Brief Descriptions of Trusted Servant Positions
(to be used instead of position descriptions when announcing vacancies)
Links to Text:
12th Step Volunteer Listkeeper
Birthday Listkeeper
Sponsor Listkeeper
Business Meeting Chair
General Services Rep (GSR)
Grapevine Rep (GVR)
Greeters
Listkeepers
OIAA Rep
Secretary
Temporary Mentor
Topic Archivist
Treasurer
Website Administrator
Webkeeper
Weekly Meeting Listkeeper
Full Text of Brief Descriptions
12th Step Volunteer Listkeeper
GROW’s 12th Step Volunteer Listkeeper is a member with at least one of sobriety and has been a member of GROW for at least a year. She serves a six-month term. The 12th Step Listkeeper assures that members who are struggling in sobriety have support from our members. Her primary duties include reading all emails, determining who may need extra support, and forwarding the emails as a “12th Step Call” to the 12th Step volunteers. Each month, she verifies that volunteers want to continue in that role and sends the “12th Step Opportunity Letter” to ask for more volunteers.
From a previous 12th Step Volunteer Listkeeper
Serving in this position has been an honor and a joy. This is one of the few Trusted Servant positions that focuses on our new members, especially those who are also new to sobriety. When a member’s share reveals that she is struggling with picking up a drink or with another issue that threatens her sobriety, the 12th Step Listkeeper sends a “12th Step Call” note to women on her volunteer list to assure that the member gets support. It takes less than a minute to send out that notice. The greatest workload comes with reading the daily messages through GROW’s mailing list. I didn’t have to follow up to be sure the volunteers acted on the notice. I am grateful that I was able to be of service in this position and would cheerfully do it again.
You can write to Julie K, the current 12th Step Volunteer Listkeeper, with questions about this position.
Birthday Listkeeper
GROW’s Birthday Listkeeper lets our membership know when someone is celebrating their sober anniversary. Members who have six months or more of sobriety can serve as Birthday Listkeeper for a six-month term. Each month, she invites members to submit their date of sobriety for the coming month. Then, on the day of a member’s anniversary, she announces the birthday, giving the celebrant’s sober age and e-mail address so that members can send private greetings. She also invites the birthday girl to share her personal story with GROW. At the end of the month, the Birthday Listkeeper sends a message listing all celebrants for that month and the total amount of sobriety their anniversaries represent. The person serving in this role should be able to use e-mail and maintain current lists of celebrants.
From a former Trusted Servant:
If you are looking for a way to be of service but do not have a lot of free time to give, then the birthday list keeper is a great position. I have enjoyed seeing each lady celebrate another sobriety birthday. This disease wins too many times. When I have an opportunity to share another person’s sobriety birthday, I am reminded that the disease of addiction can be managed and I am so blessed to be a recovering alcoholic.
You can write to Susie J, the current Birthday Listkeeper, with questions about this position.
Sponsor Listkeeper
The Sponsor Listkeeper position requires one year of sobriety and is a one-year term. She must also have been a member of GROW for at least six months. Her duties include maintaining a list of GROW members willing to be sponsors, updating the list as needed (adding and/or deleting names), sending the list to a member who requests one. She also asks Grow each month if anyone is interested in becoming a sponsor or would like to be taken off the sponsor list. This position requires access to GROW email on a daily basis and email proficiency.
From the current Trusted Servant:
I send out a prewritten form four times a month, each is different. I maintain the list of women who are willing to sponsor, solicit new volunteers, confirm who would like to stay on the list monthly and send out the list to the membership. I get requests from new members for the list which I send back to them.
This is a very easy way to perform service to the group. Takes very minimal time weekly.
If you have questions about this position, you can write to Lynn H to get more information.
Business Meeting Chair
GROW’s Business Meeting Chair moderates our biannual business meetings in April and October. The person serving in this two-year position must have five years of sobriety and one year membership in GROW. She prepares the agenda based on input from our members and is expected to keep members focused on agenda items and assures that business adheres to a schedule of 3-day sessions.
The Business Chair invites GROW members to submit their ideas for ways to improve our e-mail AA meeting and assists in preparing proposals to implement those ideas. She is responsible for presenting, facilitating discussions, calling for votes, announcing the voting results for each proposal as well as preparing summaries for each 3-day session. She also calls for reports by Trusted Servants that are presented at the beginning of each meeting. The Business Chair works closely with the webkeepers to assure that our website documents our meetings by posting reports, notes on each 3-day session, and final group conscience decisions. She is also a member of the “Mini” Steering Committee that handles issues that arise between business meetings.
The workload for the Business Meeting Chair is intense during the April and October meetings and moderate in the month before the meeting. Her workload is very light the rest of the year.
From the outgoing Trusted Servant:
Having served as Business Meeting Chair for two two-year terms, I have to admit that it’s a mix of very hard work and tremendous personal rewards. During the two business meetings each year, I’ve struggled to manage the workload while also living my life. Based on my experience, it’s not for people who have young families or demanding jobs. It can be stressful. Having said that, the Business Chair has little to do most of the year, with the workload peak coming in March and April and then September and October. Serving in this position has brought personal growth because I’ve learned how to remain neutral even when I have strong personal opinions, to respect others’ opinions, and to trust a Higher Power to guide our group decisions. There is a tremendous feeling of satisfaction in managing a successful business meeting that supports all of our members’ sobriety.
You can contact danna M if you have questions or want to learn more about the position.
Grapevine Representative
The Grapevine Representative serves a one-year term after having one year of sobriety and having been a member of GROW for one year. Among her duties are leading one meeting per month on a taken from the Grapevine magazine. She also posts a form letter each month to GROW’s members outlining useful tools and tips from the Grapevine and a link to the magazine’s calendar. The Grapevine Rep is provided with a one-year subscription to the Grapevine in order to fulfill these duties.
Greeters
GROW’s Greeter has at least one year of sobriety and serves a two-year term; the first year being trained by the previous Greeter and the second year training the incoming Greeter. The length of time in GROW needed to qualify for this position has not been specified. The workload of a Greeter cannot be determined beforehand, other than that she must be able to read GROW email daily and respond accordingly, i.e.., respond to inquiries, notify Listkeepers of new members, introduce a new member to GROW, respond to new members’ queries, and inform the 12th Step Listkeeper when a new member needs support.
From the current Trusted Servant:
We send information to prospective members who have inquired about GROW. When they provide a little information about themselves, we send an introductory a welcome letter and the current topic to them. Then we introduce the new member to the group. For each new member, we send a total of four emails.
In order to do this job, you should be familiar with how to use email and how to cut and paste text between documents. It takes about five minutes to handle a request, although the number of requests can vary from day to day. We normally check our email about two or three times a day to be sure all inquiries are handled promptly. Being a Greeter for GROW is a great way of being of service to our group.
You can contact Diane L or De W for more information about these positions.
General Services Representative (GSR)
GROW’s General Service Representative (GSR) is our contact person with AA’s General Service Office (GSO) and for the International Meeting Directory. Serving a two-year term, members who have two years of sobriety qualify for this Trusted Servant position. She provides information about GROW as requested by the GSO. She also keeps GROW members informed about GSO activities, AA conferences and conventions, and the GSO’s newsletter (Box 4-5-9). She is GROW’s reference source for information and guidance about applying the 12 Traditions and 12 Concepts in our meeting.
From a previous Trusted Servant:
I served GROW as the General Service Representative from October 2020 to October 2021. GSRs are encouraged to attend Area Assemblies, their county general service meeting, their district meeting and, of course, their home group’s business meeting.
The GSR is perhaps the most important role in AA. Through their GSR, each group has a voice and a vote in larger AA matters. This connection helps keep AA unified, both in practically and spiritually.
AA’s triangle represents recovery (12 steps), service (12 concepts), and unity (12 traditions). In our area, we often wear a pin that says, “service is the secret”. Service has saved my life when the other two legacies were suffering. I encourage group members to consider taking this position.
It’s a little confusing at first because it’s a different aspect of Alcoholics Anonymous. Have you ever wondered where your dollar goes or how changes in the books come about? Feel free to reply with any questions. I am more than happy to connect you with your local district & area and guide you through the process. Who knows?! You may even find a service sponsor through this commitment.
You can write to Theresa B, the previous GSR, with questions about this position.
Greeters
Each of GROW’s Greeters have at least one year of sobriety and serve a two-year term: the first year being trained by the previous Greeter and the second year training the incoming Greeter. The length of time in GROW needed to qualify for this position has not been specified. The workload of a Greeter cannot be determined beforehand, other than that she must be able to read GROW email daily and respond accordingly, i.e.., respond to inquiries, notify Listkeepers of new members, introduce a new member to GROW, respond to new members’ queries, and inform the 12th Step Listkeeper when a new member needs support.
From the current Trusted Servant
We send information to prospective members who have inquired about GROW. When they provide a little information about themselves, we send an introductory a welcome letter and the current topic to them. Then we introduce the new member to the group. For each new member, we send a total of four emails.
In order to do this job, you should be familiar with how to use email and how to cut and paste text between documents. It takes about five minutes to handle a request, although the number of requests can vary from day to day. We normally check our email about two or three times a day to be sure all inquiries are handled promptly. Being a Greeter for GROW is a great way of being of service to our group.
You can contact Diane L or De W for more information about this position.
Listkeepers
GROW’s Listkeeper(s) must have two years of sobriety and at least one year membership in GROW. Each serves a two-year term: the first year being trained and the second year training the Listkeeper Alternate. Our Listkeepers have used a job-sharing approach where they alternate responsibility for the job for a week on and a week off.
The Listkeepers handle an average of four to five requests per week from potential new members. They also work closely with the Greeters to assure new members are introduced to GROW promptly. They handle occasional requests to unsubscribe and change email addresses of existing members and troubleshoot technical issues like ‘bounced’ emails.
The Listkeepers are Grow’s liaison with the service that hosts our mailing list. They send a monthly letter to Grow that gives information on how members can manage their own Grow accounts as well as the number of members and subscribes/unsubscribes there have been that month. The Listkeepers also manage the mailing list for our bi-annual business meetings each April and October.
Working with the Business Meeting Chair and Secretary, they are also members of the “Mini-Steering Committee” that addresses issues that arise between business meetings. The Listkeepers must read Grow email every day and have experience with managing Internet mailing lists.
From the current Trusted Servant:
I have found being part of the Listkeeper Greeter team to be hugely rewarding, doing service at the coalface of Grow and feeling the connection of serving alongside others. There is always someone experienced within the team of 4 (2 Listkeepers, 2 Greeters) so you’re never on your own.
Serving in this role has meant I check my emails at least once each morning and each evening on my week on, but processing anything takes a few seconds. The only skills needed are to be able to type and to move between a website and your email. It’s possible to do the entire role from a smartphone or device but of course can be done on a PC or laptop.
Every new inquiry reminds me of where I was at the beginning of this journey, increasing my desire to help newcomers.
If you have questions about this position, you can write Sophie F (Listkeeper) or Susan P (Listkeeper Alternate) for more information.
OIAA Representative
GROW’s representative to the Online Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous (OIAA) is our link to AA’s online community. Members with two years of sobriety are qualified to serve in this one-year position. She casts GROW’s vote in OIAA’s elections and represents GROW’s interests in their business meetings. Working through the Steering Committee and in our biannual business meetings, she keeps the group informed of discussions that could affect GROW or the online AA community. Through our business meetings, she also gets feedback on issues that she then presents to OIAA. The OIAA Rep submits reports on OIAA activities at each GROW business meeting.
The OIAA Representative’s workload is light but may vary depending on her desire to participate in OIAA activities. She should have reliable Internet access and computer skills sufficient to fulfill her duties.
From the Current Trusted Servant:
Being the OIAA Rep does not take up a lot of time. The main requirement is sending a list of members at the end of each month. A lot of the correspondence is welcoming new members to OIAA and some emails about OIAA members wanting clarity on something. OIAA recently sent out the budget for 2022 (what’s needed to keep going, donations, etc.). I applied to be on the finance committee. There is always something more to do if you want to do more.
You can write to Theresa B, the previous OIAA Rep, with questions about this position.
Secretary
Members who have two years of sobriety and one year of membership in Grow qualify to serve in this one-year term as Secretary. The Secretary has three primary roles. Her major duty is announcing vacancies and maintaining the current list of Trusted Servants. She is also the focal point when Grow members have complaints about the e-mail meeting or other members’ conduct. She is also the contact point and lead for actions to address issues when a Trusted Servant does not fulfill the duties in her position description. Every other year, the Secretary conducts a Group Inventory as outlined in AA’s guidelines.
Each month, the Secretary sends the FYI Letter and GROW Mail List Guidelines to assure members are aware of our policies and know how to reach our Trusted Servants. At the beginning of each Grow Business Meeting in April and October, she notifies members of outgoing and incoming Trusted Servants and provides an updated list of all Trusted Servants. The Secretary is also a member of the “Mini” Steering Committee that handles issues that arise between business meetings.
The Secretary’s workload is light most of the year but heavy in the months before the April and October business meetings. Her skills should include being organized, timely in carrying out her duties, and proficient in using email.
From a prior Trusted Servant:
As GROW’s Secretary, I was primarily responsible for assuring our Trusted Servant positions were filled and for keeping an up-to-date list of current Trusted Servants. This involved announcing vacancies and then announcing when those vacancies were filled. Part of this included working with Trusted Servants and Grow members to fill the vacancies. While I had other duties, managing Trusted Servant positions was by far the most demanding. My workload was greater during the months of March and September. I hesitated in volunteering for this job because I feared it would be too demanding, but I’ve found that the workload is usually light. When it’s heavier before the business meetings, other Trusted Servants have been willing to offer their help. Serving as GROW’s Secretary was a rewarding experience and helped me get to know many of our members better. It gave me a better understanding of how both our group and AA in general work. I would be happy to serve in this position again.
If you have questions about this position, you can write to Mary O, our current Secretary.
Temporary Mentor
The Temporary Mentor will have one year of sobriety, be a member of GROW for at least one year, and serve a one-year term. She works with members new to sobriety to assure they have support from at least one recovering alcoholic. She contacts new members with information about available AA resources and offers her personal assistance and guidance, including helping them find a sponsor and how GROW works. Her workload will vary depending on the amount of support new members request and is not predictable. She is required to be able to read GROW email on a daily basis to assure her support is timely. Once a month she’ll send an email to all members reminding them of available AA resources. The skills needed for this position include email proficiency and the ability to access AA information as needed.
From a previous Temporary Mentor:
I found serving as Temporary Mentor to be a fun, satisfying job. Although we’re an online meeting, I thought of myself as the person at a face-to-face meeting who the greeter would point to and say, “That’s Julie. She’ll be happy to give you the lay of the land, answer any questions you have, and help you settle in comfortably.” This was the perfect vehicle to become more involved at GROW, and to let newcomers know they are welcomed, the way that I was. Temporary Mentor was the perfect amount of service stretch for me. Everything I needed was provided, even including letter templates, and the workload was light, perhaps half an hour a day and not even that most days, and it easily flexed into my daily plans. Honestly, I got at least as much out of it as I hope our newcomers did.
You can contact Julie K if you have questions or want to hear more about her experience.
Treasurer
The Treasurer’s position is a two-year term with a light workload throughout the year. The Treasurer must be a member of GROW for a minimum of two years and have at least two years of sobriety. Duties include maintaining GROW’s checking and PayPal accounts, sending out a weekly ‘pass the basket/7th tradition’ email requesting contributions of all members, reporting Treasury status at the April and October business meetings, paying group expenses, and making contributions in GROW’s name to GSO and OIAA. This position requires experience managing a checking account, knowledge of PayPal and how to transfer money online, email proficiency, and the ability to provide a bi-annual Treasury report.
From the current Trusted Servant
The treasurer’s position to me is pretty light. The work comes intermittently.
I send out the Pass the Basket Letter every Sunday. The first time I was Treasurer, I opened a Paypal account and an online bank account that is dormant I until am Treasurer again. I deposit checks to the bank as they come in. With Paypal, I don’t have to do anything until it’s time for the Business Meeting. Before the Business Meetings, I calculate a monthly total for GROW’s deposits. I pay our bills and then set aside $122 for our Prudent Reserve. Of what remains, 80% goes to GSO and 20% to OIAA. I prepare a brief Treasurers report for the Business Meeting, which is the busiest this position gets. It takes about an hour, but you could probably reduce that time by calculating totals every month instead of doing it all at one time for the Business Meeting.
As I’m writing this out it sounds much more labor-intensive than it actually is. Of all the service positions there are in GROW, it is one of the most flexible. Because my husband and I RV full-time, there are times I have no or limited internet. The flexibility of this position allows me to hold a service position for GROW. Being of Service has always been important to me. I know that any AA group cannot survive without people volunteering to serve. I also know that being of service helps keep my ego in check and reminds me of how much I owe my sobriety to AA and all of the alcoholics that have gone before me. Giving a small amount of my time is such a small price to pay for the life AA affords me today!
You can contact Cheryl B if you have questions or want more information on this position.
Website Administrator
GROW’s website administrator serves a five-year term. In order to qualify for this position, she should have served one full term as Webkeeper of the GROW website. She should have been a member of GROW for four years and have at least four years of sobriety. The Website Administrator manages the WordPress database underlying our website and oversees and assists the Webkeeper and Topic Archivist in populating the website. She is our main contact with oso-aa.org, which hosts both our mailing list and website.
The Web Admin is co-owner of the GROW website along with the Webkeeper. She works with the Treasurer to ensure website fees are paid. She oversees and provides technical support to the Webkeeper to assure that Group Conscience decisions are posted to our website. She also maintains a back-up of the website.
Due to our business meetings, the Web Admin’s busiest times are during April and October, although most of her duties are ongoing. The Website Administrator should be experienced with the WordPress software, including managing a WordPress database and additional plug-ins. She should also be familiar with HTML coding. Being effective in this position will require that she be well-organized and able to respond promptly to requests for website changes.
From the current Trusted Servant:
The current Website Administrator’s term will end in October 2027 (five-year term). If you are interested in learning more about this position, or you would like to be trained to serve in this position, you can contact Cheryl D for more information.
Webkeeper
GROW’s Webkeeper should have been a member of group and have at least one year of sobriety. She serves a term of five years. Our Webkeeper is responsible for maintaining the public and private sections of our website consistent with the specific topics outlined by Group Conscience for each section. She works closely with the Business Meeting Chair and Steering Committee to ensure that our group history is preserved in the private members’ section and is accessible to all GROW members.
She works with the Steering Committee when substantial changes to the website are being considered, including presenting needed changes and getting approval through the process for group conscience decisions at our business meeting. The Webkeeper posts all information related to our business meetings including Trusted Servant Reports, proposals, group conscience decisions, and meeting notes and minutes. Updates on business meetings are posted during and immediately after the meeting. The Webkeeper also ensures member anonymity throughout the website.
Workload ranges from light most of the year to heavy before and during business meetings. She should have some experience with WordPress and basic knowledge of HTML coding. In addition to having reliable Internet access, the Webkeeper should also be organized and timely in carrying out her duties.
From the current Trusted Servant:
Having been GROW’s Webkeeper in the past, I have to say that I love the new website and the WordPress software. It makes adding new information and editing existing text very easy, although it did take some time to learn how to use WordPress. Being somewhat of a computer geek, I’ve had fun being on the website team and updating my skills. The workload is light to moderate most of the year; however, before and during business meetings, it can get hectic to keep the information current. While experience with WordPress is a plus, I’ve found knowing HTML necessary for the job. For anyone with experience with websites, this is a great job!
The current Webkeeper’s term will end in October 2027 (five-year term). If you are interested in learning more about this position, or you would like to be trained to serve in this position, you can contact danna M for more information.
Topic Archivist
The Topic Archivist is on the website team. Having been sober and a member of GROW for at least a year, she maintains the listing of Weekly Meeting Topics in the members’ section of the GROW website. She posts the meeting leader’s share each Sunday. Her workload is very light. The Topic Archivist should know how to use e-mail and will be trained at how to copy and paste text into our WordPress software.
From the current Trusted Servant:
Once I got the hang of doing this, I have found it quite easy to do. Each week, normally Saturday evening or Sunday sometime, I locate the Welcome to the weekly meeting of GROW email, cut-and-paste the section with the meeting lead, then open the GROW WordPress website to make the weekly changes. I create a new topic posting using the meeting lead, and update the website. From the time I have read through the meeting lead to completion of task and closing my window to the website takes less than fifteen minutes.
I enjoy doing this, it engages me regularly in the group, even if I have a lot of other things that may distract me from keeping up with the messages. I find it pulls me back into reading the various shares from GROW members and finding more ways that this program can change me for the better. I really do find that I grow with GROW.
You can contact Pat S with questions and to get more information on this position.
Weekly Meeting Listkeeper
GROW’s Weekly Leader Listkeeper manages the process for getting out our weekly meeting lead each Sunday. Serving a one-year term, the person filling this role will have one year membership in Grow and at least six months of sobriety. Each month, she calls for volunteers to lead our meeting and publishes the list of upcoming leaders to our mailing list. Each week, she sends the meeting format to that week’s volunteer leader and gets their confirmation that they will get the meeting out timely.
She also maintains a list of women who will step in on short notice if the meeting is not published on time. The Weekly Leader Listkeeper assures that the first meeting topic/lead each month is for the appropriate Step and calls for shares on the appropriate Tradition during the month. The only specific skill needed is ability to use e-mail, but it is helpful if the person has strong organization skills since she manages a lot of information that changes often.
From the Current Trusted Servant:
This service position takes about 15 minutes to half an hour most weeks. At the beginning of the month, it may take up to an hour to organize the volunteers for meetings and send out confirmation emails. The biggest thing is to keep some sort of calendar or chart of upcoming leaders with dates and email addresses. Aside from that, most everything just involves cutting and pasting templates and then filling them in each week.
Working in this position has kept me closer to GROW and more actively involved in reading and sharing at meetings. I have also gotten to interact with members that I didn’t know before doing this position.
This service position, and service work in general, has helped me grow as far as finding ways to be useful and also to be able to stick with a commitment. It also brings me humility to know I’m helping the group in a behind the scenes way and not all out in the spotlight. It helps build my self-confidence and my communication skills. It also helps me to feel a part of the group instead of just a visitor or outsider.
As far as learning about myself, I’ve learned that it’s ok to be behind the scenes, I’ve learned that a lot of times fear really is “false evidence appearing real”, and I’ve learned that we have a really great group of women all with their own unique ESH to share.