The small group may elect its secretary, the large group its rotating committee, and the groups of the large metropolitan area their central or intergroup committee, which often employs a full-time secretary. The trustees of the General Service Board are, in effect, our A. A. General Service Committee. They are the custodians of our A. A. Tradition and the receivers of voluntary A. A. contributions by which we maintain our A. A. General Service Office at New York. They are authorized by the groups to handle our overall public relations and they guarantee the integrity of our principal newspaper, the A. A. Grapevine. All such representatives are to be guided in the spirit of service, for true leaders in A. A. are but trusted and experienced servants of the whole.
Universal respect is the key to their usefulness.
No A. A. group or member should ever, in such a way to implicate A. A., express any opinion on outside controversial issues - particularly those of politics, alcohol reform, or sectarian religion. The Alcoholics Anonymous groups oppose no one. Concerning such matters they can express no views whatever. Our relations with the general public should be characterized by personal anonymity. We think A. A. ought to avoid sensational advertising.