the best way to apply this concept.
Sometimes we fear that delegation will mean a loss of control over our
services. Together, Concepts One, Two, and Three have been designed to help
us maintain responsibility for our service structure without tying our trusted
servants’ hands. The Third Concept encourages our groups to focus on their own
responsibilities while assuring that the service structure is given the authority it
needs to fulfill other necessary NA services. Our Twelve Concepts do not ask our
groups to abdicate their authority, allowing the service structure to do whatever it
pleases. The groups, after all, have established the service structure to act on
their behalf, at their direction. And when the groups need to exercise final
authority in service matters, they are encouraged to do so. However, in day-to-
day matters, the groups have given our service boards and committees the
practical authority necessary to do the jobs assigned them.
Delegating authority can be a risky business unless we do so responsibly. To
make Concept Three work, other concepts must also be applied consistently.
Most importantly, we must give careful attention to the selection of trustworthy
trusted servants. We cannot responsibly delegate authority either to those who
are fundamentally incapable of administering that authority or to those who are
not willing to account fully for their actions. However, if we select our leaders
carefully, choosing those who can be trusted to responsibly exercise delegated
authority in fulfilling the tasks we’ve given them, we can feel much more
comfortable with the concept of delegation.
When we give our trusted servants a job, we must adequately describe to
them the job we want done, and we must provide them with the support they
need to complete their job. Then, once we've given them instructions and
support, we must delegate to them the authority necessary to make decisions
related to the task they've been assigned. When our groups delegate sufficient
authority to our service structure, our groups need not be overcome with the
demands of making every service decision at every level of service, and our
fellowship’s primary purpose can be served to the fullest. With the Third Concept
squarely in place, our groups are free to conduct recovery meetings and carry
the NA message directly to the addict who still suffers, confident that the service
structure they have created has the authority it needs to make the decisions
involved in fulfilling its responsibilities.
6 A Guide to Local Services in NA

FOURTH CONCEPT
Effective leadership is highly valued in Narcotics Anonymous. Leadership
qualities should be carefully considered when selecting trusted servants.
The trust necessary to confidently delegate service authority is founded on the
careful selection of trusted servants. In the following paragraphs, we highlight a
number of the qualities to be considered when choosing our trusted servants. No
leader will exemplify all these qualities; they are the ideals of effective leadership
to which every trusted servant aspires. The more we consider these qualities
when selecting NA leaders, the better our services will be.
Personal background and professional or educational qualifications, though
helpful, do not necessarily make for effective leadership. When selecting trusted
servants, after all, it is the whole person we trust, not just their skills. And one of
the first things we look for when selecting trusted servants is humility. Being
asked to lead, to serve, to accept responsibility, is a humbling experience for a
recovering addict. Through continuing to work the Twelve Steps, our trusted
servants have come to know not only their assets but also their defects and their
limitations. Knowing that, they have agreed to serve our fellowship to the best of
their ability, with God’s help. Good NA leaders do not think they have to do
everything themselves; they ask for help, advice, and direction on a regular
basis. Our fellowship’s leaders ought not be dictators or order-givers; they are
our servants. Able leadership in the spirit of service does not drive by arrogant
mandate, demanding conformity; it leads by example, inviting respect. And
nothing invites us to respect our trusted servants more than clear evidence of
their humility.
Capable NA leadership exhibits the full range of personal characteristics
associated with a spiritual awakening. We depend on those who serve us to
report on their activities completely and truthfully. Our leaders must have the
integrity needed to hear others well, yet still be able to stand fast on sound
principle; to compromise, and to disagree without being disagreeable; to
demonstrate the courage of their convictions, and to surrender. We seek trusted
servants who are willing to expend their time and energy in the diligent service of
others, studying available resource materials, consulting those with greater
experience in their field of responsibility, and carefully fulfilling the tasks we’ve
given them as completely as possible. Honesty, open-mindedness, and
willingness, indispensable in recovery, are also essential to leadership.
Any NA member can be a leader, and every NA member has the right to
serve the fellowship. Effective NA leadership knows not only how to serve, but
when it will serve best to step aside and allow others to take over. An entrenched
bureaucracy inhibits our fellowship’s growth, while a regular influx of new
leadership, balanced by continuity, inspires NA growth. The effective leader also
knows that, in order to maintain the distinction in service between principles and
personalities, it is important to observe the practice of rotation.
 Twelve Concepts 7

In some positions, trusted servants need specific skills in order to act as

effective leaders. The ability to communicate well can help our trusted servants
share information and ideas, both in committee work and in reporting to those
they serve. Organizational skills help trusted servants keep small service
responsibilities simple, and make straightforward even the fulfillment of complex
tasks. Leaders capable of discerning where today’s actions will take us, and of
offering us the guidance we need to prepare for the demands of tomorrow, serve
Narcotics Anonymous well. Certain educational, business, personal, and service
experiences may suit a recovering addict more to one type of service
commitment than another. We do ourselves, our fellowship, and our trusted
servants a disservice when we ask our members to perform tasks they are
incapable of fulfilling.
When we carefully consider the leadership qualities of those we ask to serve,
we can confidently give them the room they need to exercise those qualities on
our behalf. We can allow effective leaders freedom to serve, especially when
they demonstrate their accountability to us, reporting regularly on their work and
asking, when necessary, for additional direction. True, our leaders are but trusted
servants, not governors; yet we also expect our trusted servants to lead us. If we
select them carefully, we can confidently allow them to do so.
Effective leadership is highly valued in NA, and the Fourth Concept speaks of
the qualities we should consider when selecting leaders for ourselves. However,
we should remember that the fulfillment of many service responsibilities requires
nothing more than the willingness to serve. Other responsibilities, while requiring
certain specific skills, depend for their fulfillment far more heavily on the trusted
servant’s spiritual maturity and personal integrity. Willingness, spiritual depth,
and trustworthiness are strong demonstrations of the kind of leadership valued
most highly in Narcotics Anonymous.
We should also remember that NA’s leaders are not only those we vote into
office. Opportunities for selfless service arise wherever we turn in Narcotics
Anonymous. NA members exercise personal leadership by helping clean up after
a meeting, taking extra care to welcome newcomers to our fellowship, and in
countless other ways. As recovering addicts, any of us can fulfill a leadership
role, providing a sound example, by serving our fellowship. This modest spirit of
service to others forms the foundation of our Fourth Concept, and of NA
leadership itself.

FIFTH CONCEPT
For each responsibility assigned to the service structure, a single point of
decision and accountability should be clearly defined.
The key to applying the Fifth Concept is in defining the task that needs to be
done, and the easiest way to apply it is right from the start. When we first create
a service task, we should consider what kind of authority we must delegate in
order for that task to be accomplished and what kind of accountability we should
8 A Guide to Local Services in NA

require of those to whom we are giving that task. Then, one particular trusted
servant, service board, or committee should be designated as the single point of
decision and accountability for that assignment. This simple principle applies to
all the services provided in Narcotics Anonymous, from the group to our world
services.
When we decide a certain service task should be done and clearly say which
trusted servant, service board, or committee has the authority to accomplish the
task, we avoid unnecessary confusion. We don’t have two committees trying to
do the same job, duplicating efforts or squabbling over authority. Project reports
come straight from the single point of decision for the project, offering the best
information available. An assigned service responsibility can be fulfilled swiftly
and directly, because there is no question of whose responsibility it is. And if
problems in a project arise, we know exactly where to go in order to correct them.
We do well when we clearly specify to whom authority is being given for each
service responsibility.
The single point of decision we define for each service responsibility is also a
single point of accountability. As we’ve already seen in the Fourth Concept, and
as we shall see further in Concept Eight, accountability is a central feature of the
NA way of service. When we give our trusted servants responsibility for a
particular service task, we hold them accountable for the authority we’ve
delegated them. We expect them to remain accessible, consistently providing us
with reports of their progress and consulting with us about their responsibilities.
Accountability does not mean that we delegate authority only to take it right
back. It simply means that we want to be informed of decisions our trusted
servants are considering as they go about the tasks we’ve assigned them. We
want to have the opportunity to impact those decisions, especially if they directly
affect us. And we want to be kept up-to-date on each responsibility we’ve
assigned to the service structure so that, if something goes wrong, we can take
part in making it right.
The Fifth Concept helps us responsibly delegate our authority for NA
services. In exercising the Fifth Concept, we make a simple, straightforward
contract with our trusted servants. Right from the start, they know what we are
asking of them, what decisions they are expected to make themselves, and to
what degree we will hold them accountable for the service work they do on our
behalf. Exercise of Concept Five is not a task to be taken lightly. It calls for us to
carefully consider the service work we want done; to clearly designate who
should do that work; to delegate the authority to do it; and to maintain
accountability for those duties. It takes effort to conscientiously apply Concept
Five, but the results are worth the effort.
 Twelve Concepts 9

SIXTH CONCEPT
Group conscience is the spiritual means by which we invite a loving God to
influence our decisions.
Conscience is an essentially spiritual faculty. It is our innate sense of right and
wrong, an internal compass that each of us may consult in our personal
reflections about the best course to take. Our Basic Text refers to conscience as
one of those “higher mental and emotional functions” which was “sharply affected
by our use of drugs.” By applying our steps, we seek to revive it and learn how to
exercise it. As we steadily apply spiritual principles in our lives, our decisions and
actions increasingly become less motivated by self-interest and more motivated
by what our conscience tells us is good and right.
When addicts whose individual consciences have been awakened in the
course of working the steps come together to consider service-related questions,
either in their NA group or in a service committee meeting, they are prepared to
take part in the development of a group conscience. The exercise of group
conscience is the act by which our members bring the spiritual awakening of our
Twelve Steps directly to bear in resolving issues affecting NA. As such, it is a
subject which must command our most intent consideration.
The development of a group conscience is an indispensable part of the
decision-making process in Narcotics Anonymous; however, group conscience is
not itself a decision-making mechanism. To clarify the difference between the
two, let’s look at our personal lives. People living spiritually oriented lives usually
pray and meditate before making major decisions. First, we look to our source of
spiritual strength and wisdom; then, we look forward and chart our course. If we
automatically claim that God has guided us every time we make a decision,
whether or not we’ve actually invited God to influence us prior to making that
decision, we fool only ourselves. The same applies to group conscience and
collective decision-making.
Developing a collective conscience provides us with the spiritual guidance we
need for making service decisions. We pray or meditate together, we share with
one another, we consider our traditions, and we seek direction from a Higher
Power. Our groups, service boards, and committees often use the vote as a
rough tool for translating that spiritual guidance into clear, decisive terms.
Sometimes, however, no vote is needed; following thoughtful, attentive
discussion, it is perfectly apparent what our collective conscience would have us
do in a given service situation. Just as we seek the strongest possible spiritual
unity in Narcotics Anonymous, so in our decision-making we seek unanimity, not
merely a majority vote. The more care we take in our considerations, the more
likely we are to arrive at unanimity, and no vote will be needed to help us
translate our group conscience into a collective decision.
When making specific service decisions, voting or consensus may be the
measure of our group conscience. However, group conscience can be seen in all
10 A Guide to Local Services in NA

our fellowship’s affairs, not merely in our decision-making process. The group
inventory process is a good example of this. When members of an NA group
gather together to examine their group’s effectiveness in fulfilling its primary
purpose, they each consult their own conscience concerning their individual role
in the life of the group. They consider the concerns of the group as a whole in the
same light. Such a group inventory session might produce no specific service
decisions whatsoever. It will, however, produce among group members a
heightened spiritual sensitivity both to the needs of the still-suffering addict and to
the needs of fellow group members.
Another example of group conscience being developed without producing a
service-related decision, one each of us can identify with, can be found every day
of the week in our recovery meetings. Many are the times when we go to an NA
meeting with a personal problem, seeking comfort, support, and guidance in the
experience of other recovering addicts. Our members, each with their individual
personalities, backgrounds, and needs, speak to one another—and to us—of the
spiritual awakening they’ve found in applying the Twelve Steps in their lives.
From the diversity of the group a common message arises, a message we can
apply to our own lives, the message of recovery. In this message we find “the
therapeutic value of one addict helping another.” We also find in this message
the group conscience, applied not to a service issue but to our own spiritual
growth.
Group conscience is the means by which we collectively invite the ongoing
guidance of a Higher Power in making decisions. We apply the Sixth Concept
when we pursue our own personal recovery with vigor, seeking that ongoing
spiritual awakening which makes it possible for us to apply the principles of the
program in all our affairs, including our service affairs. We apply the Sixth
Concept when we listen not just to the words our fellow members speak but also
to the spirit behind their words. We apply the Sixth Concept when we seek to do
God’s will, not our own, and to serve others, not ourselves, in our service
decisions. We apply the Sixth Concept in our groups, service boards, and
committees when we invite a loving God to influence us before making service-
related decisions.

SEVENTH CONCEPT
All members of a service body bear substantial responsibility for that
body’s decisions and should be allowed to fully participate in its decision-
making processes.
The Seventh Concept is one way of putting the principle of group conscience to
work in the service environment. This concept suggests that each service body
should encourage all its members to participate in its decision-making process.
By bringing their different perspectives together, we give our service bodies the
opportunity to develop a fully informed, balanced group conscience leading to
sound, sensitive service decisions.
 Twelve Concepts 11

Our service boards and committees represent a cross-section of NA

perspective and experience. Each participant’s contribution to the decision-
making process is important. Determining participation at the group level is fairly
simple: if you’re a group member, you may fully participate in the group’s
decision-making process. Determining participation in the decision-making
processes of most service boards and committees is a little more involved, yet
the same basic principles still apply. Freely expressed individual conscience is
the essential element in group conscience at any level.
NA service is a team effort. Our service representatives are responsible to the
NA Fellowship as a whole rather than any special constituency; so are all the
other trusted servants on the team. The full participation of each member of the
team is of great value as we seek to express the collective conscience of the
whole.
There is no firm rule about how to apply the concept of participation to every
situation. In an atmosphere of love, mutual respect, and frank, open discussion,
each service body decides these things for itself. In significant matters affecting
the groups, a service body will want to ask for guidance directly from the groups.
In the vast majority of cases, however, the service body will exercise its
delegated authority in fulfilling the responsibilities the groups have assigned to it,
disposing of the matters in the normal course of their service meetings.
NA’s principle of spiritual anonymity is the foundation for the Seventh
Concept. This principle points our fellowship toward a leveling of the individual’s
relative importance as a participant in NA service. The Seventh Concept, with its
emphasis on equalizing the relative weight of each voice on the team, puts the
spiritual principle of anonymity into practice. Though we may not all participate in
every decision made in our fellowship, we all have the right to participate fully
and equally in the decision-making processes in the service bodies in which we
are members.

EIGHTH CONCEPT
Our service structure depends on the integrity and effectiveness
of our communications.
Our fellowship’s service structure is founded on the unity of our groups; to
maintain that union, we must have regular communications throughout Narcotics
Anonymous. Together, our groups have created a service structure to meet their
common needs and to help them fulfill their common purpose. The effectiveness
of the service structure depends on the continued unity of the NA groups, and on
their continued support and direction. These things can only be maintained in an
atmosphere of honest, open, and straightforward communication among all
parties concerned.
Regular communication plays a large part in the fulfillment of our groups’ final
responsibility and authority for NA services. Through their GSRs, the groups
regularly report their strengths, needs, ideas, and conscience to the service
12 A Guide to Local Services in NA

structure. Taken together, these group reports give our service boards and
committees clear guidance in their efforts to serve NA as a whole. When the
groups are regularly given full and accurate information from all elements of the
service structure, they become familiar with the structure’s normal patterns of
activity. The groups are then able to recognize when something goes wrong with
one of our service boards and committees and are in a better position to know
how to help correct the problem. And, knowing what kinds of resources are
needed to fulfill service tasks, our groups are also more likely to provide the
service structure with adequate support.
Clear, frequent two-way communication is an important prerequisite for
delegation. When our groups ask the service structure to fulfill certain
responsibilities on their behalf, we delegate to the structure the authority needed
to make decisions related to those responsibilities. We need to be able to trust
our trusted servants before we can confidently delegate them that degree of
authority. That kind of trust depends in large part on continuing communication.
So long as our service boards and committees regularly issue complete, candid
reports of their activities, we can be confident that we have delegated our
authority wisely.
Open and frank communication is a critical ingredient of effective leadership.
To better know the ideas, wishes, needs, and conscience of those they serve,
trusted servants must listen carefully to their fellowship. To give the NA groups
the information they need to guide and support our services, NA leaders regularly
distribute full, unequivocal reports. We do not want our trusted servants to
constantly inundate us with every fact and figure possible, though we do expect
them to provide us with complete information on all their activities and
discussions if we ask for it. In communicating with those they serve, trusted
servants demonstrate an open attitude, one that is inclusive, inviting, and clearly
influenceable. Such openness and forthrightness may be uncomfortable but is
essential in maintaining the integrity of our services.
Finally, full and frequent communication is essential in the development of
group conscience, the spiritual means by which we invite the influence of a loving
God in making our collective decisions. To develop group conscience,
communications must be honest and direct. Without the full picture, seen from all
sides, our groups, service boards, and committees cannot develop an informed
group conscience. When we gather together to consider service issues, we
openly share ideas and information with one another, frankly speaking our minds
and hearts on the matter at hand. We listen closely to one another, considering
carefully the information and insights we’ve heard; we consult our individual
consciences on the matter; then, we make a decision. A conscience fed on
ignorance is an ineffective conscience, incapable of providing reliable guidance.
An effective conscience can develop only in an atmosphere of regular, open
communication among all parties concerned.
 Twelve Concepts 13

The purpose of our services is to help our fellowship fulfill its primary purpose:
to carry the message to the addict who still suffers. Honest, open, straightforward
communication is essential to both the integrity and the effectiveness of the NA
service structure. Unity, group responsibility and authority, delegation,
leadership, accountability, group conscience, participation—all depend on good
communication among the various elements of the NA Fellowship. With regular
two-way communication, our groups and our services are well positioned to
uphold the ideals and fulfill the responsibilities described in our Twelve Concepts.

NINTH CONCEPT
All elements of our service structure have the responsibility to carefully
consider all viewpoints in their decision-making processes.
It’s easy to discuss things with those who agree with us. But in recovery we’ve
learned that our own best thinking may not necessarily offer us the best possible
guidance. We have been taught that, before making significant decisions, we
should check our judgment against the ideas of others. Our experience has
shown us that the ideas of those who disagree with us are often the ones we
need most to hear. The Ninth Concept puts this aspect of our recovery
experience to work in the service environment. When making a decision, our
groups, service boards, and committees should actively seek out all available
viewpoints.
An effective group conscience is a fully informed group conscience. The Ninth
Concept is one tool we use to help ensure that our group conscience is as well
informed as it can possibly be. In any discussion, it is tempting to ignore
dissenting members, especially if the vast majority of members think alike. Yet it
is often the lone voice, offering new information or a unique perspective on things
that saves us from hasty or misinformed decisions. In Narcotics Anonymous, we
are encouraged to respect that lone voice, to protect it, even to seek it out, for
without it our service decisions would undoubtedly suffer.
Concept Nine also encourages us, individually, to frankly speak our minds in
discussions of service issues, even when most other members think differently.
No, this concept is not telling us to become perpetual naysayers, objecting to
anything agreed to by the majority. It does say, however, that we are responsible
to share our thoughts and our conscience with our fellow members, carefully
explaining our position and listening with equal care to the positions of others.
When we show the courage necessary to speak our mind while also showing
respect for one another, we can be confident that we act in the best interests of
the NA Fellowship. By insisting on thorough discussion of important issues, the
worst we can do is take a little of each other’s time; at best, we protect the
fellowship from the consequences of a hasty or misinformed decision.
When a service body is in the process of making a decision, the Ninth
Concept can be exercised in a variety of ways. If you are a member of that
service body, all you need to do is raise your hand and speak. If the point you
14 A Guide to Local Services in NA

wish to make is complex, you may wish to put it in writing so that other members
of the board or committee can study it more carefully.
If you are not a member of the service body in question but, as an NA
member, still have something to say about a service matter, there are a variety of
avenues you can take to express your position. By sharing your views at your
group’s business meeting, you ensure that your ideas will be included in the mix
of group conscience that guides your GSR when she or he participates in service
discussions. Many service boards or committees set aside a portion of their
agenda for open forums when you can speak your own mind on issues before
the body. Fellowship newsletters and journals, from the local to the world level,
often offer space where NA members can share their viewpoints on service
matters at hand. Whether or not you are a member of a service body, there are a
variety of ways in which you can personally exercise the Ninth Concept.
Our decision-making process is not perfect. Many groups, service boards,
and committees acknowledge this, and the value of the minority’s position, with
every decision they make. Whenever a motion is approved by something less
than unanimous consent, these service bodies often ask those who voted against
the measure to state their reasons for doing so, either out loud or in writing. If the
decision needs to be revised at a later date, such minority opinions may prove
invaluable in helping chart a new service course.
Concept Nine encourages us to continue to consult group conscience, even
after a decision has already been made. If discussions are raised about a
question already decided, the body is bound to hear those discussions. It may be
that, based on such discussion, a service body will alter its earlier decision.
However, if a past decision is questioned, discussion is well heard, and the
decision still stands, the time comes for everyone to accept that decision and to
cooperate wholeheartedly in its implementation. Half-hearted support of or
outright resistance to such a decision runs contrary to our principles of surrender
and acceptance. Once a decision has been made, reconsidered, and confirmed,
we need to respect it and go on about the business of serving our fellowship.
The expression of the individual conscience to the group is the foundation of
group conscience. Without it, we block the guidance of a loving God, our ultimate
authority. When a position supported by many of us is challenged by a few of us,
our service boards and committees should always treat such input with great
respect and careful consideration. The information and insights offered by the
few may save us from dangerous mistakes; they may even lead us to new,
previously undreamt-of horizons of service where we might fulfill our fellowship’s
primary purpose more effectively than ever. For the sake of our fellowship, and
for the sake of our members yet to come, our groups, service boards, and
committees must always carefully consider all viewpoints in their decision-making
processes.
 Twelve Concepts 15

TENTH CONCEPT
Any member of a service body can petition that body for the redress of a
personal grievance, without fear of reprisal.
The Tenth Concept is our fellowship’s guarantee of respect for the individual
trusted servant. This concept may seem self-evident, but our belief in the
principle involved is so strong that we want to say it loudly and clearly. Narcotics
Anonymous is a spiritual society, with high ideals for how we treat each other.
Our members, however, are only human, and we sometimes mistreat one
another. The Tenth Concept is our spiritual society's promise that if one of us is
wronged in the service environment, the aggrieved trusted servant may ask that
the wrong be made right.
A variety of circumstances may require application of the Tenth Concept. In
one case we know of, a member was nominated for office on his area service
committee. The member left the room, allowing the committee to discuss his
qualifications. During that discussion, certain ASC members groundlessly
slandered the candidate’s personal reputation; as a result, the member was
defeated. This man found out about the discussion of his personal life and its
effect on the election a few days later. Feeling hurt and angry, he decided to talk
with his sponsor, inventory his own part in the matter, and pray for guidance.
After taking these steps, he felt confident that he was entitled to petition the ASC
for redress. He wrote a letter stating that he believed he had been wronged by
the ASC, asking for a new ballot. The following month, his letter was read and
discussed during the committee’s sharing session. After having a chance to
examine their consciences, the ASC members admitted that what they’d done
had been wrong and agreed to conduct the discredited election over again.
The Tenth Concept’s guarantee of the right to appeal for redress of a
personal grievance is designed, in part, to protect those who exercise their Ninth
Concept responsibility to speak their mind in service discussions. Together, the
Ninth and Tenth Concepts support an atmosphere in which our members feel
free to express themselves frankly on matters at hand. This open atmosphere is
essential in developing an effective group conscience. If, after having
demonstrated the courage of their convictions, individuals become the subject of
reprisals initiated by those who have disagreed with them, the Tenth Concept
allows them to petition the appropriate service body for redress of their
grievance. Thus, the respect of our service structure for the rights of the
individual NA member is guaranteed. In a fellowship such as ours, whose
success is based upon mutual support and cooperation, that kind of respect for
the individual is indispensable.
One such case involved a subcommittee member who exercised the
responsibilities described in Concept Nine, speaking against a project proposed
by the subcommittee chairperson. In the following months, the subcommittee
chairperson stopped sending committee minutes and bulletins to the member,
even neglecting to inform the member of the times and locations of future
16 A Guide to Local Services in NA

subcommittee meetings. The member contacted the subcommittee chairperson,

asking that the problem be corrected. The chairperson refused. The
subcommittee member decided to appeal to the area service committee for
redress of a personal grievance against the chairperson.
The Tenth Concept is our fellowship’s guarantee of respect for the individual
trusted servant. If you think you’ve been wronged in the course of your
participation in an NA service body and wish to apply Concept Ten, talk to your
sponsor about it, inventory your own involvement in the matter, pray, and
meditate. If, upon reflection, you still believe you have been personally aggrieved
and that you should petition for redress, write a letter explaining the situation to
your service body, or share your problem in the body’s sharing session. The
service body then needs to address the matter and, if it agrees that you have
been wronged, how to make amends. Hopefully, the Tenth Concept will need to
be applied only rarely in NA service. Should the need arise, however, it is here,
ready to put our spiritual fellowship’s ideals into action.

ELEVENTH CONCEPT
NA funds are to be used to further our primary purpose, and must be
managed responsibly.
NA members around the world contribute money to help our fellowship fulfill its
primary purpose. It is incumbent upon every element of our service structure to
use those funds to carry the NA recovery message as far as possible. To do that,
our service bodies must manage those funds responsibly, accounting fully and
accurately for its use to those who have provided it.
Narcotics Anonymous funds should always be used to further our primary
purpose. Money is used to pay the expenses involved in running NA recovery
meetings, to inform the public about NA, and to reach addicts who can’t get to
meetings. It is used to develop, produce, translate, and distribute our message in
written form, and to bring our members together in a service community
committed to the vision of spreading our message around the world to those in
need. All of this is done in support of NA’s spiritual aim: to carry the message to
the addict who still suffers.
Service funds aren’t easy to come by. To fulfill our primary purpose, we need
all of the financial resources at our fellowship’s disposal. Our groups, service
boards, and committees must make prudent use of the money we give them,
refusing to spend money frivolously or self-indulgently. With NA’s primary
purpose in mind, our services will avoid wasting money; using the funds they’ve
been given to carry our message as effectively as possible.
One way we apply Concept Eleven is by establishing clear spending priorities
and measuring each proposed expenditure against that priority list. Many groups,
service boards, and committees have more items on their priority lists than their
budgets will allow. In such cases, only the highest priorities can be funded.
 Twelve Concepts 17

Money is only one of the resources we must responsibly prioritize. While the
Eleventh Concept applies directly to the management of funds, it also has
implications for the management of all our service resources. Most projects
depend as much on ideas, information, conscience, and members’ time and
willingness as they do on money. If we have the funds needed to carry out a
project but lack the time or the ideas, we’d best wait until we’ve gathered all the
needed resources before proceeding. If we don’t, we will have wasted NA service
funds. In responsibly planning and prioritizing our service efforts, we must
consider the total resource picture, not just our finances.
In setting priorities, we may be tempted to look only at our own needs, tightly
holding on to funds, spending money only on our own projects, and neglecting
our role in providing needed funds to all levels of service. That kind of thinking is
contrary to the Eleventh Concept. High on our list of priorities should be a
commitment to further the goals of NA as a whole. For NA to deliver the services
necessary to keep growing and fulfilling our primary purpose around the world,
the flow of funds must not bottleneck at any point in our structure.
While groups are responsible to fund our services, they are also responsible
to carefully manage their service contributions. When contributing money, groups
should ask themselves what that money would do once it leaves their hands. Will
it aid in the delivery of useful services to the groups? Will it help carry our
message to the addict who still suffers? Will the service board or committee use
it wisely? Our groups are free to decide for themselves how much they will
contribute to the different levels of our service structure. We encourage them to
do so, and to do so responsibly.
This is not to suggest that groups earmark contributions for any particular
subcommittees. The groups have created the service structure not only to deliver
services on their behalf, but also to coordinate those services. In delegating to
the service structure the authority necessary to fulfill its responsibilities, the
groups have also delegated the authority to coordinate the allocation of service
resources at each level of service. That way, the needs and goals of all fields of
service can be effectively balanced against the total resources of the
coordinating service body.
Clear, frank communication from our service structure is the best way to help
our groups contribute their funds in a responsible way. When the groups receive
full, regular reports on the activities of their service boards and committees, they
begin to see the total service picture. The groups should also receive information
on how much those activities cost. That kind of communication helps assure our
groups that their contributions are being handled responsibly.
Direct group contributions to our service structure encourage responsible
management of service funds and help our services maintain their focus on NA’s
primary purpose. It is our experience that, when we make a commitment to fund
the work of each level of the service structure exclusively through group
contributions, we find it easier to maintain a strong link between our groups and
18 A Guide to Local Services in NA

our other service units. Our groups tend to be more aware of the work being
done on their behalf and of their responsibility to provide their boards and
committees with the necessary financial resources. When all levels of our service
structure receive direct financial support from the groups, the bonds of mutual
responsibility are strengthened between them. Additionally, by freeing our service
boards and committees from the need to engage in fundraising activities, we
make it possible for those service units to devote their full energies to the
fulfillment of NA’s primary purpose.
Accountability is an essential aspect of responsible NA financial management.
When the members of Narcotics Anonymous provide groups, committees,
offices, and conventions with funds, our service structure is responsible to
account for how those funds are used. Regular financial reports, open books,
and periodic audits of NA accounts, as described in the various guides developed
for NA treasurers, help our members be sure their contributions are being used
well, and help our services remain financially accountable to those they serve.
Treasurers’ reports help us see how well our actual service spending matches up
with the priorities we’ve established. Consistent financial records help us make
realistic spending plans for future service activities. Regular financial reporting
and auditing also help deter the theft of NA service funds; and if funds are stolen,
regular audits ensure that such thefts cannot go long unnoticed.
When NA members contribute service funds, they expect their money to be
used carefully, and to be used for the sole purpose of furthering our primary
purpose. By accepting those contributions, our groups, service boards, and
committees make a commitment to use those funds to carry the NA message,
and to manage them responsibly.

TWELFTH CONCEPT
In keeping with the spiritual nature of Narcotics Anonymous, our structure
should always be one of service, never of government.
Selfless service is an essentially spiritual endeavor. Our Twelfth Step says, in
part, that “having had a spiritual awakening,” we individually “tried to carry this
message to addicts.” Our collective service efforts arise from that same spiritual
foundation. Having experienced the results of this program in our own lives, we
join together to carry the recovery message farther than we could individually. NA
service is not about forcing our will or our ideas on others; rather, it is about
humbly serving them, without expectation of reward.
This principle underlies all we do in our groups, service boards, and
committees. The Twelfth Concept reminds us that we ourselves have
experienced recovery only because others put this selfless principle into action
before us, taking the time and the care to carry the NA message to us when we
were still suffering from active addiction. In service, we express our gratitude for
 Twelve Concepts 19

the recovery others have shared with us by carrying ours to others. Nothing could
be further from the drive to rule or direct than this spirit of selfless service.
Our groups were created because we found that, alone, we could not “stop
using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live.” In the same way,
our groups have joined together to create a service structure, a cooperative effort
designed to help them carry the message further than they could carry it
separately. The service structure has not been created as a way for some groups
to force others to do their bidding. Rather, it has been developed to combine the
strength of our groups to better fulfill necessary services which usually cannot be
fulfilled well, if at all, by individual groups: developing and distributing materials
that share our message in print, providing information about NA to the general
public, transmitting our message to addicts who cannot attend meetings, and
supporting new groups and new NA communities. NA service is the cooperative
effort of trusted servants receiving guidance from the groups, not a rule enforced
by a governing body.
The process of joining together to create the service structure is an
expression of our groups’ humility. Separately, they can do far, far less to fulfill
our fellowship’s primary purpose than they can do together. In the same way, the
various elements of our service structure each play their own particular role in the
broader Narcotics Anonymous service plan. All the elements depend on all the
others for their effectiveness; when any one element attempts to act as an
agency of government, rather than a vehicle for service, it strains the ties that
bind us all together, threatening our fellowship’s overall effectiveness in fulfilling
its primary purpose. Humility is an essential attribute of nongoverning service in
Narcotics Anonymous.
In order to serve well, each element of our service structure must make an
earnest effort at effective communication. As groups, as trusted servants, as
service boards and committees, we must share fully with others, and listen
carefully and respectfully to their words to us. Others may use language to divide
the strength of their opponents, so that they may rule them; in NA service, we
share with one another so that we may combine our strength, the better to fulfill
our fellowship’s primary purpose. To maintain our accountability to those we
serve, we are bound to inform them in a complete, accurate, and concise fashion
of our activities. The nongoverning nature of our service structure dictates that
we seek others’ advice in our own decisions, their consent in decisions affecting
them, and their cooperation in decisions affecting us all. Open, honest, and
straightforward communication nurtures the spirit of service in our fellowship, and
poisons the impulse to govern.
The kind of authority that our groups have delegated to our boards and
committees is the authority to serve, not to govern. Each element of our service
structure, from the group to the world, has its own role to play; all, however,
serve together as a team, striving toward a common goal, “that no addict seeking
recovery need die without having the chance to find a new way of life.” It is our
20 A Guide to Local Services in NA

sometimes hard-won experience that quality service, just like quality recovery,
can only be accomplished in an atmosphere of mutual respect, mutual support,
and mutual trust. Together, we recover, and together, we serve—this is the
spiritual core of our program, the foundation of our fellowship. A structure based
on that foundation could only be one of service, never of government.
 DEVELOPING NA COMMUNITIES

In many countries, the NA community is very young and very small; there is
no area or regional committee, no phoneline, no H&I program, no office. This
chapter is aimed specifically at Narcotics Anonymous communities in those
countries. The basic question it addresses is this: How does a developing NA
community begin establishing the services, which help carry our message to any
addict seeking recovery?
In this chapter, we refer to “countries,” “nations,” and “national communities.”
We do this because, so far, most NA communities outside North America have
organized their services along national lines. However, an NA community should
feel free to organize services for a single territory within a larger federal union if
doing so would be more practical and better serve our primary purpose.
Likewise, if NA groups whose members speak the same language or have other
cultural ties wish to unite in a single area or region covering a number of
neighboring countries, we encourage them to do so.

THE FIRST GROUP

A new recovery community begins when a single group opens the door on the
nation’s first NA meeting. Most new groups, even those in established NA
communities, grow slowly, and that can be frustrating. Contact with others
who’ve been through the same experience can help reduce the frustration. NA
World Services can put the members of a new group in touch with addicts in
other NA communities who will be happy to share their experience.
Correspondence, visits, and cooperation with groups in neighboring countries,
especially those whose people speak the same language, can be very helpful.
World services can also provide other resources that may prove useful to a new
group, such as recovery and service literature in translation. A call or letter to our
World Service Office can help ease the growing pains that all new groups go
through.
Sooner or later, the pioneer members of a new group in a new country attract
other addicts to their meeting, help those newcomers find recovery, and find their
group growing. New meetings are started as more new members gain the
necessary stability to begin lending a hand. And before you know it, NA meetings
are available seven days a week to any addict seeking recovery.

INITIAL NA SERVICE DEVELOPMENT—FUNCTION, NOT FORM

As more NA members stay clean longer, the local leadership base expands
and it becomes possible for the original group to sprout a number of groups. At
this point, new questions present themselves. How can the NA community
provide more and better services to its groups and members? And how can the

21
22 A Guide to Local Services in NA

recovery message be carried to more addicts? Five types of work present

themselves:
Literature. The availability of NA books and pamphlets in the local language
has proven very important to the growth of the fellowship and to informing others
about Narcotics Anonymous. If literature is already available in translation from
NA’s World Service Office, all that needs to be done is ensure a steady supply.
However, if NA literature has not yet been translated into the local language, or if
only a few pieces are yet available, translation work will be of primary
importance. Contact the World Service Office for help in beginning translation
work in your country.
Public Information. NA’s contacts in government, education, medicine, the
clergy, community organizations, the public media, and other twelve-step
fellowships can carry the message that NA exists; sometimes to places we
couldn’t possibly go ourselves. Making such contacts and making them aware of
what Narcotics Anonymous is, what we can do, and where our groups meet are
very important factors in NA’s growth.
Phonelines or Central Contact Points. An NA telephone number or post
office box can make it easier for addicts seeking recovery to find us and for our
nonaddict friends to get more information on the NA program.
Hospitals and Institutions. Panels can be formed to carry our message of
recovery directly to addicts housed in medical, psychiatric, or correctional
facilities.
Internal Support. With the creation of new groups, some vehicle will have to
be established for keeping them in touch with one another. By doing so, the
groups can share their experience with one another, make decisions together
regarding questions that affect them all, and combine their strength in reaching
out to the community around them.
These are the essential functions of an area service committee. In another
chapter of this guide, we describe the full range of services offered by area
committees. While all these services have their place and their time, it is not
important that all of them be established all at once. Nor is it necessary to
develop a full-blown area committee right from the start. It’s the function, not the
form that’s important.
An NA community may only be capable of supporting a small committee,
which focuses on a single task—for instance, working with NA World Services in
developing translations of NA literature. If that is all the community can support,
aside from its groups, then it shouldn’t take on anything else, at least not right
away. With time, the NA community will grow, and it will become possible to
accomplish more tasks. But, especially at the start, remember: Keep your
priorities in order.
It’s not necessary for a new NA service effort to invent all its own tools from
scratch. Other NA communities in other countries have gone through the same
process. To tap their experience, simply contact NA’s World Service Office.
 Developing NA Communities 23

THE NATIONAL COMMUNITY GROWS

As NA communities and service committees develop in other towns and other
districts, the question arises: how does NA combine its experience and strength,
maintain its unity, and carry its message further? This question is addressed in
fully developed NA communities by area and regional committees. Still-
developing communities will be long in forming a fully operational regional service
committee; in some countries, for a variety of reasons, the NA community may
choose not to organize a regional service committee, choosing instead to remain
an area committee. The same principles that applied to developing local
services—function, not form, and the importance of prioritizing—apply to
developing services affecting a number of locales and the NA community
nationwide.
What functions need to be accounted for?
Assemblies. Group service representatives from a number of locales can
gather from time to time to coordinate outreach activities and discuss issues
affecting NA on a territorial or national level. If a service body has been created
to coordinate services affecting Narcotics Anonymous nationwide, such
assemblies can give that national committee the guidance it needs to fulfill its
responsibilities. If no such national entity has yet been organized, the GSRs can
discuss national development issues and equitably divide responsibility for
addressing those issues among themselves.
Central Service Coordination. Some NA services affect the fellowship
nationwide. The production of translations of existing NA literature is one such
responsibility. It is also in the best interests of the entire national community to
responsibly handle requests for information or other services from national civic,
professional, religious, and government organizations. Some means need to be
created for coordinating these national services. These means may be as simple
as the GSR assemblies described above. If enough leadership can be spared
from group and local service responsibilities, a national area or regional
committee might be formed. The national committee can either handle these
services themselves or make arrangements for local groups to fulfill them.
Relations with NA Worldwide. It’s not necessary to funnel all
communications between NA’s world services and the national fellowship through
one person or one small group of people—in fact, just the opposite. The benefits
derived from regular communications with NA World Services and from contact
with NA communities in other countries need to be shared with as many people
as possible. In order to facilitate that, it may be helpful to establish a forum in
which information gathered from those contacts can be shared. That forum may
be as simple as a GSR assembly or as sophisticated as a full-fledged national
region serving a number of local area committees—whatever the national
community needs and is capable of supporting.
24 A Guide to Local Services in NA

The regional-type services described elsewhere in the Guide—or the most

important of them, anyway—don’t have to be administered by a regional service
committee. A national NA community doesn’t need to wait until it can support a
fully organized region before it can start addressing the needs of groups
nationwide. Remember, it’s the function that’s important, not the form, so keep
your priorities in order. It works—but not overnight.
 THE NA GROUP

INTRODUCTION
Narcotics Anonymous groups are self-governing (the Twelve Traditions use
the word autonomous). The group may conduct its own affairs in whatever way
seems fit to its members, provided the group’s actions do not adversely affect
other groups or the entire NA Fellowship. So what we offer here is not a “rule
book” but the shared experience of how many of our groups have met with
success in conducting meetings and tending to business. Newer members may
find this chapter helps them understand who does what to keep the group going
and how to help. For more experienced members, it may lend some perspective
to their group involvement. But no matter how much information we pack into this
chapter, you’re still going to find that the best source of guidance for your group
is in your group itself.
There are many ways of doing things in Narcotics Anonymous. And just as all
of us have our own individual personalities, so will your group develop its own
identity, its own way of doing things, and its own special knack for carrying the NA
message. That’s the way it should be. In NA we encourage unity, not uniformity.
This chapter does not even attempt to say everything that could be said about
operating an NA group. What you’ll find here are some brief answers to a few
very basic questions: What is an NA group? How does the work get done? What
kinds of meetings can a group have? When problems arise, how are they
solved? We hope this chapter proves useful as your group seeks to fulfill its
primary purpose: to carry the message to the addict who still suffers.

WHAT IS AN NA GROUP?
When two or more addicts come together to help each other stay clean, they
may form a Narcotics Anonymous group. Here are six points 1 based on our
traditions which describe an NA group:
1. All members of a group are drug addicts, and all drug addicts are eligible for
membership.
2. As a group, they are self-supporting.
3. As a group, their single goal is to help drug addicts recover through
application of the Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous.
4. As a group, they have no affiliation outside Narcotics Anonymous.
5. As a group, they express no opinion on outside issues.
6. As a group, their public relations policy is based on attraction rather than
promotion.

1
The six points describing a group have been adapted from “The AA Group,” published by Alcoholics Anonymous World
Services, Inc. Reprinted by permission.

25
26 A Guide to Local Services in NA

In stating the six points that differentiate an NA group from other kinds of
groups, we place greater emphasis on drug addiction than almost anywhere else
in our service literature. This is because Narcotics Anonymous groups cannot be
all things to all people and still provide the initial identification drug addicts need
to find their way to recovery. By clarifying our groups’ sole membership
requirement and primary purpose in this way, once and for all, we free ourselves
to focus on freedom from the disease of addiction in the bulk of our service
literature, certain that our groups are providing adequate grounds for
identification to those seeking recovery.
NA groups are formed by addicts who wish to support one another in recovery,
in carrying the message directly to other addicts, and in participating in the
activities and services of NA as a whole. One of the primary means an NA group
uses to fulfill these ends is to conduct NA meetings where addicts can share their
recovery experience, thus supporting one another and at the same time carrying
the message to others. Some groups host a single weekly meeting; others host a
number of meetings each week. The quality of an NA meeting is directly dependent
on the strength and solidarity of the NA group, which sponsors it.
NA groups—not NA meetings—are the foundation of the NA service
structure. Together, the NA groups are responsible for making service decisions
that directly affect them and what they do in their meetings as well as those that
fundamentally affect the identity of Narcotics Anonymous. For instance, new NA
literature is approved by regional delegates at the World Service Conference only
after they have received direction from the groups they represent. Likewise,
“proposals to change NA’s Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, name, nature, or
purpose should be approved directly by the groups” before they can become
effective, in accordance with our Second Concept.
Groups maintain contact with the rest of Narcotics Anonymous through
representatives selected to participate on the groups’ behalf in the NA service
structure. Mailings from the World Service Office, including the quarterly NA Way
Magazine, keep NA groups informed on issues affecting the fellowship
worldwide. If your group is not receiving The NA Way Magazine, ask your
secretary to contact the World Service Office.
The primary purpose of an NA group is to carry the message of recovery to
the addict who still suffers. The group provides each member with the opportunity
to share and to hear the experience of other addicts who are learning to live a
better way of life without the use of drugs. The group is the primary vehicle by
which our message is carried. It provides a setting in which a newcomer can
identify with recovering addicts and find an atmosphere of recovery.
Sometimes specialized NA groups form to provide additional identification for
addicts with particular needs in common. For example, many men’s, women’s,
gay, and lesbian groups exist today. But the focus of any NA meeting—even if
it’s conducted by a specialized group—is on recovery from addiction, and any
addict is welcome to attend.
 The NA Group 27

NA meetings are events at which addicts share with one another their
experience in recovery and in the application of the Twelve Steps. While many—
if not most—NA meetings are in fact hosted by an NA group, other NA meetings
occur all the time: informally among friends, at large area or regional speaker
meetings, at conventions, in schools, institutions, and so forth. The NA group is
an entity; the NA meeting is an event; and NA meetings may be held without the
sponsorship of an NA group.

WHAT IS A “HOME GROUP”?

In some NA communities, it has become customary for members of the
fellowship to make a personal commitment to support one particular group—their
“home group.” Though this custom is not universal, many believe its practice can
benefit the individual member as well as the group. For the individual member, it
can provide a stable recovery base, a place to call “home,” a place to know and
be known by other recovering addicts. For the group, it ensures the support of a
core of regular, committed members. A strong home group can also foster a spirit
of camaraderie among its members that makes the group more attractive to and
more supportive of newcomers.
The home group provides many opportunities for us to involve ourselves in
the NA Fellowship, making it a great place for us to start giving back what
Narcotics Anonymous has so freely given us. In committing to our home group,
we make a personal commitment to NA unity. That commitment not only
enhances our own recovery, it helps ensure recovery is available for others. Our
home group also gives us a place in which to participate in NA’s decision-making
processes.
While the home group concept is the accepted norm in some NA
communities, it’s unknown in others. There are many, many ways of talking and
thinking about the bond established among addicts in their groups. Do what
seems most suitable in your own NA community.

WHO CAN BE A MEMBER?

If an addict wants to be a member of Narcotics Anonymous, all that addict
needs is a desire to stop using. Our Third Tradition ensures that. Whether an
individual NA member chooses to be a member of a particular group as well is
entirely up to that individual. Access to the meetings of some NA groups is
restricted by factors beyond the control of these groups—national border-
crossing laws, for instance, or prison security regulations. However, these groups
themselves do not bar any NA member from joining them.
28 A Guide to Local Services in NA

WHAT ARE “OPEN” AND “CLOSED” MEETINGS?

“Closed” NA meetings are only for addicts or those who think they might have
a drug problem. Closed meetings provide an atmosphere in which addicts can
feel more certain that those attending will be able to identify with them.
Newcomers may feel more comfortable at a closed meeting for the same reason.
At the beginning of a closed meeting, the leader or chairperson often reads a
statement explaining why the meeting is closed and offering to direct nonaddicts
who may be attending to an open meeting.
“Open” NA meetings are just that—open to anyone who wants to attend.
Some groups have open meetings once a month to allow nonaddict friends and
relatives of NA members to celebrate recovery anniversaries with them. Groups
that have open meetings may structure their format in such a way that
opportunities for participation by nonaddicts are limited only to short birthday or
anniversary presentations. Such a format allows the meeting to retain its focus
on recovery shared one addict to another. It should be made clear during the
meeting that NA groups do not accept monetary contributions from nonaddicts.
Some groups use carefully planned open meetings, particularly open speaker
meetings, as an opportunity to let members of the community-at-large see for
themselves what Narcotics Anonymous is all about and ask questions. At such
public meetings, a statement regarding our tradition of anonymity is often read,
asking visitors not to use full-face photographs, last names, or personal details
when they describe the meeting to others. For more information on public
meetings, see Public Relations Handbook, available through your group service
representative or by writing the World Service Office.

WHERE CAN WE HOLD NA MEETINGS?

NA meetings can be held almost anywhere. Groups usually want to find an
easily accessible public place where they can hold their meetings on a weekly
basis. Facilities run by public agencies and religious and civic organizations often
have rooms for rent at moderate rates that will meet a group’s needs. Others in
your NA community may already be aware of appropriate space available for
your meeting; speak with them.
Most meeting facilities will be very cooperative and generous. Even though
such facilities may want to donate meeting space to us, our Seventh Tradition
encourages our groups to be self-supporting by paying all our own expenses,
including our rent. Some facilities may prefer their rent to be paid in literature or
other services.
Before securing a location, it may be well to consider whether or not the room
will be accessible to addicts with physical limitations. Does the building have
ramps, elevators with wide doors, and bathroom facilities able to accommodate
someone in a wheelchair? Is adequate parking and unloading space available?
There are other similar considerations your group may wish to make itself aware
 The NA Group 29

of. For more information on reaching out and serving addicts with additional
needs, write to the World Service Office.
It’s generally recommended that group meetings not be held in members’
homes. Most groups find it desirable to hold their meetings in public facilities for a
variety of reasons. Stable meetings held in public places tend to enhance NA’s
credibility in the community. Because of varying work and vacation schedules, it
is often difficult to maintain consistent times for meetings held in individuals’
homes. Holding a meeting in an individual’s home may affect the willingness of
some members to attend. Although some groups may hold their first few
meetings in a member’s home, it’s generally recommended that they relocate
their meetings to public facilities as soon as possible.
Holding regular NA group meetings in some types of facilities—addiction
treatment centers, clubhouses, or political party headquarters, for instance—can
compromise the independent identity of the group. Before deciding to locate your
meeting in such a facility, your group may wish to consider a few questions: Is
the facility open to any addict wishing to attend the meeting? Does the facility
administration place any restrictions on your use of the room that could challenge
any of our traditions? Is it clear to all concerned that your NA group, not the
facility, is sponsoring the meeting? Do you have a clear rental agreement with
the facility management, and is the rent you’re being charged moderate enough
to allow your group to contribute funds to the rest of the NA service structure?
Are so many of your community’s NA meetings already located in this particular
facility that, if it were to fold, your NA community as a whole would be crippled?
These are some of the questions a group should carefully consider before
deciding where to hold an NA meeting.

WHAT KIND OF MEETING FORMAT CAN WE USE?

Groups use a variety of formats to enhance the atmosphere of recovery in
their meetings. Most meetings last an hour or an hour and a half. Some groups
have a single format for their meetings. Other groups have a schedule of rotating
formats: one week a step study, the next week a speaker meeting, and so forth.
Still others divide their large meetings into several sessions after the meeting has
opened, each with its own format. Here are a few basic descriptions of some of
the meeting formats that, with variations, seem to be among the most common.
For reference, we’ve also included a sample meeting format at the end of this
chapter.
Participation Meetings
The leader opens the meeting up for members to share on any subject related to
recovery.
30 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Topic Discussion Meetings

The leader selects a particular recovery-related topic for discussion or asks
someone else to provide a topic.
Study Meetings
There are a number of different types of study meetings. Some read a portion of
an NA-approved book or pamphlet each week and discuss it—for example, a
Basic Text study. Others have discussions focusing on the Twelve Steps or the
Twelve Traditions.
Speaker Meetings
Some meetings ask a single speaker to share his or her recovery story or
experience in a particular aspect of recovery in Narcotics Anonymous. Others
ask two or three speakers to talk for shorter periods of time. Still others use a
combination format with a speaker sharing first and a topic discussion afterward.
Newcomer Meetings
These meetings are often conducted by two or three of the group’s more
experienced members. These members share their experience with addiction
and with recovery in Narcotics Anonymous. If time allows, the meeting is then
opened for questions from the newer members.
Newcomer meetings are sometimes held a half-hour before or after the
group’s regular meeting. Other groups conduct them as smaller sections of a
large meeting. Still others hold a newcomer meeting one day of the week, their
regular meeting another. Whatever the format, newcomer meetings provide a
means for your group to give addicts new to NA an introduction to the basics of
recovery.
Question-and-Answer Meetings
At Q&A meetings, people are asked to think of questions related to recovery and
the fellowship, write those questions down, and place them in “the ask-it basket.”
The leader of the meeting pulls a slip of paper from the basket, reads the
question, and asks for someone to share their experience related to it. After one
or two members have shared, the leader selects another question from the
basket, and so forth, until the meeting is over.

DEVELOPING YOUR FORMAT

These are basic descriptions of just a few of the many different types of
formats used in NA meetings; the variations on even these few format types can
be endless. Feel free to innovate. Vary the format in whatever way seems to best
suit the “personality” of your group and the needs of addicts in your community.
Often, a meeting will grow far larger than the group originally anticipated. A
meeting format that worked well for a small meeting may not work as well for a
larger one. When one of your group’s meetings experiences that kind of growth,
 The NA Group 31

you may want to consider making some adjustments in your format, perhaps
even replacing it altogether. Some groups experiencing such growth break their
larger meetings down into a number of small meetings held simultaneously in
different rooms. Doing this gives each member a better chance to participate in
whatever meeting he or she attends. Many groups use a different type of format
in each of these smaller meetings.

WHAT KINDS OF LITERATURE SHOULD WE USE?

Narcotics Anonymous World Services produces a number of different kinds of
publications. However, only NA-approved literature is appropriate for reading in
Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Selections from NA-approved books and
pamphlets are usually read at the beginning of an NA meeting, and some
meetings use them as the core of their format. NA-approved literature represents
the widest range of recovery in Narcotics Anonymous.
Groups often make other kinds of NA publications available on the literature
tables at their meetings: various NA service bulletins and handbooks, The NA
Way Magazine, and local NA newsletters. However, literature of any sort
produced by other twelve-step fellowships or other organizations outside NA is
inappropriate for display on our literature tables or reading at our meetings. To do
either implies an endorsement of an outside enterprise, directly contradicting
NA’s Sixth Tradition.

WHAT IS A GROUP BUSINESS MEETING?

The purpose of the group business meeting is fairly self-explanatory: to
conduct the business of the group in such a way that the group remains effective
in carrying the recovery message. Some groups hold business meetings on a
regular basis; others only call them when something specific comes up that
needs the group’s attention. Some of the questions a typical group business
meeting addresses are:
 Is the group effective in carrying the NA message?
 Are newcomers and visitors being made welcome?
 Do solutions for problems at recent meetings need to be sought?
 Is the meeting format providing sufficient direction?
 Is attendance steady or growing?
 Are there good relations between the group and the facility in which the
meeting is held? Between the group and the community?
 Are the group’s funds being used wisely?
 Is there enough money being donated at meetings to meet the group’s needs
and also provide for contributions to the rest of the service structure?
 Are literature and refreshment supplies holding up?
32 A Guide to Local Services in NA

 Is there a service vacancy in the group?

 Has the area, the region, or world services asked the group for advice,
support, or direction?
Group business meetings are usually held before or after a regular recovery
meeting so that the recovery meeting remains focused on its primary purpose.
Group members are encouraged to attend, raise questions, and participate in
discussions related to the group’s work. The group selects someone to lead the
business meeting. Group officers give reports on their areas of responsibility, and
subjects of importance to the group are raised for discussion.
The group, as the foundation of the NA service structure, is guided by both
the Twelve Traditions and the Twelve Concepts for NA Service. A good
understanding of both will help a group business meeting stay on course. NA’s
step and tradition book, It Works: How and Why, provides a wealth of information
about the Twelve Traditions. Interested members can read essays on the Twelve
Concepts in another chapter of this guide.

HOW DOES THE WORK GET DONE?

Setting up chairs, buying literature, arranging for speakers, cleaning up after
the meeting, paying the bills, preparing refreshments—most of the things an NA
group does to host its meetings are pretty simple. But if one person had to do
them all, those simple things would quickly become overwhelming. That’s why a
group elects officers (or, in the language of the Second Tradition, trusted
servants): to help divide the work among the group’s members.
Electing officers is one way the group practices NA’s tradition of self-support:
“Every NA group ought to be fully self-supporting...” Sometimes it seems that
groups run all by themselves, but the fact is that someone has to do the work
needed to support the group. By dividing the work, the group ensures that the
group as a whole is self-supporting and that the group’s burdens don’t settle
unevenly on the shoulders of just one or two individuals.
Electing officers provides the group with an opportunity to strengthen its
members’ recovery. When group members agree to serve as secretary or
treasurer or tea- or coffee-maker, that acceptance of responsibility often helps
advance their personal growth. It also gives them a chance to help enhance the
group’s ability to carry the recovery message.
You don’t have to be a group officer to be of service to the group. Every
week, there’s work to be done: helping set up the meeting, greeting newcomers,
cleaning up, bringing refreshments, and other things of that sort. Asking new
members to help with these kinds of jobs can make them feel a part of the group
more quickly.
 The NA Group 33

HOW DO WE CHOOSE GROUP OFFICERS?

When a vacancy occurs in a group office, the group holds a business meeting
to consider how to fill it. Groups should arrange their elections in such a way that
they don’t have all their trusted servants leaving office at the same time.
There are a couple of things to think about when looking for a group officer.
One is maturity in recovery. When those new in recovery are elected to a
position, they may find themselves deprived of time and energy they need for
their early recovery. Group members with a year or two clean are probably
already well established in their personal recovery. They are also more likely than
new members to be familiar with NA’s traditions and service concepts as well as
group procedures.
A second thing to consider is consistent participation in your group. Do the
nominees attend your group’s recovery meetings regularly? Do they take an
active part in your group’s business meetings? Have they lived up to previous
service commitments they’ve made? Further questions may occur to you as you
read the earlier essay in this guide on NA’s Fourth Concept for Service, which
squarely addresses the importance of NA leadership and the qualities to consider
in selecting trusted servants.
Finally, we encourage you to remember that you’re selecting group officers,
first, to benefit the common welfare of your group. While service commitments
often benefit those who accept them, that should not be the primary reason for
selecting one individual or another to serve as an officer of your group. As the
First Tradition says, in part, “…our common welfare should come first.”

WHAT OFFICERS DOES A GROUP NEED?

In different areas the work is divided differently, and the particular jobs are
sometimes called by different names. What’s important is not who does the job or
what the job is called, but that the job gets done. What follows are general
descriptions of some of the most common sorts of jobs NA groups have. For
each of these positions, your group should establish realistic terms of service and
clean-time requirements.
Secretary
The secretary (sometimes called the chairperson) arranges the affairs of the
group, often by asking other group members to help out. One of the first jobs for
a new secretary is registering the group’s current mailing address and meeting
information with the area service committee secretary and the World Service
Office. When a new group secretary or GSR takes office or there is a change in
the group’s mailing address or the time or location of a group meeting, both the
area committee and World Service Office should be informed. Other things a
group secretary is responsible for may include:
34 A Guide to Local Services in NA

 Opening the meeting room well before the meeting is scheduled to begin,
setting up chairs and tables (if necessary), and cleaning and locking the room
after the meeting is over.
 Arranging a table with NA books and pamphlets, local meeting lists, NA
activity fliers, service bulletins, The NA Way Magazine, and NA newsletters.
 Making tea or coffee.
 Buying refreshments and other supplies.
 Selecting meeting leaders and speakers.
 Keeping a list of group members’ recovery anniversaries, if the group wishes.
 Organizing group business meetings.
 And doing whatever else needs to be done.
Many groups break all these jobs down separately: someone to open and
close the room, another person responsible for refreshments, a third to take care
of the literature table, and so forth. Groups that host more than one meeting will
often have a different person responsible for all these jobs at each of their
meetings.
Treasurer
All groups, even those that host more than one meeting, elect one group
treasurer. When the group consolidates responsibility for all its funds under a
single treasurer, the group makes it easier to account for the contributions it
receives and expenses it pays than if it gives a number of individuals
responsibility for its money. Groups that host two or more weekly meetings
should make arrangements for contributions to be passed to the group treasurer
shortly after each meeting.
Because of the added responsibility of handling money associated with
service as a group treasurer, it’s important that groups look carefully at those
they elect as treasurers. If the group elects someone who is not capable of
handling the responsibilities of the job, then the group is at least partly
responsible if money is stolen, supplies aren’t purchased, or funds aren’t properly
accounted for. It’s recommended that groups elect treasurers who are financially
secure and are good at managing their personal finances. Because of the need
to keep consistent records, it’s also strongly recommended that groups elect
treasurers to serve for a full year.
What do group treasurers do? They count the money that members have
contributed at each meeting, always asking another member to confirm their
count. They take special care not to confuse the group’s money with their own
personal funds. They pay expenses, keep good, simple records, and regularly
provide financial reports to their groups. The group treasurer’s job requires close
attention to details. To help the treasurer in managing those details, a
 The NA Group 35

Treasurer’s Handbook is available from your area committee or from the World
Service Office.
Group Service Representative (GSR)
Each group elects one group service representative; even those groups hosting
more than one recovery meeting elect just one GSR. These GSRs form the
foundation of our service structure. GSRs provide constant, active influence over
the discussions being carried on within the service structure. They do this by
participating in area service committee meetings, attending forums and
assemblies at both the area and regional levels, and sometimes joining in the
work of an ASC subcommittee. If we are vigilant in choosing stable, qualified
leaders at this level of service, the remainder of the structure will almost certainly
be sound. From this strong foundation, a service structure can be built that will
nourish, inform, and support the groups in the same way that the groups nourish
and support the structure.
Group service representatives bear great responsibility. While GSRs are
elected by and accountable to the group, they are not mere group messengers.
They are selected by their groups to serve as active members of the area service
committee. As such, they are responsible to act in the best interests of NA as a
whole, not solely as advocates of their own groups’ priorities.
As participants in the area committee, GSRs need to be as well informed as
they can be concerning the affairs of the committee. They study the reports of the
committee’s officers and subcommittee chairpersons. They read the various
handbooks published by the World Service Office on each area of service. After
carefully considering their own conscience and what they know about how their
group members feel, they take active, critical parts in the discussions, which form
the group conscience of the entire committee.
Group service representatives link their groups with the rest of the NA service
structure, particularly through the information conveyed in their reports to and
from the area committee. At group business meetings, the GSR report provides a
summary of area committee activities, often sparking discussions among group
members that provide the GSR with a feel for how the area can better serve the
group’s needs. In group recovery meetings, GSRs make available fliers
announcing area and regional activities.
At area committee meetings, GSR reports provide perspectives on group
growth vital to the committee’s work. If a group is having problems, its GSR can
share those problems with the committee in his or her reports. And if the group
hasn’t found solutions to those problems, the area chairperson will open a slot on
the committee’s “sharing session” 2 agenda so that the GSR can gather the
experience others have had in similar situations. If any helpful solutions arise
from the sharing session, the GSR can report those back to the group.

2
In the chapter on the area service committee, see the section entitled "The Sharing Session."
36 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Alternate GSR
Groups also elect a second representative called an alternate GSR. Alternate
GSRs attend all the area service committee meetings (as nonvoting participants)
with their GSRs so that they can see for themselves how the committee works. If
a GSR cannot attend an area committee meeting, that group’s alternate GSR
participates in the GSR’s place.
Alternate GSRs, along with other members, may also serve on area
subcommittees. Subcommittee experience gives alternate GSRs added
perspective on how area services are actually delivered. That perspective helps
make them more effective area committee participants if their groups later elect
them to serve as GSRs.

ROTATION AND CONTINUITY

Rotation is the practice many groups have of electing new people to service
positions at set intervals rather than having the same person serve in the same
position year after year. Rotation offers very definite benefits for the groups who
practice it. By providing diversity in leadership, it helps a group stay fresh and
energetic. It provides assurance that no one individual exercises so much
influence that the group becomes a mere extension of his or her personality. The
practice of rotation also reinforces the NA emphasis on service rather than the
servant, consistent with our belief in the value of spiritual anonymity—what’s
important is the job being done, not the particular person doing it.
Some groups allow their members to serve more than one term in any given
position so that the group can take advantage of its trusted servants’ experience.
Once group officers have completed their terms, rotation allows them to step
aside for a time or accept responsibilities elsewhere in the NA service structure,
giving other members the chance to serve the group.
The impact of rotation on the stability of the group is balanced by the
continuing presence of its long-term group members. Those who have served in
the past as group officers and continue to maintain an active role in the life of the
group can provide much-needed continuity and maturity of perspective to a
growing group’s discussions. They can serve as the group’s memory, ensuring
that the group never has to “reinvent the wheel.” They can also lend a hand to
new officers and temporarily pitch in to relieve overloaded trusted servants.

WHAT RESPONSIBILITIES DOES AN NA GROUP HAVE?

The first and most important responsibility of any NA group—its “primary
purpose,” according to the Fifth Tradition—is “to carry the message to the addict
who still suffers.” And the single most important thing a group can do to fulfill that
primary purpose is to conduct meetings that provide a welcoming atmosphere in
which NA recovery can be effectively shared between addicts. Groups conduct
the details of their meetings in very different ways, but all of them seek the same
 The NA Group 37

end: to make recovery from addiction available to any addict in the community
who seeks it.
As the foundation of the worldwide NA service structure, groups have another
responsibility: to help their members develop an understanding of the Twelve
Traditions and the Twelve Concepts for NA Service. By doing so, groups take
part in the continuing evolution of the Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous as well
as providing for themselves an understanding of how the highest ideals of our
fellowship can be applied in their activities.

HOW CAN OUR GROUP SUPPORT OTHER NA SERVICES?

The Second Concept for NA Service says that the NA groups bear the final
responsibility and authority for all the services of the extended NA Fellowship.
Each group should send stable, active GSRs to participate in the work of the
service structure on the group’s behalf. And each group should consider how
best to provide the funds the NA service structure needs to do its work.
After paying the bills, most groups set a small amount of money aside to use
in case an emergency arises. But, oddly enough, groups usually find that too
much money in the till causes far more trouble than too little money. For this
reason, we encourage your group never to hold large sums of money in reserve.
At least once a year, the group service representative attends the regional
assembly. Each group is encouraged, if at all possible, to take the necessary steps to
cover the expenses associated with its GSR’s attendance at the regional assembly.
Some groups will choose to set aside money each month toward this expense.
After paying expenses and setting aside a small emergency reserve, most
groups contribute their surplus funds directly to the area committee, the regional
committee, and Narcotics Anonymous World Services. For more discussion of
the principles underlying group contributions to the rest of the service structure,
see the essay on our fellowship’s Eleventh Concept for NA Service elsewhere in
this guide. For assistance in managing the details of direct contributions, see the
Treasurer’s Handbook, available from your area committee or by writing our
World Service Office.
38 A Guide to Local Services in NA

GROUP

AREA
FUND FLOW
1) Groups donate directly
to each level except metro METRO
2) Areas serve as funnels for
all group contributions for
metro services; MSCs return
excess funds to areas REGION
3) Areas may donate excess
funds to region or world
4) Region may donate
excess funds to world WORLD
SERVICES

HOW CAN OUR GROUP BETTER SERVE OUR COMMUNITY?

By its very existence, the group is already providing a substantial service to
the community. It’s providing the support addicts in the community need to
reenter the mainstream of society. But how can a group become more effective
in reaching out to addicts who’ve not yet found NA? There are two general ways
in which a group can better serve its community: through the area service
committee and through activities coordinated by the group itself.
Most NA groups are served by an area committee. 3 Area service committees
coordinate efforts to carry the NA message on behalf of all the groups they serve.
Community public information services, telephone contact lines, and panel
presentations to addicts in treatment centers and jails are three ways in which
most area committees carry the message either directly to the addict who still
suffers or to those who may refer an addict to an NA meeting. Your group service
representative can tell you more about how you and your group can more
effectively join in the work of your area service committee. For further
information, see the next chapter in this guide.

3
If you don't know how to contact the nearest area service committee, contact the World Service Office. They'll be happy
to put you in touch.
 The NA Group 39

Some NA groups reach out to their communities themselves, coordinating

their activities with those of other groups either through their ASCs or through
local cooperative councils (see the “Area Committees in Rural Communities”
section toward the end of the next chapter). This is particularly the case in small
communities and in areas where Narcotics Anonymous is very new. An NA group
in a rural town obviously does not have as many people or as much money
available as an area service committee in a large city, but opportunities exist
nonetheless for carrying the recovery message effectively to others who may be
seeking the solution we’ve found. If your group needs help in reaching out to the
community, write to the World Service Office.

HOW CAN OUR GROUP SOLVE ITS PROBLEMS?

NA groups encounter a wide variety of problems: meetings are disrupted;
treatment centers bus in large numbers of clients when the group is ill-prepared
to receive them; the format goes stale; the clarity of our message becomes an
issue; the coffee tastes like industrial-strength cleanser; the readings at the
beginning of the meeting go on, and on, and on. These are just a few of the
problems the average NA group must deal with from time to time. This guide
doesn’t “lay down the law” on how to deal with these problems. It does point out
some effective tools group members can use in solving their own problems.
The best source of solutions for the group’s problems, in most cases, is the
group itself. “Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps,” our
Twelfth Step says, “we tried... to practice these principles in all our affairs.” When
we collectively apply the insight received from that spiritual awakening to our
group’s problems, we call that group conscience. Common sense, open minds,
calm discussion, accurate information, mutual respect, and healthy personal
recovery enable a group to deal effectively with almost anything that comes its
way.
There are a number of printed resources the group may choose to use in
gathering the information it needs to reach sound decisions. The Basic Text and
our step and tradition book, It Works: How and Why, both provide a great deal of
information about how NA’s Twelve Traditions can be applied to given situations.
The chapter in this guide on the Twelve Concepts for NA Service gives in-depth
explanations of the essential ideals underlying service activities in Narcotics
Anonymous. The NA Way Magazine often has articles addressing problems the
group might face. And bulletins available from the World Service Office deal in
detail with a variety of subjects relating to the group’s work.
Another source of information the group might tap is the experience of other
groups in its area or region. If the group has a problem and can’t come up with its
own solution, it might want to ask its group service representative to share that
problem at the next area service committee meeting. Area committees set aside
a portion of every meeting for exactly that purpose. And while the area committee
can’t tell a group what to do, it does provide a forum in which groups can share
40 A Guide to Local Services in NA

with one another what’s worked for them. Workshops conducted by the regional
service committee provide the same kind of opportunity on a larger scale. For
details on how the area or regional committee can help with group problems, see
the chapters on those committees later in this guide.

SAMPLE MEETING FORMAT

This sample meeting format is just that—a sample. It’s designed so that, if your
group chooses, you can use it exactly as it is. However, you're encouraged to
change it and rearrange it according to the needs of your group.
Leader:
Welcome members to the meeting and introduce yourself. Hello, my name is
________, and I am an addict. Welcome to this meeting of the __________
Group of Narcotics Anonymous. I’d like to open this meeting with a moment of
silence (15 to 20 seconds) for the addict who still suffers, followed by the
Serenity Prayer.
We like to extend a special welcome to newcomers. If anyone here is
attending their first NA meeting, would you care to introduce yourself? We ask
this not to embarrass you, but to get to know you better.
Is anyone here in their first thirty days of recovery? Introductions.
Do we have any out-of-town visitors? Introductions.
Is there anyone attending this meeting for the first time? Introductions.

If this is a closed meeting: This is If this is an open meeting: This is an

a “closed” Narcotics Anonymous “open” Narcotics Anonymous meeting.
meeting. Closed NA meetings are We’d like to welcome any nonaddict
only for addicts or those who think visitors and thank you for your interest
they might have a drug problem. If in Narcotics Anonymous. We ask that
there are any nonaddicts visiting, you respect the primary purpose of
we’d like to thank you for your this meeting, which is to provide a
interest in Narcotics Anonymous. place where addicts can share their
Our local NA meeting list on the recovery with one another.
literature table will direct you to an
NA meeting in our community that is
open to nonaddicts.

Leader:
For the protection of our group as well as the meeting facility, we ask that you
have no drugs or paraphernalia on your person at the meeting. If you have any
now, please leave, dispose of them, and return as quickly as possible.
 The NA Group 41

Leader:
Recognize those with various periods of clean time—thirty, sixty, ninety days, six
months, nine months, one year, eighteen months, and multiple years. Keytags,
chips, or medallions may be given out.
Leader:
Select people before the meeting to read one or more of the following short
pieces. These readings can be found in our White Booklet, the Basic Text, IP No.
1, or the group reading cards.
a) Who Is an Addict?
b) What Is the NA Program?
c) Why Are We Here?
d) How it Works
e) The Twelve Traditions
f) Just for Today
g) We Do Recover
Leader:
Announce the type of meeting (participation, topic discussion, step study,
speaker, etc.). Ask for topic or step and open the meeting for discussion, or
introduce the speaker.
Leader:
About ten minutes before the meeting is scheduled to close, announce: That’s all
the time we have. I’d like to thank you for attending.
Leader:
Begin passing the basket around, announcing: The basket being passed around
is one way of practicing our Seventh Tradition, which says, “Every NA group
ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.” The money we
collect pays for rent, literature, and refreshments. Through contributions from this
group to various NA service committees, it also helps carry the NA message of
recovery in our area and around the world.
If this is an “open” meeting: I’d like once again to thank our nonaddict guests
for the interest they’ve shown in Narcotics Anonymous. Because of NA’s tradition
of self-support, this group asks that you not contribute any money when the
basket passes your way.
Leader:
Do we have any NA-related announcements? (The GSR will make
announcements of upcoming group activities and NA events in the area.)
42 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Leader:
After the basket has come back around: Again, thanks for coming tonight. Would
all those who care to, join in a circle to close? Various groups close in different
ways: with prayers, brief recitations from NA literature, etc.
When closing their meetings, some groups ask those attending to respect the
anonymity of others they’ve seen and heard there.
Keep coming back. It works!
 A New NA Group Checklist

So, you’re starting a new group? This checklist, derived from the collective experience of NA
groups, contains matters to address when starting a new group. Most of what you need to know
about Narcotics Anonymous groups and NA meetings can be found in The Group Booklet. The Group
Booklet is simply the chapter entitled “The NA Group” taken from our service manual A Guide to
Local Services in Narcotics Anonymous, and published separately as a booklet. We suggest that you
and your fellow group members read through that literature together so that you are all thoroughly
familiar with the issues other NA groups have faced in trying to carry the NA message of recovery.

___ Get in touch with the nearest service committee. ___ What group trusted servants are needed? What
An area service committee meeting is the ideal does the group expect those people to do? The
place for announcing your intention to start a chapter on “The NA Group” gives descriptions of
new group. There, you can gather experience various group officer positions. Make sure all
from representatives of other groups in the area, group members agree on what they want their
and learn of the services available to your group officers to do.
when you need them. ___ What kind of meeting format will you use? “The
___ Obtain a meeting place. “The NA Group” NA Group” chapter describes a number of format
chapter of A Guide to Local Services in NA already variations commonly used in our fellowship.
discusses many of the things to be considered Which format—or combination of formats—does
about obtaining meeting space. Here are some your group want to use?
details to know when opening a new meeting: _____________________________________________
* Where? ____________________________ ___ Will this be a “closed” NA meeting? Or an
“open” meeting? For explanation of these two
* When? Day, time, and duration of the meeting. _
different types of meetings, see the chapter on
_____________________________________________
“The NA Group.” ____________________________
* How much? What is the facility charging for
___ What kinds of NA literature does your group
rent? ________________________________________
want to stock?
Is that realistic, keeping in mind the number of _____________________________________________
people you can expect to attend the meeting? ____ _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________ ___ What kinds of refreshments should be
When is the rent due? _________________________ purchased?
_____________________________________________
* What does the facility require? No smoking?
Absolutely no litter? Sweep, mop after the ___ Have you registered your group with the World
meeting? Close windows, lock doors? ___________ Service Office and with the secretary of your
area service committee? You will find NAWS
*Would you rather have your group’s mail sent
group registration form enclosed or on our
to a group trusted servant or your Area Service
website www.na.org. By filing it out directly
Committee? Or, would you like your group’s
online or mailing it in, you'll ensure that your
mail sent to the facility address? Will they set up
group’s meeting information is available via the
a box where you can pick up newsletters and
NAWS website, www.na.org.
announcements mailed to your group? _________
_____________________________________________ For more information, please contact:
___ Name your group. A few things you may want to Fellowship Services
consider are: Is the name recovery oriented? Does World Service Office
the name create the impression that the group is PO Box 9999
affiliated with the facility in which it holds its Van Nuys, CA 91409 USA
meetings? Tel: (818) 773-9999 Fax: (818) 700-0700
_____________________________________________ Website: www.na.org
 NEW GROUP REGISTRATION/UPDATE FORM
This form can be completed online at www.na.org/?ID=updateforms-newregfm
Visit www.na.org/?ID=subscribe or call 818.773.9999 x771 for information about free communications from NAWS
Please complete all information (Please print clearly)

Group Code (if known) Today's Date

Group Name
This group was formed (month/year) This group holds meeting(s) per week
Area Service Committee Name
Regional Service Committee Name

Group’s Meeting Information

Meeting Days Sun Mon Tues Wed Thur Fri Sat
Meeting Time
Language(s)
Format
Wheelchair
Accessible
Room Name
Open/Closed*
*Open NA meetings welcome addicts and interested observers; closed NA meetings welcome addicts only.

Meeting Location
OLD (if applicable) NEW
Place / Building Name
Address
City
Borough / Sub-City
State/Province
Zip/Postal & Country
If this meeting is held in a correctional or treatment facility, are there special criteria for entry?

Group Contact Mailing Address

This is typically a stable group member who can forward any communication from NA World Services to the NA group.
This may or may not be a current group trusted servant, and is not usually the group’s meeting location address.

Group Contact Name (first and last)

Address
City State/Province
Postal/Zip Country Phone ( )
Email Address

Please return this form to: NA World Services, PO Box 9999, Van Nuys, CA 91409, USA or FAX to 818.700.0700
 THE AREA SERVICE COMMITTEE

Note: If your area is a member of a metropolitan services committee, this chapter

will not apply directly to your ASC. Please see the chapter on MSCs first for a
description of area committees like yours.

INTRODUCTION
“Workhorse” of the service structure—maybe that’s the best way to describe
the area service committee. Most of the hands-on work of delivering NA services
to the groups and the community occurs at the area level.
NA groups support meetings where addicts can share their recovery with one
another. Only minimal organization is necessary to hold those meetings. But
there are lots more that can be done to further the aims of Narcotics Anonymous:
 NA panel presentations at addiction treatment centers and correctional
facilities can reach addicts particularly in need of what we have to offer.
 Public information presentations to schools and community groups, mailings
to addiction treatment professionals, meeting notices in newspapers, and
public service announcements on local radio and television stations can help
direct people to NA.
 Directories showing where and when NA groups in the area hold their
recovery meetings can help addicts and others find nearby meetings being
conducted at times convenient to them.
 A phoneline service can help addicts seeking recovery find a meeting in their
area. It can also provide information about NA to interested community
members.
 A ready supply of NA books and pamphlets can make it easier for groups to
stock their literature tables.
 Social activities can help addicts feel more comfortable in their local NA
community and increase unity and camaraderie among area members. 1
All of these services require a certain degree of organization, the complexity
of which could easily divert NA groups from the week-in, week-out task of
conducting Narcotics Anonymous meetings for their members. Most of these
services also require more money and manpower than any single group could
possibly muster. How do groups stay focused on their primary purpose and still
see that these other services are developed and maintained? In the words of
NA’s Ninth Tradition, they “create service boards or committees directly
responsible to those they serve.” And the service committee closest to home, the

1
Various handbooks describing these and other local services are available from the World Service Office. For further
information, see the section titled "Subcommittees" later in this chapter and the list of bulletins and handbooks available
from the WSO at the end of this guide.

45
46 A Guide to Local Services in NA

committee best situated to provide the most direct service to the groups and the
community, is the area service committee.
A newly formed area committee will not be able to provide the same level of
service as a longer-established committee. That’s only natural. A new area
service committee should not expect to hit the ground running at full speed. The
development of the full range of area services described in this chapter often
takes a few years. Be patient and keep plugging; it’s worth the effort.
Just as individual members of NA rely upon one another for support, so do
area committees. New committees in particular can draw upon the experience of
their neighbors in charting a course for local services, whether those neighbors
are in the next county or the next country. New ASCs can also draw
encouragement from their neighbors’ assurance that, given time, effort, and the
application of principles, “it works.” None of us has to do it alone, not in personal
recovery and not in service, not anymore.

THE AREA COMMITTEE AND OTHER NA SERVICES

Area service committees are ultimately responsible to the groups they serve.
Narcotics Anonymous groups send group service representatives (GSRs) to
serve on the area committee. While still maintaining final responsibility and
authority for area services, they invest enough delegated authority in their
GSRs—and through them, in the area committee—for the necessary work to get
done.
NA groups also send money to the area committee, money needed to
coordinate panels, maintain phonelines, and conduct public information activities.
Through their contributions of money and manpower, the groups exercise both
their responsibility and their authority for NA services.
How does the area service committee relate in turn to NA’s regional and
world services? In much the same way as the group relates to the area
committee: through carefully selected representatives who are delegated the
authority necessary for effective service.

AREA COMMITTEE PARTICIPANTS

There are three groups of participants in most area service committees:
GSRs and their alternates, administrative officers, and subcommittee
chairpersons. The Seventh Concept for NA Service says that, “All members of a
service body bear substantial responsibility for that body’s decisions and should
be allowed to fully participate in its decision-making processes.” Group service
representatives provide a “grass roots” perspective to the area decision-making
process, helping ensure that the committee’s feet are planted firmly on the
ground. Administrative officers and subcommittee chairpersons also bear
substantial responsibility for the fulfillment of area services. Their ongoing growth
and experience in carrying out their duties is an invaluable resource to the area
 The Area Service Committee 47

as it develops and expresses its group conscience. We ought never allow a base
of valuable experience to be created without utilizing it to the fullest. Each area is
responsible to create its own decision-making plan. In doing so, area committees
should carefully consider the Seventh Concept.

GROUP SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES (GSRs)

Group service representatives link their groups to the rest of Narcotics
Anonymous. Most groups also elect an alternate GSR who can fill in for the
group representative when needed. GSRs serve a dual role. As our fellowship’s
Second Concept for Service indicates, GSRs take part on their groups’ behalf in
the area committee and the regional assembly, conveying a sense of their
groups’ wishes to the service structure and bringing back information on what’s
happening in the larger world of NA. Yet our Twelve Concepts also suggest that
GSRs are delegated the authority to serve in their own right as ASC and regional
assembly participants, exercising their own conscience and best judgment in the
best interests of NA as a whole. For more information on the GSR’s job, see both
the Twelve Concepts for NA Service and the NA Group chapters appearing
earlier in this guide.
Basic equipment for group service representatives usually includes copies of
A Guide to Local Services in Narcotics Anonymous, area guidelines (if the area
has them), and the log of area policy actions (available from the area secretary).
Qualifications and terms of service for GSRs are determined by the groups,
which elect them.

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS
Many area service committees have six administrative officers: a chairperson,
a vice chairperson, a treasurer, a secretary, and two regional committee
members (RCMs). Areas belonging to a metropolitan services committee also
have one or more metropolitan committee members (MCMs). (See the chapter
later in this guide for information on metro committees and the role of MCMs.)
These individuals are responsible for administering the general affairs of the
entire area committee. Because of that, it’s important that great care be taken in
their selection. A substantial amount of clean time and personal maturity should
be the first consideration, along with experience in the steps, traditions, and
concepts of service. Our trusted servants should demonstrate the stability and
personal sense of direction that serve as an example to others. They should be
capable of serving without attempting to govern. The specific amount of clean
time required for each office will vary from area to area according to how long the
local NA community has been in existence.
Significant area service background often makes more effective
administrative officers. Experience both as a group service representative and an
area subcommittee member is helpful. Recent leadership experience as a
48 A Guide to Local Services in NA

subcommittee chairperson will prove invaluable. For more discussion of the role
of leadership in NA services, see the essay on Concept Four in the chapter on
the Twelve Concepts for NA Service appearing earlier in this guide.
Chairperson
The area committee chairperson is responsible for conducting committee
meetings, preparing the agenda, and various administrative duties. The chair’s
primary tools are the short-form rules of order, which appear at the end of this
guide, a firm hand, a calm spirit, and a clear mind. The chairperson can find
additional help in books about business meetings, decision-making processes,
and volunteer organizations that are often readily available at local bookstores
and libraries.
Vice chairperson
The primary responsibility of the area committee vice chairperson is the
coordination of the area subcommittees. The area vice chair keeps in regular
touch with the chairpersons of each subcommittee to stay informed of their
projects and problems, attending subcommittee meetings whenever possible. If
disputes arise within a subcommittee or between subcommittees, the ASC vice
chair helps find solutions to them. The vice chairperson works closely with
subcommittee chairs when they prepare their annual reports and budget
proposals.
The vice chairperson is also responsible to assist the chairperson in
conducting area committee meetings and to conduct ASC meetings him or
herself in the chairperson’s absence.
Secretary
Area secretaries handle all their committees’ paperwork, a formidable job. Their
first responsibility is to take clear, accurate minutes of area committee meetings
and distribute those minutes to all committee participants within a reasonable
period of time after each meeting.
In the process of keeping the minutes of each meeting, secretaries should
regularly update a log of area policy actions. The log lists motions the committee
has passed regarding the activities of administrative officers and subcommittees.
These motions should be listed chronologically under a heading for the officer or
subcommittee they affect. Secretaries should have copies of the most recent
printing of the log of policy actions available for new GSRs and should
periodically distribute updated versions to all area committee participants.
Because most secretaries mail minutes to area committee members, they
need to keep an updated list of participants’ addresses. With their committees’
permission, they should mail copies of these lists once or twice a year to the
World Service Office. These lists will make it possible for the WSO to provide
groups, subcommittees, and administrative officers with current information
pertinent to their areas of service.
 The Area Service Committee 49

Treasurer
The area treasurer’s job is critical to the committee’s work. Because of the added
responsibility of handling money associated with service as treasurer, it’s
especially important that area committees select their treasurers with care. If the
committee selects someone who is not capable of handling the job, then the
committee is at least partly responsible if money is stolen, area expenses are not
paid, or funds aren’t properly accounted for. It's recommended that areas elect
people to this position who are financially secure, good at managing their
personal finances, inspire the trust of the committee, and have substantial clean
time. Experience in business, accounting, bookkeeping, or as a successful group
treasurer is also very helpful.
The treasurer receives contributions from the groups, administers the area’s
checking account, pays the rent for the committee’s meeting hall, reimburses
officers and subcommittee chairs for their budgeted expenses, keeps careful
records of all transactions, and reports on the financial condition of the area
committee at each of its meetings. As the administrator of the area’s unified
general fund, the treasurer is also responsible to prepare an annual budget 2 for
the area committee. The Treasurer’s Handbook, available from the World Service
Office, contains a more detailed description of the treasurer’s job and most of the
forms treasurers need for keeping their records.
Cash transactions can create a number of problems for ASC treasurers.
Having large quantities of currency can make an area treasurer particularly
vulnerable to robbery. Handling large undocumented sums of cash may also
leave the treasurer open to unwarranted accusations of theft, or may even
provide an unnecessary temptation. That’s why we encourage groups to make
their ASC contributions in the form of checks or money orders payable to the
area service committee whenever possible. When treasurers receive cash
contributions for their areas, they should always make out receipts to the
contributors immediately, keeping copies for themselves with their official
records.
Wide experience also strongly suggests that, to help prevent theft, area
committees should only use two-signature checks to pay their bills. In order for a
check to be valid, it should be signed by the treasurer and another ASC
administrative officer.
These cautions are offered to protect the treasurer from controversy as well
as to protect area funds. Discussions of other considerations relating to both the
treasurer’s responsibilities and area finances appear later in this chapter.
Readers can find more on general NA funding issues, including security and
accountability, in the essay on Concept Eleven appearing in the chapter on the
Twelve Concepts for NA Service earlier in this guide.

2
See the section later in this chapter, "Area Budgeting."
50 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Regional committee members (RCMs)

Regional committee members are just that: They serve as the core of the
regional service committee, a body which coordinates service forums throughout
the region, is responsible for the regional convention, and conducts the regional
assembly. The regional committee also serves year around as a contact point
between NA world and local services. Detailed information on the services
provided by regional committees can be found later in this guide.
RCMs keep their areas in touch with the larger world of NA by providing
information on activities in neighboring areas, functions being sponsored by the
regional committee, reports relevant to subcommittee affairs, and important
issues being discussed at various levels of service.
Both the region and its areas depend on RCMs to be well-versed in NA
service practices and principles. RCMs should be closely acquainted with the
Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts, the fundamentals of service in our
fellowship. Familiarity with all published service manuals and bulletins puts the
resources of the whole fellowship at the RCM’s fingertips.
RCMs should carefully study the reports from their own areas’ groups,
officers, and subcommittee chairs so that they can pass their areas’ experience
on to others at the regional meeting. RCMs will be more effective contacts
between their areas and the regional committee if they take time to talk
personally with other participants in their area committees. That way, they can
get a better idea of what needs and concerns the regional committee should
address.
Regional committee members serve two-year terms. Most areas have two
RCMs serving at any one time, one elected in odd-numbered years and the other
in even years. This helps regional committees maintain a balance between
experienced members and those just learning the ropes. It also ensures that a
regional committee serving only three or four areas will have enough members to
be able to do its work.

ELECTIONS AND ROTATION

Some area committees hold elections for all their officers and subcommittee
chairpersons at the same time each year; others stagger their elections, selecting
members for different trusted-servant roles at different times of the year, so that
their committees always have a mix of new and experienced leaders.
Administrative officers and subcommittee chairpersons generally serve no more
than two terms consecutively in the same position and, with the exception of
RCMs, usually serve one-year terms. This allows for the rotation of a variety of
individuals through an area’s trusted-servant positions, providing a diversity of
viewpoints and talents and a freshness of perspective that would be lacking were
these positions to be held year after year by the same individuals. The rotation of
trusted servants at the area level also helps the committee better reflect the full
range of insight available among committee members, preventing the area
 The Area Service Committee 51

committee from becoming the mere extension of an individual’s personality.

Rotation emphasizes that our efforts to help carry the message through service
involvement is just one way of practicing our Twelfth Step, no more or less
special or praiseworthy than any other. The practice of rotation is founded on this
fellowship’s belief that service is more important than the servant, an extension of
our tradition of spiritual anonymity.
Area committees can foster continuity in their services by a number of means.
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, some area committees stagger their
elections of trusted servants, ensuring these committees always have a certain
proportion of experienced leaders. Many area committees also encourage those
who have completed terms as administrative officers and subcommittee chairs to
remain active in the ASC either in another leadership position, as individual
members of one of the area’s subcommittees, or informally. By balancing the
practice of rotation with the kind of experience available from past officers, an
area committee can partake of the best of both worlds.

SUBCOMMITTEES
In some ways, the relationship between an ASC and its subcommittees is
very similar to the relationship between NA groups and their ASC; in others, it is
quite different. Just as groups create an area committee to help them fulfill their
primary purpose, so the ASC creates subcommittees to do the actual work
involved in delivering its direct services—H&I, PI, phonelines, activities, and the
rest. If area subcommittees are to serve effectively, the ASC must delegate them
sufficient authority to exercise their best judgment in fulfilling their duties.
However, because an area committee must account to the groups for the actions
of its subcommittees, ASCs generally maintain a somewhat tighter rein on their
subcommittees than groups do on their area committees.
The balance between accountability and delegation is a delicate one. If an
area committee exerts too much control over its subcommittees, those
subcommittees will not be able to serve well. If the ASC delegates too much
authority to its subcommittees, on the other hand, the area committee will not be
able to account fully for itself to the groups it serves. An ASC should pay careful
attention to the Twelve Concepts, especially Concept Five, when creating
subcommittees, giving them sufficient liberty to serve freely while still maintaining
their accountability.
52 A Guide to Local Services in NA

The ASC is responsible not only to develop and maintain subcommittees in

each field of service but also to coordinate the work of each of those
subcommittees with the work of the others. For these reasons, all area
committee participants need to become as informed as they can possibly be
about subcommittee activities. Area committees devote significant portions of
their meetings to reports from subcommittee chairpersons and discussions of
subcommittee activities. Handbooks are available from the World Service Office
for most of the subcommittees listed below. Specific directions for subcommittees
in your area can be found in your log of policy actions and (if applicable) your
area guidelines.
Most newly formed area service committees will probably not be able to
support the same wide range of subcommittee services as a longer-established
committee. Rather than attempt to set up all their subcommittees at once, it’s
recommended that new area committees take their time. Make sure the
responsibilities of new subcommittees are well coordinated with those of existing
ones. Bring subcommittees on line one at a time and give a great deal of
attention to developing each subcommittee before bringing on another.
Translations
Translation subcommittees perform one of the most basic services possible for
an NA community: They ensure that the written NA message is available in the
language spoken by local members. Translation subcommittees also assist in
 The Area Service Committee 53

translating service-related correspondence and periodicals so that the members

of their NA communities can take a fuller part in the life of the worldwide NA
Fellowship. If your NA community needs a translation subcommittee but does not
yet have one, Narcotics Anonymous World Services will be happy to help you
start one. For assistance, contact the World Service Office.
Hospitals and Institutions
Hospitals and institutions subcommittees conduct panels that carry the NA
message to addicts who often have no other way of hearing our message.
Treatment panels are conducted for patients at addiction treatment centers,
mental health facilities, and therapeutic communities. Correctional panels are
held for inmates at jails, prisons, and forensic hospitals. The Hospitals and
Institutions Handbook, available from your local H&I subcommittee or by writing
the World Service Office, explains more about how to conduct panels, interact
with facility administrators, and organize subcommittee work. The amount of
work your local H&I subcommittee does will depend on a variety of factors: the
number of treatment and correctional facilities in your area, the number of NA
members in your area who are interested in H&I service, and the amount of
collective experience in H&I work in your NA community.
H&I subcommittee responsibilities sometimes overlap those of the local public
information subcommittee. For this reason, we encourage H&I and PI
subcommittees to closely cooperate with one another. In some areas, H&I and PI
subcommittees regularly send one or two members to each other’s meetings to
maintain communications, thereby minimizing the potential for conflict in these
two key fields of service.
Public Information
The general mission of your area public information subcommittee is to inform
addicts and others in the community of the availability of recovery in Narcotics
Anonymous. Services provided by PI subcommittees vary widely from area to
area. The simplest kind of PI project is the production and distribution of fliers
throughout the community announcing that NA is available and that more
information can be had either by calling the local NA information phoneline or by
attending an NA meeting. As PI subcommittees become better developed, they
often conduct public meetings for community members, distribute public service
announcements to local radio and television stations, and respond to public
media inquiries. Some PI subcommittees develop separate working groups called
CPC panels (short for cooperation with the professional community) to focus
especially on the NA community’s relations with local treatment professionals. A
Guide to Public Information, available from your local PI subcommittee or by
writing the World Service Office, provides detailed information on conducting a
wide range of projects designed to increase community awareness of Narcotics
Anonymous.
54 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Many public information projects serve primarily to encourage people to call the
local phoneline for more information on NA. Because of the close link between PI
and phoneline work, it will often benefit these two subcommittees to cultivate close
relationships with one another. Some phoneline and PI subcommittees make it a
standard policy to send members to one another’s meetings to better facilitate
communication between the two. In some areas, a single subcommittee
administers both the phoneline and NA’s public relations program.
Phoneline
The phoneline subcommittee maintains a telephone information service for
Narcotics Anonymous that helps addicts and others in the community find us
easily and quickly. Phoneline volunteers often serve as the first point of contact
between the community-at-large and the NA Fellowship. For this reason, it’s vital
that careful attention be paid to the work of this subcommittee.
Phoneline subcommittees in different NA communities organize their work in
different ways to meet local needs. In some areas, PI and phoneline services are
operated jointly by a single subcommittee. In smaller communities, the phoneline
may be as simple as a call-forwarding service connecting callers with NA
members’ home telephones. In the larger metropolitan areas, computerized
systems may route incoming calls to the appropriate people and information. For
more details on NA phonelines, consult A Guide to Phoneline Service, available
from your local phoneline subcommittee or by writing the World Service Office.

Literature supply
The literature supply subcommittee maintains a stock of NA books and
pamphlets that can be purchased by local groups at the monthly ASC meeting. In
some areas, this subcommittee may consist of only one or two people. In other
areas, it may involve as many as half a dozen members who process group
orders, monitor stock levels, and reorder materials from the local NA office or the
World Service Office. To maintain accountability for all area funds, most areas
ask their treasurer to serve as cashier for literature sales. The subcommittee then
goes to the treasurer for a check when it has to reorder stock. To help organize
the job of processing group orders, tracking inventory, and reordering depleted
items, contact the World Service Office for available resources.

Newsletter
Some areas form subcommittees, which publish local newsletters listing area and
regional events. Some newsletters also run articles on local service activities and
members’ recovery experiences. Keep in mind that NA newsletters are often
read as if they speak for Narcotics Anonymous as a whole, no matter how many
disclaimers the newsletter subcommittee prints. That’s why we encourage the
area committee to take special heed of the Fifth Concept when creating this
subcommittee, ensuring the newsletter has a responsible editorial policy. A
 The Area Service Committee 55

Handbook for NA Newsletters, available from the World Service Office, provides
more information on the work of the newsletter subcommittee.
Activities
Dances, picnics, campouts, special speaker meetings—these events are put on
by area activities subcommittees. Activities like these can provide a greater
sense of community for the local NA Fellowship and produce additional area
income. It should always be kept in mind, however, that these functions are
designed to enhance NA’s primary purpose, not to replace group contributions in
funding area services.
A couple of remarks must be made regarding legalities relevant to NA
activities. Most activities subcommittees distribute fliers announcing their next
event to NA groups in the area. If your subcommittee’s flier displays one of the
NA logos shown below, a small circled letter “R” (it looks like this: ®) should
appear to the right of the logo. This mark shows that the logo is a registered
trademark of Narcotics Anonymous worldwide and helps protect the logo from
misuse outside the fellowship. For more information, see the bulletin, Internal
Use of NA Intellectual Property, at the end of this guide (page 112).

Narcotics
Anonymous ®

Some activities subcommittees have conducted raffles of one sort or another

either as separate fundraising efforts or as parts of another activity. It should be
noted that in many US states and in some other countries such raffles are
considered gambling and, as such, are illegal. Activities subcommittees should
also consider whether raffles, especially cash raffles or lotteries, appeal more to
the spirit of self-interest than the spirit of voluntary support implicit in our Seventh
Tradition.
Outreach
Outreach subcommittees serve as the outstretched hand of an established NA
community to isolated groups and addicts, particularly in large rural areas. By
phone, by mail, and by car they make sure that no group and no addict has to go
through it alone if at all possible. The subcommittee helps keep geographically
isolated groups and addicts in touch with the mainstream of the NA Fellowship.
56 A Guide to Local Services in NA

The outreach subcommittee is not the only subcommittee concerned with

reaching out to isolated addicts. Sometimes addicts are isolated by factors other
than geography: social, economic, and cultural factors, for instance. PI, H&I, and
phoneline subcommittees can help an area committee focus additional attention
on the needs of addicts in our own communities who, for one reason or another,
have not found NA accessible. Area service committees and their subcommittees
need to do whatever they can to ensure that recovery is available to any addict
who seeks it, “regardless of age, race, sexual identity, creed, religion, or lack of
religion.” Area subcommittees engaging in community outreach activities may
find help by contacting the World Service Office.
Meeting lists
Though production of meeting lists does not usually require the creation of a
separate subcommittee, most area committees do have one or two people who
are responsible for printing meeting schedules on a regular basis. In some areas,
this job is handled by one of the committee’s administrative officers; in others, by
one of the regular subcommittees. Meeting lists show days, times, locations, and
other pertinent information for local NA meetings. Meeting schedules often show:
 whether the meeting is “open” or “closed,”
 meeting format (Basic Text study, discussion, etc.),
 location use restrictions (no smoking, etc.),
 additional needs services (wheelchair accessibility, availability of sign-
language interpreter, etc.), and
 if the meeting is conducted by a specialized group (for instance, a men’s,
women’s, gay, or lesbian group).
At one time or another, most area committees have asked themselves
whether a particular meeting should be included on the list. The six points
describing an NA group appearing at the beginning of the “NA Group” chapter in
this guide have given most area committees the criteria they’ve needed in
making such decisions.
Meeting lists are often used in conjunction with an area’s public relations
program. For this reason, we encourage individuals and subcommittees
responsible for preparing their area directories to do an especially thorough job.
Some of the points to be given extra attention are the accuracy of all listings, the
attractiveness and usability of the directory’s format, and profanity in the names
of meetings being listed.
Area committees are encouraged to send a copy of their meeting schedule to
the World Service Office each time the list is updated. In addition, areas can
update their meeting information online at www.na.org. For more information,
contact the Fellowship Services at the WSO. Accurate, current lists of meetings
 The Area Service Committee 57

help the WSO maintain an up-to-date directory for use in answering questions
from around the world.
Ad hoc committees
Sometimes an area committee comes up with a question or special project that
does not fit into any existing subcommittee’s job description. Perhaps a new
piece of NA literature is being developed by world services, for instance, and the
area has been asked to gather input on the piece from NA members. Perhaps
local members have come up with an idea for a new piece of NA literature that
they want to develop a bit before they turn it over to world services. Maybe area
groups have begun having difficulty finding new places in which to hold recovery
meetings and want the ASC to give extended attention to the matter. Or perhaps
the committee feels it’s time to develop guidelines for itself. In such cases, the
ASC may wish to create an ad hoc committee to address the issue.
Ad hoc committees are set up for specific purposes and have limited lives.
When they have finished their jobs, they are disbanded. In creating an ad hoc
committee, the ASC should clearly specify what the committee’s purpose will be,
what authority and resources it will be given, and how long it should take to
complete the job. Then the area chair may appoint either the entire ad hoc
committee or just a chairperson who will put the ad hoc committee together later.
Once the ad hoc committee’s work is completed, the committee is dissolved.

AREA COMMITTEE POLICY AND GUIDELINES

One particular word comes to mind regarding area committee policy and
guidelines: caution. Some area committees have found themselves so tangled in
discussions of service policy and area guidelines—sometimes for months or
even years at a time—that they have been sorely hampered in providing the
services they were created to deliver in the first place. Here are a few points to
consider when entering into policy discussions, points that may keep the
confusion to a minimum and the committee squarely on track.
NA’s Twelve Concepts for Service can be of great value in untangling knotty
policy questions; some consider the concepts tailor-made resources for such
discussions. Time invested in studying the Twelve Concepts will repay itself
many times over with the clarity they provide. In particular, the concepts speak to
the subject of delegated authority. For instance, according to the concepts, when
groups want the area committee to perform services on their behalf, they
delegate to the committee sufficient authority for the work to get done. And when
the area committee elects officers and subcommittee chairs, expecting them to
perform particular tasks, the committee also delegates to them the authority to
apply their best judgment to the fulfillment of those tasks. Our trusted servants do
not govern, but they must be given the trust necessary to effectively serve. These
kinds of simple, direct principles can be effectively applied to any number of
service-related policy questions.
58 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Another tool that can help an area committee find its way out of “the policy
maze” is, simply, a moment’s reflection on NA’s primary purpose.
Unsophisticated as this may seem, it can be quite effective in solving some pretty
complex problems. Area committees exist primarily to help make NA groups
more effective in carrying the recovery message to the still-suffering addict. Area
committee services either:
 attract addicts to meetings,
 provide materials for use in meetings,
 conduct activities designed to strengthen meetings, or
 perform the administrative functions necessary to do these things.
When caught in a conflict for which there seems to be no resolution, an area
committee can stop, call for a moment of silence, and ask itself, “What does this
discussion have to do with carrying the message?”
A regularly updated log of area policy actions can be of tremendous help.
When confronted with a policy question, area committees can consult it to see
what decisions have already been made regarding it. The policy log makes it
unnecessary for area committees to rehash the same question over and over
and over again.
Hopefully, enough tools already exist to provide adequate guidance for the
work of most area committees: this chapter of A Guide to Local Services, the log
of area policy actions, the short-form rules of order appearing toward the end of
this guide, and the Twelve Concepts for NA Service. Some areas, though, will
want to develop their own area guidelines, giving specific directions to their
administrative officers and subcommittees. This will be the case particularly for
area committees whose subcommittees have substantial responsibilities. It’s
suggested that area committees give themselves some time to see what kinds of
needs for guidelines actually exist in their areas before beginning to draft their
own. An area committee equipped with a year or two of entries in the log of policy
actions will be in a better position to see what kind of guidelines ought to be
developed than an area committee trying to write guidelines during the
committee’s formation. You can get sample guidelines by writing to the World
Service Office. Areas who wish to prepare their own guidelines may wish to
appoint an ad hoc committee to adapt those sample guidelines to local needs.
It should be remembered that guidelines, rules of order, logs of policy actions,
and similar tools are designed to help keep things simple. If an area committee
finds these tools, instead, making things more complicated, time should be
scheduled during the sharing session to talk about it.

AREA INVENTORY
Some area committees set aside one day each year for conducting an area
service inventory. Why? For much the same reason as NA members do personal
 The Area Service Committee 59

inventories: to stop, consider their actions and attitudes, and rededicate

themselves to their ideals. The area inventory considers three general topics:
1. How well has the area committee done this year at serving the groups, and
how can it better serve them in the coming year?
2. How well has the area committee served the larger community, and how can
the committee better serve the community-at-large?
3. How well has the area committee done at supporting NA’s regional and world
services? How can the area provide better support for these services?
A substantial amount of preparation is required on everyone’s part for an
effective area inventory. GSRs, officers, and subcommittees must take a
fearless, searching look at their work over the last year and come to the inventory
session prepared to review their roles on the committee. GSRs should spend
time with their groups considering what needs might be addressed by the area
committee in the next year and come to the inventory session with ideas in hand.
Officers and subcommittees should take the time to look at the make-up of the
larger community in which they live, ask themselves how NA could be more
effective in reaching out to that community, and be prepared to share their
thoughts with the entire area committee. And perhaps most importantly, all area
committee participants should make an extra effort to prepare themselves
spiritually to make the most of the area inventory meeting. Materials available
from your World Service Office may provide additional help, especially in
developing an agenda for your inventory session.
Having conducted an area inventory, many committees will come to the
conclusion that certain aspects of their work need to be altered. It should be
remembered that there is no one model for area service committees that will be
completely appropriate to all areas. A number of factors will affect the kinds of
services an area committee offers and the ways in which it offers them:
community size, number of meetings, availability of experienced NA members,
geography, local laws and customs, and other such considerations. What works
in a major metropolitan setting probably won’t work at all in a rural community.
What will work in any setting is an effort to maintain sensitivity to the needs of the
groups and the community. Each area committee will, to a great degree, have to
find its own way of effectively providing services to those groups and the larger
community of which those groups are a part.
Versatility is called for. Area committees in small or mid-sized communities
may see fit to combine the work of some subcommittees, while well-established
metropolitan committees might find themselves with a large number of highly
specialized subcommittees, each with its own specific focus. Given reasonable
consideration, an area committee should not be afraid to configure its services in
whatever way it sees fit so that it may help carry the NA message in the most
effective way possible.
60 A Guide to Local Services in NA

PARTICIPATION
Participation is a critical factor in delivering services at any level. Lagging
subcommittee participation and poor attendance at area committee meetings are
problems all area committees must address from time to time, particularly during
the annual inventory session. Sometimes the solutions to these problems are
simple and quick; more often, they require deliberate, extended attention.
An area that has few GSRs attending committee meetings or lacks support
for the work of its subcommittees probably has one or more of the following
problems:
 The area is new,
 The territory served by the ASC is sparsely populated,
 Committee meetings are run poorly,
 The committee, as it is run presently, is too large to allow for GSR
participation,
 Groups and members in the area are not sufficiently informed concerning the
role of the area committee and the kind of work being done by its
subcommittees,
 The services provided by the ASC are not meeting the needs of area
members or groups, or
 Members and groups are simply not interested in supporting area services.
Of these, the first two are generally the easiest to address. If a new area is
lacking in members available for service, the passage of time alone may well
provide a solution; the section later in this chapter, “Creating New Area
Committees,” discusses this further. And if an area committee serves a sparsely
populated territory, there are ways in which it can structure its services to match
its circumstances. More on this can be found later in this chapter under the
heading, “Area Committees in Rural Communities.” You can also write to the
World Service Office and ask for any relevant materials they may have on hand.
If one of the remaining problems is the case, an area committee can
determine which one it is by sending current committee participants out to the
groups, especially those groups who are not sending GSRs, and simply ask them
what they think.
When a meeting is poorly run or has too many participants, it is difficult for
any but the most outspoken to get a word in edgewise. Sometimes GSRs stop
attending their area meeting because it seems like a waste of time. If any of
these problems has pushed your area committee off track, there are a couple of
options you can try to set your ASC back on course. If your ASC is trying to serve
too many groups and committee meetings are so crowded they don’t allow most
GSRs an opportunity to participate, it may be time to consider dividing the area.
The next chapter of this guide talks about the ASC division process from start to
finish.
 The Area Service Committee 61

Remember, though, that “too many groups” is a relative term. A poorly run
meeting, no matter how many people are taking part in it, always seems “too
large.” An ASC serving many groups may need nothing more than a leadership
tune-up to make its meetings run smoothly, allowing full participation by all
committee members. Review of the materials in this guide—especially this
chapter, the earlier chapter on the Twelve Concepts, and the short-form rules of
order appearing toward the end of this guide—can sharpen an ASC
chairperson’s focus on the content and process appropriate to area committee
meetings, helping the chair lead a more effective meeting. A variety of other
books about running meetings, available from many libraries and bookstores, can
also be consulted.
If local NA members are unaware of the kind of work being done by the area
committee, area officers can be asked to organize a service workshop. Such
workshops, creatively conducted, can present groups and members with options
for service of which they’d previously been unaware and spark their interest in
becoming a part of those services.
If the area committee is not currently providing services that meet the real
needs of local members or groups, such a workshop could serve as a
combination open forum and brainstorming session. Drawing from the
experience and insight of everyone who cares to be involved in the discussion,
such a forum could pinpoint inadequacies in current services and develop
directions for future services that better address the needs of the local NA
community.
Some NA groups will not be interested in taking part in area services, no
matter how effective and inviting they might be. These groups may feel that their
experienced members have more than enough to do with just supporting their
recovery meetings. It’s true that NA groups are responsible to support NA
services, but they are responsible first to conduct NA meetings. Our tradition of
group autonomy gives them the right to decide for themselves whether or not
they are able or willing to extend their support to the area committee. No matter
what they decide, the area committee has a responsibility to serve all the groups
in its service territory, regardless of whether or not a particular group has chosen
to participate in the work of the committee.

AREA BUDGETING
A budget helps an area committee be a better manager of the funds it
receives. The basic process for developing an area committee budget is pretty
simple; for your convenience, a budget worksheet has been included in the
Treasurer’s Handbook, available from your World Service Office. On a quarterly
or annual basis, administrative officers and subcommittee chairpersons present
their plans for the next work period along with estimates of how much that work
will cost. By comparing the projected work plans and expenses with income
62 A Guide to Local Services in NA

reports from the last work period, the area committee will have a pretty good idea
of how feasible the budget proposal is and can vote to either adopt it or alter it.
Narcotics Anonymous groups directly support area, regional, and world
services from money left over after covering their own expenses. Area
committees, after setting money aside to cover budgeted expenses, are
encouraged to do the same with their surplus funds, sending it on to the other
levels of the service structure.

GROUP

AREA
FUND FLOW
1) Groups donate directly
to each level except metro METRO
2) Areas serve as funnels for
all group contributions for
metro services; MSCs return
excess funds to areas REGION
3) Areas may donate excess
funds to region or world
4) Region may donate
excess funds to world WORLD
SERVICES

OTHER FUNDING CONSIDERATIONS

Area committees generally assign their treasurers the responsibility of
managing all ASC funds. When officers or subcommittee chairpersons need
money for a budgeted project, they ask the treasurer to write them a check to be
countersigned by another ASC officer. The same general procedure can be
applied by area committees that do not develop quarterly or annual budgets,
except that specific spending proposals must be presented by officers and
subcommittees to the full area committee before funds can be drawn from the
treasury. The officer or subcommittee chair turns receipts for their expenses in to
the treasurer along with whatever money may be left over from their advance. If
the project produces income, that money is also returned to the treasurer for
 The Area Service Committee 63

deposit back into the general fund. A single general fund helps ensure that the
area committee is able to maintain final responsibility for the activities of its
subcommittees. It also eliminates the need for each subcommittee to duplicate
the treasurer’s job.
Most areas periodically struggle with the question of fundraising versus group
contributions for support of their work. Activities subcommittees usually plan to
have their projects come out in the black (as opposed to coming out in the red)
so that unexpected expenses can be covered. As a result, most activities do in
fact generate some excess funds. The time and energy that goes into putting on
activities is contributed by NA members in the spirit of our Seventh Tradition, so
depositing the extra money generated by those activities in the area committee’s
general fund is not inappropriate. But the primary purpose of an area activity is to
promote unity within the NA community, not specifically to raise funds for the
area committee.
Some area service committees come to depend too greatly on extra income
from activities. These area committees then sometimes tend to ignore the
expressed needs of the groups. An area committee that finds itself in such a
situation must ask itself whether it has become more a fundraising agency than a
group of trusted servants devoted to the delivery of Narcotics Anonymous
services. Once the question has been asked and the committee has engaged in
an honest evaluation of its activities, the area committee can correct its course
and return to its work.

THE MONTHLY MEETING

The monthly area service committee meeting, open to any NA member, is the
event at which the work of the subcommittees and the well-being of the groups
all come into focus. Before the meeting starts, one of the administrative officers
gives an orientation to new group service representatives. Then officers,
subcommittee chairpersons, and GSRs report on what’s happened since the
committee met last. The sharing session gives all participants the opportunity to
engage in wide-open discussion of group problems and area committee issues
raised by the reports. After the sharing session the committee is ready to go
straight to business, considering questions about the work of its officers and
subcommittees. The sample agenda, which appears at the end of this chapter,
can be used by most area committees as a tool for organizing the monthly
meeting. And the short-form rules of order appearing toward the end of this guide
can help the business of the committee be processed in an orderly, respectful
fashion.
64 A Guide to Local Services in NA

THE SHARING SESSION

The sharing session has two types of agenda: group problems and area
committee issues. Agenda items for the sharing session usually come up during
reports from group service representatives, administrative officers, and
subcommittee chairpersons. After each report is given, anyone on the area
committee—including the person who gave the report—can ask the committee
chairperson to place a particular subject on the sharing session agenda.

Group problems
Groups are encouraged to seek their own solutions to the challenges they face—
and, most of the time, they find them. But sometimes a group faces a problem
that is beyond any of its members’ experience. When that occurs, groups can
send their GSRs to the area committee sharing session with a request for help.
That help usually comes in the form of the shared experience of other groups
in dealing with the same kinds of questions. Since NA groups are entirely self-
governing, only rarely can an area committee motion deal with a group problem
in any appropriate way. However, the shared experience of other committee
members with similar problems in their own groups may provide a GSR with just
the information or insight his or her group has been lacking.

Area committee issues

The sharing session is also a time when the area committee can focus on issues
rather than motions. Although the rules of common courtesy are in place, the
rules of order are not. It’s an informal time in which ideas can be freely shared,
ideas that can help the committee be more effective in fulfilling its purpose. Many
area committees, putting our fellowship’s Sixth Concept to work, use the sharing
session to better understand their collective conscience on area business before
making decisions.
The Sixth Concept for Service talks about group conscience as “the spiritual
means by which we invite a loving God to influence our decisions,” and carefully
distinguishes the spiritual discipline of group conscience from the decision-
making mechanism. Perhaps nowhere is that distinction more evident than in the
sharing session. In the sharing session, committee participants consult their
individual consciences—and their Higher Power—on the broad issues at hand,
share the insights resulting from that, and together develop a collective direction
for the committee. In the business portion of the meeting, those same
participants try to express that group conscience in the specific form of motions
and votes. But committee motions cannot be an effective expression of the
spiritual aims of our fellowship without the free exchange necessary for the
development of a group conscience having first occurred. The sharing session is
designed specifically to facilitate that occurrence.
Let’s say the public information subcommittee’s report suggested in general
terms the need to be more energetic in reaching out to drug abuse treatment
 The Area Service Committee 65

professionals in the area. During the sharing session, a variety of issues

pertaining to PI’s suggestion can be discussed: What’s the difference between
“energetic” PI work and outright promotion of NA? To what extent, if any, does
cooperation with the professional community border on the endorsement of
outside enterprises? And is this where the area wants to spend more money, or
are there other projects more deserving of immediate attention? No motions, no
calling of the question, no parliamentary inquiries—just a free exchange of ideas
among NA trusted servants producing greater understanding of directions in
which area services might head.
The sharing session is the appropriate time for members to exercise NA’s
Ninth and Tenth Concepts. These concepts remind us that our committees are
responsible to listen to all participants’ voices with respect and that all members
have a right to be heard. Minority opinions on committee business can be
expressed freely and clearly in the sharing session. And problems potentially
calling for the redress of a personal grievance on the part of a committee
member can be aired in an open, supportive atmosphere.

AREA COMMITTEES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

In many rural towns, even after many years of existence, only one or two NA
groups may have formed. The distances between such towns and the relatively
few members available to serve may make it impractical for a rural area
committee to conduct any common services for its groups. It’s more usual in rural
areas for the individual groups themselves to administer what direct services
there are in each community. When the group has its business meeting,
members discuss not only the group’s recovery meeting but their collective
efforts to facilitate Twelfth Step work in the community. The group may get a post
office box to make it easier for people in the community to contact NA. The group
might even open its own telephone line with an answering machine offering
recorded information about the local NA meeting. One member might take
responsibility for ordering the group’s NA literature directly from the World
Service Office. The whole group may decide to get together one Saturday and
put NA fliers up around town. Regular group contacts with local magistrates,
social workers, physicians or health clinics, school counselors, and clergy can
help NA’s friends guide newcomers to the group’s meeting.
In some rural districts, groups join forces to form cooperative councils, called
“co-ops” for short. Representatives of groups within 50 kilometers (31 miles) of
one another in one corner of the area, for instance, might gather each month to
coordinate their H&I panels, community contact programs, social activities, and
common phoneline. If GSR travel to area committee meetings is burdensome—
say, if the ASC meets more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) away—they might
even select one of their members to represent the co-op each month on a
rotating basis.
66 A Guide to Local Services in NA

The following diagram shows such an area. The four northwestern groups
have formed Co-op #1 to run a phoneline and coordinate a weekly H&I panel at
the nearby county work farm. Co-op #1’s four GSRs take turns attending the area
committee’s monthly meetings. The five county seat groups in the southeast
have formed Co-op #2 to administer NA services in that small city. All five GSRs
from Co-op #2 attend the ASC meetings, which they host.
Rural area committee meetings often become mostly a sharing session.
Group service representatives discuss their groups’ progress with one another
and provide solutions to each other’s problems. Some rural areas conduct joint
activities—dances, speaker meetings, and workshops—to promote unity and
enhance their groups’ effectiveness. Many rural committees appoint individual
members as area resource contacts for particular fields of service whose job it is
to gather information on H&I, PI, or phonelines for other groups to use. Rural
area committee operations are simple, but the strength gathered from the unity
they provide is just as important as it is in a metropolitan setting.
 The Area Service Committee 67

LEARNING DAYS, WORKSHOPS

Learning days and workshops sponsored by area subcommittees are
valuable tools for increasing area members’ awareness of the work conducted by
the area committee. For most fields of service—H&I, PI, phonelines, etc.—
complete descriptions of how to conduct local learning days and workshops are
provided in the respective service handbooks. Many area committees also
conduct topical workshops on the Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts for NA
Service, sponsorship, and other subjects. If experience in a particular subject or
field of service is low in your area, you can work with your regional committee to
organize a workshop to help strengthen understanding of that branch of service
in your area.
Group service workshops can help trusted servants of local groups focus on
their primary purpose and the tools available for fulfilling it. Some group service
workshops begin with members of the area committee sharing their experience in
different group service positions, using the chapter on the NA group from A
Guide to Local Services as a reference. The workshop can then be opened for
discussion or questions from those attending. Others break up into small groups
to review different topics relevant to group services—meeting formats, for
example, relations with the community, or group business meetings. However it’s
conducted, a group service workshop is one direct way for the members of an
area committee to share their experience with the groups they serve.

CREATING NEW AREA COMMITTEES

As Narcotics Anonymous grows, groups are formed each year where no area
service structure exists. The first priority of such groups is, of course, getting the
group on its feet and developing stable meetings. In larger communities, a stable
group often sprouts new groups and new meetings. At some point, those groups
begin to think about creating a common committee for themselves—what we call
an area service committee—to serve their mutual needs and make it easier for
them to pool their efforts in reaching out to the community. Groups considering
the formation of a new area committee can tap the experience of their regional
service committee or, if no regional service committee exists, the World Service
Office.
Some new area committees try to start up all at once with a full complement
of administrative officers and subcommittees, monthly dances, a convention, and
a local service center. Area committees, which try to do this, may sorely
disappoint themselves. Remember: first things first.
Area committees are formed, first, to strengthen the groups that create them.
Before an area committee can start serving the community, the groups, which
make up that area must be on solid footing. An area committee just beginning its
service journey may exist primarily as an environment in which groups can share
their strengths and solutions with one another.
68 A Guide to Local Services in NA

The new area committee might also consider focusing a considerable amount
of its attention on the study of NA’s Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts for
NA Service. An area committee that takes care to establish a firm foundation
before attempting to erect even a simple service structure will not be likely to
regret the time taken in doing so.
Once the new area committee has established a pattern of facilitating
communication among the groups and nurturing an understanding among its
members of the principles behind NA service, it will be ready to begin providing
simple direct services to the groups and the community. Fellowship gatherings—
learning forums, cooperative speaker meetings, dances, picnics, and the like—
require a minimum of organization yet can go a long way toward increasing unity
among the groups in the area. Meeting lists and posters distributed in the
community can help direct more addicts to more meetings. Direct services don’t
have to be grand, complicated, expensive enterprises to be effective in promoting
unity and carrying the recovery message. New area committees will do well to
start with simple projects.
There are a few more things a new area committee will want to keep in mind,
both in its initial formation and in its first few years of operation. First is the need
to share the workload, ensuring that no one person is burdened with most of the
area committee’s work. Not all NA members in the area will be interested in
serving on the area committee; most, in fact, will be satisfied to fulfill their primary
commitment to their groups, leaving the area service committee to others. But
those who are involved in the area committee should see to it that committee
work is divided evenly among them. A committee supported primarily by one
member is too vulnerable to collapse should that lone individual begin to suffer
from “trusted servant burnout” or become unavailable for some other reason. If
only a few members are involved in an area committee, they should consider
keeping their workload light rather than overreaching their capacity.
A second consideration for new area committees is the idea of making a
commitment to meet regularly—once a month, if possible. Most new committees
will be occupying themselves primarily with developing means of supporting
member-groups and the study of NA traditions and concepts of service. Those
agenda items require regular, concentrated attention as the area committee
establishes its foundation. A commitment to meet regularly, right from the start,
helps keep that need in the foreground.
Finally, the new area committee will greatly benefit from continued contact
with its regional service committee, with neighboring area committees, and in
some cases with groups and service committees in neighboring countries. Just
as individual addicts don’t often make it on their own, area committees can
greatly benefit from the shared experience, strength, and hope of those who’ve
gone before them. None of us has to do it alone—not anymore.
 The Area Service Committee 69

SAMPLE AREA COMMITTEE AGENDA

The typical agenda for an area committee meeting often looks something like
this. The committee fills it in each month with more specific topics under each
heading.

CALL TO ORDER

• reading of the Serenity Prayer

• reading of the Twelve Traditions and/or Twelve Concepts for NA Service
• roll call
• recognition of new groups
• approval of last month’s minutes (additions or corrections are made)

REPORTS

• administrative officers’ reports

• group reports
• special (ad hoc) committee reports
• standing subcommittee reports

SHARING SESSION
General discussion of group concerns and issues raised by reports.

OLD BUSINESS
Motions are in order regarding business left over from previous meetings. (Some
areas also conduct their elections of trusted servants during this portion of the
agenda.)

NEW BUSINESS
Motions are in order regarding business that is new to this committee.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ADJOURNMENT
 DIVIDING AREA SERVICE COMMITTEES

Locally, most area service committees serve dual functions, offering both
group support and direct service administration. A small area committee, while
providing a forum in which groups can share their experience with one another,
often has difficulty administering direct NA services. An especially large
committee, on the other hand, may have plenty of money and manpower for
direct service administration but be too large to accommodate the kind of sharing
that its groups need to support one another.
Areas grow and change. As time passes, some area committees find
themselves with so many GSRs attending that it’s almost impossible to conduct
orderly monthly meetings. Others start to ask whether an area committee that
serves many towns might not be more effective if broken up into a number of
committees separately serving those towns. Still others experience internal
conflicts and wonder whether it wouldn’t be easier just to separate the camps into
their own area service committees. Regardless of where the question comes
from, it’s important that the answer follow only on careful consideration of the
group conscience of the entire area. There’s much to examine and many
questions to answer in dividing an area.
Many areas begin considering a division when they reach a certain size. But
how big is a “big” area, and how small is “small”? Areas range in size from five to
fifty or more groups. Yet size often has less to do with how well an area works
than effective leadership, commitment to principles, and the consistent
involvement of area groups. There is no magic number that should trigger an
area division; the only appropriate trigger is function, not form.
If your area is discussing the possibility of a division, we suggest you conduct
an area inventory and review the criteria described in coming sections of this
chapter to carefully examine your area’s services. If you discover problems in
your ASC such as those described under the inventory heading in the previous
chapter, see if you can solve them by some means other than the division of your
area. If, after all this, you still believe the interests of the NA community and the
community-at-large can best be served by dividing your area, you can proceed
with confidence.
Before getting into the mechanics of division, there’s one more thing we must
emphasize: Your groups aren’t getting a divorce! It’s the service apparatus you’re
dividing, not the fellowship. Even as you plan to divide your area, we encourage
you to also take steps to maintain the unity of the NA Fellowship in your
community. By scheduling regular joint speaker meetings, social events, and
workshops for all the groups formerly served by the original ASC, you can
substantially ease the trauma of an area division.

70
 Dividing Area Service Committees 71

HOW TO DIVIDE
Like any organization, an NA area committee has responsibilities, assets, and
liabilities. When a portion of the groups served by an ASC unilaterally decides to
pull out and form its own area committee, it may leave the parent committee
impaired in its ability to serve the remaining groups. That’s why, when an ASC is
ready to divide, we encourage the entire area to participate in the division
process. Open your lines of communication, work out the issues, recognize the
problems, resolve whatever disagreements may arise, and then take an active
part in implementing the program developed by your area—in other words,
cooperate and surrender!
The territory, assets, and liabilities of the original area committee should be
carefully inventoried. Then, by mutual agreement, those responsibilities should
be equitably divided among the new areas before the division is actually affected.
Such a transition eliminates the potential for disruption of vital NA services to the
groups and the community, assuring that we continue to fulfill our primary
purpose.

Area boundaries
Clear area boundaries help each ASC understand its responsibilities and assure
that NA services are delivered consistently. If a call for service comes from a
particular location, there is no question whose job it is to answer that call. And
when ASC subcommittees develop work plans for service within their territory,
they can be sure they have fulfilled all their responsibilities.
The simplest, most natural divisions of service territory are based on already
existing geographic, political, or other functional boundaries. A very large area,
for example, might create an ASC for each county within its former domain. A city
already divided into wards could develop area committees within each ward. And
a heavily populated valley split by a river or major thoroughfare could initiate new
area committees on either side of the water or roadway. Brainstorm the
possibilities, discuss them among yourselves, and do what seems best for the
members in your area.
When creating new area boundaries, we should consider the resources
contained in each territory. Ideally, each new area will have about the same
number of groups. So that all the areas have access to the service experience
they need, none of the new areas should have a predominance of the trusted
servants from the old area. Consideration should also be given to the financial
base from which each new area will have to build. In some areas, most ASC
contributions come from groups in one or two districts. If at all possible—and it
may not be possible—try to divide those districts equitably among the new areas.
There is one very sensitive issue to examine when defining new area
boundaries: segregation. In many places, geographic and political boundaries
serve to segregate racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, and economic communities
from one another. Creating area committee boundaries that are based on such
72 A Guide to Local Services in NA

divisions can have the effect of isolating a minority within the NA community from
the resources of the majority population. These divisions can engender or
aggravate antagonisms, threaten our common welfare, and fracture the unity on
which our personal recovery depends. Areas deliberately created to include
members from diverse backgrounds can enhance NA unity and emphasize the
appeal of our message to all addicts regardless of “age, race, sexual identity,
creed, religion, or lack of religion.”
On the other hand, area boundaries drawn along cultural lines can give
minority groups a forum in which their cultural values are honored and their
common needs are squarely addressed without dilution or compromise. If your
area is considering a division plan which has the effect of segregating minorities
within the NA community, we encourage you to carefully examine all the pros
and cons before proceeding, paying special attention to the express wishes of
minority groups in your community. If you decide to proceed with such a division,
we also encourage you to plan frequent joint activities for all the NA members
and groups served by the original ASC. Joint dances, speaker meetings, picnics,
and similar activities remind us that, though our services may be dividing into a
number of area committees, our fellowship remains one.

Functional analysis
Once boundaries have been defined for the new area committees, the next step
is a functional analysis of the old area committee’s services. Has the ASC
maintained a phoneline? Has a meeting list been published? What kinds of
activities has the public information subcommittee coordinated, and where? How
many facilities has the H&I subcommittee run panels in, and how frequently? For
each subcommittee, you could list out each and every function separately,
covering each of the following factors:
Service: Describe the service (maintaining a phoneline, running a particular H&I
panel, participating in a specific annual PI event, publishing a group
directory, etc.) as completely as possible.
Location: Where is this operation carried out? What territory does it cover?
Frequency: How often does this function need to be performed?
Time: How much time does it take to perform this duty?
Cost: What expenses are involved in fulfilling this service?
Personnel: How many people are required to complete this mission?
What particular jobs are the various participants responsible for?
After the old area’s responsibilities have been analyzed, the functions can be
divided up among the projected new areas. Based on these analyses,
subcommittees can be designated for each new ASC, work plans and budgets
can be developed, and suitable guidelines can be created before the old area
dissolves and the new areas assume its responsibilities.
 Dividing Area Service Committees 73

TO METRO...
As we noted earlier, most area committees perform double duty, serving as
both direct service administrators and group support facilitators. In dividing a
larger city 1 that has been served by a single area committee, your NA community
may want to consider maintaining the administration of its active service
subcommittees under a single body: the metropolitan services committee. This
leaves the new area committees free to serve as forums in which their
constituent groups can share with and support one another.
Administering citywide NA services through a metro committee has a number
of potential advantages, among them:
 Effective subcommittee teams are not split up. This allows NA to make the
best use of its limited volunteer leadership base without diminishing services
delivered in any of the new areas.
 The expenses involved in administering separate H&I, PI, phoneline, and
office services in each of the city’s areas are consolidated, eliminating
duplicate costs for the same administrative functions.
 Because primary oversight of working subcommittees occurs in only one
place, the metro committee, rather than in all the ASCs, the NA service
community requires less time for supervising the subcommittee bureaucracy
and has more time to focus directly on the needs and challenges of NA
groups.
The next chapter is devoted to the consideration of metropolitan services
committee operations.

...OR NOT TO METRO?

Some multi-area cities will not wish to form a metropolitan services
committee, instead administering direct services separately in each constituent
ASC. In the process of splitting a large metropolitan area committee into multiple
ASCs, how can the NA community decide whether or not it will form a metro
committee in addition to the new areas? The primary consideration must be
function, not form. The existence of a chapter on metro committees in A Guide to
Local Services in NA is not, of itself, sufficient reason for you to create a metro
committee in your city. A metropolitan services committee should be created only
if it will truly serve the needs of Narcotics Anonymous in your locale.

1
For the sake of convenience, we will be using the word "city" (singular) to refer to any major metropolitan area and its
environs, even though most such metropolitan areas are actually composed of a number of adjacent cities and
unincorporated districts and sometimes cross both county and state lines. Examples of such "cities" include New York,
Los Angeles, Chicago, São Paulo, Mexico City, Tokyo, and London.
74 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Metro committees are usually formed in larger metropolitan communities

served by more than one ASC. If your large area is dividing into a number of
smaller areas that will serve separate cities, you will probably have no need to
form a metro committee. Each of the new area committees can administer direct
services in their own communities without creating conflicts or redundancies.

If the need for shared services among the various ASCs in your city is limited
to only one or two fields of service—say, H&I coordination with county jail
administration or PI media coordination—you might establish shared services
committees to focus on those fields only. However, if the need for shared
services covers more than one or two fields, you will probably want to establish
an MSC that coordinates services through a subcommittee system. Otherwise,
with all the ASCs having to become directly involved in three or four separate
shared services committees, there may well be too much bureaucracy,
confusion, and controversy to make it worthwhile. The idea behind the decision
to create or not create a metro services committee is to keep it simple, based on
local needs.
If the need to coordinate shared services is not ongoing but limited to one-
time events, such as joint workshops or social activities, the areas in your NA
community don’t need to set up a permanent committee to organize these affairs.
 Dividing Area Service Committees 75

Simple, mutually acceptable arrangements to handle that one combined

workshop or social activity can be made each time one is planned without
creating yet another service body. If the need is ongoing, however—such as for a
monthly combined-areas speaker meeting—your community will probably want to
establish a permanent shared services committee that coordinates the event.

FUNCTION, NOT FORM

Finally we remind you that, of course, your NA community can organize its
services in any way that seems fit. Examine the service needs among your
areas, experiment, and find out what works best for you. The area committees in
your city may want to try out some variants of the MSC model, maintaining
certain service functions under the administration of ASC subcommittees while
the metro committee handles the rest. Or you might want to keep all direct
services in the area committees, establishing a metropolitan services committee
solely as a forum in which area subcommittees share about and coordinate their
work with one another. However you decide to coordinate NA services in your
community is perfectly alright, even if you don’t see it described in an NA service
manual, so long as it truly serves the best interests of your NA community and
does not conflict with either our Twelve Traditions or our Twelve Concepts for NA
Service.

MULTIPLE AREAS
If the area committee serving your city is dividing and you’ve decided not to
form a metropolitan services committee, there are three additional subjects you
should consider. First, when you define boundaries for the new areas and
analyze and divide service responsibilities among them, keep a sharp lookout for
places where future territorial conflicts may arise. In an ideal world, such conflicts
would not occur. However, our world is far from ideal, and conflicts do raise their
head from time to time. Since we can’t avoid such conflicts altogether, the best
we can do is be prepared for them. In the process of dividing your city’s ASC,
build into each new area’s policies a procedure for resolving conflicts with other
areas. You may not be able to sidestep such conflicts, but you can prepare to
deal effectively with them.
Second, examine your division plan for any potential weak spots in any of the
new areas you are creating. For example, does Area 2 have very few people
involved in H&I work right now, but a number of correctional and treatment
facilities? Is no one in Area 4 involved in the current public information
subcommittee? Will it be burdensome for all the new areas to maintain their own
separate phonelines? Potential weaknesses like these may not convince you to
form a metro committee at this time. However, they should alert you to the
possibility that the new areas in your city may require each other’s help in the
future. Try to build into your division plan means by which your city’s areas can
76 A Guide to Local Services in NA

cooperate with one another so that NA services can continue to be delivered to

those who need them.
Finally, even if your area committee is dividing without forming a metro
committee at this time, we encourage you to leave the MSC option open for
future consideration. Maintain contacts between your new areas, if for nothing
more than the regular exchange of information and insight. Plan to hold regular
joint workshops, speaker meetings, and social events to keep the lines of
communication open. Because your new areas will be going through similar
experiences at the same time, they are especially likely to encounter similar
challenges and have valuable expertise to share with one another. You may even
discover that your new ASCs have encountered unforeseen obstacles that
require them to band together if they are to effectively continue delivering NA
services. For this reason, we recommend that your city’s areas agree to
reconsider the idea of forming a metropolitan services committee each year over
the next few years.

WHY NOT A METRO REGION?

Before we close this look at the division of areas, there is one more question
that must be addressed: In dividing a very large ASC serving a major city, why
not form a metropolitan region rather than an MSC?
First, there’s the nature of the NA region itself to consider. Our regional
committees serve as forums for resource development for their member-areas,
not primarily as direct service providers. Just as growing area committees often
find the responsibilities of service administration forcing them to downplay their
group support function, so the regional committee that is too occupied with
administering its own direct services will have difficulty focusing on area resource
development. The region that does only one thing stands a good chance of doing
it well. The metro region, trying to do many things at the same time, may find it
difficult to do any of them well.
Second, there’s the wide variety of shared ASC service experiences
exchanged at the regional level to consider. In the region serving a broad
territory, rural areas, small-town areas, and city areas gather to share many
different kinds of insight gathered from their widely varied circumstances. This
variety is the greatest strength of the most successful regional committees,
offering new and different service perspectives to every single member-area.
Areas joining a metropolitan region would limit their access only to the
experience of those areas having virtually identical backgrounds, challenges, and
insights. Such limited experience may not be sufficient to stimulate the innovation
of new ideas for new services and new answers to new problems.
Third, consider that regions serving both rural and metropolitan communities
often depend on their larger areas for a major percentage of their operating
income. Creating a metro region could pull the financial rug out from under the
 Dividing Area Service Committees 77

existing region’s feet, leaving it flat on its fiscal back and unable to serve. This
could seriously affect the other areas, even NA as a whole.
We encourage multi-area NA communities with a need to coordinate a variety
of common services citywide to form metropolitan services committees rather
than metropolitan regions. That way, citywide services are handled responsibly
and the wider region is left solvent and intact, free to focus on resource
development for all its member-areas and able to offer a variety of experience,
strength, and hope to ASCs throughout the region.
 THE METROPOLITAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

A metropolitan services committee administers a single set of NA

subcommittees in a city that has more than one ASC. With direct services
consolidated citywide by the MSC, the community’s area committees are left free
to facilitate group support.
For the sake of convenience, we will be using the word “city” (singular) to
refer to any major metropolitan area and its environs, even though most such
metropolitan areas are actually composed of a number of adjacent cities and
unincorporated districts and sometimes cross both county and state lines.
Examples of such “cities” include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, São Paulo,
Mexico City, Tokyo, and London.
In the previous chapter, we examined the division of a city’s ASC into multiple
areas and some of the criteria that could lead to creation of a metropolitan
services committee. Here, before getting into how the metro system works, we
want to look at some of the reasons why multiple areas in the same city might
want to consolidate their services by creating a metro committee and the process
whereby they can do that.

WHY CONSOLIDATE?
Why would multiple areas in a large community want to form a metropolitan
services committee? There are three primary reasons. First, the consolidation of
services citywide can help the NA community facilitate subcommittee activity
more efficiently. Rather than paying the administrative costs associated with, say,
five separate sets of area subcommittees, only one set of metro subcommittees
must be funded. The overall time and energy spent supervising multiple sets of
subcommittees can be cut substantially with only one set of subcommittees to
guide. And it’s easier to find the people needed to make a single set of
subcommittees work, even if those subcommittees serve larger territories, than it
is to staff three or four times that number of subcommittees.
Second, the consolidation of metro services can make it easier for members,
groups, and the community-at-large to identify and locate NA resources in the
city. A single phoneline is easier to run and costs less than multiple phonelines in
the same city, and provides a simpler way for people anywhere in town to contact
Narcotics Anonymous. Contacts with jails, institutions, and other organizations
that are run on a citywide basis can be coordinated on the same basis,
significantly increasing the effectiveness of H&I communications. By providing a
single source for public information about NA, anyone anywhere in the
community can easily find out about our program. And a single NA meeting list
for the entire city is usually more useful than half a dozen lists covering separate
districts.

78
 The Metropolitan Services Committee 79

Third, consolidation of a city’s NA services can help the regional service

committee work better. In the absence of metro committees, some RSCs have
tried to fill the gap, providing consolidated meeting lists, phonelines, H&I and PI
services, even literature sales outlets for cities with multiple areas. Though well
intended, such direct services have brought these regions’ energies to bear on
only a fraction of their member-areas. This has left other areas—and
underdeveloped communities in particular—without the benefit of the service
resource development work that regional committees do best. When ASCs in the
same city consolidate and manage metro services themselves, they leave the
regional committee free to do what it does most effectively, and to do it for all the
region’s areas.
Finally, a reminder: If the areas in your city have no particular need to
consolidate all their services, but only wish to combine resources in one or two
fields, there is no reason why they should form a full-blown metropolitan services
committee. Some of the ways to combine limited service forces without creating
an MSC are described in the sections entitled “…Or Not To Metro?” and
“Function, Not Form” appearing in the previous chapter of this guide. If your NA
community could be served more effectively by a metro committee then, by all
means, create one; if you feel something simpler would serve your purposes,
then try that. You need no one’s permission to be creative, to experiment, to
develop original methods for effectively administering local services as your NA
community sees fit.

CONSOLIDATION PROCESS
Imagine that the ASCs in your city have decided that they want to consolidate
services by creating a metro committee. How do they go about combining two, or
five, or nine sets of subcommittees into a single, smooth-working service
enterprise? The considerations that go into the consolidation process are very
similar to those involved in dividing an ASC that serves one entire city, described
in the previous chapter, only from the opposite end.
1. Inventory current services and resources in the affected areas.
2. Then, examine the need for services throughout the community.
3. Finally, put the resources and needs together in a metro services program.
If all these things are taken care of prior to activation of the MSC, the
transition to consolidated services will go as smoothly as possible.

Inventory of services and resources

The inventory of current NA services and resources is probably the easiest
phase of consolidation, because it is very concrete. For all the ASCs interested in
taking part in the metro committee, gather:
 ASC bylaws, policy logs, and/or guidelines.
 80 A Guide to Local Services in NA

 Guidelines for all subcommittees.

 A list of all current projects and commitments.
 A list of past achievements.
 A personnel roster listing the ASC officers, subcommittee chairpersons,
subcommittee members and responsibilities, and GSRs.
 Budgets for all area activities.

Analysis of service needs

The consolidation process offers your service community a unique opportunity.
While examining and reorganizing your NA services, you can also take a
comprehensive look at your city and tailor your service efforts to carry our
message with maximum impact.
For this analysis, you may wish to hold a conference of the administrative
officers and subcommittee chairpersons from each of the areas joining the MSC.
Examine your city and your NA community, as they are, and develop a sense of
your city’s real service needs:

WHAT TO STUDY WHY TO STUDY IT

1. Where do your city’s NA groups 1. If there are any blank spaces in the
meet—and where do they not meet? city’s recovery map, the metro may
want to consider developing
outreach services to help new
groups start up in those locales.

2. What are the districts in your city 2. To make PI and H&I efforts
like—geography, population density, effective, we must understand our
political inclination, economic communities and the people who
stability, ethnicity, and religious live in them and act accordingly. An
orientation? approach that works well in one
neighborhood may fail dismally in
another.
 The Metropolitan Services Committee 81

3. What kinds of government, 3. Many of our contacts with addicts

religious, media, and civic and the community-at-large come
institutions exist in your city? What through our interactions with city
do they do? Where are these institutions. To map effective PI and
institutions headquar-tered? How H&I strategies, we must thoroughly
are they organized? What understand the institutional fabric of
geographic territories do they our communities.
serve? Institutions to consider
include jails, courts, social and
psychiatric services, houses of
worship, newspapers, magazines,
radio and TV stations, cable
television outlets, schools, service
organizations, and medical and
treatment facilities.

Such an analysis can help you identify the kinds of NA services your metro
committee might wish to put in place to meet the needs of NA groups citywide,
help new groups establish themselves, reach out to the addict who still suffers in
the community, and inform members of the community-at-large about our
fellowship.

The metro plan

After current area resources have been inventoried and the NA service needs of
the entire community have been analyzed, the time comes to put the two
together in the new plan for metro services. What kinds of subcommittees should
be organized to meet the NA service needs in your city? And what kinds of
service resources exist among the areas joining in the MSC consolidation
process? For each metro subcommittee to be created, develop:
 Guidelines, drawing as much as possible from the guidelines that area
members are already familiar with.
 Goals, specific performance targets, ranked in order of their priority.
 Work plans, step-by-step descriptions of how these performance targets will
be met, including timetables.
 Budgets, linked to prioritized goals and work plans, showing how much
money the NA community will need to invest in order to have its services
fulfilled.
 Personnel rosters, combining the lists of members currently involved in the
various subcommittees in each metro area.
Don’t forget to develop basic guidelines for the metro committee itself. Also
compile a budget for MSC administrative expenses that covers committee
82 A Guide to Local Services in NA

meeting hall rental fees, costs for duplicating and mailing metro committee
minutes, etc.

New focus for ASCs

Once a consolidated service program for the MSC itself has been developed, it
may be helpful to square away a few internal matters for the area committees
that will be proceeding on a new basis once the metro commences full service
operations. What territory will each ASC serve? How many groups meet in each
area? What kind of budget will each ASC need for its own operations, and how
much money will the MSC need from the areas?

Fellowship review
The last step before implementing your metro consolidation plan, of course, is
fellowship review. Send the plan out to all the groups in the areas to be served by
the new MSC—or, if possible, hold a workshop or series of workshop to gather
input directly from members. Once group comments have been received,
considered, and factored into the plan, it should be put out one more time for
approval by the area committees that plan to join in creating the metropolitan
services committee. Once the plan is approved, ASCs can begin focusing the
majority of their energy on the facilitation of group support, while the MSC
coordinates consolidated direct NA services throughout the community.

Process reminders
Before leaving this discussion of the consolidation process, here are three things
to keep in mind throughout your planning activities:
1. Only areas that wish to be served by the metro committee should take part in
the consolidation of citywide services.
2. Keep the regional service committee fully apprised at each step of your
consolidation process. Good communications will ensure the support of other
areas in the region for the development of your metro committee and keep
down the “jitters” in areas not directly involved in or affected by consolidation
of services in your city. If you get stuck in the consolidation process, their
informed suggestions may help you get unstuck.
3. You are encouraged to contact the World Service Office at any time for
additional information on MSC formation, including the addresses of other
areas and metro committees that have dealt with consolidation.
 The Metropolitan Services Committee 83

ASCs IN THE METRO ENVIRONMENT

In the previous chapter, we talked about the division of areas. Here, we’ve
examined the consolidation of area services. But once a metropolitan services
committee has been established, what do the area committees look like? How do
the areas and the metro relate to one another? And what do the ASCs do after
responsibility for direct services is consolidated under the MSC umbrella?

ASC responsibilities
ASC responsibilities in the metro environment are very simple. First, such an
ASC provides a place and format that facilitates the sharing of group experience,
strength, and hope among GSRs. Second, ASC usually provides means for
groups to purchase NA literature. Third, the ASC continues to communicate
directly with its regional service committee through its RCMs, helping to provide
guidance to the RSC from the area’s groups. Fourth, the area committee directly
links its groups to the metropolitan services committee in its community. And fifth,
since groups support local services with direct contributions to their area
committees, the ASC is responsible to fund the metro committee that administers
the community’s consolidated local services.

Communications
As our Eighth Concept reminds us, “Our service structure depends on the
integrity and effectiveness of our communications.” This concept is especially
critical to the relationship between a metro committee and its member-areas. The
MSC manages citywide services on behalf of all groups in the community, yet the
groups do not themselves send either representatives or funds directly to the
metro committee; each metro group has delegated that responsibility to the ASC
to which it belongs. Therefore, full information about metro projects, including the
money and personnel needed for each, must be communicated to the groups
through the metro’s area committees. Likewise, information about group needs
and concerns regarding citywide services must be communicated through the
ASCs to the metro committee. Regular communication between the metro and
area committees helps maintain the MSC’s accountability to the NA community,
assuring that the consolidated service authority that’s been delegated to the
metro committee is being carried out responsibly. Good communication also
gives the groups the information they need to make informed decisions about
how to disburse the funds with which they support the service structure.

ASC participants
An area committee served by an MSC needs only a minimum of structure to fulfill
its functions. Because a metro ASC has no subcommittees of its own and scant
administrative responsibilities, it can be composed primarily of group service
representatives. An ASC will need to elect a chairperson, secretary, treasurer,
and literature distribution person for itself.
84 A Guide to Local Services in NA

The area committee also chooses two regional committee members (RCMs)
to serve on its behalf. The RCMs’ duties are described in the earlier chapter on
full-service area committees. RCMs need not be chosen from among current
group service representatives. If any GSRs are elected to serve as RCMs, we
recommend that they resign from their group positions. The weight of their
responsibilities as regional committee members will be plenty for them to bear
without also continuing to serve as GSRs.
Metro ASCs have one service position to fill that other area committees don’t:
the metro committee member (MCM). The MCM serves a function on the area’s
behalf at the metropolitan services committee similar to that fulfilled by the GSR
at a full-service area committee, described in earlier chapters of this guide, with
one key exception: Unlike GSRs, the MCM does not participate in regional
assemblies. As the name suggests, metro committee members are full working
members of the MSC, serving in their area’s interests as well as the best
interests of the entire metropolitan NA community and providing for
communications between the ASC and the MSC. The number of MCMs your
area committee must choose depends on the total number of areas participating
in your metro committee—the fewer the areas involved, the more metro
committee members each one will need to contribute for the MSC to operate
effectively. As with the RCM position, MCMs need not be chosen from among the
group service representatives, and those GSRs chosen to serve as metro
committee members should resign their group positions to keep from becoming
overburdened.

ASC funding needs

The direct financial needs of an area committee served by an MSC, in
comparison to those of a full-service ASC, are relatively small. A hall large
enough to comfortably hold the area’s GSRs must be rented. Literature must be
stocked for purchase by the groups. Minutes of ASC meetings must be copied
and mailed to group representatives. Aside from these, there are few other metro
ASC expenses, if any.
However, each ASC served by a metro committee receives all the
contributions intended by its groups to be used in administering local NA
services. If a metropolitan services consolidation plan is to be effective, the
member-areas must not hold onto any more money than that which is absolutely
necessary to pay their own minimal expenses. Metro areas should work
especially closely with their MSCs to ensure that sufficient funds are being
collected and passed along to the metro committee to support direct services in
the community. Any excess MSC funds should periodically be divided up and
returned to the areas.
 The Metropolitan Services Committee 85

GROUP

AREA
FUND FLOW
1) Groups donate directly
to each level except metro METRO
2) Areas serve as funnels for
all group contributions for
metro services; MSCs return
excess funds to areas REGION
3) Areas may donate excess
funds to region or world
4) Region may donate
excess funds to world WORLD
SERVICES

METRO COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION

Metropolitan services committees are organized very much like the full-
service area committees described earlier in this guide, with the exception that
they receive their funding from their member-areas rather than directly from the
community’s groups. MSC participants include MCMs elected by member-areas,
plus metro committee administrative officers and subcommittee chairs elected by
the MSC itself. Metros perform the same services described in the earlier chapter
on area committees, with one exception: Metros do not elect regional committee
members and do not take part directly in the regional committee itself. However,
MSC subcommittee chairpersons do keep in touch with the RSC members given
resource assignments in their respective fields of service.

AREA DIVISIONS IN CITIES SERVED BY AN MSC

Finally, a word about ASC divisions in metro communities. As noted in the
previous chapter, area committees sometimes grow too large to function
effectively, requiring division. This is not a major problem for an MSC member-
area since its division does not affect direct services, only the number of GSRs
attending a given ASC meeting. The primary concern in dividing a metro ASC is
assuring that the split is designed to enhance group support and for no other
purpose.
86 A Guide to Local Services in NA

The previous chapter offers much guidance on the area division process.
Especially relevant are the paragraphs on choosing new area boundaries. Once
a plan is developed, a consensus of all the groups in the existing area must be
taken prior to division. Given group consent, the new ASCs can begin meeting
immediately.
 THE REGIONAL SERVICE COMMITTEE

INTRODUCTION
Every element of the NA service structure—whether it is a group, service
board, or committee—exists to serve the needs of those who created it.
Narcotics Anonymous groups, for instance, host meetings where members can
share their recovery with one another and carry the NA message straight to the
still suffering addict. Area service committees provide direct NA services that
help groups work better and carry their message farther than they could on their
own. In this chapter we’ll take a look at regional service committees (RSCs).
Regional committees generally do not perform direct services—that is, they don’t
run phonelines, organize H&I panels, or carry out a public information program.
Regions are formed simply to pool and develop local service resources that can
be used both by groups and areas in better fulfilling their responsibilities.
What kinds of resources are developed by the regional committee, and how
does the committee develop them?
 Individual members of the committee are given resource assignments in each
field of service, acting as informed contacts for area subcommittees.
 Regional committees regularly organize service forums to highlight and
increase skills in various fields. Forum subjects range from running effective
NA meetings to starting and coordinating area subcommittee work.
 The regional assembly, conducted at least once a year by the RSC, brings
group representatives together with the regional delegate to address issues
affecting the fellowship worldwide.
In this chapter, we spend the majority of our time examining the basic RSC
model, a simple, inexpensive plan for pooling service resources for use by all
groups and areas in the region. An appendix to the chapter describes some
variations on the basic model that some regions use to address local needs. We
encourage your RSC to experiment with the model to discover ways of better
serving the local NA community, always remembering to keep it simple.

REGIONAL COMMITTEE PARTICIPANTS

Regional committee members (RCMs) form the core of the RSC,
complemented by the regional delegate and alternate delegate. Some regions
also choose additional long- and short-term committee members for their special
expertise to perform specific tasks.

Regional committee members (RCMs)

Regional committee members have a big job. At RSC meetings, they share with
one another the information and experience of their respective areas. Between
regional committee meetings, they provide their areas with information and
contacts from other areas.

87
88 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Throughout the year, RCMs serve as contact points between world services
and the NA groups in their areas. Their reports to the region give the regional
delegate a better idea of where world service energies could best be
concentrated. RCM reports to the area keep group service representatives
informed of world service activities.
Regional committee members may play a variety of roles on the regional
service committee. Each year, three RCMs may be selected to serve as regional
committee chairperson, recording secretary, and treasurer. Others may be given
resource assignments, which will be addressed later in this chapter. Regardless
of their additional duties, RCMs continue to serve on the regional committee
primarily as RCMs. More on the role of RCMs can be found in the area service
committee chapter of this guide.

Regional delegate
The regional delegate (RD) serves as the primary contact between NA’s world
services and the local NA community. On the one hand, the delegate provides
information on current world projects to the regional committee. On the other, the
delegate offers a local perspective to the work of world services. During the
delegate’s two-year term, he or she attends the World Service Conference as a
fully active participant, for while the delegate is elected by and accountable to the
regional assembly or RSC, he or she is not a mere messenger. The delegate is
selected by the region’s group representatives and/or RCMs to act in the best
interests of NA as a whole, not solely as an advocate of his or her NA
community’s priorities.
From time to time, world services asks regional delegates for their input.
Delegates often respond to these requests on their own. In matters of wide
concern, however, delegates may feel they need to hear broader discussion
before they can reply. At such times, they might ask the regional committee to
discuss the subject in its sharing session. With that foundation in the region’s
group conscience, delegates can be confident that the response they offer to
world services is a well-considered one. If the matter seems likely to seriously
affect NA as a whole, delegates may even consider going directly to the region’s
NA membership with the discussion, asking the regional committee to organize a
service forum around the topic at hand.

Alternate delegate
The regional delegate works closely with the region’s alternate delegate. Like the
regional delegate, the alternate is a full participant in the regional service
committee. The delegate often consults with the alternate, asking for different
perspectives on world service affairs and seeking to involve the alternate in
helping carry the workload.
Alternate delegates are welcome to attend the biennial meeting of the World
Service Conference in the company of their delegates; however, they will be
 The Regional Service Committee 89

recognized as full participants in the biennial meeting of the World Service

Conference only in the event of the primary delegate’s absence.
Alternate delegates attend regional committee meetings and the regional
assembly, offering support where they can and learning their way while they’re at
it. At the end of their terms, alternate delegates will very likely be their regions’
most promising candidates for full delegate service.

Additional members
Besides RCMs, the regional delegate, and the alternate delegate, many regions
seat additional members from time to time. Regions that have conventions or
offices usually invite the chairpersons of the boards or committees administering
those services to sit on the RSC. Other additional RSC members are called onto
the committee because they have special expertise that is lacking among current
RCMs. Some additional members are chosen to fulfill long-term resource
assignments; others, to help with particular short-term projects. Additional RSC
members may be drawn by the regional committee from anywhere at all.
However, regions are cautioned against draining the leadership resources of
working ASC subcommittees by appointing currently active chairpersons to fulfill
RSC resource assignments. Long-term additional members are usually given full
rights of participation on the regional committee. Temporary members are
generally given rights of participation only in matters specifically affecting their
projects.

RESOURCE ASSIGNMENTS
Some RCMs are elected to serve as regional committee officers; others are
given resource assignments. These RCMs take on the responsibility of becoming
the best-informed people they can be regarding particular fields of service,
including:
 Translation work,
 Public relations,
 Hospitals and institutions service,
 Phoneline coordination, and
 Outreach.
90 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Regional resource persons make it their job to know the manuals and
bulletins on their resource subjects backwards and forwards. Though by no
means “authorities” or “directors,” they take the time to keep in regular touch with
the chairpersons of area or metro subcommittees in their resource fields and, if
asked, help untangle local service problems. Resource persons can do this
individually or by hosting frequent, informal sharing sessions for local
subcommittee chairpersons. If an area committee does not have an H&I, PI, or
phoneline subcommittee, it can contact the resource person in that field of
service for help in forming one. Finally, regional resource persons serve as
intermediaries in their fields of service between area or metro subcommittees
and state, provincial, or national government agencies.

REGIONAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS

At RSC meetings, the committee tries to get a sense of the needs of its own
groups and areas as well as those of the fellowship worldwide. Following area
committee and resource assignment reports from the RCMs, the regional
delegate briefs the committee on world service developments. Much of the
remainder of the meeting is spent in a sharing session that lays the groundwork
for discussions of service forum and regional assembly plans at the end of the
meeting.
 The Regional Service Committee 91

The regional committee’s sharing session begins with discussion of the

challenges and innovations disclosed in the RCM reports. If a subcommittee of
one of the areas has taken a new tack in approaching a particular job, the RCMs
may want to spend time discussing it so that they can share that experience with
their own area committees. If one of the areas has had a problem it’s not been
able to solve by itself, its RCM can ask other regional committee members to talk
about the experience of their areas.
Sometimes solutions can be found in one of the NA service handbooks. At
other times, the question is not of procedure but of principle. Then the sharing
session focuses specifically on the Twelve Traditions and the Twelve Concepts
for NA Service, trying to see how the simplicity of those principles might clarify an
otherwise confusing situation.
The sharing session can also be a time for discussion of world service issues
raised in the regional delegate’s report. This opportunity for the regional delegate
to consult with the RCMs on questions relating to the work of world services is
crucial to his or her effectiveness. This portion of the sharing session also helps
prepare RCMs for the annual regional assembly, an event sponsored by the
regional committee, which brings the region’s group service representatives
together to review topics of importance in world service. Maintaining fluency in
world service issues is doubly important for RCMs, since new regional delegates
and alternate delegates are drawn from among them.
Because of their relative informality, it’s especially important that regional
committees maintain good relations among their members. Should the need
arise, the sharing session provides committee members an opportunity to
exercise NA’s Tenth Concept by petitioning “…for the redress of a personal
grievance, without fear of reprisal.” The committee will take great care to hear
such grievances well, responding swiftly and fairly, if it hopes to continue
operating smoothly.
Once the committee’s sharing session is over, it’s on to business of planning
service forums and the regional assembly. The business portion of an RSC
meeting is usually conducted by consensus rather than voting. The process
emphasizes development of the RSC’s group conscience, allowing decisions to
arise naturally from a thorough consideration of the matters at hand. This suits
both the nature of the RSC as the region’s service resource pool and the kind of
business being conducted: preparing to help the region-at-large inform itself and
develop a collective conscience.
92 A Guide to Local Services in NA

SERVICE FORUMS
In the sharing session, the regional committee focuses much of its attention
on group and area needs. With that perspective, the committee is in a good
position to consider its agenda of service forums—what kinds of forums are
needed and where. Regional service forums not only react to existing needs or
problems, they anticipate challenges likely to face the NA community in the future
and help groups and areas prepare to meet them. For example:
 A pattern may have emerged in the sharing session showing the need to
further develop a general understanding of public information work among NA
members.
 An area forming a brand new hospitals and institutions subcommittee might
have asked the regional committee to conduct a forum for prospective
members of the subcommittee.
 Special support may be needed for an area committee in transition, either a
large committee considering division or a brand new committee serving a new
area.
 World services may be considering action likely to affect the groups directly,
requiring discussion from the fellowship worldwide.
 Or perhaps it’s time for another group services forum.
These are just a few examples of the many, many subjects that can be
addressed in regional service forums. Forum topics can range all the way from
taxes and liability insurance for service committees to sponsorship and Twelfth
Step work—anything useful to the areas and groups served by the region.
Whatever the needs, the regional committee takes a look at its calendar,
considers its resources, and develops plans for upcoming forums.
Regional service forums are usually organized by the entire regional
committee, although sometimes a small ad hoc committee of RCMs and others
will be formed to conduct one specific forum. When planning a forum, the
regional committee should consult with the area service committee responsible
for the territory in which the event is to be held. This is especially important in
regions where area committees assume the responsibility of making
arrangements for forum facilities, leaving the regional committee free to focus its
attention on developing an agenda for the forum. If the forum is being organized
primarily to serve one particular area, the regional committee should involve
some members of that area committee in developing plans for the forum.
The regional committee can draw upon a number of resources when
developing service forums. Committee members may know of a similar forum
that has been conducted in a neighboring region. A phone call to a member of
that regional committee, and perhaps an invitation to attend, can make additional
experience available to the forum. Further support for regional forums may be
available from our World Service Office. A wide range of bulletins and handbooks
 The Regional Service Committee 93

covering specific topics and fields of service is available. The WSO may also be
able to provide descriptions of forums other regions have conducted on similar
subjects. For information and materials, contact the World Service Office.

REGIONAL ASSEMBLY
Few months before the biennial meeting of the World Service Conference, the
regional committee usually organizes an assembly of group service
representatives. Regional assemblies bring representatives of NA groups
together with RCMs and the regional delegate for the purpose of developing a
collective conscience concerning issues affecting Narcotics Anonymous
worldwide. That direct contact between the groups and the conference helps
keep our world services attuned to the needs of our fellowship. Without the kind
of primary foundation provided by the regional assemblies, it would be much
more difficult for the World Service Conference to effectively address the
concerns of the NA groups. Regional assemblies are a key ingredient in the
maintenance of the NA groups’ final responsibility and authority for our
fellowship’s services, spoken of in our Second Concept.
Most regional assemblies start with all participants—GSRs, RCMs, and the
regional delegate—gathered together for an opening address. Then the
assembly usually divides into smaller groups of between seven and fifteen
people each so that everyone can take a meaningful part in discussions. These
discussion groups, led by RCMs, consider a variety of issues related to world
service. Some of these are issues covered in pre-conference mailings from world
services, including the approval of new NA literature and other proposals that
would affect NA as a whole; some are subjects the RSC has raised for
discussion; others come from individual GSRs in each group. When panel
discussions conclude, all the GSRs and RCMs gather in a large group to hear
reports from spokespersons selected by each panel. A sharing session, in which
all participants are encouraged to speak their mind, follows the reports. These
discussions give the delegate clear indications of the region’s collective
conscience concerning world issues, indications that will guide the delegate when
participating in the world conference. If the assembly wishes, it can formalize its
conscience regarding world service affairs by passing resolutions on issues of
particular concern.

Regional delegate elections

An additional expression of our Second Concept at the regional assembly occurs
when group service representatives take part in electing the regional delegate
and alternate. Since the delegate and the alternate serve concurrent two-year
terms, elections usually take place every other year except when a delegate or
alternate resigns in mid-term. Some regions have delegates begin their terms
immediately upon election; others begin new delegate terms shortly after the
biennial WSC meeting.
94 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Because alternate delegates have spent two years becoming familiar with the
World Service Conference, they are usually affirmed to replace outgoing
delegates; then the assembly only has to elect a new alternate delegate. If the
alternate is not affirmed as regional delegate, however, the assembly elects a
new delegate and a new alternate at the same time. Under such circumstances,
special care should be taken to select a regional delegate who is already fairly
familiar with current world service affairs.
The delegate and alternate are usually chosen from current RCMs. Group
service representatives and RCMs are all eligible to take part in the selection
process. If both regional delegate and alternate delegate are to be selected at
the same assembly, separate balloting rounds are used to select each of them.
What the Fourth Concept says about our leaders in general applies especially
to the regional delegate: “Effective leadership is highly valued in Narcotics
Anonymous. Leadership qualities should be carefully considered when selecting
trusted servants.” The World Service Conference operates with the
understanding that regional delegates are among the most experienced and
knowledgeable people each region has to offer. Delegates need to have a
thorough understanding of the Twelve Concepts, the Twelve Traditions, and the
service structure as well as detailed knowledge of activities and issues in the
groups and areas, which make up their region. They are called upon for vigorous
service from all directions; they must be fit to answer the call.
Just as area committees generally do not select the same individual to serve
more than two consecutive terms as RCM, so do most regional assemblies
observe the practice of trusted servant rotation when selecting regional
delegates, and for many of the same reasons. By periodically replacing
delegates, the region is assured of being provided with varying views of world
service affairs. A conference that constantly sees new faces, hears new voices,
and is encountered with new outlooks on world service work will be better able to
meet the challenges of each new conference cycle.
Once their terms are done, past regional delegates may be asked to serve
either the region or world services in various capacities. Their experience lends
stability to the services of both bodies. Each region is responsible to establish its
own delegate clean-time requirements. However, assemblies should keep in
mind that most world service positions have clean-time requirements as well.
When the delegate candidate being considered completes his or her term, will he
or she have enough time clean to be eligible for those positions?
 The Regional Service Committee 95

REGIONAL FINANCES
Money is handled at the regional level in pretty much the same way it’s
managed by area treasurers. The regional committee as a whole considers its
projected expenses and authorizes expenditures to cover them. These costs
often include:
 WSC participation expenses for the regional delegate and alternate,
 space rental for committee meetings,
 service forums,
 the regional assembly,
 activities, and
 mailings.
Some regional committees offer assistance in covering their members’ travel
expenses related to attending RSC meetings. Most regions contribute to world
services whatever money they have left after paying their own expenses.
Two-signature checks and a consolidation of responsibility for all regional
funds help the regional treasurer manage contributions and the reimbursement of
expenses in a responsible way. Additional suggestions for handling the regional
treasury can be found in the Treasurer’s Handbook, available from the World
Service Office.

GROUP

AREA
FUND FLOW
1) Groups donate directly
to each level except metro METRO
2) Areas serve as funnels for
all group contributions for
metro services; MSCs return
excess funds to areas REGION
3) Areas may donate excess
funds to region or world
4) Region may donate
excess funds to world WORLD
SERVICES
96 A Guide to Local Services in NA

REGIONAL ACTIVITIES
Besides forums and assemblies, some regions host a variety of additional
fellowship activities including conventions, campouts, speaker meetings, and
dances. Some regions hold such events in conjunction with their RSC meetings.
Regionwide activities can foster a broader sense of unity among members of all
the groups and areas served by the regional committee. For more information,
contact the World Service Office.
Organizing regional activities can be very taxing, especially for smaller
regional committees. The task of organizing a regional convention, in particular,
is a major undertaking. Most regions conducting annual conventions create a
standing subcommittee to handle the job. Such a subcommittee is, of course,
always accountable to the region establishing it and gives a thorough report of its
activity at each regional committee meeting.
Conventions and other regional activities should serve primarily as
celebrations of recovery, not sources of RSC operating funds. Why? One reason
is that, as the essay on our Eleventh Concept suggests, “... when we make a
commitment to fund the work of each level of the service structure exclusively
through group contributions, we find it easier to maintain a strong link between
our groups and our other service units.” The region that begins depending
heavily on income from regional activities for its operating funds may find itself
less focused on the needs of its NA community than a region depending primarily
on group contributions.
We have also found activities to be notoriously—sometimes disastrously—
unreliable sources of funds. An event that often produces substantial net income
may take a huge unexpected loss one year. If this happens, the regional
committee that depends on income from that event for its operating funds will
have to cease operations for awhile, leaving the entire regional NA community
without resource development services.
For these reasons we recommend that, once the region establishes an initial
“seed fund” for its convention subcommittee, regional committee money and
convention subcommittee money be held and accounted for separately. Regional
conventions are then made self-supporting from their own income, charging only
enough in registration fees to cover the costs of putting on the convention.
Because the efforts that result in the generation of convention profits are
contributed by NA members in the spirit of our Seventh Tradition, it is not
inappropriate to deposit minimal excess proceeds in the RSC operating fund.
Given the large amounts of money and the serious obligations involved in
operating a regional convention, an RSC can find itself in deeper trouble than it
can imagine in a very short period of time if it’s not careful. For this reason, we
especially encourage you to refer often to the Convention Handbook, which
contains more detailed information on regional conventions. The Convention
Handbook is available from the World Service Office.
 The Regional Service Committee 97

Narcotics Anonymous World Services sometimes conducts workshops that

bring local convention volunteers together with members of the world convention
team to review the latest information on NA convention planning. Additional
consultation for new convention subcommittees or those experiencing difficulties
is also available. For further information, contact the World Service Office.

VARIATIONS ON THE
BASIC REGIONAL MODEL

REGIONAL SUBCOMMITTEES
The regional service committee is a resource pool, gathering service
information and experience to guide and strengthen the areas it serves. To do
this, each regional committee organizes itself and performs its duties differently,
according to the needs of its member-areas.
98 A Guide to Local Services in NA

In some places, the RSC is primarily a sharing session. RCMs come together,
discuss with one another the service experience of their ASCs, and return to their
areas with information on how services are performed elsewhere.
In other places, regional-level subcommittees composed of chairpersons of
corresponding area-level subcommittees gather to share experience and
information in their particular fields of service.
In still other regions, some RSC subcommittees provide direct services
affecting all the region’s areas or provide outreach to portions of the region not
served by any area committee. As has been noted in other chapters, it’s the
function, not the form, that’s important, and the primary function of the RSC is to
pool the service resources of its areas.
Subcommittees deliver their reports to the full committee following reports
from the RCMs and the regional delegate. If a subcommittee needs to place a
motion before the regional committee, that motion can be considered following
the sharing session.

Sharing-format subcommittees
Some regions formalize the sharing sessions often conducted by resource
persons, creating sharing-format subcommittees. These subcommittees, led by
RCMs, are composed of the chairpersons of the area subcommittees for each
field of service. For example, a sharing-format regional H&I subcommittee is led
by the RCM or RCMs who’ve been given the H&I resource assignment and is
composed of all the area H&I subcommittee chairpersons in the region. Sharing-
format subcommittees meet on a regular basis, sometimes immediately before or
after the full regional committee meeting and sometimes at a different time and
location. Regional sharing-format subcommittees are not created to take over the
service responsibilities of the region’s member-areas. Rather, they help
strengthen weak area subcommittees and, upon request, assist ASCs that are
without subcommittees in particular fields of service to form their own.

Direct service subcommittees

Regional committees organize themselves according to the needs and resources
of their member-areas. It is generally recommended that, whenever possible,
direct services be administered by area or metro service committees. (See the
earlier chapters for more information on ASCs and MSCs.) Area and metro
committees are closest to where most direct services will actually be delivered
and thus are more likely to be able to administer those services efficiently and
responsively.
However, in some locales, some direct NA services can be administered only
by the regional committee. Regional direct services may be administered by the
regional committee itself, by RCMs given resource assignments, by regional ad
hoc committees established to conduct specific projects, or by standing regional
subcommittees. Each regional committee will organize itself to conduct whatever
 The Regional Service Committee 99

direct service operations it may be required to administer as it sees fit, subject to

the needs and direction of its member-areas.
In young NA communities and mostly rural territories, the region’s member-
areas may not be able to provide service to the entire state, province, or country.
In these places, regional committees frequently provide a variety of outreach
services. Correspondence is maintained with geographically isolated NA groups,
keeping them in touch with the larger world of Narcotics Anonymous and
providing them with the assistance usually offered by area service committees.
When other NA groups are formed in close proximity, the region assists them in
forming an area committee so that those groups can support themselves and
provide their own direct services. In the meantime, contacts with local treatment
agencies and practitioners, civil authorities, and community organizations may be
established by the regional committee, generating greater awareness of the NA
program. Responses may also be provided to public information queries.
100 A Guide to Local Services in NA

In some regions, member-areas share common needs for certain direct

services such as media relations or phoneline administration. If only a few of the
region’s areas share a particular common need, those areas should
cooperatively establish a special committee of their own to meet that need,
funded by and accountable to all the areas joining to form the shared services
committee. (See the section titled “…Or Not to Metro?” in the earlier chapter on
area divisions for more information on shared services committees.) However, if
all the region’s areas share a particular need, it is appropriate for them to ask the
regional committee to administer services, which meet that need.

ADDITIONAL REGIONAL ASSEMBLIES

Some regions conduct more than one WSC-oriented assembly per year. One,
held a few months before the biennial conference, advises the regional delegate
of the conscience of the region’s group representatives regarding world services.
A second assembly gives the regional delegate an opportunity to report to the
GSRs what happened at the WSC meeting. Other regions conduct additional
assemblies that focus not on world services but regionwide fellowship concerns.
In a geographically far-flung state, province, or country, the regional
committee may find it advantageous to define two or more assembly districts for
the convenience of GSRs in widely separated parts of the state. Similarly, in a
heavily populated territory, assembly districts may be defined so as to
accommodate the large numbers of GSRs. In each district, the regional delegate
meets in an assembly with the district’s RCMs and GSRs to develop a
conscience concerning world service affairs. In regions with more than one
assembly district, the regional delegate may be elected by the GSRs and/or
region’s RCMs at a special RSC meeting held after all the district assemblies
have been conducted.

INTERREGIONAL COOPERATION
Our fellowship’s Eighth Concept suggests that, “Our service structure
depends on the integrity and effectiveness of our communications.” Groups work
more effectively when they communicate and cooperate with one another; the
same applies to regional committees. Of course, each region benefits from the
communication facilitated by the World Service Conference and the world service
forums that are held during the conference cycle. For more information on world
service forums, contact the World Service Office.
But just as multiregional states form shared service committees to handle NA
service interactions with state agencies, so do regions in adjacent provinces or
countries sometimes organize joint efforts to address needs unique to their parts
of the world. Such collective efforts sometimes focus on a specific concern, such
as PI work in a media market that straddles two or more neighboring regions.
Other joint efforts might be more general in application, organizing multiregional
 The Regional Service Committee 101

learning days or service-oriented sharing sessions. Such forums can provide the
means by which NA communities communicate, cooperate, and grow with one
another.
However, our fellowship’s service experience cautions us against organizing
cooperative forums unless the need for such forums is clear. Activities like the
world service forums may already provide adequate opportunities for
interregional communication. If this is the case, it may well be a duplication of
effort and expense to organize additional forums.
Our experience has also shown that interregional conferences or assemblies
may tend to become political in focus, transforming themselves unintentionally
from sharing sessions into decision-making bodies. We encourage regions to
cooperate and communicate with one another in meeting their common needs,
but we caution them against duplicating efforts, wasting NA resources, and
politicizing their cooperative ventures.
 LOCAL SERVICE CENTERS

Local service centers—also called central offices, area service offices, or

regional service offices—are established for a variety of reasons. Some serve
merely as storage locations for the area committee’s stockpile of NA books and
pamphlets. Others fill local literature orders by mail and sell materials over the
counter during business hours. Some area and regional service offices facilitate
the operation of local NA phonelines. A few local service centers are large
enough that they can make space available for service committee meetings and
storage of committee records. Some even have special workers available to
assist service committees with their projects. Regardless of what else they do,
local service centers provide the NA community with a physical presence and a
public identity, a specific point at which Narcotics Anonymous and the larger
community can interact with one another.
Local service centers become incorporated in order to meet requirements of
local and national law regarding business licenses, taxes, insurance, and
employment. The body that manages the local NA office corporation is called a
board of directors, but it functions in almost exactly the same way as a
subcommittee in relation to the committee that creates it. Though the office board
is given a certain degree of independence in managing its affairs, the board is
obligated to provide complete reports of its activities and finances on a regular
basis and is subject to the direction of the committee that created it, whether that
committee be an area, metro, or regional service committee.
An NA community considering the possibility of opening a local service center
will encounter a number of challenges. Local service centers require substantial
business expertise in order to operate effectively. Legal problems often arise,
most often associated with incorporation procedures, taxes, and personal liability.
Offices are expensive and usually do not generate enough net income from
literature sales to support themselves. Are the groups in the territory to be served
by the office aware of this, and are they willing to pay for the office operating
expenses? Offices also require a great deal of attention from the NA community’s
most knowledgeable and experienced trusted servants, who are usually called
upon to serve on the office board.
Despite the numerous challenges to be overcome, some NA communities
have managed to effectively integrate the local office into their overall service
delivery program without serious disruption. Those who have done so have
moved cautiously and carefully through the maze of questions about local
community strength, personnel and financial resources, business organization,
inter-service relations, and legal restrictions that must be answered before an
office can be opened. They have also given consistent attention to the
maintenance of office affairs once the service center has opened its doors for
business.

102
 Local Service Centers 103

Because the needs of each community and each local service center vary so
greatly, it’s not been possible to create a uniform handbook providing clear
direction on how to operate all local service centers. The World Service Office,
however, has substantial experience in advising local offices in many phases of
their work and will be happy to lend assistance to area or regional committees
who may be considering the creation of a local service center. The World Service
Office regularly conducts workshops on local service center operations, bringing
board members and special workers from a number of area and regional offices
together with business committee members and WSO staff for the purpose of
sharing information and brainstorming problem topics. For information, contact
the World Service Office.
 SAMPLE RULES OF ORDER

On the following pages, you’ll find a simple set of rules of order. They have
been adapted from Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, which in turn are
based on the Rules of the US House of Representatives. These sample rules
differ in some details from Robert’s Rules; to cover such differences, your
committee may wish to make a blanket decision to accept these rules as
authoritative. In countries where Robert’s Rules of Order are not in common use
and where some other body of parliamentary rules is more commonly used by
deliberative assemblies, service committees may want to consider adapting
these rules so that they conform to those commonly in use in their own lands.

DECORUM STATEMENT
Meetings will be conducted according to these rules of order, adapted from
Robert’s Rules of Order. This time-honored system for conducting business is
the clearest way yet devised for getting a maximum amount of business done in
a minimum of time, regardless of the degree of disagreement among the
participants.
These rules are meant to be used as tools to help us make orderly collective
decisions in a cooperative, respectful way in the spirit of our Twelve Concepts;
please do not use them as weapons against one another. We encourage all
participants to become familiar with these rules of order and conduct themselves
accordingly.
Once the meeting is under way, only one matter will be before the committee
at any one time and no other discussion is in order. Please respect the
chairperson’s right to be in control of the process of this meeting so that you can
have maximum benefit of its content.

DEBATE, LIMITS
Debate is the formal exchange of views on an idea. Unless otherwise
specified, debate on both main motions and parliamentary motions is usually
limited to two or three pros and two or three cons (speakers for and against the
motion). Speakers addressing a motion in debate usually have two or three
minutes in which to speak their minds.

MOTIONS
There are two basic types of motions. It is important to understand the
difference between them. The two kinds of motions are main motions and
parliamentary motions.

104
 Sample Rules of Order 105

MAIN MOTIONS
A motion is a statement of an idea a committee member wants the committee
to put into practice. After being recognized by the chairperson, the member says,
“I move that such-and-such be done by (this committee, one of its
subcommittees, or a particular individual) under these terms.” The person making
the motion then speaks briefly about why he or she feels the idea is important;
this is called speaking to the intent of a motion. Because the exact wording of all
motions must be recorded in the minutes, the maker of the motion should write it
out whenever possible. This is especially important for long or complicated
motions.
Every motion requires a second—the backing of another person who either
wants the idea put into practice or simply wants to see further discussion of the
idea take place. After one person makes a motion, the chairperson will ask
whether the motion has a second. The seconder simply raises a hand and, when
recognized by the chair, says, “I second that.” If nobody seconds a motion, the
chair will say, “The motion dies for lack of a second.” This means that the idea
will not be discussed any further because there is not enough interest in it. The
committee then moves on to other business.
Once a motion has been made, the chairperson may rule it out of order. A
motion may be ruled out of order for any one of a number of reasons: the motion
goes against the committee’s standing policy, clearly contradicts one of the
Twelve Traditions or Twelve Concepts for NA Service, or is inappropriate at the
particular point in the meeting at which it is made. Robert’s Rules of Order can be
consulted for more specific examples of motions, which are out of order at any
given time.
Any member of the committee who wishes to challenge a ruling made by the
chairperson may appeal that ruling, as described below. If no appeal is made, or
if the decision of the chair is upheld, the committee moves on to other business.

PARLIAMENTARY MOTIONS
Parliamentary motions can be best understood as “sub-motions” made during
debate on a main motion that affect that motion in some way. There are many
more of these than space and practicality permit us to include here, but a few
that seem to be the most practical are discussed below.

1. Motion to AMEND.
SIMPLE majority required.
Is DEBATABLE.
This is perhaps the most commonly used parliamentary motion. During debate
on a motion, if a member feels that the motion would benefit from a change in its
language, that member can say, “I move to amend the motion...” and suggest
specific language changes in the motion. Ordinarily, an amendment must be
moved and seconded before it can be debated. When debate on the amendment
106 A Guide to Local Services in NA

is exhausted, the body votes on the amendment. Then, debate resumes on the
merits of the main motion (as amended, if the amendment has carried). When
debate is exhausted on the merits of the main motion itself, a vote is taken and
the body moves on to the next item of business.
If an amendment is offered and the persons making and seconding the
original motion accept it, no second is required, no debate is called for, and no
vote need be taken on the amendment; debate proceeds as if the main motion
had been formally amended. This is called making a friendly amendment.

2. Motion to call the PREVIOUS QUESTION.

TWO-THIRDS majority required.
Is NOT DEBATABLE.
For our purposes, this may be the most important parliamentary motion. Use it
often. This motion is made by a member saying, “I call for the question,” or “I
move the previous question.” It is another way of saying, “I move that debate
stop right now and that we vote immediately.” This is one of many motions that
can be used to prevent needless, lengthy debate once an issue is clearly
understood. This motion is in order after any speaker is finished. You need not
be called on. The chair must recognize you when you make this motion, and a
vote must be taken with no debate. If two-thirds of the body feels that no more
debate is necessary, then it is time to vote and move on.
One point worth making about this motion is that you must be careful not to
squelch debate before an issue has been thoroughly aired. Be sure to vote “no”
to this motion if you are still confused about the issue at hand or are unsure of
how to vote. By allowing debate to continue, we avoid half-baked decisions about
half-understood questions. On the other hand, the liberal use of this motion
makes it unnecessary for the chair to be heavy-handed in stopping discussion,
because the chair knows you will stop it soon enough.

3. Motion to TABLE.
SIMPLE majority required.
Is NOT DEBATABLE.
One way of disposing of a motion that is not ready for a vote is to table it. This is
done by saying, “I move we table this motion until such-and-such a
date/meeting.” This motion is not debatable; if it is made and seconded, it is
voted on immediately. If it fails, debate continues on the motion itself. If it passes,
the committee moves on to its next item of business. The tabled motion will be
included in the committee agenda on the date specified.
 Sample Rules of Order 107

4. Motion to REMOVE FROM THE TABLE.

SIMPLE majority required.
Is NOT DEBATABLE.
A motion that has been tabled can be taken up before the time originally set in
the motion to table. This is done by saying, “I move to remove from the table the
motion to such-and-such.” If this motion passes, the motion that had been tabled
becomes the main motion and debate on it begins again. If the motion to remove
from the table fails, the body moves on to the next item of business.

5. Motion to REFER.
SIMPLE majority required.
Is DEBATABLE.
Sometimes the committee does not have enough information to make an
immediate decision on a main motion. Such motions can be removed from
debate and sent to either a standing subcommittee or an ad hoc committee for
further study. This can be done by a member saying, “I move to refer the motion
to the such-and-such subcommittee.” If the motion to refer is seconded, the body
may debate it before voting. If the motion to refer passes, the committee moves
on to its next item of business. If the motion to refer does not pass, the
committee either continues debating the main motion or votes on it.
The subcommittee to which a motion is referred will take it up at its next
meeting. The subcommittee will report back on what it has come up with at the
next meeting of the full committee.

6. Motions to RECONSIDER or RESCIND.

MAJORITY required varies.
Is DEBATABLE.
Sometimes a member feels that a motion the committee has passed will prove
harmful. That member can move to either reconsider (reopen for debate and
voting) or rescind (void the effect of) the original motion.
There are a few conditions on motions to reconsider or rescind:
 The motion must have been passed in either the last or the current meeting.
 The member making the motion must have information on the issue that was
not available in the original debate on the motion.
 The member must have been with the winning side in the original vote.

These limits are placed to protect the committee from having to reconsider
again and again the motions it passes while still allowing it to examine potentially
harmful situations it has created inadvertently. If any of these requirements are
not met, the chairperson will declare the motion out of order.
108 A Guide to Local Services in NA

The motion to reconsider requires a simple majority.

The motion to rescind requires a simple majority, provided that committee
members were informed prior to the meeting that such a motion would be made.
If prior notice is not given, the motion to rescind requires a two-thirds majority.

7. Request to WITHDRAW A MOTION.

UNANIMOUS CONSENT required.
Is NOT DEBATABLE.
Once a motion is made and the debate begins, the maker of the motion may ask
to withdraw it. The chair asks if there are any objections. If there is even one
objection, the motion stays on the floor and debate resumes. If there are no
objections, the motion is withdrawn and the body moves on.

8. Offering a SUBSTITUTE MOTION.

SIMPLE majority required.
Is DEBATABLE.
A substitute motion is the same thing as an amendment to a main motion. The
only difference is that it is offered to entirely replace the original idea, instead of
merely revising a portion of it. It is handled in the same way an amendment is
handled.

9. Motion to ADJOURN.
SIMPLE majority required.
Is NOT DEBATABLE.
Any voting member may move to adjourn at any time. This motion is always in
order, is not debatable, and requires a simple majority to pass. Obviously
frivolous motions to adjourn may be ruled out of order. After all business is
finished, the chair may declare the meeting adjourned without a motion.

OTHER PROCEDURES
In addition to parliamentary motions, there are other ways in which members
may alter or clarify the proceedings. Here are a few of the most common.

Order of the day

If a committee member feels that business is going too far astray from the
original agenda, that member can help get things back on track. The member
says, “I call for the order of the day.” This means, “I move that the chair bring us
back on track and conduct the meeting according to procedure, adhering to the
agenda.” This does not require a second, is not debatable, and does not even
require a vote—the chairperson is obligated to enforce the request unless two-
thirds of the body tell the chair otherwise.
 Sample Rules of Order 109

Point of information
If a committee member needs certain information before making a decision about
a motion at hand, that member can say at any time to the chairperson, “Point of
information.” This means, “I have a question to ask,” not “I have information to
offer.” One does not need a second to raise a point of information; it is neither
debatable nor to be voted upon. The person raising the point of information may
ask the question of either the chairperson or another member of the body.

Point of order
If it appears to a committee member that something is happening in violation of
the rules of order, and if the chairperson has not yet done anything about it, the
member can ask the chairperson for clarification of the rules at any time. The
member may simply say out loud, “Point of order.” The chairperson then says,
“What is your point of order?” The member then states the question and asks the
chairperson for clarification. If the chair agrees that the rules are not being
followed, the chair says “Your point is well taken” and restates the appropriate
rule. If the chair does not agree, the chair says, “Overruled.” This decision, as all
others, can be appealed.

Point of appeal
Any time the chair makes a decision, that decision may be appealed. Any voting
member who wishes to appeal a decision may do so by saying, “I appeal the
decision of the chair.” If the appeal is seconded, the chair then asks, “On what
grounds do you appeal my decision?” The member states the reasons. The
chairperson then speaks briefly to the intent of the ruling being appealed. The
body may then debate the ruling and the merits of the appeal. A vote is taken,
requiring a simple majority to overrule the original decision of the chairperson.

Parliamentary inquiry
If a committee member wants to do something but doesn’t know how it fits in with
the rules of order, all that member has to do is ask. At any time, a member may
simply say out loud, “Point of parliamentary inquiry.” The chairperson must
immediately recognize the member so that person may ask how to do such-and-
such. The chair will answer the question, possibly by referring to a specific
passage in this document in explanation. A point of parliamentary inquiry needs
no second, is not debatable, and is not voted upon.

Point of personal privilege

If the smoke is getting too heavy for you, the air conditioner or heater is on too
high, or if there is too much noise in the room, you can ask that something be
done about it. If the matter is urgent, you may interrupt the proceedings by
saying, “Point of personal privilege;” if the matter is not particularly urgent, you
are encouraged to wait until the person speaking has finished. Such a request
110 A Guide to Local Services in NA

generally requires no second, and the chairperson must recognize you

immediately. State the situation and ask that it be corrected. If your request
seems reasonable, the chair will accommodate you.

VOTING PROCEDURES
There are several ways that votes can be taken. The most commonly used
method is the show of hands. With rare exceptions, votes will be taken by a
request from the chair to see the hands of all in favor, then all opposed, then all
abstaining on each issue. The chairperson should ask for all three categories
every time, just to be thorough, even when the majority is overwhelming.

These are only brief notes on rules of order for business meetings. For further
information, see Robert’s Rules of Order—Newly Revised.
 MOTION TABLE

TYPE OF MOTION PURPOSE INTERRUPT SECOND DEBATABLE VOTE

Adjourn To end the committee meeting. No Yes No Simple

Amend To change part of the language in a main motion. No Yes Yes Simple

Amend by substitution To alter a main motion by completely rewriting it, while preserving its intent. No Yes Yes Simple

Appeal ruling of chair To challenge a decision the chair has made about the rules of order. Yes Yes Yes Simple

Information, point of To be allowed to ask a question about a motion being discussed, not to offer information. Yes No No None

Main motion An idea a committee member wants the committee to put into practice. No Yes Yes Varies

Order of the day To make the committee return to its agenda if it gets onto another track. Yes No No None

Order, point of To request clarification of rules of order when it appears they are being broken. Yes No No None

Parliamentary inquiry To ask the chair about how to do something according to rules of order. Yes No No None

Previous question To stop debate and vote right now on whatever motion is at hand. No Yes No Two-thirds

Privilege, personal To make a personal request of the chair or the committee. If urgent No No None

Reconsider To reopen for debate a motion previously passed. No Yes Yes Simple

Refer, commit To halt debate, send motion to subcommittee or ad hoc committee before vote. No Yes Yes Simple

Remove from the table To resume consideration of a motion previously tabled before the time set. No Yes No Simple

Rescind, repeal To void the effect of a motion previously passed. No Yes Yes Two-thirds

Table To put off further consideration of a motion until a later date and time. No Yes No Simple

Withdraw a motion To allow a motion's maker to take back that motion after debate has begun. Yes No No Unanimous

111
 Internal Use of NA Intellectual Property

A statement of the NA Fellowship’s policy on the reprinting of copyrighted NA recovery literature

and the use of registered NA trademarks and service marks by NA groups, service boards, and
committees.

NA Intellectual Property Bulletin #1 was approved by the Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous as given
voice by its groups through their regional service representatives at the World Service Conference on 27
April 1993, applicable as of 1 May 1993. It was amended at the World Service Conference in 1997 and
1998. This bulletin supersedes all previous bulletins and policies pertaining to the use of copyrighted
literature and registered trademarks and service marks by NA groups, service boards, and committees.

The Fellowship Intellectual Property Trust (FIPT) describes in detail how NA’s name, trademarks,
and recovery literature are protected and administered by Narcotics Anonymous World Services,
Inc. (NAWS). It covers NA’s name, trademarks, and recovery literature in all forms, including
translations, and all mediums, whether printed, electronic, or in any other media that may be
developed in the future. Additional guidelines contained in this and the other intellectual property
bulletins for the use of NA’s intellectual properties by the fellowship are presented as an adjunct
to the FIPT. The guidelines are based partly on legal considerations and partly on the nature of
NA. By following these simple steps, the fellowship will help ensure that NA’s name, trademarks,
and recovery literature will always be available to fulfill our primary purpose.
All matters not specifically addressed by the Intellectual Property Bulletins will be considered
under the conditions of the Fellowship Intellectual Property Trust. Any questions or concerns
about the bulletins should be directed to NA’s World Service Office.
This bulletin reflects the policy affecting the use of NA intellectual property within the NA
Fellowship. Use of the fellowship’s trademarks and recovery literature is a commitment to comply
with these guidelines. Usage inconsistent with the guidelines is improper. Usage disputes are
dealt with in Intellectual Property Bulletin #5.
Use by NA groups
These guidelines outline the appropriate uses of NA logos and recovery literature by NA groups.
The guidelines also lay out criteria a group can use to avoid improper use. A description of the
NA group--its nature, function, and role in the NA Fellowship--can be found in current NA service
manuals. You are encouraged to review those sections describing groups prior to attempting use
of the guidelines described below.
Use by NA service boards and committees
Service boards and committees created directly or indirectly by NA groups may use NA logos
and recovery literature in the ways described in these guidelines so long as they register with NA
World Services.
Use by individual NA members or others
Guidelines in this or other Intellectual Property Bulletins do not grant individual NA members or
those outside NA permission to use NA trademarks or intellectual property. Individual NA
members or others who wish to use NA’s trademarks or copyrighted recovery literature should
write directly to NA World Services.

112
 NA Intellectual Property Bulletin #1 (July 2010) 113

GUIDELINES FOR USE OF NA TRADEMARKS

Some of the NA Fellowship’s registered trademarks are the name “Narcotics Anonymous,” the
stylized NA initials, the diamond in a circle, the original NA group logo, and the “PR stamp,” all
shown below:

® ®
Narcotics Anonymous®

Guidelines for use

Use of Narcotics Anonymous trademarks should always reflect the seriousness of our primary
purpose and our spiritual foundation of anonymity. The Narcotics Anonymous name or
trademarks should not be used by an NA group, service board, or committee in any way that
would imply legal liability or financial responsibility by or to another part of the fellowship, service
structure, or outside enterprise.
Narcotics Anonymous trademarks should not be used in any way that would serve to endorse,
finance, promote, or affiliate the NA Fellowship with any outside enterprise.
Narcotics Anonymous trademarks should not be used in conjunction with any law enforcement,
political, medical, or religious slogans, themes, or other related materials.
Narcotics Anonymous trademarks should not be used or displayed in such a manner as to
possibly offend or disrespect the sensibilities of other organizations, groups, or NA as a whole.
Narcotics Anonymous trademarks should not be used in any manner that could draw us into
public controversy.
Narcotics Anonymous trademarks should not be used on locally developed recovery literature.
“NA Fellowship Approved” trademark
The “NA Fellowship Approved” trademark is used to indicate that a piece of
recovery literature has been approved by the Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous
as given voice by its groups through their regional delegates at the World Service
Conference. The “NA Fellowship Approved” trademark may not be used on any
other materials.

Marking trademarks
Either the capital letter “R” or a “TM” should be placed inside a small circle to the right of all NA
trademarks every time any of them are used. By doing so, we are showing that these logos are
legally owned or registered trademarks. This is one way in which we help preserve the
fellowship’s legal right to ownership of its trademarks.
Protecting artwork
Whenever an NA group, service board, or committee has an artist create original artwork,
drawings, designs, or screens using any NA trademark, the NA body should always be sure the
artist signs a document releasing to the NA body his or her rights to the artwork, including the
original rendering. By doing so, we ensure that neither the NA logos nor any artwork that has
been created for the benefit of the fellowship can later be used to benefit a private individual or an
outside business enterprise.
114 A Guide to Local Services in NA

GUIDELINES FOR REPRODUCTION OF NA RECOVERY LITERATURE

NA World Services acts as the publisher of all NA Fellowship-approved recovery literature. As

such, it has been entrusted with the responsibility to obtain copyright protection for these items
on behalf of the fellowship. This ensures that the fellowship’s message as presented in our books
and pamphlets is not tampered with.
Narcotics Anonymous World Services is largely dependent on the income generated from the
sale of NA recovery literature. This income is used to cover the costs of publishing as well as the
expenses associated with other services provided to the World Service Conference and the NA
Fellowship at large. A large part of NA World Services’ income comes from NA groups that
purchase recovery literature to distribute at their meetings. Many groups consider their purchase
of NA Fellowship-approved recovery literature as one way in which they contribute to the unity
and growth of NA as a whole.
Use by NA groups
As a general rule, no one has the authority to reproduce NA Fellowship-approved recovery
literature without prior written permission from Narcotics Anonymous World Services. However,
given the nature of our fellowship, our experience indicates that NA groups and only NA groups
should have the authority to reproduce fellowship-approved recovery literature in certain
instances. When preparing to reproduce NA Fellowship-approved recovery literature, NA groups
should discuss the Fourth Tradition and follow all of these general guidelines:
1. An NA group should only reproduce NA Fellowship-approved recovery literature when it has a
clear need to do so.
2. NA Fellowship-approved recovery literature reproduced by an NA group should be distributed
only within that group. Such materials should always be given away free of charge; they
should never be sold to generate income.
3. The text of NA Fellowship-approved books and pamphlets reproduced by an NA group should
not be altered or modified in any way.
4. The copyright for the item being reproduced should be shown prominently as follows:
“Copyright © [year of first publication], Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved.”
Use by registered NA service boards and committees
Registered NA service boards and committees that wish to quote or reprint portions of NA
Fellowship-approved recovery literature should always include the proper notation or credit
identifying the origin of the quote or reprinted portion they wish to use. Generally speaking, the
length of a reprint or quote should not exceed 25% of the original piece. In the case of NA books,
reprints or quotes should not exceed 25% of a single chapter or section. In the case of an article
from The NA Way Magazine, the entire piece may be used if the source is fully cited.

Any use of NA’s name, trademarks, or recovery literature that is not specifically covered is
reserved to NAWS, Inc. The use covered in the Intellectual Property Bulletins does not create any
other right or claim by the user to any of the fellowship’s marks under any theory of law, fact, or
equity.
 GLOSSARY

Additional needs, addicts with. Additional Group service representative (GSR).

needs arise from physical challenges Elected by an NA group to participate on
such as blindness, hearing impairment, or the group’s behalf in the ASC and the
mobility limitations imposed by use of regional assembly.
wheelchairs. Reaching addicts with GSR. See group service representative.
additional needs and making our
meetings and other services more H&I. See hospitals and institutions.
accessible to them is an obligation our Home group. The group an NA member
fellowship takes very seriously at all levels calls “home.” Home group membership
of its service structure. calls for regular attendance of its recovery
Area service committee (ASC). A meetings, financial and voluntary service
committee created to provide common support, and participation in conscience-
services for NA groups in a specific building and decision-making processes.
locale. Composed of GSRs, ASC officers, Hospitals and institutions (H&I). A field of
and subcommittee chairpersons. Usually service usually covered by one ASC
part of a region, to which it sends RCMs. subcommittee devoted to carrying the NA
Assembly district. A subdivision of a heavily message primarily to correctional inmates
populated or geographically far-flung and treatment facility patients.
region within which a region holds one of Metro committee member (MCM). Elected
its multiple assemblies. Most RSCs have by an ASC to participate on the area’s
only one assembly for the entire region. behalf on the metropolitan services
Closed meetings. NA recovery meetings committee.
that are closed to nonaddicts. Metropolitan services committee (MSC). A
Common needs (special interests). A committee formed to administer an array
name tag referring to specialized groups of subcommittees providing direct NA
formed to provide additional identification services (PI, H&I, phonelines, etc.) in a
for addicts with particular needs or major metropolitan district on behalf of a
interests in common—for example, men’s number of ASCs.
or women’s groups and gay or lesbian NA Way Magazine, The. The NA
groups. Fellowship’s quarterly journal, published
Conference-approved service material. in various languages.
Material approved by the World Service NA-approved literature. Recovery literature
Conference that is intended primarily for officially sanctioned by the Fellowship of
use within the context of an NA service Narcotics Anonymous as given voice by
board or committee. its groups through their delegates to the
Cooperative council (co-op). Usually in World Service Conference. Also referred
rural settings, an arrangement whereby a to as “fellowship-approved literature.”
number of groups in nearby towns agree Narcotics Anonymous World Services
to cooperatively maintain certain services (NAWS). Refers to Narcotics Anonymous
affecting them but not their entire ASC. World Services, Inc., the legal name for
CPC panel. A specialized subunit of the PI the World Board. (See World Board
subcommittee in some areas, focusing on description.)
cooperation with the professional Open meetings. NA recovery meetings that
community. allow attendance by nonaddicts.
Fellowship-approved literature. See NA-
approved literature.

115
116 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Phoneline. An NA telephone contact service H&I subcommittees throughout the

providing means by which an addict or a region.
general community member can get RSC. See regional service committee.
information about Narcotics Anonymous,
especially NA meeting schedules. Usually Service bulletins. Articles, position papers,
administered by an ASC subcommittee. and food for thought on a variety of NA
service-related topics. A number of such
PI. See public information. bulletins are available from our World
Policy log. A chronological listing of ASC Service Office.
policy decisions made concerning various Shared services committee. A committee
responsibilities and fields of service. created by two or more area or regional
Maintained by the ASC secretary. committees to fulfill one or two needs both
Public information (PI). A field of service territories have in common. In a state,
usually covered by one ASC province, or nation with more than one
subcommittee devoted to carrying the NA region, such a committee would interact
message to government and private on those regions’ behalf with state,
agencies, the public media, community provincial, or national government,
leaders, those in the helping professions, professional, religious, and civic
and the community-at-large so that organizations. Funded by and
addicts seeking recovery will be referred accountable to those who created it.
to Narcotics Anonymous. Sharing session. A nonbusiness portion of
RCM. See regional committee member. the agenda of most NA service board or
Regional assembly. A gathering of GSRs committee meetings. Somewhat more
and RCMs, conducted by the RSC, to informal than the rest of the meeting
discuss issues affecting NA worldwide, because of the suspension of the ordinary
usually in preparation for the biennial rules of order. Facilitates wide-ranging,
WSC meeting. The regional delegate is open discussion on committee issues and
elected at the assembly. group problems. Allows for development
of group conscience necessary before
Regional committee member (RCM). spiritually sound decisions can be made
Elected by an ASC to participate on the in ordinary business session.
area’s behalf on the regional service
committee. Special interests (common needs). A
name tag referring to specialized groups
Regional delegate. A World Service formed to provide additional identification
Conference participant elected by a for addicts with particular needs or
region’s GSRs and/or RCMs. interests in common—for example, men’s
Regional service committee (RSC). A body or women’s groups and gay or lesbian
that draws together the combined service groups.
experience of a number of adjoining areas Trusted servant. An NA euphemism for
for those areas’ mutual support. “leader,” “official,” or “officer.” Derived
Composed of RCMs, the regional from NA’s Second Tradition, in which NA
delegate and alternate delegate, and leaders are characterized as “trusted
others as needed. servants” as opposed to governors.
Resource assignment. Rather than create Twelve Concepts for NA Service. One of
RSC subcommittees to focus regional three bodies of basic NA principle, the
attention and gather regional experience concepts apply specifically to the
in the various fields of service, most development, coordination, and
RSCs give their RCMs resource maintenance of NA services on behalf of
assignments. For example, one or two the groups.
RCMs will be designated as the people
responsible to provide information to and
facilitate communication between area
 Glossary 117

Twelve Steps. One of three bodies of basic World Service Conference (WSC). A
NA principle, the steps describe NA’s deliberative body composed of regional
regimen leading to personal recovery and delegates and world-level trusted
a spiritual awakening. servants, the WSC provides an effective
Twelve Traditions. One of three bodies of voice and active conscience for the
basic NA principle, the traditions provide worldwide NA Fellowship.
guidance for the behavior of NA groups, World Service Conference Report. The full
helping the groups maintain their reports of the World Service Conference
independence while nurturing their unity. and the World Board and its committees.
World Board. The World Board is the World Service Office (WSO). World Service
service board of the World Service Board headquarters (Los Angeles) and
Conference. It provides support to the branch facilities (Canada, Europe).
Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous in WSC. See World Service Conference.
their efforts to provide the opportunity to
recover from addiction; and oversees the WSO. See World Service Office.
activities of NA World Services, including
our primary service center, the World
Service Office. The board also holds in
trust for the NA Fellowship the rights for
all their physical and intellectual
properties (which includes literature,
logos, trademarks and copyrights) in
accordance with the will of the WSC.
 INDEX

Note: This index is meant to complement, not Meetings

duplicate, the tables of contents found at ASC, 63-64
the front of this guide. For references not group business, 31
found in the index, see the detail table of group recovery, 25
contents beginning on page ix. RSC, 90
Additional needs, addicts with, 28-29, 56 Membership, group, 27-28
Alternate GSR, 36 Metropolitan committee members, 83
Anonymity, public, 28 NA-approved literature, 31
Area boundaries, 71 New ASCs, 67
Boundaries, ASC, 71 Officers
Budget, ASC, 61-62 ASC, 47-50
group, 33-36
Chairperson, ASC, 48 RSC, 87
Closed meetings, 28 Open meetings, 28
Clubhouses, meetings in, 29 Participants
Common needs meetings, 26-27, 56 ASC, 46
Conventions RSC, 87-89
regional, 96 Participation, ASC, 60-61
Elections Policy, ASC, 57
ASC, 50 Prudent reserve, group, 37-38
group, 33
RCM, see regional committee members
Formats, recovery meetings, 29-30
Regional assembly, 93-94
Funding additional regional assemblies, 100
ASC, 62-63, 84-85 assembly districts, 100
MSC, 81, 83-84
regional conventions, 96 Regional committee members, 50, 87
RSC, 95 Regional delegate, 88
Fundraising, 62 alternate, 88
election, 93
Group service representative, 35-36, 47 election in multidistrict regions, 100
GSR, see group service representative Regional forums, 93
Guidelines, ASC, 57 Resource assignments, 89
Home group, 27 Rotation, 36, 50
Inventory, area, 58 Rural NA, 65-66
Learning days, workshops, 67 Secretary
Log, policy, 58 ASC, 48
MCM, see metropolitan committee members group, 33
Meeting locations, 28-29 Six points, 25
accessibility, 28 Special interest meetings, 28, 56
in clubhouses, 28 Subcommittees
in members’ homes, 28 ASC, 51-57
in political party buildings, 28 RSC, 97-99
in treatment centers, 29
rent, 28

118
Surplus funds
ASC, 62
group, 37
Treasurer
ASC, 49
group, 34-35
Treatment centers, meetings in, 29
Vice chairperson, ASC, 48
Workshops, learning days, 67

119
 BULLETINS, HANDBOOKS, AND OTHER NAWS MATERIALS

Group Material
Group Starter Kit – including The Group Booklet, Seventh Tradition Box, two copies of 18 IPs, five service
pamphlets (SPs), the NA White Booklet, The NA Way Magazine, the Group Treasurer's Workbook, a
New Group Checklist, a New Group Registration/Update Form, and a NAWS literature order form.
The Group Booklet – containing the NA group chapter from this guide, published as a separate booklet.
The NA Way Magazine – NA Fellowship’s international journal (published quarterly in various languages).
Service Pamphlets – intended for use as a resource for groups and service bodies covering topics related to
service in NA.
Treasurers’ Material
Group Treasurer’s Workbook, Revised
Treasurer’s Handbook, Revised
Money Matters: Self-Support in NA and Funding NA Services – pamphlets on NA’s tradition of self-support
and fund flow.
Area and Regional Material
A Guide to World Services in NA H&I, PR, and Planning Basics – topic-oriented
A Guide to Phoneline Service booklets containing step-by-step process to help
Handbook for NA Newsletters with service delivery.
Hospitals and Institutions Handbook Reaching Out – quarterly newsletter from and for
incarcerated addicts and a helpful H&I tool.
Public Relations Handbook
An Introduction to NA Meetings – explains familiar
Twelve Concepts for NA Service – contains a study
practices for those new to NA and to professionals
guide not included in this guide.
referring addicts to NA.

Bulletins
Fellowship Intellectual Property Trust – a handbook describing the legal framework within which NA
regulates the use of its literature and trademarks. Note: A series of bulletins about intellectual property
issues is also available from NA World Services.
Internal Use of NA Intellectual Property – a simple policy for NA groups, service boards, and committees
describing how we may use NA’s registered logos and copyrighted recovery literature for NA purposes
while maintaining the Fellowship’s legal protections.
World Service Bulletins on a variety of topics are available for download at www.na.org.
Recovery Material
An Introductory Guide to NA – a pocket-sized book containing the Basic Text’s chapter on the Twelve Steps
in addition to ten IPs, specially designed for newcomers.
It Works: How and Why – essays on NA’s Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.
Just for Today, Revised, containing 366 daily thoughts from other NA literature, a short essay on a recovery
issue, and a closing affirmation.
Narcotics Anonymous, the Basic Text of Recovery
Guiding Principles: The Spirit of Our Traditions – a collection of experience and ideas on how to work
through issues together using the principles embodied in each of our Twelve Traditions.
The NA Step Working Guides – contains a helpful background section discussing the principles relevant to
each of our Twelve Steps, as well as some practical questions for review.
Sponsorship – members’ first-hand experiences on sponsorship in NA.
Living Clean: The Journey Continues – offers the practice of recovery in our daily lives and finding a
new way to live.
All the material listed above can be downloaded or ordered from www.na.org
For a library of locally-developed resources, please visit www.na.org/localresources

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 Options for Local Services from the Service System Project
This addendum was added to A Guide to Local Services (GTLS) in response to direction from
the World Service Conference. The 2014 World Service Conference passed three motions from
the 2014 Conference Agenda Report that agreed in principle to move in the direction of a
service system that contains group support forums, local service conferences, and local
service boards, and to include these options in GTLS.
Table of Contents
Excerpts from the 2014 CAR service system essay 122
GSF Basics 129
Group Report Form 131
GSF Agenda and Facilitation Tips 133
Sample GSF Agendas 135
Sample GSF Topics 137
Report Form from GSF to LSC 139
LSC Basics 141
LSB Basics 143
The Planning Cycle, Planning Basics, and LSCs 145
Annual Planning Assembly Survey 147
LSB Task List Pre-planning Assembly 159
Annual Planning Assembly Summary Agenda 163
Detailed Agenda: Annual Planning Assembly 164
Creating Project Plans 169
Sample Project Plans 171
Second LSC Meeting Summary Agenda 175
Detailed Agenda: Second LSC Meeting 176
Third LSC Meeting Summary Agenda 179
Detailed Agenda: Third LSC Meeting 180

121
122 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Excerpts from the Service System essay in the 2014 CAR

We asked ourselves, “How can the service system help NA achieve our vision and better carry
the message?” Our Basic Text is clear: “Everything that occurs in the course of NA service must
be motivated by the desire to more successfully carry the NA message to the addict who still
suffers.”
We felt the most important job of the service system is grounded in the Fifth Tradition, to
support the groups in achieving their primary purpose.
And so we proposed a forum to help support the groups.

Group Support Forums (GSFs)

The group support forum is a place to discuss group problems and successes away from
budgets and motions. It is the service equivalent of one addict helping another. Here, newer
members can get introductory or basic information about NA, including how the service system
works.
Group support forums can also be a place for literature distribution, workshops, and training
sessions, and for finding members to serve on H&I panels, planning picnics, and other
neighborhood-based activities. The exact activities of a group support forum will vary from place
to place, but the key is that it focuses on the needs of the groups.
All interested members, not just group representatives, are encouraged to come. It’s a friendly,
discussion-based gathering where newer members can get their feet wet and learn more about
NA, and veterans can share their experiences and actively mentor others.
The proposals 1 describe group support forums as neighborhood-sized—the idea was that each
local service conference as described in the proposals (or today’s area service committees)
would have several small GSFs within it. A smaller-sized group support forum means less
distance to travel for those who are interested, and it can be easier to keep discussion informal
and more like a conversation in a small group. After field testing, however, we found that some
communities prefer a group-focused meeting that includes all of the groups in their community
to improve communication across the community. In these communities, holding a group
support forum has simply meant changing the focus of the majority of what were their area
service committee meetings, leaving four meetings a year for planning and business and the
others for group support.
In communities with smaller group support forums, many of those GSFs have a delegate who
attends the local service conference and reports on the groups in the GSF. In some cases,
groups have elected to attend the group support forum and not the local service conference,

1
The ideas from the Service System Project were initially described in a set of proposals that eventually resulted in
this CAR essay and the three motions passed by WSC 2014.
 Addenda – Service System Options 123

delegating that responsibility to the GSF delegate. More often, groups attend both the group
support forum and the local service conference. Along with being group-focused, flexibility is
one of the foundational principles of the proposals, and again, each community will adapt the
ideas according to their needs.
Motion 4: To agree in principle to move in the direction of a service system that
contains group support forums: discussion-oriented gatherings focused on
the needs of the group, as described by the characteristics below to be
included in the GTLS as an option along with our current service units.
Intent: To establish a direction for the future development of service material.
Characteristics of a GSF:
Essential:
 Discussion-oriented
 Group-focused: Focused on the needs of the group; decisions related to area
business are not made here. Some limited functions like finding volunteers for H&I
panels, planning picnics, etc., may take place.
 Training-oriented: This is a venue ideal for orienting new members, holding
workshops, and training trusted servants.
 Open to all: All interested members, not just group representatives, are encouraged
to attend.
Recommended:
 Neighborhood-sized: The original Service System Proposals see group support
forums as significantly smaller than local service conferences or area service
committees. There would be several for each LSC. However, we have found through
field testing that some communities prefer to bring all of the groups and interested
members together for one communitywide group support forum.
 Meets monthly: Again, the original Service System Proposals suggest monthly
meetings of the group support forum, but in field testing many communities adopted
a different meeting schedule. Some had group support forums meeting eight times a
year in months when there was no quarterly local service conference. Others alternated
GSF and LSC meetings, with each meeting six times a year.

Local Service Conferences (LSCs)

The local service conference and the local service board together oversee most of NA’s service
delivery.
The proposals describe the local service conference as a quarterly, plan-driven meeting
attended by all of the GSRs and/or GSF delegates, along with trusted servants of the LSC and
interested members. One of the meetings of the local service conference is an annual assembly
where all interested members of the community gather to set service priorities for the year
124 A Guide to Local Services in NA

ahead. This annual planning assembly ensures that the groups get to set the general direction
of services. The other local service conferences are opportunities for communication, oversight,
and careful selection of leaders.
As much as possible, the discussions and decisions at the local service conference are
concerned with strategic direction and oversight. Administrative decisions and details are
delegated to the local service board, which is then accountable to the local service conference.
The combination of the local service conference and the local service board balances the
delegation spoken of in the Third Concept with the group responsibility and authority called for
in the Second Concept.
The proposals suggest the local service conference meet quarterly, and the local service board
and the committees and workgroups meet monthly in order to fulfill their functions. In practice,
some communities have found they prefer having all GSRs meet together more often than
quarterly. Some have quarterly service conferences and hold group support forums with the
whole community the other eight months of the year, as mentioned above. Others alternate
service conferences and group support forums, whether those GSFs are neighborhood-sized or
consisting of the whole community. These are just a couple of alternatives.
Decision making is consensus-based where practical, although voting may still be the preferred
way to handle items like elections or urgent decisions where the body fails to reach consensus.
(You can find more information about consensus-based decision making in “CBDM Basics,”
which is posted here www.na.org/toolbox).
Motion 5: To agree in principle to move in the direction of a service system that
contains local service conferences: strategic service-oriented planning
conferences as described by the characteristics below to be included in the GTLS
as an option along with our current service units.
Intent: To establish a direction for the future development of service material.

Characteristics of a local service conference:

Essential:
 Plan-driven: The LSC works according to a planning cycle which begins with an annual
planning assembly. All interested members gather at the planning assembly to set the
priorities for the cycle ahead and provide the input that will shape the resulting project
plans and budget.
 Form follows function: Utilizes a thoughtful mixture of project-based services,
services performed by committees, and services organized by a coordinator. How
services are delivered (whether by committee, project workgroup, or a coordinator) is a
decision made by the local service conference.
 Addenda – Service System Options 125

 Strategic: Discussion and decisions are as much as possible concerned with strategic
direction and oversight. Administrative decisions and “micromanagement” are
delegated to the local service board.
 Consensus-based: Utilizes consensus-based decision making where practical (i.e.,
voting may still be the most logical way to handle elections or instances where the
body fails to reach consensus and a decision must get made).
Recommended:
 Meets quarterly: The proposals suggest the local service conference meets four times
a year for planning and oversight and the local service board meets monthly. In
practice, when field testing, some communities determined that having the local
service conference meet every other month better served their needs. One meeting of
the LSC a year is devoted to the annual planning assembly.
 Defined by county, city, or town boundaries: The reasons for this recommendation
are threefold:
1. To avoid duplication of services;
2. To make NA more visible to professionals and addicts who are trying to find us;
3. To make sure all parts of a state or nation are covered by a service body. Making
sure these three things happen is more important than a policy about service
body boundaries, particularly given the potential difficulty in unifying with a
neighboring service body. What seems crucial is better communication and
collaboration with our neighbors with an eye to having a conversation about
possible unification down the road. The third item, making sure that all parts of
a state or nation are served by NA, is something that probably cannot be
adequately addressed in most places until we get to the state/nation/province
part of the service system.

Local Service Board (LSB)

The local service board is more detail oriented than the local service conference. The board
does the day-to-day work to accomplish the goals and realize the vision directed by the
conference. The local service board administers the work prioritized by the LSC planning
assembly. The conference consists of the architects; the board is made up of the builders and
contractors.
The local service board reports to, and is overseen by, the local service conference. The board
creates plans and a budget, which are approved by the LSC to carry out the work of the plan.
The hands-on service delivery may be accomplished by workgroups led by coordinators or by
committees. The board will make recommendations to the local service conference depending
on what seems to make the most practical sense. Form should follow function.
126 A Guide to Local Services in NA

In short, the Service System Proposals suggest a separation between these three types of
concerns:
1. Group issues and needs are handled at the group support forum.
2. Strategic decisions and general oversight of local services are handled at the local
service conference.
3. Day-to-day administration of local services is handled by the local service board.
One of the more controversial elements of the Service System Proposals is the idea that service
bodies are, where practical, defined by geographic boundaries. This is, in fact, one of the five
main foundational principles of the proposals. For the local service conference, in the US, that
would mean county, town, or city boundaries.
The reasons for this recommendation are threefold:
1. To avoid duplication of services;
2. To make sure all parts of a state or nation are covered by a service body;
3. To make NA more visible to addicts who are trying to find us, as well as members of
the public who refer addicts to us. All aspects of PR efforts, including H&I, outreach,
and fellowship development, are enhanced when service bodies conform to recognized
geographic boundaries.
Still, it’s important to recognize that for some ASCs, being defined by geographic boundaries
could mean unifying with a neighboring service body—possibly a daunting task. What seems
crucial is better communication and collaboration with our neighbors with an eye to having a
conversation about possible unification down the road.
The first step for many communities would be to simply open communication with neighboring
service bodies. Most areas do not have a full awareness of what their neighboring areas do.
Bringing trusted servants together, whether through a shared learning day or a series of
meetings with trusted servants of the areas, will help open the lines of communication, and
communication is a necessary first step toward any possible collaboration—another
foundational principle of the Service System Proposals. Over time, neighboring service bodies
may want to consider sharing services where it makes sense to do so (e.g., sharing a phoneline
where two service bodies occupy the same area code; cooperating to do public outreach to a
school system when two service bodies exist within the same county).
Eventually, at some point that may lead to discussion and ultimately decisions about whether
it makes sense to combine neighboring service bodies. And it may not. Again, these are
decisions that will be made locally and collaboratively.
Motion 6: To agree in principle to move in the direction of a service system that
contains local service boards: a body overseen by the local service conference that
administers the work prioritized by the LSC, as described in the characteristics
below to be included in the GTLS as an option along with our current service
units.
 Addenda – Service System Options 127

Intent: To establish a direction for the future development of service material.

Characteristics of an LSB:
Essential:
 Responsible to the LSC: Reports to and is overseen by the local service conference.
 Carries out the priorities of the LSC: The board oversees the work to accomplish the
goals set by the local service conference. They present a budget and project plans to
the LSC for approval, and they coordinate the service work of the committees,
workgroups, and coordinators.
 Meets monthly: It seems practical to meet on a regular basis, though not all meetings
of the LSB must be face-to-face. Some LSBs may choose to hold some meetings online
for convenience.
 Administers the LSC meetings: The local service board is responsible for putting
together the agenda and facilitating the LSC meetings, including organizing the annual
planning assembly to get information from the whole NA community.
Recommended:
• Consists of admin body and service coordinators: The proposals initially conceived
of the local service board as a monthly meeting of the trusted servants elected by the
LSC (the admin body) as well as the subcommittee chairs, project coordinators, and
other service coordinators. In practice, there may be meetings where not all of these
trusted servants are needed.
Conclusion
The proposed system involves a number of changes. In any transition to a new system,
communities may want to take the changes piece by piece rather than all at once―an evolution
rather than a revolution. Change can be difficult. Nonetheless, we owe it to ourselves and to
those we serve to do what we can to improve our ability to carry the NA message. Our Basic
Text tells us, “We must realize that we are not perfect. There will always be room for growth.”
Just like our personal program, our service delivery will never be perfect. There will always be
room for growth.
128 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Service System Tools

The following draft tools were created in September 2013 for the field test of the local service
proposals from the Service System Project. They have not been updated since that date. They
are offered here as a resource to communities and are freely adaptable.
The draft tools include the following:
GSF Basics LSB Task List Pre-planning Assembly
Group Report Form Annual Planning Assembly Summary Agenda
GSF Agenda and Facilitation Tips Detailed Agenda: Annual Planning Assembly
Sample GSF Agendas Creating Project Plans
Sample GSF Topics Sample Project Plans
Report Form from GSF to LSC Second LSC Meeting Summary Agenda
LSC Basics Detailed Agenda: Second LSC Meeting
LSB Basics Third LSC Meeting Summary Agenda
The Planning Cycle, Planning Basics, and LSCs Detailed Agenda: Third LSC Meeting
Annual Planning Assembly Survey
 Addenda – Service System Options 129

GSF Basics
The Purpose of the GSF
Since the early days of NA, our service manuals have described the ASC as responsible to both
support groups and provide services. The proposed group support forum (GSF) and local service
conference (LSC) divide the responsibilities of our current ASCs.
The GSF is intended to help groups better carry the message within their meetings by
separating out the group support function from the “business” of providing NA services. The
GSF gives groups the opportunity to share problems they may be encountering and to seek
solutions from each other, to talk about what’s working well, and to have informal workshops
on topics of their choice while avoiding the distraction of discussions about complex services
provided outside the group. The GSF functions as a discussion-based gathering of the local NA
community and may be an easier or less intimidating way for some members to get introduced
to service. The GSF is intended to be like a community or neighborhood gathering, not another
level of service.

What Happens at GSF Meetings?

Welcome and outreach to new groups and members
Informal discussion of group issues and sharing of solutions
Information sharing (e.g., upcoming events, new literature, discussion topics)
Checking accuracy of meeting information and creation of local meeting list if needed
Introduction to service (e.g. introduction to service literature, traditions, concepts, etc.)
Informal training and mentoring
Some GSFs may provide options for groups to order literature and contribute funds to
other levels of service
In some circumstances, GSFs may be involved in some service delivery (e.g., putting up
flyers in the community or supporting a local H&I meeting)
For GSFs using the linear option only:
Selection of a GSF delegate (or delegates) to attend the LSC/ASC
Reporting from the GSF on discussions at the LSC/ASC
Gathering of any GSF input on LSC/ASC discussions for the GSF delegate to bring these
to the LSC/ASC
Keys to a Healthy GSF Discussion
Share our experience, strength, and hope
Listen to one another and respect each other's ideas
Everyone is welcome to attend and everyone can participate
Take turns: One person speaks at a time, and no one person should dominate the GSF
Try to stay focused on the issue at hand and avoid repetition
Remember – honesty, trust, and goodwill are the foundation of our service efforts
 Addenda – Service System Options 131

Group Report Form

Group Name:
Group Delegate Name and Contact:
Meeting Day and Time:
Meeting Location:

Meeting Format:

Trusted Servant Topics: Atmosphere of Recovery Topics:

Financial Topics: Other Topics:

 Addenda – Service System Options 133

GSF Agenda and Facilitation Tips

Before the meeting: The facilitator and recorder should create a list of issues needing
discussion. Issues for discussion can come from the groups, the GSF facilitator, the LSC
(particularly in the linear model of GSF/LSC), or interested members. In some cases the
facilitator will prioritize issues for the GSF; in other cases the GSF itself will prioritize issues.
Regardless, part of the facilitator’s job, so to speak, is to keep the GSF on task and help the
body set realistic goals for each meeting. There won’t be time to talk about everything in every
meeting. The chair can help the body be mindful of how much time there is for the GSF meeting
and what the body can expect to accomplish.
Groups should turn in their reports before the GSF meeting to help the facilitator develop a list
of discussion topics. Group reports also ensure meeting and contact information is up to date.
Any flyers or other informational material is placed in a central location for collection before
the end of the meeting. If the GSF facilitates groups ordering literature from the LSC, or making
contributions to the LSC, then these should be handed to the trusted servant responsible for
this.
Introductions: Everyone introduces themselves and says which group they are from, whether
they are a trusted servant from the LSC, or whether they are a visitor, etc. – new
members/groups are welcomed.
Topics from previous meetings: These could include topics where more information was
needed, or issues that were not able to be addressed at the previous meeting due to time
constraints. The GSF can choose to address topics that weren’t covered at the previous meeting
first or it can prioritize these topics alongside any new issues, depending on the preference of
the GSF.
New suggested topics: If possible the recorder writes these down at the front of the room on a
large post-it, white board etc. so everyone can see them. Topics can range from issues
individual groups would like help or feedback about to more general topics like a discussion of a
tool or pamphlet. The GSF’s primary function is to support the groups and so assisting groups in
areas where they are struggling should be the top priority, but in most cases, there will be
plenty of time to address other issues as well, if the GSF wishes.
Prioritizing: The facilitator can prioritize issues for the body before the meeting or those
attending the GSF can prioritize issues. This can be done by a simple show of hands. One
possible method is for each member to have two opportunities to raise their hands.
Discussion: Each topic is presented and discussed one at a time, beginning with a brief
explanation of the topic by the group or individual that suggested it. The facilitator asks if
anyone needs any clarification of the issue.
134 A Guide to Local Services in NA

The facilitator may want to ask the body 3 questions to help consider the topic:
1. Does anyone else have experience with this topic? (The GSF may want to keep a log of
previous topics and solutions to group issues in case the same topics resurface over
time.)
2. What does our literature say? (Possible sources include The Group Booklet, Treasurer’s
Handbook, Tradition and Concept essays etc.)
3. Where can we get more information about the topic? (Possibilities include the LSC/ASC,
regional body, state/nation/province body, and NA World Services.)
For more involved discussions the Basic Facilitation Guide can be used.
(Note: The recorder keeps a simple record of the outcome of any discussions and any solutions
to group issues reached. The recorder’s notes will also be helpful in the annual environmental
scanning assembly.)
Workshop: Examples include Building Strong Homegroups, Tradition or Concept discussions, or
general service or recovery topics.
 Addenda – Service System Options 135

Sample GSF Agendas

Note: We offer a couple of sample agendas here (for GSFs of about five to ten groups) because
we know examples are helpful to some, but your GSF will have its own personality and needs,
and the ideal agenda should spring from that. These are just a few ideas of what a GSF meeting
might look like. Please just use them as a jumping off place to adapt for your local needs.
We were initially going to include sample times on the agendas but we realize that the time
allotted for the GSF meeting will vary from community to community as will the amount to
discuss and workshop. Part of the task of the facilitator is to draft an agenda that considers the
amount of time available and prioritizes the items that are most significant.

This first sample agenda is for a GSF that is self-administered, doesn’t participate in any local
service, and doesn’t send a delegate to the LSC.
Meeting Opening:
o Moment of silence and NA prayer
o Read a selection from NA literature of the facilitator’s choice
o Introductions and welcome
Discussion of Suggested Topics (See list on last page)
o Further discuss topics from previous meetings if needed
o Read new suggested topics and any topics that you didn’t get to at the last
meeting
o Prioritize topics for discussion
o Discuss top two new topics
Workshops (See list on last page)
o If there is a workshop scheduled for the GSF meeting, introduce that facilitator
and topic
o Have small or large group workshop
Announcements
Closing
o Choose location, facilitator, and recorder for next GSF if needed
o Close meeting with Just For Today and an NA prayer of choice
136 A Guide to Local Services in NA

This second sample agenda is for a GSF that is administered by the LSC or that has a facilitator
and recorder elected by the GSF. This GSF does send a delegate to the LSC and does participate
in some local service.
Meeting Opening:
o Moment of silence and NA prayer
o Read GSF Purpose and Groundrules
o Introductions and welcome

Report from LSC/ASC delegate

Discussion of Suggested Topics (See list on last page)

o Further discuss topics from previous meetings if needed
o Facilitator reads off the topics and issues that remain from previous meetings
and the new ones that were submitted before this meeting and suggests two or
three to discuss.
o If there is general agreement, discuss selected topics one at a time.
o If there is a need, prioritize the issues as a group and then discuss the top two or
three priorities one at a time.

Report on any local service work that the GSF may be participating in.

Workshops (See list on last page)

o If there is a workshop scheduled for the GSF meeting, introduce that facilitator
and topic
o Have small or large group workshop
o The LSC may want to schedule workshops throughout the cycle for the GSFs,
highlighting different aspects of service work and introducing GSF members to
some of what happens at the LSC.

Closing
o Announcements
o Remind everyone of next GSF meeting date, time, and location
o Close meeting with Just For Today and My Gratitude Speaks
 Addenda – Service System Options 137

Sample GSF Topics

The list of things a GSF could talk about is potentially endless. We offer you this grab bag to
inspire you and to give you an idea of the sorts of things that are possible fodder for discussion.
Group issues/challenges
• not enough money taken in through passing the basket
• “too much” money taken in through the basket
• members disrupting or dominating the meeting
• need to find a new meeting place
• many new comers, few members with time/ availability of sponsors
• challenges with NA language or identification
Group successes/ideas to share
• positive changes to group trusted servants, group time, location, etc.
• format changes
• good experiences in business meetings
• new group practices (e.g., going out regularly after the meeting)
General topics for discussion
• A specific IP or service pamphlet
• A Tradition or Concept
• Sponsorship
• Sometimes a question can generate a great conversation, like “Is there such a thing as
too much service?” or “What impression do newcomers get at our meetings and how
can we improve it?”
Workshops
• Issue Discussion Topics
• New tools or literature/ NAWS projects
• LSC-coordinated topics such as carrying the message to institutions, doing public
relations works, working on our website, putting on events, and so on.
 Addenda May 2020 – Service System Options 139

Report Form from GSF to LSC

GSF Name:
GSF Delegate Name and Contact:
GSF Meeting Day and Time:
GSF Meeting Location:

Group Names/Days/Times/Contacts:

New Group Names/Days/Times/Contacts:

140 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Discussion Topics/Solutions:

Topics to Bring to LSC:

 Addenda – Service System Options 141

LSC Basics
The Purpose of the LSC
Our current ASCs are tasked with both group support and local service delivery. The proposed
group support unit (GSF) and local service unit (LSC) divide these functions.
The LSC is the “workhorse” of the service system and has the responsibility to deliver the bulk
of local services. The LSC is intended to help groups “better fulfill their primary purpose” as
discussed in the Ninth Tradition. Their role is to provide the types of services that would
otherwise distract groups from organizing the recovery meetings that are our most effective
way of carrying the NA message. The hope is that both group support and service delivery will
improve when there is a body devoted exclusively to each function.

LSC Composition
The LSC is intended to conform to the geographic boundaries found within society, such as
counties, towns, or boroughs. This makes it easier for addicts seeking recovery to find NA
meetings, and helps the LSC work more effectively with the professional and government
bodies that interact most frequently with addicts. [Note: For the purposes of the field test, we
do not expect geographic boundaries will change as ASCs function as LSCs for the testing
period.]
The LSC is comprised of two main parts: monthly local service board (LSB) and quarterly LSC
meetings, one of which is an annual planning assembly. Members of the LSC include LSB
members as well as group and/or GSF delegates attend each LSC meeting. In addition, all
interested members are welcome and encouraged to attend particularly the annual planning
assembly.
Members of the LSB include 1. administrative members such as the LSC chair, vice chair,
treasurer, and secretary; 2. a delegate(s) to the next level of service; and 3. those who function
as the point of accountability for each area of service—in most cases these members will be a
combination of committee chairs and service or project coordinators. In addition, some LSCs
may decide to elect other members to be part of the LSB if that makes sense to their
community. The LSB’s role is the day-to-day administration of services. The LSB oversees
workgroups and routine services; coordinates the planning assemblies; and develops a budget
and a strategic plan for review, input, and approval at the LSC meetings.

How the LSC Functions

The LSC utilizes a strategic planning process, with services being delivered through a mix of
committees or coordinators for ongoing or routine services, and workgroups for projects. As
throughout the system, form should follow function: finite goals or tasks that have a beginning,
142 A Guide to Local Services in NA

middle, and end may be best suited for projects, while tasks that do not change much from
month to month may be better suited for committees or work pools with coordinators.
Wherever possible, decisions at the LSC use a consensus based process instead of motions,
ideally making it a more inclusive and attractive service body.
The LSC will also serve as a communication and delegation link between the groups and the rest
of the fellowship by sending a delegate to the state/national/provincewide service body.

What Happens at LSC Meetings

LSC meetings are quarterly. For the purposes of the field test, we are shortening the period
between the first and second LSC meeting from three months to two so that there is more time
to deliver services after project plans and a budget are approved. Nonetheless, for groups that
are used to attending a monthly ASC, there may be some adjustment needed to purchase
literature and make a financial contribution to the LSC. Fund flow and literature distribution are
among the topics that need further definition in the Service System Proposals. Part of what we
hope to accomplish through the field test is to get a better sense of how these types of
processes might work in actual practice. If you are field testing the proposals, we can talk
together with you to help determine what would work best for your community.
1st LSC Meeting: Annual Planning Assembly
• Review the results of the community survey and current service delivery efforts
• Identify and prioritize the most important issues that might affect service delivery
• Brainstorm and prioritize solutions to those issues
2nd LSC Meeting
• Review and vote on budget and project plans for the year ahead
3rd LSC Meeting
• Oversee progress on projects and ongoing services.
• Give any input about service delivery
4th LSC Meeting
• Oversee progress on projects and ongoing services
• Give any input about service delivery
• Hold elections for the year ahead
• Distribute community survey for the annual planning assembly
This draft was produced for the Service System Proposals field test. It is a work in progress.
Please send any input on the draft to: worldboard@na.org.
 Addenda – Service System Options 143

LSB Basics
The Purpose of the LSB
The two main elements of local services are the quarterly local service conference (LSC) and the
local service board (LSB). The LSB is elected by the LSC and meets more often than the LSC so
that it can better administer the tasks delegated to it. These tasks may include ongoing services
such as H&I panels or a phoneline, recurring events such as an annual convention or unity day,
and projects such as attendance at community events or public information presentations to
professionals. The LSB is also responsible for administrative tasks such as distributing minutes
and paying regular bills. The LSB also coordinates the annual planning assembly and develops a
budget and project plans for review, input, and approval at the LSC.

LSB Composition
The LSB is typically composed of administrative members such as the LSC chair and vice chair, a
treasurer, a secretary, and a delegate to the next level of service. In addition the trusted
servants who serve as the points of accountability for local services are also members;
examples include subcommittee chairs, service coordinators, and project coordinators. Some
LSCs may decide to elect other members to be part of the LSB if that makes sense to their
community.
How the LSB Functions
Generally the LSB will meet on a monthly basis. Local service work is structured around a
planning cycle so they will have different tasks each month to support the progress of the cycle.
More details of these tasks can be found in the Local Service Calendar and its accompanying
planning cycle diagram.
The annual planning assembly is perhaps the busiest part of the cycle for the LSB. In most
communities, members of the LSB put together the agenda for the planning assembly and
facilitate it. Prior to the assembly they will need to coordinate the distribution of a survey to all
the groups and trusted servants in the community, and then collate the responses they receive.
After the assembly the LSB is responsible for developing project plans to address the issues the
LSC has prioritized and distributing those plans, as well as a proposed budget to the groups.
More details of the tasks associated with preparing a planning assembly can be found in the
Pre-Planning Assembly Task List.
Once the project plans have been approved the focus of the LSB shifts to ensuring they remain
on-track. The LSB must follow the direction the groups have provided with care, and report
progress to the groups regularly. In this way the groups can maintain their authority over the
services delivered on their behalf. Although each project coordinator or subcommittee chair
has the primary responsibility for their project or ongoing service, the rest of the LSB works
144 A Guide to Local Services in NA

collaboratively to keep services and projects on track and to find solutions to any problems that
arise through discussions at the monthly LSB meetings.
As at the LSC, the LSB utilizes consensus-based decision-making.
LSB Communication
One of the primary roles of the LSB is to communicate with the groups within their community,
with other NA communities, and with those outside of NA. Different LSB members will be
responsible for different aspects of these communications.
• The administrative members will generally be responsible for distributing reports from
subcommittees and project coordinators along with information about upcoming LSC
meetings to groups through their LSC representatives or in whatever other way the
community finds most practical (see below).
• The delegate to the next level of service serves as the point of contact for other NA
communities, as well as to the state or national service body, and to NA World Services.
• Communications with different external bodies will be allocated to subcommittee chairs
or service/project coordinators according to the decisions made at the planning
assembly.
Reports to groups and other NA service bodies will typically be compiled monthly and should
cover several basic points:
• Tasks completed or worked on since last month
• Successes and challenge
• Financial reports
• Details of the next scheduled meeting if applicable
• Contact details for trusted servants
• Details of upcoming events, conventions, workshops, etc.
The LSB may utilize different methods to distribute reports according to what is appropriate in
each community. Possible examples include an email distribution list, a password protected
section on a local website, distribution of printed material at group support meetings, or by
mail.
This draft was produced for the Service System Proposals field test. It is a work in progress.
Please send any input on the draft to: worldboard@na.org.
 Addenda – Service System Options 145

The Planning Cycle, Planning Basics, and LSCs

The four components of the planning cycle, above are

represented in each of the four steps of our Planning Basics
The Four Steps of Planning Basics
1. Scanning: gathering information
2. Prioritize issues to be addressed
3. Create action (project) plans
4. Monitoring and evaluation

The four steps of Planning Basics are a core component of the

planning process for the LSC and the LSB
The LSC and the Planning Cycle
The First LSC - The Planning Assembly (Steps 1 and 2)
• Identify issues
• Prioritize issues
• Consider solutions for top issues
• Prioritize solutions
The Second LSC – Project Plans Approval (Step 3)
• Between the first and second LSC meeting, the LSB will
create project plans that it presents at the second LSC
• LSC considers and adopts project plans
The Third and Fourth LSC – Monitoring and Evaluation (Step 4)
• Monitor ongoing projects (monthly monitoring by LSB)
• LSC evaluates any completed projects
 Addenda – Service System Options 147

Annual Planning Assembly Survey

This survey is designed to gather information for our annual planning assembly. The survey asks you to share your experience on a
number of topics. Each of the five pages that follow asks you to think about different aspect of NA and our environment: our
membership, group issues, external trends, current services, and our relationship with regional and world services.
On each page there are several columns:

RATING TOPICS CHALLENGES AND ISSUES POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

Rating: Please write a number in the rating column next to each topic using this five-point scale. If you don’t know, please leave the
item blank:
1 – Strongly disagree 2 – Disagree 3 – Neither agree nor disagree 4 – Agree 5 – Strongly agree

Topics: We have included a number of statements to consider. Please feel free to add any other topics you think are important.

Challenges and Issues: At the planning assembly we will prioritize the issues we, as a community, feel are the most important to
address in the year ahead. Considering the topics already listed and any others we may have missed, use this column to list issues
you feel are significant and may affect NA and our ability to carry the message.
Potential Solutions: At the assembly, we will also brainstorm solutions. You can get a head start by writing your ideas here.
At the planning assembly, the results of these surveys will be considered by all interested addicts, and together we will brainstorm
goals for the LSC for the year ahead. The survey can be completed by individual members, NA groups, or groups of trusted servants.
Completed forms should be sent to the planning body by the requested date.

Your name or your group name:

Today’s date:

This draft was produced for the Service System Proposals field test. It is a work in progress.
Please send any input on the draft to: worldboard@na.org.
 Addenda – Service System Options 149

RATING MEMBER TOPICS CHALLENGES AND ISSUES POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

1-5
Please consider these Please provide details: Please share your ideas:
topics: (For example: many young people come (For example: start a young people’s
to our meetings, but either do not stay meeting, have activities geared towards
Our meetings are diverse
[ ] and represent all clean or they go to AA) younger members, survey members who
got clean young about what helped them
populations of potential
or caused them problems)
members in the
community (e.g. young
people, local ethnic or
cultural groups)

[ ] Our meetings have

members with a wide
range of cleantime

Newcomers are welcomed

[ ] and made to feel safe in
our meetings

[ ] Additional topics?
 Addenda – Service System Options 151

RATING GROUP TOPICS CHALLENGES AND ISSUES POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

1-5
Please consider these Please provide details: Please share your ideas:
topics:
The average weekly
[ ] attendance at our
meetings is stable or
increasing

There is a good
[ ] atmosphere of recovery in
our meetings

[ ] Our meeting’s finances are

sufficient for our needs.

All our trusted servant

[ ] positions are filled

Our group sends a

[ ] delegate to our local
service body meetings

[ ] Additional topics?
 Addenda – Service System Options 153

RATING EXTERNAL TOPICS CHALLENGES AND ISSUES POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

1-5
Please consider these Please provide details: Please share your ideas:
topics:
We are responding to
[ ] requests for NA services
from the public and local
facilities that work with
addicts

NA is respected by the
[ ] public and local facilities
and has good relations
with them

New facilities or services

[ ] aimed at addicts will be
opening in our community
in the near future

[ ] There are trends in local

criminal justice, courts,
treatment facilities,
government agencies, etc.
that may affect our
meetings or addicts
seeking recovery.

[ ] Additional topics?
 Addenda – Service System Options 155

RATING LOCAL SERVICE TOPICS CHALLENGES AND ISSUES POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

1-5
Please consider these Please provide details: Please share your ideas:
topics:
Our local services are
[ ] effective

Our local services provide

[ ] support to our groups

Our local services have the

[ ] resources they need, both
human and financial

[ ] There is a good
atmosphere of recovery in
our service meetings

[ ] There is good
communication between
groups and the local
service body

[ ] Additional topics?
 Addenda – Service System Options 157

RATING REGIONAL AND CHALLENGES AND ISSUES POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

1-5 WORLD SERVICE
TOPICS
Please consider these Please provide details: Please share your ideas:
topics:
Our local community is
[ ] involved in regional and
world services projects

[ ] There is good
communication between
our local community and
the regional and world
service bodies

[ ] Additional topics?
 Addenda – Service System Options 159

LSB Task List Pre-planning Assembly

The annual planning assembly is a big community event that will take a fair amount of planning
on the part of the local service board.

Prior to the event you will need to:

Secure the space. A room with space for members to sit at tables is usually best—these
need not be round tables. Much of the day will be spent with people moving around the
room.
Publicize the event—this is supposed to be a community-wide event. You’ll want to
make sure all interested members know about the planning assembly and are
encouraged to attend
Distribute a survey to groups, trusted servants, and interested members to gather
information for the environmental scan.
Draft an agenda for the planning assembly. A sample scanning survey and agenda are
included in the LSC tools posted at www.na.org/servicesystem. You can use these or
modify them for local use.
Depending on the community’s familiarity with the Service System Project, you may
want to schedule a session to deal with any general questions just prior to starting the
assembly. Since the planning assembly will be the first LSC meeting, you may want this
introductory time to explain what an LSC is and how it functions, for instance.
Plan for refreshments if you choose to have any. (Most addicts say service meetings are
much more attractive when food is involved.)
Arrive early to the meeting place on the day of the assembly so that the room is set and
ready. Be sure to test any projectors or PA systems prior to the start of the assembly.

For the purposes of this field test, these things will need to be done relatively quickly. In future
years, however, should you continue to have planning assemblies, these are tasks that may best
be done well in advance of the planning assembly

Tasks for the LSB meeting prior to the planning assembly

There are a few things that you will want to make sure you cover at the LSB meeting right
before the planning assembly that will help the assembly itself run more smoothly

Collect the survey and compile the data for presentation at the assembly
Review and talk through the agenda for the planning assembly and make sure all the
LSB members understand their roles.
Make a list of all of the services your community already provides. Part of the inventory
process at the Planning Assembly will involve reviewing these services and asking “Are
160 A Guide to Local Services in NA

there ways we could be performing these services better?” (At the second LSC meeting,
these services will be reaffirmed—or not—for the year ahead when the budget is
presented to the LSC.)
As an LSB you will want to discuss and evaluate current service delivery. Ideally, you can
come to common agreement about what services might be best handled by projects
prior to the assembly.

Ongoing services versus projects

One of the most potentially confusing parts of transitioning from an ASC to an LSC is figuring
out how to handle the services your ASC has been providing already. The Service System
Proposals do not prescribe an approach; they do encourage each ASC/LSC to evaluate service
delivery and make an educated decision about how to provide each type of service. Some tasks
are best handled by a committee, others by a workgroup, still others by a coordinator. It’s up to
each service body to decide what makes the most sense. This is a conversation the LSB will
want to have before the planning assembly and then gain concurrence from the assembly
about the approach.

Some things, such as providing H&I meetings, answering the phonelines, and
maintaining the website are consistent activities that do not change much from month
to month. These sorts of things fall under the heading of “ongoing services.”
o Some ongoing services may only need one or two people to accomplish or
coordinate them. For instance, a single person may be able to keep the website
updated or coordinate volunteers for the phoneline.
o Other ongoing services may need a group of people (e.g., providing H&I
meetings at a number of facilities or answering public relations requests as they
arise).
o Most of these ongoing services fall within the broad heading of “public relations”
and the public relations coordinator may be the person best suited to be the
communication link with the LSB.
Other things, such as holding a holiday marathon meeting or coordinating an
informational booth at the county fair, are activities with a beginning, middle, and end.
These are activities that, even if they happen annually, are planned for and then
completed. These activities may be best handled as projects. That way they can be
prioritized along with the other projects the LSC is considering, and they can be
evaluated based on their own clear goals and “deliverables.” Projects also allow addicts
who have a particular interest or ability to get involved with that focused activity
without having to join an ongoing subcommittee.
 Addenda – Service System Options 161

The people coordinating and/or providing the services should communicate and
coordinate their efforts in the way that makes the most sense to them (with the
oversight of the LSB). It has become the norm in many places for every area of service to
be provided by a subcommittee, each of which meets monthly. The Service System
Proposals and the planning process beg a reexamination of that assumption. Some
questions to ask include
o What do the people providing these services need (e.g., training, literature,
exchange of information)?
o Do they need to meet face-to-face? If so, how often?
o Can some of their needs be taken care of through online discussion or in other
ways?

Again, it’s important to remember that there is no one right approach to figuring out how to
deliver the “ASC’s” services when it transforms to an LSC. What’s important is to be open-
minded and flexible. This is an evolving process. What service delivery looks like in a brand new
LSC may be quite different than what it looks like in six months or a year. The Service System
Proposals encourage each community to think about what will work best for them and organize
their internal structure accordingly. That’s what we mean when we say we are “paving the road
as we’re driving on it.” It can be daunting and a bit scary, but over time should result in a
“form” that truly follows “function.”

This draft was produced for the Service System Proposals field test. It is a work in progress.
Please send any input on the draft to: worldboard@na.org.
 Addenda – Service System Options 163

ANNUAL PLANNING ASSEMBLY SUMMARY AGENDA

Note: This is a sample agenda for an LSC planning assembly. We offer it because we know
strategic planning, scanning the environment, and holding a planning assembly are all new
practices for many service bodies. This Planning Assembly Agenda should give you a good
idea of what your LSC planning assembly might look like. However, each LSC will have its
own personality and needs, and the ideal agenda should spring from that. Please use this
sample agenda as a jumping off place to adapt for your local needs.
Meeting Opening:
Moment of silence and NA prayer
Read LSC Purpose from LSC Basics
Review agenda for the day
Orientation and Walk- through:
Introductions and welcome
Review planning steps as contained in Planning Basics and explain how these
relate to the LSC planning steps
Review what happens at each of the quarterly LSC meetings
Walk through the first planning step—identify and prioritize issues
Walk through the second planning step—brainstorm and prioritize solutions
The Planning Process:
Review current services and define which are ongoing and which are project-
based
Review survey data for issues and add any additional issues
Prioritize issues
Short break to set up room for next step
Brainstorm solutions
Clarify and prioritize solutions
Session Conclusion:
Review the decisions made today and the next step in the process
Q&A
 164 A Guide to Local Services in NA

DETAILED AGENDA: ANNUAL PLANNING ASSEMBLY

Material on tables: Planning Basics and LSCs, note sheets, pens
Handout table: NAWS News front page, Esub flyers, upcoming event flyers etc., plus a sheet
for attendees to provide their contact details
On Walls: 4 planning steps, agenda for the day, A Vision for NA Service, 12 Steps, 12
Traditions, and 12 Concepts
BEFORE THIS SESSION:
• Review the LSB Task List Pre-planning Assembly and ensure all tasks have been
accomplished
• Facilitate a “Service System 101” session to ensure everyone has a clear
understanding of the ideas contained in the project
TODAY’S AGENDA
• Review planning cycle & do a practice run through the process together
• Identify current services—including ongoing services and potential project-based
services
• Identify and prioritize issues of concern
• Brainstorm and prioritize solutions to address top issues
• Forward outcome to LSB for project plan development

SET UP THE SESSION – ORIENTATION AND WALK-THRU

Begin the session by introducing the facilitators and quickly reviewing the agenda for the
day. Ask everyone to take a moment during the day to fill in their contact details on the
sheet provided.
Explain that we are using the same planning steps described outlined in Planning Basics,
although there are some changes in the language and schedule for the LSC’s process.
Review the planning process outlined in Planning Basics:
The Four Steps of Planning
1. Scanning: gathering information
2. Prioritize issues to be addressed and develop solutions
3. Create project plans
4. Monitor and evaluate
Using the Planning Basics and LSCs handout, introduce the basic steps of the LSC planning
process:
The First LSC - The Planning Assembly (Steps 1 and 2)
• Identify issues
• Prioritize issues
 Addenda – Service System Options 165

• Brainstorm solutions for top issues

• Prioritize solutions
The Second LSC – Project Plans Approval (Step 3)
• LSB present project plans, budgets, and candidates for project coordinators
• LSC considers and adopts project plans and budgets, and ratifies candidates for
project coordinators
The Third and Fourth LSC – Monitoring and Evaluation (Step 4)
• Monitor ongoing services and current projects (monthly monitoring by LSB)
• Evaluate any completed projects
Take a few moments to reiterate that today’s objective is to get through the first two
planning steps
• Identify the LSC’s issues of concern
• Brainstorm solutions to address these issues (what the end result would be) and then
select the most important of those
The LSB will then create and present project plans at the next LSC—the third step of the
planning process.

WALK-THROUGH IDENTIFYING AND PRIORITIZING ISSUES—THE FIRST PLANNING STEP

It is important that everyone has a common understanding of these steps. It can help a lot to
walk through the steps together before beginning the actual planning process—sort of like
playing a round of a card game face up so that everyone can learn the rules. Depending on
the community’s familiarity with the planning process, you may need to spend more or
perhaps less time presenting the following walk-thru segments.
The first step of the planning process, scanning, involves reviewing the gathered
information, noting the common threads, and creating an issue list.
Briefly mention to everyone that the planning process begins with a discussion of the
services we are currently providing, and deciding how to best continue delivering these.
Then the assembly will review information gathered from members of the community using
the Annual Planning Assembly survey the community survey. We would then facilitate a
large group discussion with the entire assembly to brainstorm any additional issues relevant
to the LSC.
For the purpose of this exercise we are going to use this list of common issues that might
come forward from the survey and assembly discussion:
• No trusted servant training
• Groups are overwhelmed with attendance cards
• Groups aren’t forwarding enough funds to conduct services
• Predators in meetings
166 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Once a list of issues is identified, the group prioritizes them.

Remind members that this is only for this exercise, later we will have an opportunity to
identify relevant issues for real.
Guide the group to identify the top two issues from this list by voting.
• To save time use a show of hands to vote, but explain that we may be using a
different method when we do this for real.
• Identify the top two vote getters.

WALK-THROUGH BRAINSTORMING AND PRIORITIZING SOLUTIONS—THE SECOND PLANNING STEP

Define what we mean by identifying solutions:
• In other words, what do you want the end result to be?
• Brief, results-oriented aims that are achievable.
• Should have a concrete end in mind.
• Example: Solution – Increase awareness of service and provide trusted servant
training by hosting a learning day.
Remind participants that we will not be discussing the details of how to achieve identified
solutions in this step; our work is to brainstorm solutions. And solutions may take one year,
two years or even five years to accomplish.
For this walk-through exercise, you will lead the entire group in identifying solutions. During
the actual planning process, this will be a small group exercise.
• Lead the group in a brainstorm of solutions for the issue that received the most
votes in the first step, and then again for the #2 issue.
• Clarify and combine solutions as needed, ensuring that the LSB members in
particular are clear about what each one means.
• Ask the group to vote for their top two solutions for each issue, again using a
show of hands. Each member gets 2 votes for each issue.
• This is the same exercise we will do (in small groups) when addressing the actual
issues for this planning assembly.
BEGIN THE PLANNING PROCESS
IDENTIFY CURRENT SERVICES: ONGOING & PROJECT-BASED
Before starting the planning process, it is important to identify those services that are
ongoing, not project-based. The local service board will oversee the day-to-day
administration of these ongoing services. They may require a coordinator and volunteer pool
or committee support. The board will report to the LSC about these services so that the LSC
can monitor and evaluate them as well as the projects.
• Explain the difference between ongoing services—which do not change much from
month to month—and projects—which have a beginning and an end.
 Addenda – Service System Options 167

• Move through a list of current service efforts, identifying if they are better
considered ongoing services or project-based services. [Note: The LSB should have
put together this list in advance of the planning assembly to make this step easier
and quicker.]
• Ongoing services might be affected by a project, but do not require a project plan to
continue.
• Move these lists to the side, for reference if an issue comes up about any ongoing
services.

PLANNING - STEP 1: SCANNING

• Ask whether there are any issues or challenges regarding current service delivery
efforts.
• Review the compiled data from the Planning Assembly Survey.
• Facilitate a large group discussion to brainstorm any other issues relevant to your NA
community.
• Combine similar issues
• Be sure that each issue is commonly understood. It is important that everyone has
the same understanding of each issue.
The next step is to prioritize the issues. We may not be able to do everything at once, so we
must choose what to do first.
• Each member will get two votes.
 For larger groups a show of hands may be best
 For smaller groups, markers can be a good approach
• After voting is finished, identify the top issues (we suggest no more than 4)

BREAK (FACILITATORS TAKE THIS TIME TO SET UP THE ROOM FOR THE NEXT STEPS)
Place one top issue at the top of a Post-it and put in on a wall in one section of the room,
repeat that for each of the top issues. Place each in a different section of the room.

PLANNING STEP 2: BRAINSTORM AND PRIORITIZE SOLUTIONS

Brainstorm Solutions
Solutions are the outcomes, not the details, and may take 6 months, one year, or even two
years to accomplish.
For this portion of the session, you will lead the small groups in brainstorming solutions for
each of the prioritized issues from the last segment.
• Note that each of the issues from the last segment is now on a Post-it around the
room.
168 A Guide to Local Services in NA

• Break the assembly into small groups by asking members to count off. Send each
group to one of the designated “Solution” areas. (This works best if the number of
groups does not exceed the number of lists.) Check that each group is basically the
same size.
• Each group will have five minutes to brainstorm solutions for each issue. Remind
members to write LARGE. Remind each group that the sample solutions we
brainstormed earlier are available for reference.
• As time expires, ask each group to move to the next sheet, do this until all groups
have brainstormed solutions for all lists
• Let the small groups know that the process may get harder as they progress around
the room and the most obvious solutions have already been identified. Remind them
to try to avoid repetition. It’s okay if they don’t have much to add.
Prioritize Solutions
Now the group will prioritize the identified solutions
• After each group has visited each list, move from list to list, review each to combine
similar solutions and clarify ideas as needed. If necessary rewrite the solutions to
combine similar ideas. Ensure everyone has a clear understanding of each solution.
• Members will now “vote” for their top two solutions for each issue—the solutions
they feel best address the issue.
 Ask each member to place a checkmark next to their top two solutions for
each issue. Have them do this in their small groups (two checkmarks for
each member) and move from issue to issue in the same way as they
brainstormed the solutions. If the planning assembly is quite small you
may be able to do this with a show of hands.
 Identify the top prioritized solution for each issue.
 Again, ensure that everyone has a common understanding of the
prioritized solutions

CONCLUSION/WRAP-UP
Review what we did today and how it relates to A Vision for NA Service.
The next phase is for the LSB to work on project plans to be considered at the next LSC
meeting (for this field test, in two months).
Distribute sample project plans to give everyone an idea what to expect at the next meeting
Remind everyone to ensure that they have provided their details on the contact sheet.
Allow time for any Q&A.

This draft was produced for the Service System Proposals field test. It is a work in progress.
Please send any input on the draft to: worldboard@na.org.
 Addenda – Service System Options 169

CREATING PROJECT PLANS

After the Planning Assembly, the LSB decides who is best suited to develop project plans. It may
be helpful to divide and assign the projects. Those specific to H&I, PI/PR, and phoneline, may be
handed over to their respective coordinator. Likewise, the LSB might take on plans or assign
them to a workgroup. Involving members familiar with the service can help to identify the
necessary steps to take to achieve the goals.
Each group working on projects will create a plan that addresses:
What tasks need to be done
When these tasks need to be accomplished
Who the trusted servants responsible will be, including a responsible accountable point
person to track progress
How much time and money will be involved
Project Plan Steps
1. Review the identified issue and goal or solution from the Planning Assembly
2. Brainstorm some possible approaches for achieving the goal; rank those approaches.
(See the sample project plans on the pages that follow for examples of approaches.)
3. Identify the highest ranked approach(es) that will achieve the goal
4. Identify the actions that need to be done to achieve each approach, consider sequence
and priority, include measurable milestones and completion dates
5. Estimate or identify what resources (people and money) are needed for each action and
when they are needed
6. Identify trusted servants responsible for completing each action; Identify point of
contact for LSB
7. Define reporting expectations, including unforeseen problems that arise between LSB
meetings
Considerations, once all project plans have been completed:
1. Are the proposed actions reasonable?
2. Is the “what”, the “who”, the “when” and the “how” identified in each project plan?
3. Are there resources for all project plans? Is there a meaningful sequence or
prioritization to taking on project plans?
Project Plan Approval
Once projects are developed, presentation and approval of each project will happen at the
second LSC.
170 A Guide to Local Services in NA

The Feedback Loop

Considering all input is vital to the planning process. We want to understand what is working
and what is not, so we can adjust. Monitoring the progress of our plans helps ensure that they
are accomplishing the intended goals. When we keep accurate records and maintain
accountability through reporting, we contribute to the long term planning process. We want to
keep track of the time and money that are involved in accomplishing any goal. This helps create
realistic plans in the future.
In addition, we will want to consider how long these actions may take and how often the
responsible members will report back to the LSB. The LSB will monitor the work on an ongoing
basis and report to the LSC quarterly.
 Addenda – Service System Options 171

Sample Project Plans

There are a couple of sample project plans in the pages that follow to give an idea of what your
project plans might look like. For the sake of this example, we’ll say that two of the issues that
were prioritized by our LSC planning assembly were 1. Not enough trusted servants providing
ongoing services, and 2. Unreliable and expensive helpline provider. At the planning assembly,
the LSC prioritized solutions for these issues: 1. To raise awareness of PR and H&I service, and
2. To switch to a better phoneline service. These two solutions were turned over to the LSB to
develop projects for the year ahead.

Intro to Sample Project Plan One

Following the Project Plan Steps from page one, we first review the identified goal or solution
(step 1): “To raise awareness of PR and H&I service.”

Then we brainstormed and ranked possible approaches (steps 2 & 3). Our number one
approach for this sample, was to hold a learning day. The actions that need to be taken to
achieve this approach (step 4) will be determined in the first two workgroup meetings, which
will function as planning meetings. The sample project plan below gives an estimate of
resources needed (step 5). Some of the trusted servants responsible for completing each action
(step 6) are outlined in the project plan; others will be identified by the workgroup as a plan
takes shape. Reporting expectations (step 7) are outlined in the project plan.

Sample Project Plan One – Learning Day

Description of Project: To plan and implement a PR/H&I learning day event in Anytown on
September 12, 2013.

Workgroup: The delegate from Anytown to the region/state body will serve as the workgroup
leader and LSB point of contact. Also on the workgroup: one member from the LSC who has
worked on securing the facilities, two members of the last Anytown Learning Day working
group (from 2012) to provide continuity, and two members with PR/H&I experience to bring
PR/H&I content into the learning day.

Planning Meetings: The workgroup will meet four times prior to the Learning Day. The first
planning meetings will be February 2013. There, workgroup tasks will be determined and
assigned. The dates of the following planning meetings will be determined by the workgroup.

Location of Planning Meetings: XXX Neighborhood Park- first three meetings. The final
planning meeting will be at the Learning Day location.
172 A Guide to Local Services in NA

Reporting to LSB:

The Anytown delegate will provide monthly updates, including task assignments, to the
LSB prior to the event. The LSB chairperson will be the point of contact between LSB
meetings.

The delegate will also provide a final post-event written report to the LSC, including a
financial report and recommendations for the next learning day.

Approximate Costs:

Park meeting space: No charge

Facility Rent (Fourth Planning Meeting and Learning Day): $150 (needed March 2013
to reserve space)
Copies, Supplies, and other workshop materials: $100 (needed August 1, 2013)

Refreshments: $50 (needed September 1, 2013)

Total Estimated Project Costs: $300

Anticipated Project Completion Date: September2013, with final report submitted at the
October LSC meeting.

Intro to Sample Project Plan Two

Following the Project Plan Steps from page one, we first reviewed the identified goal or solution
(step 1): “To switch to a better phoneline service.”

Then we brainstormed and ranked possible approaches (steps 2 & 3). Our number one
approach for this sample was to comprehensively investigate the different technology options
for phoneline service. The actions that need to be taken to achieve this approach (step 4) will
be determined by the workgroup itself and regularly reported to the LSB (step 7) as outlined in
the project plan. The completion date (step 4) is included in the sample project plan, which also
gives an estimate of resources needed (step 5) as well as the trusted servants responsible for
completing each action (step 6).
 Addenda – Service System Options 173

Sample Project Plan Two – Phoneline Technologies Options

Description of Project: A six-month effort to explore technology (hardware and software)

options for our current phoneline service, to begin February 2013.

Workgroup: The PR coordinator will serve as the workgroup leader and LSB point of contact.
Also on the workgroup: website coordinator (has technology background), two current
phoneline volunteers.

Meetings: The workgroup will use web meetings and email to share information, as face-to-
face meetings are not required. The workgroup will meet monthly, no less than one week prior
to the month LSB meeting. Workgroup tasks will be determined and assigned that the first
meeting, and the exact dates of the meetings will be determined by the workgroup.

Reporting to LSB:

The PR coordinator will provide monthly updates, including task assignments, to the LSB
each month. The PR coordinator will also serve as the point of contact between LSB
meetings.

The PR coordinator will provide a final written report to the LSB. The report will include
information on the technologies considered, including good and bad points for each,
and costs and any maintenance issues. The report will also include recommendations
from the workgroup.

Reporting to the LSC: The LSB will provide a summary and recommendation to the LSC after the
workgroup has completed their task.

Approximate Costs:

There are no foreseeable costs at this time.

Project Completion Date: August 2013, with final report submitted at the October LSC meeting.

This draft was produced for the Service System Proposals field test. It is a work in progress.
Please send any input on the draft to: worldboard@na.org.
 Addenda May 2020 – Service System Options 175

SECOND LSC MEETING SUMMARY AGENDA

Note: As with any tools drafted for the service system field test, this agenda is meant to offer
ideas, not to be a mandate. Please adapt it for local use.
There are three main parts of the second LSC agenda: approval of budget and project plans,
updates on ongoing services, and issues related to groups or GSFs. These can be tackled in
any order. Because there is formal decision making involved with the budget and project
plans, you may want to tackle this part of the agenda when you think LSC attendance will be
highest.
Opening
• Moment of silence and NA prayer
• Read LSC Purpose from LSC Basics
• Review agenda for the day
• Introductions and welcome
• Review the LSC planning cycle and explain where you are in the process
Project Plans and Budget
• LSB present project plans one by one
• Discuss any issues with each
• Approve project plans one by one
• Present and discuss budget
• Approve budget
Ongoing Services
• Updates from those responsible for ongoing services (e.g., subcommittees,
coordinators, LSB members)
Group/GSF Issues
• Updates from GSFs
• Discuss any issues that are coming from GSFs or groups
Session Conclusion:
• Review the decisions made today and the next step in the process
176 A Guide to Local Services in NA

DETAILED AGENDA: SECOND LSC MEETING

BEFORE THIS SESSION:
The LSB will have distributed project plans and, in some cases, a projected budget to
groups and/or GSFs. Note: For the purposes of this field test we are using the term
“budget” as most ASCs do—to describe projected expenses for the year. Ideally, a
budget also includes an income forecast. We expect that’s beyond the scope of what
most field testing communities will be able to accomplish given the tight time table of
the field test. In the future, however, we would like to produce a budgeting tool to help
LSBs draft a budget for LSC consideration that includes income projections and allows for
expenses that may be one-time or event-specific rather than monthly subcommittee
expenses.
TODAY’S AGENDA
• Review and make decisions about project plans and budget
• Get updates on ongoing services
• Get updates on GSFs and address any group-related issues

OPENING
Begin the session with a moment of silence and an NA prayer.
Introduce the LSB members, including the facilitator and quickly review the agenda for the
day. Ask everyone to take a moment during the day to make sure their contact information
is included on the sheet provided. Go around the room and have everyone else introduce
themselves and give their position if they are a trusted servant.
Read The Purpose of the LSC from LSC Basics. Explain that we are using the same planning
steps described outlined in Planning Basics, although there are some changes in the
language and schedule for the LSU’s process.
Review What Happens at LSC Meetings from LSC Basics:
The First LSC- The Planning Assembly
• At the annual planning assembly, we have identified the most important issues that
might affect service delivery and brainstormed and prioritized solutions
The Second LSC– Project Plans Approval
• From those prioritized solutions, the LSB has created project plans that the LSC will
vote on at this second LSC meeting. Part of voting on those plans means approving
the point person for the project and the possible expense. Along with the project
plans, the LSC will also approve the budget at this meeting.
The Third LSC– Monitoring and Evaluation
• The next LSC will mostly be devoted to monitoring ongoing services and current
projects and giving any input (there will be monthly monitoring by the LSB as well). If
any projects have been completed, they will be evaluated.
 Addenda – Service System Options 177

The Fourth LSC– Monitoring and Evaluation; Beginning to Plan for Assembly
• For the purposes of the field test, there will only be three LSCs. Were we to have
one, the fourth LSC would have the same focus as the third but there are also a
couple of things that need to take place to prepare for the next planning cycle
(that begins with the first LSC). At this LSC, elections should be held for the year
ahead, and we should distribute the community survey to prepare for the annual
planning assembly
Take a few moments to reiterate that today is the second LSC. The objective is to get
through the third planning step: Consider and adopt project plans
Review the agenda for today:
• Review and make decisions about project plans and budget
• Get updates on ongoing services
• Get updates on GSFs and address any group-related issues

PROJECT PLANS AND BUDGET

Present and discuss budget
Approve budget
Present, discuss, and approve project plans:
• Have an LSB member present each project one by one
• Discuss any issues with each plan, including budget, project coordinator, and
workgroup. It may be that there are no “issues” or disagreements with the content of
the plans, but it’s important to have enough discussion or review of the project plans
that each member of the LSC understands the details of the project.
o If there are issues, make revisions to the project plans if needed. Of
course, it may be that a sole concern doesn’t warrant revision of the
project plan if others are okay with the content. On the other hand, one
member’s concern may lead to a revision that makes a stronger project
plan. The LSC facilitator may want to consult CBDM Basics to help guide
the LSC through the process.
• Approve project plans one by one
o It’s important to be sure everyone understands that approving the project
plan also approves the expenditures listed and the trusted servants listed.
Prioritize Projects
• It may be that there are not enough resources, human and financial, to accomplish all
of the projects the LSC approves. In that case, it’s important to have a sense of the
LSC’s priorities.
178 A Guide to Local Services in NA

• This can be accomplished with a quick show of hands. Run through each project one
by one and ask each member of the LSC who participates in decision making to raise
their hand for the project they consider the highest priority.
Present, discuss, and approve budget:
• Have an LSB member present the budget. Again, keep in mind that this will probably
just include projected expenses, not a forecast of income.
• As with the project plans, ask if there are any issues with or questions about the
budget.
o If there are issues, discuss them until the LSC comes to a resolution. The
body can make revisions to the budget if needed. Again, the LSC facilitator
may want to consult CBDM Basics to help guide the LSC through the
process.
• Approve the projected budget

ONGOING SERVICES
In addition to projects, much, probably most, of the service delivery in the LSC falls under
the category of “ongoing services.” It’s important to make sure that the LSC and the groups
within it are kept up-to-date with what’s going on related to ongoing services.
• Those responsible for ongoing services (e.g., subcommittees, coordinators, LSB
members) should submit detailed written reports about their service activities.
• Verbal reports should include highlights and things that need particular attention.

GROUP/GSF ISSUES
GSFs should be the forum for detailed discussion of group issues. The LSU’s focus is more
about issues or challenges that cannot be resolved at the GSF level.
• GSFs should submit a detailed written report about their GSF (there is a template
included in the GSF tools)
• Verbal GSF reports should include highlights and things that need particular attention
• Are there any group issues that were not mentioned in the GSF report that the LSC
needs to address?

CONCLUSION/WRAP-UP
• Review the decisions made today and the next step in the process—what projects
are starting up, the location and date of the next LSC meeting, announcements
• Allow time for any Q&A.

This draft was produced for the Service System Proposals field test. It is a work in progress.
Please send any input on the draft to: worldboard@na.org.
 Addenda – Service System Options 179

THIRD LSC MEETING SUMMARY AGENDA

Note: As with any tools drafted for the service system field test, this agenda is meant to offer
ideas, not to be a mandate. Please adapt it for local use.
There are four main parts of the third LSC agenda: monitoring progress on projects,
evaluating any completed projects, updates on ongoing services, and the discussion of any
issues related to groups or GSFs. These can be tackled in any order. Because there may be
some decision making needed with the project plans, you may want to tackle this part of the
agenda when you think LSC attendance will be highest.
Opening
• Moment of silence and NA prayer
• Read LSC Purpose from LSC Basics
• Review agenda for the day
• Introductions and welcome
• Review the LSC planning cycle and explain where you are in the process
Uncompleted Projects
• LSB reviews progress on project plans one by one, including tasks to be achieved
and budget targets
• Discuss any issues with each
Completed Projects
• Evaluate any completed projects focusing on whether the aims of project were
achieved and whether budget targets were met
• Discuss any ideas for improvements or any follow up work that may be needed or
desirable
Ongoing Services
• Those responsible for ongoing services (e.g., subcommittees, coordinators, LSB
members) give updates on their activities including budget targets
• Discuss any issues with each
Group/GSF Issues
• GSFs and/or groups give updates
• Discuss any issues that are coming from GSFs or groups
Session Conclusion:

• Review the decisions made today and discuss the next step in the process,
including the distribution of the planning assembly survey tool and the election
process, both of which happen at the next LSC.
180 A Guide to Local Services in NA

DETAILED AGENDA: THIRD LSC MEETING

BEFORE THIS SESSION:
The LSB will have distributed updates on each of the project plans, along with reports on
ongoing services and projects to GSFs and/or groups, each month prior to this meeting.
[Facilitators tip: It may be wise to have copies of the projects plans approved at the
second LSC available at this meeting, and to redistribute them electronically in advance,
to ensure that everyone is familiar with them. You may also want to have copies of the
LSB monthly reports handy for any new group delegates or interested members.]

OPENING
Begin the session with a moment of silence and an NA prayer.
Introduce the LSB members, including the facilitator. Ask everyone to take a moment during
the day to make sure their contact information is included on the sheet provided. Go around
the room and have everyone else introduce themselves and give their position if they are a
trusted servant.
Read The Purpose of the LSC from LSC Basics.
Review What Happens at LSC Meetings from LSC Basics:
The First LSC - The Planning Assembly
• At the annual planning assembly, we have identified the most important issues that
might affect service delivery and brainstormed and prioritized solutions
The Second LSC – Project Plans Approval
• From those prioritized solutions, the LSB has created project plans that the LSC voted
on at the second LSC meeting. As part of voting on those plans, the LSC approved the
point person for the project and the possible expense. Along with the project plans,
the LSC also approved an overall budget for all services at this meeting.
The Third LSC – Monitoring and Evaluation
• This third LSC will mostly be devoted to monitoring ongoing services and current
projects and giving any input on them (there will be monthly monitoring by the LSB
as well). If any projects have been completed, they will be evaluated, and we will
begin preparing for the planning assembly.
The Fourth LSC – Monitoring and Evaluation; Beginning to Plan for Assembly
• The fourth LSC has the same focus as the third but there are also a couple of things
that need to take place to prepare for the planning cycle that begins at the next LSC.
Elections should be held for the year ahead, and the community survey is distributed
to prepare for the annual planning assembly
Take a few moments to reiterate that today is the third LSC. The main objective is
monitoring projects and ongoing services, as well as evaluating any completed projects.
 Addenda – Service System Options 181

REVIEW TODAY’S AGENDA

• Review progress on project plans approved at the last LSC
• Evaluate any completed project plans
• Get updates on ongoing services
• Get updates on GSFs and address any group-related issues
• Review decisions made today and prepare for the next LSC

REVIEW PROGRESS ON PROJECTS

• Have the trusted servant responsible for each project report one by one.
• Focus on whether the tasks outlined in each project have been achieved in the time
frame stated and whether budget targets have been met.
• Discuss any issues with the projects, making any necessary adjustments. CBDM Basics
may be a useful resource if any in-depth discussions are required.

REVIEW COMPLETED PROJECTS

• Evaluate any completed projects focusing on whether the aims of project were
achieved and whether budget targets were met.
• Discuss any ideas for improvements or any follow up work that may be needed or
desirable.

ONGOING SERVICES
In addition to projects, much, probably most, of the service delivery in the LSC falls under
the category of “ongoing services” or recurring projects (such as events that are held every
year). These ongoing services aren’t a part of the project creation and approval process, but
they still need to be monitored and evaluated at each LSC. It’s important to make sure that
the LSC and the groups within it are kept up-to-date with what’s going on related to ongoing
services.
• Those responsible for ongoing services and recurring projects (e.g., subcommittees,
coordinators, LSB members) should submit detailed written reports about their
service activities.
• Verbal reports should include highlights and things that need particular attention.

GROUP/GSF ISSUES
GSFs should be the forum for detailed discussion of group issues. The LSC’s focus is more
about issues or challenges that cannot be resolved at the GSF level.
• GSFs should submit a detailed written report about their GSF (there is a template
included in the GSF tools)
• Verbal GSF reports should include highlights and things that need particular attention
182 A Guide to Local Services in NA

• Are there any group issues that were not mentioned in the GSF report that the LSC
needs to address?

CONCLUSION/WRAP-UP
• Review the decisions made today and the next step in the process, including the
location and date of the next LSC meeting and any other necessary announcements
• Review the Planning Assembly survey tool, reminding everyone that it will be
distributed at the next LSC. Discuss any ideas for revisions to the tool.
• Review the timeline for completing and returning the surveys.
• Review the election process to be used at the next LSC, including any relevant
timelines for receiving resumes etc.
• Allow time for any Q&A.
This draft was produced for the Service System Proposals field test. It is a work in progress.
Please send any input on the draft to: worldboard@na.org.
 ®

Twelve Traditions of
Narcotics Anonymous
1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery
depends on NA unity.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a
loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience.
Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting
other groups or NA as a whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry the message to
the addict who still suffers.
6. An NA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the NA name to
any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money,
property, or prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every NA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside
contributions.
8. Narcotics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but
our service centers may employ special workers.
9. NA, as such, ought never be organized, but we may create service
boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. Narcotics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the
NA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than
promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the
level of press, radio, and films.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever
reminding us to place principles before personalities.

Twelve Traditions reprinted for adaptation by permission of AA World Services, Inc.

 ®

Twelve Concepts for NA Service

1. To fulfill our fellowship’s primary purpose, the NA groups have
joined together to create a structure which develops, coordinates,
and maintains services on behalf of NA as a whole.
2. The final responsibility and authority for NA services rests with the
NA groups.
3. The NA groups delegate to the service structure the authority
necessary to fulfill the responsibilities assigned to it.
4. Effective leadership is highly valued in Narcotics Anonymous.
Leadership qualities should be carefully considered when selecting
trusted servants.
5. For each responsibility assigned to the service structure, a single
point of decision and accountability should be clearly defined.
6. Group conscience is the spiritual means by which we invite a loving
God to influence our decisions.
7. All members of a service body bear substantial responsibility for that
body’s decisions and should be allowed to fully participate in its
decision-making processes.
8. Our service structure depends on the integrity and effectiveness of
our communications.
9. All elements of our service structure have the responsibility to
carefully consider all viewpoints in their decision-making processes.
10. Any member of a service body can petition that body for the redress
of a personal grievance, without fear of reprisal.
11. NA funds are to be used to further our primary purpose, and must
be managed responsibly.
12. In keeping with the spiritual nature of Narcotics Anonymous, our
structure should always be one of service, never of government.

Copyright © 1989, 1990, 1991 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Twelve Concepts for NA Service were modeled on AA’s Twelve Concepts for World Service,
published by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. and have evolved specific to the needs of Narcotics Anonymous.