Central Office Representative
Information and Resources
Acadiana Area COR Meeting
3rd Sunday @ 4:00 pm
Turning Point
210 Eighth St, Lafayette, LA 70501
Why Have Central Office Representatives?
“A central office is established to carry out certain functions common to all the groups – functions which are best handled by a central office- and it is usually maintained, supervised, and supported by these groups. It exists to aid the groups in their common purpose of carrying the A.A. message to the alcoholic who still suffers.”
Copyright © AA World Services, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
Intergroups/Central Offices: A.A.’s Front Line
“Since intergroup/central offices are established and supported by local groups; they have no authority of their own. Each intergroup/central office is unique, reflecting the needs and wishes of its own community, and is responsible to the groups it serves. Typically each participating group has an intergroup representative. These reps meet periodically to elect a steering committee, or board of directors, responsible for administering the office. They also keep their groups informed. A continuing flow of communication is vital, because the groups are completely responsible for the financial support of the office that services them, and local group members provide the volunteers to do the necessary Twelfth Step work.”
From Box 459: Vol. 53, No. 4
Copyright © AA World Services, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
Group Representation at a Central Office
“Service centers usually have no authority on their own account; they derive it from the participating groups. Central/intergroup offices are essentially A.A. service entities, ‘directly responsible to those they serve,’ as described in Tradition Nine. Local group representatives reflect the groups’ conscience in the service center operations. It is extremely important to keep a two-way flow of information going between the central/intergroup office and groups.”
From A.A Guidelines – Central or Intergroup Offices
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COR Responsibilities
ARTICLE V MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITY
Membership eligibility includes any group registered with the General Service Office in New York and located in the following parishes: Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermillion.
ARTICLE VI MEMBERSHIP
In order for an eligible group to be a member it shall:
- Submit in writing the names of its elected Central Office Representative and/or alternate Central Office Representative, listing of the dates and times and locations of its meetings and its willingness to accept 12-Step calls.
- Be represented by its Central Office Representative and/or alternate Central Office Representative at the Central Office Representative monthly membership meeting.
ARTICLE VII CENTRAL OFFICE REPRESENTATIVES
- The group Central Office Representative and Alternate Central Office Representative shall faithfully reflect the “group conscience” and shall act as a liaison between his/her group and the Central Office in the following manner:
- He or she shall be a member of the group he or she represents.
- He or she should attend all Central Office Representative meetings.
- He or she communicates to his group the activities, growth and current problems of the C.O.
- Normally he or she is expected to vote and act for his or her group at each Central Office Representative meeting without consulting the group on every issue. However, when it is necessary for him or her to know the feelings of his or her group on particular problems, he or she shall ask his or her group chairperson to call a business meeting of the group in order to discuss the issue which is pending. The Central Office Representative is a “trusted servant” who shall be governed by the principles of Tradition Two and Concept III of the 12 Concepts of World Services. Concept III, states, in part, “we ought to trust our responsible leaders to decide, within the understood framework of their duties, how they will interpret and apply their own authority and responsibility to each particular problem or situation as it arises.” However, the “right of decision” should not be used for “persistently failing to consult those who are entitled to be consulted before an important decision or action is taken.”
- From time to time he or she will be asked to recruit volunteers from his or her group for 12th Step work and to perform committee work at the Central Office.
- He or she can expect to perform any other services of this nature which relate to his or her office.
- To remind the treasurer of his/her group about the suggested Alcoholics Anonymous support system to constitute Alcoholics Anonymous’ essential services.
- Everything covered in this Article relates equally to the Alternate who performs for the Central Office Representative in the Central Office Representative’s absence.