FAQs

This page answers some of the most common questions about A.A. in Manhattan and how General Service works.

Whether you’re a newcomer looking for a meeting, a group trying to get connected, or a trusted servant learning about service, you’ll find clear explanations and helpful links here.

  • Please click here to view the Manhattan District Map. Your group’s district number will also be included in SENY’s list of registered groups.

  • Please click here to view all groups registered under SENY, which will include your group’s GSO Service #, District #, and County #. If your group is not listed or you are seeking a group number please click here to register your group with SENY and GSO.

  • Please click here to view all groups registered under SENY, which will include your group’s GSO Service #, District #, and County #. If your group is not listed or you are seeking a group number please click here to register your group with SENY and GSO.

    Reach out to the Registrar at registrar@manhattan.aaseny.org to update or confirm your group’s registration, GSR, or contact information.

  • If you are serving in a new position and need to update your contact information, or just join the SENY mailing list, please click here.

  • The role of the general service representative, or GSR, is essential to the purpose of general service. Bill W. wrote in Concept I of The Twelve Concepts for World Service: “The A.A. groups today hold ultimate responsibility and final authority for our world services.” The role of the GSR is essential to ensuring that groups can fulfill that responsibility. Only when a GSR keeps the group informed and communicates the group conscience can the Conference truly act for A.A. as a whole. This communication is a two-way street, making the GSR responsible not only for bringing forward the group’s voice, but for taking back to the group Conference actions that affect the Fellowship’s unity, health and growth.

    Even if your group decides not to have a GSR, having a group contact will keep the group listed as active with GSO.

  • Intergroup and General Service are two separate parts of A.A. that serve different purposes, and both are essential to keeping the fellowship connected.

    • Intergroup (or Central Office) helps individual members find meetings and stay connected locally. It maintains meeting lists, runs phone lines, coordinates Twelfth Step calls, and supports A.A. groups with direct services like literature sales and event announcements. In short: Intergroup serves the individual alcoholic who still suffers.

    • General Service connects A.A. groups to the wider structure of A.A., from the local districts and areas to the General Service Conference and General Service Office (GSO). Through elected representatives (GSRs), groups share their voice in decisions that affect A.A. as a whole. In short: General Service serves the A.A. group. Both are vital parts of A.A., and many members participate in and support both structures to help carry the message more effectively.

  • Service below the group level refers to A.A. work that takes place beyond an individual group through districts, areas, and the General Service Office. It’s how A.A. groups connect with each other and carry the collective conscience of the fellowship. Members who serve at these levels (like GSRs, DCMs, and area committee members) help ensure that A.A. remains united, informed, and able to reach the still-suffering alcoholic everywhere.

    It’s called “below the group level” because of how A.A. is structured. To learn more about that service structure, please visit the Learning Center.

  • To find the best contact for your question, please visit the Contacts page.

GLOSSARY

  • The fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope to solve their common problem and help others recover.

  • Someone who serves as backup to a service position, stepping in when needed.

    An alternate is often someone shadowing a service position so that they can take over that position once the current trusted servant’s term is over.

  • A regional service body made up of groups within a defined geographic region. Each Area elects a Delegate who represents those groups at the annual General Service Conference. Areas coordinate communication between local groups, districts, and the General Service Office, helping carry the collective group conscience of A.A. as a whole.

  • An assembly of SENY (Area 49) that happens three times a year where GSRs, committee chairs, delegates, and trusted servants convene to discuss and decide Area matters.

  • A subdivision of the county service structure, responsible for coordinating groups within a geographic area. Districts help coordinate local service activity and communication between groups and the Area through their District Committee Members (DCMs) and District Committee Member Chair (DCMC).

  • The trusted servant who leads a district (or linguistic district), coordinating between groups and service bodies.

  • The central A.A. office for the U.S. and Canada, which supports our worldwide A.A. structure.

  • The group’s representative to the service structure (attends county, area meetings).

  • A gathering of two or more people who meet regularly to share their experience, strength, and hope for the purpose of staying sober and helping others recover from alcoholism. Each group is autonomous, self-supporting, and guided by a group conscience.

    Learn more about A.A. groups in the pamphlet “The A.A. Group . . . where it all begins”

  • A non-GSR contact for the group, who keeps the group active in communication and ensures mailings and info reach them even if they don’t have a GSR.

  • A separate body from General Service primarily focused on meeting lists, meeting support, local services (not group representation).

  • The county-level A.A. service structure for Manhattan, connecting local groups to Area (SENY) and GSO.

  • In Southeast New York (SENY), a Share-A-Day typically refers to a daylong or half-a-daylong event sponsored below the group level (by a District or County) centered around a broad theme.

    The event is made up of a series of meetings and workshops on issues or topics within the broad theme. Each workshop is usually a meeting with 1-2 speakers followed by shares from the group (or sometimes question and answer sessions). Consistent with our 8th Tradition, the speakers are not experts, simply members who have experience, strength, and hope to share on the topics.

    Share-A-Days are often open events for anyone interested to attend. Frequently, A.A. Share-A-Days are announced as having Al-Anon participation, which means, there are Al-Anon speakers and/or meetings within the Share-A-Day.

    Depending on the size and scope of the Share-A-Days, there are typically numerous opportunities for service (not only speaking, chairing, logistics, etc.) for interested people regardless of the length of their sobriety. Share-A-Days are also excellent opportunities to introduce an AAer to the world (and service) below the group level.

  • The A.A. Area (Area 49) that includes Manhattan and surrounding counties.

  • A member elected or appointed to carry out service responsibilities on behalf of an A.A. group or service body. In Alcoholics Anonymous, we “trust our servants” to do the work of the group, but they do not govern. Their authority comes from the group conscience and their primary purpose is to help carry the A.A. message through service.

LEARNING CENTER

Your hub for understanding how A.A. works, both in recovery and in service. Here you’ll find resources that explain things like “what’s the upside-down triangle” or what’s a concept?” Whether you’re new to service or just curious about A.A.’s structure, this is the place to learn how we stay united and self-supporting.

Learn More