Hi! Arthur
As you point out, the Conference-approved pamphlet "The Group" says that "The
main difference between meetings and groups is that A.A. groups generally
continue to exist outside the prescribed meeting hours, ready to provide Twelfth
Step help when needed. A.A. groups are encouraged to register with G.S.O., as
well as with their local offices: area, district, intergroup or central office."
As I understand it, the means for existing outside of "meeting hours" -- that
is, to be more than simply a meeting -- is to have the service structure
suggested in that pamphlet, and to link with Intergroup (by means of an
Intergroup Representative) and with the General Service Structure (by means of a
GSR). Hence my statement that the creation of the service structure leads to a
quick test of what's a group and what's a meeting. I did not say that was AA's
view -- as you well know, neither I (having studied AA) nor you (having studied
AA and being an active member of the General Service Structure, as you say) can
speak for AA. The "Twelve Concepts" may not be ambiguous, but the "Twelve
Concepts" plus "The Group" pamphlet seem to present a certain degree of
ambiguity (see also Jack Norris's attempt to distinguish between special-purpose
groups, which may suffer from the "other affiliations" problem, and
special-purpose meetings). I remained convinced that, if there is to be a
distinction between a group and a meeting, it must lie in participation in the
service structure, and the quickest test is whether there is a GSR or could be
if requirements ("suggestions") for selection as GSR can be met. Of course, if
a group which has two meetings says each one is a separate group, and claims the
right therefore to two GSRs, presumably General Service must go along with it (I
know an example in Area 59, District 36). Yes, a group is a group if it says
it's a group, if you like -- that's the historical precedent, with which we as
historians are concerned -- but the proof (another historical precedent for much
of AA) is in the action. If it acts like a group, it's a group. If it doesn't,
what's the point of saying it is one? And btw, if there are no home-group
members, what is it that's a group? [P.S. -- I think NA refers to a GR, tho'
here I speak under correction.]--
Jared