Service Committees
Service in Alcoholics Anonymous began with one struggling drunk reaching out to help another, and in doing so, finding he helped himself.
AA members continue to reach out to the struggling alcoholic, one on one as in the beginning, but also in collective efforts through service committees. Beyond the usual service activities centered on local “home groups,” the service structure in AA has evolved from members simply trying to respond to public interest in the Fellowship to include several service committees with special and particular areas of interest and activity.
In SENY, these “standing” committees are laid out in our Articles of Association (Article VI). With brief descriptions of their main focus and activities below (follow the links), the standing committees are:
Cooperation with the Professional Community (CPC)
SENY has also established several special or ad hoc committees or functions. They include:
Ad Hoc Service Participation Committee
New York State Informational Workshop (NYSIW)
Upcoming service committee activities may be found in the Calendar of Events under Standing/Ad Hoc Committee Events.
Beyond the brief descriptions of committee and special functions and typical activities below, for more information, go to each committee's page. Also, job or committee descriptions are given in the SENY Service Handbook. The suggested SENY Budget Guidelines also offer some useful information about how the area supports these committees.
Standing Committees
Accessibility/Special Needs- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
This committee serves to help alcoholics who face added unusual barriers to accessing the AA message of recovery. These alcoholics typically include those who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, chronically ill or home-bound and those who are developmentally disabled among others. For more information go to the Accessibility/Special Needs Committee page.
Agenda-
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This committee of one serves to maintain the Area's calendar of events, and, together with the Area Chair, to set the agenda for major service meetings such as meetings of the Area Committee and Assembly. For more information go to the Agenda Committee page.
Archives-
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This committee serves to collect, catalogue and preserve historical information and materials relevant to the Area, mounts archives displays at AA events on request, and works with the Area Historian on related projects. For more information go to the Archives Committee page.
Convention-
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This committee serves to mount both the Area Convention (held most years) and the New York State Convention in the years we host that event (every five years). For more information go to the Convention Committee page.
Cooperation with the Professional Community (CPC)-
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As its name implies, this committee serves to work with both professional groups and individual professionals who commonly come into contact with alcoholics that they might know of and understand the AA program and Fellowship. Such professionals include physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors, teachers, attorneys, and criminal justice professionals among others. For more information go to the CPC Committee page.
Corrections-
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This committee serves to work with correctional and other criminal justice professionals who may come into contact with alcoholics that they might know of and understand the AA program and Fellowship. It is a special outgrowth of the CPC service. For more information go to the Corrections Committee page.
Grapevine/La Viña-
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This committee serves to inform the membership about the AA Grapevine magazine (our meeting in print) and its Spanish-language edition, La Viña, and about Grapevine-related materials and resources such as the many books published by The AA Grapevine, Inc., the AudioGrapevine (CD and MP3 versions of the Grapevine magazine) and the on-line Grapevine Digital Archive (an on-line collection of everything ever published by the Grapevine). The committee provides Grapevine displays at AA events on request. For more information go to the Grapevine/LaViña Committee page.
Intergroup Liaison-
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This committee of one serves to foster and support effective communication and cooperation between and among SENY and the several Intergroup/Central Offices and Answering Services in SENY. For more information go to the Intergroup Liaison page.
Literature-
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This committee serves to inform the membership about the Fellowship's literature as published by AA World Services, Inc. (AAWS). The committee provides literature displays at AA events on request. For more information go to the Literature Committee page.
Newsletter, The Link-
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To support communication within the Area and with other parts of the Fellowship, SENY publishes a periodic newsletter, The Link, in both printed and on-line editions. For more information go to the Newsletter page.
Office Manager-
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As the title implies, this committee of one serves to manage the Area's office in the Bronx, NY. It also provides support resources from the office for select Area meetings such as meetings of the Area Committee and Assembly. For more information go to the Office Manager page.
Public Information (PI)-
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This committee serves to provide information about AA to the general public that they might know of and understand the AA program and Fellowship. It typically arranges for AA speakers at non-AA meetings. For more information go to the PI Committee page.
Recording Secretary- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
This office serves to record the minutes of major Area service meetings such as meetings of the Area Committee and Assembly, and provides those minutes to the Area for its information and records. For more information go to the Recording Secretary page.
Translation-
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This committee serves to provide translations in Spanish of Area materials and resources such as this website. For more information go to the Translation Committee page.
Treatment Facilities (TF)-
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This committee serves as a special outgrowth of the CPC service to work with alcoholism treatment professionals. For more information go to the TF Committee page.
Website-
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This committee serves to develop, manage and maintain the Area's on-line services, its e-mail system, website and bulletin board. For more information go to the Website Committee page.
Special Committees and Functions
Ad Hoc Archives Committee-
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This committee serves to assist the Area, and the Area Archivist and Historian in developing the Area's approach to collecting its history, and managing its archives and related activities and responsibilities. It is advisory only. For more information go to the Ad Hoc Archives Committee page.
Ad Hoc Finance Committee-
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This committee serves to assist the Area Chair and Treasurer in financial planning, budgeting, documentation and record-keeping, and in promoting the ideals of Tradition Seven throughout SENY. It is advisory only. For more information go to the Ad Hoc Finance Committee page.
Ad Hoc Service Participation Committee-
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This committee serves to help in the development of ideas which might help increase and support participation by GSRs, DCMs and DCMCs in the SENY service structure. It is advisory only. For more information go to the Ad Hoc Service Participation Committee page.
Historian-
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This committee of one serves to help recall and preserve SENY's history. The committee works with the Area's Archives Committee and Ad Hoc Archives Committee on related projects. The exact approach, responsibilities, role and term of the Historian are under development.
New York State Informational Workshop (NYSIW)-
Every four years SENY hosts the NYSIW. This service oriented weekend event focuses on helping the four Delegate Areas in New York State (Central NY, Area 47; HMB, Area 48; SENY, Area 49; and Western NY, Area 50) to come together to share service experience involving our principal service committees. The NYSIW is usually held during the summer months. For more information go to the NYSIW page.
Service Sponsorship-
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The Service Sponsorship Chair (appointed by the Area Chair) is available help members new to service in SENY to connect with local service sponsors. He/she may participate in new member orientations at Area Committee and Assembly meetings. For more information go to the Service Sponsorship page.