Concept 11

(short) The trustees should always have the best possible committees, corporate service directors, executives, staffs, and consultants. Composition, qualifications, induction procedures, and rights and duties will always be matters of serious concern.
(long) While the Trustees hold final responsibility for A.A.’s world service administration, they should always have the assistance of the best possible standing committees, corporate service directors, executives, staffs, and consultants. Therefore the composition of these underlying committees and service boards, the personal qualifications of their members, the manner of their induction into service, the systems of their rotation, the way in which they are related to each other, the special rights and duties of our executives, staffs, and consultants, together with a proper basis for the financial compensation of these special workers, will always be matters for serious care and concern.

1. Primary principle(s): trust, right of decision, rotation, responsibility matching authority, generosity
2. Other principles: acceptance, willingness, activity, consideration, constructiveness, faith, good nature, helpfulness, honesty, humility, financial prudence,  patience, perseverance, responsibility, simplicity, straightforwardness, tactfulness, understanding, unity, democracy,

Readings:

• Twelve Concepts for World Service pp. 48-61
• Twelve Concepts Illustrated
• “How It Was. . . Grapevine’s 35th Anniversary - A visit with Bill’s “little sister” - June 1979 AA Grapevine
• “The Incredible Tapestry” - February 1993 AA Grapevine

The 12 Concepts Checklist (a service piece from the General Service Office), asks these questions about Concept 11:

• Do we understand how the roles of nontrustee directors and nontrustee appointed committee members help serve and strengthen the committee system?
  • Principles:
• How do we encourage our special paid workers to exercise their traditional “Right of Participation?”
  • Principles:
• Do we practice rotation in all our service positions?
  • Principles: