Armonk’s Group Conscience (Bylaws)
Revised: 30th July 2025
OUR PRACTICE OF THE ARMONK GROUP OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
The Officers, Meeting Chairpersons and Hospitality Volunteers of the Armonk Group of Alcoholics Anonymous shall be as follows:
GROUP OFFICERS
§ Chairperson (of the Group)
§ Co-Chair
§ Treasurer
§ Secretary
§ General Services Representative (GSR)
§ Intergroup Representative
§ Group Liaison
§ IT
§ Virtual Meeting Coordinator
OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES
§ Attend all business meetings. If unable to attend, reports to the chair any updates to announce at the business meeting.
§ Notify other group officers if unable to fulfill their required duties.
§ Train oncoming group officers of respective responsibilities, providing them with log-on information- assisting when necessary.
§ New officers will change old passcodes when they take office.
1. Group Chairperson: requirements-5 years of continuous sobriety; 1- year service term
§ Responsible for the overall functioning of the group:
§ Chairs the group officer’s meeting when needed
§ Chairs monthly business meetings
§ Has signing authority on the Armonk Group bank account in event Treasurer is unavailable
§ Keeps record of current passcodes for virtual accounts
§ Ensures in-person Meeting Service positions are filled
2. Co-Chair: requirements-5 years of continuous sobriety; 1-year service term
§ Will assume duties of the group chair when the chair is unable to fulfill their obligations.
3. Treasurer: requirements-3 years of continuous sobriety; 2- year service term
§ As Custodian of the Group’s funds in the Group’s bank account, the Treasurer does the following:
§ Collects money from church/meeting leaders and deposits money into Group account.
§ Keeps a record of all deposits and disbursements regardless of transaction medium (Venmo, Zelle, checks, cash, or any other) · Holds checkbook and issues checks on the Group account
§ Checks PO box weekly for contributions and bills
§ Makes standard disbursements for expenses which may include:
a. Rent for meeting rooms.
b. Annual Rent for P.O. Box.
c. Annual Insurance (e-mail copy to church).
d. Zoom and Website (Squarespace) expense.
e. AA Literature including beginner packets and anniversary coins.
f. Hospitality and Anniversary Meeting expenses (cakes, medallions, coffee, etc.)
g. Maintains prudent reserve.
h. Makes contributions to AA Service Groups, as authorized at Armonk
§ Group Business Meetings, typically allocated as follows:
a. New York Intergroup – 50% of aggregate contribution.
b. AA General Service Office – 30% of aggregate contribution.
c. SENY – 10% of aggregate contribution.
d. Westchester County General Service – 10% of aggregate contribution.
4. General Service Representative (GSR): requirements-3 years of continuous sobriety; 2 year service term
§ Serves as the link between "an informed group conscience" and AA as a whole:
§ Represent the group at monthly district meetings, currently being held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, and area general service assemblies which in most areas, occurs 4 times/year.
§ Keep the group members informed about A.A. General Service activities in the local area.
§ Assist groups with solving problems or answering questions related to A.A.’s Traditions.
§ Receive and share with groups all mail received from A.A. Service Structure entities including: “Box 4-5-9” the General Service Office Newsletter for communicating with the fellowship; “The Link”, the newsletter of SENY.
§ Distributes, and then collects, the SENY Delegate’s questionnaire to group members. This is completed prior to the annual AA General Service Conference.
§ Fulfills all other responsibilities to the Group, District County and Area as are fully described in the "GSR/DCM. Handbook" of SENY, The AA Service Manual and the New GSR Kit of Westchester Districts.
§ Must not represent any other group as GSR.
5. Librarian: requirements-1 year of continuous sobriety; 1 year service term
§ Responsible for ordering all Group approved recovery materials (books, pamphlets, cards, meeting lists, coins) as needed.
§ Keeps AA cabinet in order.
§ Keeps inventory of coin box updated and order additional coins.
§ Assembles newcomer packets.
6. NY Intergroup Delegate: requirements-1 year of continuous sobriety; 1 year service term
§ Inter-Group Delegates represent their A.A. Groups at quarterly meetings of Delegates from groups in the New York City Area:
§ Attend quarterly Delegate Meetings in March, June, September, and December. Call the New York Inter-Group office for details and or to confirm the dates, etc.
§ Attend Inter-Group Area Forums as announced.
§ Report the results of Delegates’ quarterly meetings and periodic area Forums to the group.
§ Communicate information received from Inter-Group to the Group.
§ Vote for the Group on issues presented to Delegates by New York Inter-Group’s Steering Committee.
§ Communicate to the Steering Committee the Groups’ Conscience affecting the Twelfth-Step service of New York Inter-Group.
§ Determine that Group meeting information is accurately reported in New York Inter-Group’s Meeting List.
§ Inform group members of opportunities for Twelfth-Step service with New York Inter-Group.
§ Each group shall submit the name, address, and contact information of the Delegate and Alternate Delegate to the Inter Group office.
§ May not be an Inter-Group Delegate for any other group
§ Coordinates checking Armonk Group email with liaison
7. Group Secretary: requirements-2 years of continuous sobriety; 1 year service term
§ Maintain minutes of monthly business meetings.
§ Maintains and update a strictly confidential file of group members names, e-mail addresses and telephone numbers (subject to each member’s approval). Checks secretary’s box regularly for new member slips.
§ maintains list of current meeting leaders and emails them updated virtual scripts and announcements.
§ Keep Meeting books for leaders updated (adds new announcements, removes outdated ones).
§ Keeps AA bulletin board current (AA related).
§ Set up clipboard signup sheets and distribute as necessary to chair prior to voting for in person meetings.
8. Group Liaison: requirements-3 years of continuous sobriety; 1 year service term
§ Regularly checks and responds to group email at least 1x/day.
§ Coordinates relationship between the church and the group.
§ Coordinates with other group officers and assists where needed.
9. TECH: requirements-2 years of continuous sobriety; 1 year service term
§ Maintains group website page.
§ Manages Zoom account.
§ Regularly Checks for security issues on Zoom account ● Website: general duties include updating information 1-2 times per month or as needed.
§ Zoom: general duties include user management.
§ (assigning/removing licenses and authorization) on a quarterly basis, working with the virtual meeting coordinator to email all those doing service in virtual meetings (leaders/hosts/co-hosts).
The Armonk Group Service Commitments
1. Virtual Meeting Coordinator: requirements-3 years of continuous sobriety; 1 year service term:
§ Checks email regularly for volunteers to chair or bounce meetings.
§ Maintains spreadsheet of volunteers and if necessary, brings to business meeting for a vote.
§ Ensures that announcements, 4 weeks prior to the start of the rotation, include request for members to sign up for virtual service commitments.
§ Notifies chair if there are open spots 2 weeks prior to the biz meeting to be added to the announcements.
2. In Person Meeting Leaders: requirements- 1 year of continuous sobriety (the beginner’s meeting requirement is 3 years of continuous sobriety); service term- 3 months:
§ Calls the meeting to order on time and opens the meeting by reading the A.A. Preamble
§ Makes current announcements
§ Reads suggested format to open each meeting from the appropriately labeled meeting book
§ Collects contributions in accordance with the seventh tradition and deposits in group money box (places collections in envelope and puts through slot on church office door).
§ Closes the meeting by leading the group in either the Lord's Prayer or the Serenity Prayer
§ Responsible for making sure meeting facilities are clean, lights are off, and doors are locked
§ Puts new member slips in the Secretary's box
§ If unable to attend the meeting, leaders are responsible for getting a substitute and instructing them on their responsibilities
§ For anniversary meetings, the meeting leaders will count the number of celebrants and divide accordingly so that everyone gets equal time to speak.
3. Virtual Meeting Leaders: requirements- 1 year of continuous sobriety (the beginner’s meeting requirement is 3 years of continuous sobriety); service term 3 months:
§ Calls the meeting to order on time and opens the meeting by reading the A.A. Preamble.
§ Reads current announcements.
4. Virtual Meeting Tech/Bouncer: length of sobriety 3 months: 3 months length of term: 3 months:
§ Opens zoom meetings.
§ Screens waiting room for participants entry.
§ Mutes and unmutes participants times shares.
§ Posts current announcements in chat box, opens and closes the chat function.
§ Remove other co-hosts.
5. Librarian: requirements-1 year of continuous sobriety; 1 year service term
§ Responsible for ordering all Group approved recovery materials (books, pamphlets, cards, meeting lists, coins) as needed.
§ Keeps AA cabinet in order.
§ Keeps inventory of coin box updated and order additional coins.
§ Assembles newcomer packets.
6. STEP AND DISCUSSION MEETING LEADERS - ADDITIONAL DUTIES
§ Recruits the meeting speaker, who must have at least 90 days sobriety.
§ For step meetings, the speaker must have already worked the step being discussed.
§ Speakers must not have qualified at an Armonk meeting in the previous 4 months.
§ Trains all new incoming meeting leaders.
7. HOSPITALITY: Chairperson length of sobriety 1yr; term 1 year:
§ Order kitchen supplies as needed.
§ Gives receipt to treasurer for reimbursement.
~ General Armonk Group Conscience ~
**Group officers may meet, as needed, outside of business meetings to review group matters. All decisions will be made through an informed group conscience taken at monthly business meetings.
** All those doing service are urged to attend business meetings. If unable to attend, please report any concerns to the group chair prior to the business meeting.
**Members must be present at business meetings to make a motion. No other member can make a motion, or vote on, another’s behalf.
**Members must be present at business meetings in order to voice concerns or issues, rather than asking someone else to do so on their behalf.
**Passwords to all virtual accounts are changed at the start of officer rotations (annually). This process requires assistance from the out-going officers.
**Zoom account may only be used only for scheduled Armonk group meetings.
**The Chair/Moderator of Armonk AA meetings must use AA Conference approved literature to present at all AA meetings. The only exception will be If a motion is proposed and passed at the business meeting to use non-conference approved literature at a specified meeting.
**If no one signs up to chair a meeting, the current chair can stay on for 1 more rotation. If no one signs up after that, the meeting will be at risk of being canceled.
**If a service position requires a vote, then the eligible members must be present at the business meeting for the vote.
**If no one signs up to a group officer position, a current officer may change officer roles for no more than 2 consecutive terms in total
**Group members cannot sign up to do more than one meeting service commitment per rotation period, this includes both in person and virtual meetings. Bouncers are an exception.
**In the spirit of rotation, group members who have a meeting service commitment one rotation, are asked to sit out the next rotation to give others the opportunity to do service. Bouncers are an exception.
**If a group officer’s position isn’t filled, the current officer may stay in the position while a replacement is actively pursued and found. If a replacement isn’t found after 3 months, the position will become vacant
**If a service position requires a vote, then the eligible members must be present at the business meeting for the vote.
“Feedback and crosstalk are discouraged here. Crosstalk is giving advice to others who have already shared, speaking directly to another person rather than to the group and questioning or interrupting the person speaking at the time. If crosstalk occurs, the chair will remind you of this policy.”