From the Service Manual

From the Service Manual for your information:


District Representative (DR)

The DR is elected from among the incoming, outgoing, or active past GRs in his home district prior to the Assembly or by caucus at the Assembly. Each DR represents one district within the Area. He helps the groups in his district understand their relationship and responsibility to the worldwide fellowship.

The duties of the DR are

• to call and chair district meetings at regular intervals

• to help the Delegate in every way possible in disseminating Conference information and reports

• to keep in touch with the GRs of his district to learn the views of the groups and their problems, which, in turn, he may report to the Area World Service Committee or the Delegate

• to visit all the groups in his district, particularly new groups, to make sure they are getting necessary information and help

• to help the groups understand and apply the Traditions, which guide us in our fellowship activities

• to prepare and update a mailing list of the GRs in his district for the Area World Service Committee

• to urge every group to complete and promptly return the group data sheets sent out annually by the World Service Office

• to check the group’s Current Mailing Address (CMA) with each GR in the district to determine if it is correct

• to make sure mail from the WSO is reaching the groups and being shared with the members

• to attend Area World Service Committee meetings and report to the Area World Service Committee on activities within his district

• to notify the Area World Service Committee and WSO of groups that have disbanded.



District Meetings

Various types of meetings may be held within a district to unite and inform local groups: meetings to hear progress reports of the Area World Service Committee, sharing sessions for discussion of district matters, round-robins or social evenings. At regular intervals, meetings scheduled and chaired by the DR are held to talk over such matters as

• the need for local service committees such as Alateen, Public Outreach (Public Information, Cooperating with the Professional Community, and Institutions), a telephone answering service, or an Information Service (attention should be called to the respective guidelines available from WSO)

• ways to familiarize groups, Information Services, and local service committees in the vicinity with Conference Approved Literature (CAL), with emphasis on specialized items available for teenagers, parents, men, and public outreach

• sharing with the fellowship worldwide by submitting to The Forum articles or items of general interest

• encouraging members to subscribe to The Forum, either singly or through bulk group orders (when a group pays for multiple subscriptions, a small profit is realized on the sale of single copies at meetings)

• the value of Inside Al‑Anon Xtra as a sharing vehicle from the WSO to the groups

• raising money to support a telephone answering service or expand an existing one

• means of stimulating contributions from the groups in the district to Al‑Anon’s World Service Office (our WSO informs the Delegate of all contributions from the groups in his Area; this information can be relayed by each DR so that GRs will know whether their groups have contributed)

• problems that arise when Al‑Anon Traditions are disregarded or other concerns that groups and committees have presented for consideration

• workshops on Alateen, Public Outreach, (Public Information, Cooperating with the Professional Community, and Institutions), Literature, or any other Al‑Anon service.

Collections at district meetings are a practical way to raise money.