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Service Material San Diego - Imperial Area Assembly
area8aa.org
aa.org
A Guide for the
A.A. Group Literature Rep.
Greet members and ask if there is literature you could provide that would be of interest to them, and seek newcomers especially; offering a meeting schedule, basic recovery pamphlets, and depending upon your group conscience, perhaps a Big Book or Living Sober for free if they cannot afford to purchase one.
Familiarize yourself with the information on GSO, Area, Intergroup (Central Office,) Grape-vine, and other A.A. service related websites.
Offer service work literature and information.
Post the address and telephone number of the Central Office where literature and specialty items are sold, as well as A.A. websites.
Be of service to your fellows and “carry the message” with other alcoholics.
Let the Literature Carry the Message, Too
Today, as in the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous, the A.A. message of recovery from alcoholism is carried by one alcoholic talking to another. However, since the publication of the first edition of the Big Book published in 1939, literature has played an important role in spreading the A.A. message and imparting information about the A.A. Twelve Step program of recovery.
Literature has been and continues to be a crucial factor in terms of A.A. unity and what the A.A. approach to recovery really and truly is. Copyright © A.A.W.S. Inc. (Revised Oct. 2014) A.A. Guidelines Literature Committee (MG09) Reprinted with permission.
Bill W. who often called the influence of A.A. literature “incalculable,” wrote in the May 1964 issue of the Grapevine; “Suppose, for instance, that during the last twenty-five years A.A. had never published any standard literature … no books, no pamphlets. We need little imagination to see that by now our message would be hopelessly garbled. Our relations with medicine and religion would have become a shamble. To alcoholics generally we would today be a joke and the public would have thought us a riddle. Without its literature, A.A. would certain-ly have bogged down in a welter of controversy and disunity.” The Language of the Heart, p348. Copyright ©
(May 1964) Grapevine, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
Bill’s words ring just as true today. Basic Functions of a Group Literature Representative (GLR)
To “make certain” that literature is on hand at meetings and to assemble an inviting display.
Become knowledgeable of the literature; inform and encourage members to read it.
A DECLARATION OF UNITY
This we owe to A.A.’s future; to place our common welfare first;
to keep our Fellowship united. For on A.A. unity depend our lives,
and the lives of those to come.
*Sample flyer. Versions of this flyer for No. County San Diego, Greater San Diego & Spanish are available at Central Offices & can be obtained in digital form. Email: [email protected]
First Printing September 2018
Second Printing February 2020
aagrapevine.org
aa.org
Suggested Functions Have the literature display ready to be viewed
at least 15 minutes before the meeting begins. Staff the table before and after the meeting, and during the break should your meeting have one. In smaller groups, simply identify yourself as the GLR so to be available but not tied to the table.
Provide information (flyers) of all A.A. upcoming events such as workshops, retreats, socials, assemblies, forums, conferences, conventions, holiday alkathons, etc.
Inform members of service opportunities throughout A.A. (Intergroup, Area Assembly, H&I, Standing Committees, etc.)
Highlight / review one pamphlet or book (during announcements) by offering a brief presentation to the group each week.
Register your group (meeting place, day and time,) your name and contact information as the GLR with the Area Literature Committee for updates and announcements.
Email: [email protected]
Also, with the GSO Literature Desk (have your Group’s GSO service no. handy) by calling 212-870-3400.) You will receive a valuable Literature Chair welcome and information kit.
Request a GLR orientation and attend a monthly Area Literature Committee Meeting.
Become an Area Literature Committee member or a volunteer.
What to Display Big Book & Twelve and Twelve (2 of each)
A.A. Pamphlets (5 of each)
Newcomer Packets (5 of each)
Newsletters (Intergroup)
Meeting Schedules
Event Flyers
Area8 Master Calendar of Upcoming Events
Central Office Address & Telephone Number
Suggested Enhanced Display A.A. Books (Experience, Strength and Hope,
Came to Believe, Living Sober, As Bill Sees It, Daily Reflections,) soft cover & pocket-sized
Grapevine Books, magazines and subscription forms, online & mobile app. laminated flyers
A.A. Websites for you to know (picture-framed) and loose-leaf flyers
Service Manuals and Service Materials (GSO)
Literature Catalog (1 for display purposes)
Wallet or Pocket-sized Laminated Cards (Declaration of Unity, Declaration of Responsibility, Anonymity, Preamble with the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions and Serenity Prayer)
Meeting in a Pocket
Newsletters (Area 8 and Box 4-5-9)
Specialty Items (CDs, DVDs, anniversary issues, archives, and a whole lot more…)
Price List (cost including applicable sales tax)
How to Display Neatly arrange pamphlets, books, newsletters, and flyers in an orderly and attractive fashion. Literature displays are most effective when they attract a member’s eye. Think of it as a store front where people walk by and browse the window.
Tables: A table 6-8 feet is recommended. Table cloths add a very nice appeal and accentuate the displayed materials. Tables are always neat, with one literature catalog on display.
Books: Book stands, small easels, or even a weighted object that allows a book to stand rather than lie on the table make for a better display, especially from afar.
Pamphlets: Most groups typically display a
wire rack that holds 16 pamphlets. Extensions
are available for purchase at our intergroup office
or online at aa.org. Pamphlets can be arranged
(identified and grouped) by its designation of
Recovery, Unity and Service.
Do your best to maintain the condition of these
pamphlets. Damaged or torn materials are
uninviting and usually end up as waste.
Flyers: Neatly arranged, stacked, staggered,
and spaced.
Specialty Items: Small items such as wallet or
pocket cards, booklets, gift items, etc., can be
positioned in between books and flyers making
for an appealing and attractive display.
Where to Find Literature, Newsletters, etc. San Diego Central Office
7075-B Mission Gorge Rd. (619) 265-8762
San Diego, CA 92120 Office Hours: Mon - Fri 9am-5pm & Sat 9am-1pm
North County Central Office
604 E. Vista Way (760) 758-2514
Vista, CA 92084 Office Hours: Mon - Fri 9am-5pm & Sat 9am-1pm
East County Intergroup
Online: eastcountyaa.org (877) 993-2422
General Service Office (GSO)
A.A.W.S. Online Store: aa.org (212) 870-3400
Call for Spanish translated literature locations or email District 2 for the Spanish version of this service material.
Groups are encouraged to support and purchase literature at local Intergroups or Central Offices whenever possible.
Preview A.A. Pamphlets, Newsletters and much more online at aa.org.
One printed copy per person is permissible.
A.A. Literature There are two kinds of A.A. literature. One type
is A.A. “Conference-approved” described as
written or audiovisual material that goes through
a long and arduous process by our General
Service Conference and General Service Office
(GSO), during which time a variety of A.A.s from
all over the United States and Canada read and
express opinions at every stage assuring that
everything in our A.A. literature is in accord with
A.A. principles, and always deals with the
recovery program of A.A. and / or information
about the A.A. Fellowship. Look for the statement
“This is A.A. General Service Conference-approved
literature” on books, pamphlets, and audiovisuals
materials.
The other type is “Service Materials” (e.g., this
pamphlet.) These materials are written and
distributed by Central Offices, Intergroups,
Standing Committees, and other A.A. entities
including GSO. The advantages are such pieces
(e.g., pamphlets, booklets, guidelines, workbooks,
bulletins, etc.) can promptly meet the needs of
local membership, and legitimately classified as
“A.A. literature.”
It is recommended by GSO that A.A. groups
display or sell only literature published and
distributed by the GSO, the A.A. Grapevine, and
other A.A. entities.
All A.A. related text contained within is reprinted with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.
