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The Twelve Concepts: An Introduction

Posted on January 6, 2020March 1, 2020 by The Webservant

Adapted from the A.A. Service Manual Combined with Twelve Concepts for World Service p. 1-3

The “Twelve Concepts for World Service” to be described in this Manual are an interpretation of C.A.’s world service structure. They reveal the evolution by which it has arrived in its present form, and they detail the experience and reasoning on which our operation stands today. These Concepts therefore aim to record the “why” of our service structure in such a fashion that the highly valuable experience of the past, and the lessons we have drawn from that experience, can never be forgotten or lost.

In these Concepts a number of principles which have already become traditional to our services, but which have never been clearly articulated and reduced to writing. For example: the “Right of Decision” gives our service leaders a proper discretion and latitude; the “Right of Participation” gives each world servant a voting status commensurate with his (or her) responsibility, and “Participation” further guarantees that each service board or committee will always possess the several elements and talents that will insure effective functioning. The “Right of Appeal” protects and encourages minority opinion; and the “Right of Petition” makes certain that grievances can be heard, and properly acted upon. These general principles can of course be used to good effect throughout our entire structure.

The Concepts carefully delineate those important traditions, customs, relationships and legal arrangements that weld the World Service Board into a working harmony with its primary committees and with its corporate arms of active service — C.A. World Services, Inc. and The C.A. NewsGram. This is the substance of the structural framework that governs the internal working situation at C.A.’s World Headquarters.

Great emphasis is laid on the need for a high order of personal leadership, on the desirability of careful induction methods for all incoming personnel, and upon the necessity for the best possible personal relations between those who work in our services. The Concepts try to design a structure in which all may labor to good effect, with a minimum of friction. This is accomplished by so relating our servants to their work and to each other that the chances of personal conflict will be minimized.

In the C.A. services we have always had to choose between the authoritarian setup, whereby one group or one person is set in unqualified authority over another, and the democratic concept which calls for “checks and balances” that would prevent unqualified authority from running unrestrained. The first approach is that of the “institutional” or authoritarian type. The second is the method of “constitutional” governments and many large business corporations in their upper echelons.

Well knowing our own propensities for power driving, it is natural and even imperative that our service concepts be based on the system of “checks and balances.” We have had to face the fact that we usually try to enlarge our own authority and prestige when we are in the saddle. But when we are not, we strenuously resist a heavy-handed management wherein someone else holds the reins. I’m the more sure of this because I possess these traits myself.

Consequently ideas like the following pervade the Concepts: “No group or individual should be set in unqualified authority over another,” “Large, active and dissimilar operations should be separately incorporated and managed, each with its own staff, equipment and working capital,” “We ought to avoid undue concentration of money or personal influence in any service group or entity,” “At each level of service, authority should be equal to responsibility,” “Double-headed executive direction should be avoided.” These and other similar provisions define working relations that can be friendly and yet efficient. They would especially restrain our tendency to concentrate money and power, this being nearly always the underlying (though not always the conscious) motivation of our recurrent passion for the “consolidation” of world service entities.

These Concepts represent the best summation to make after years experience in the creation of our service structure and in the conduct of C.A.’s world affairs. Like the earlier written “Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,” and the Conference Charter, these service principles are also the outcome of long reflection and extensive consultation. It is much to be hoped that these Twelve Concepts will become a welcome addition to our “Third Legacy Manual of C.A. World Service,” and that they will prove to be a reliable working guide in the years that lie ahead.

Clarifying Questions and Answers:

Q: The Twelve Concepts are an interpretation of what? A: C.A.’s world service structure.

Q: The Concepts detail what? A: The experience and reasoning on which our operation stands today.

Q: The Concepts aim to record what? List 3 aims. A: the 1) “why” of our service structure in such a fashion that the 2) highly valuable experience of the past, and the 3) lessons we have drawn from that experience, can never be forgotten or lost.

Q: What do the Concepts contain? A: A number of principles which have become traditional to our services.

Q: What does the “Right of Decision” give? A: Gives our service leaders a proper discretion and latitude.

Q: What does the “Right of Participation” give? A: Gives each world servant a voting status commensurate with their responsibility.

Q: What does the “Right of Participation” guarantee? A: That each service board or committee will always possess the several elements and talents that will insure effective functioning.

Q: What does the “Right of Appeal” protects? A: Protects and encourages minority opinion.

Q: What does the “Right of Petition” makes certain? A: That grievances can be heard, and properly acted upon.

Q: What do the Concepts delineate? A: Important traditions, customs, relationships and legal arrangements that weld the World Service Board into a working harmony with its primary committees and with its corporate arms of active service — C.A. World Services, Inc. and The C.A. NewsGram.

Q: What needs are emphasized by the Concepts? A: For a high order of personal leadership, on the desirability of careful induction methods for all incoming personnel, and upon the necessity for the best possible personal relations between those who work in our services.

Q: What does the structure of the Concepts accomplish? A: All may labor to good effect, with a minimum of friction.

Q: What is it that C.A. services always had to choose between? A: The authoritarian setup, whereby one group or one person is set in unqualified authority over another, and the democratic concept which calls for “checks and balances” that would prevent unqualified authority from running unrestrained.

Q: What system are the Concepts are based on? A: Checks and balances.

Q: What fact did C.A. have to face? A: That we usually try to enlarge our own authority and prestige when we are in the saddle.

Q: What should no C.A. group or individual have? A: Be set in unqualified authority over another.

Q: How should C.A. handle large, active and dissimilar operations? A: Be separately incorporated and managed, each with its own staff, equipment and working capital.

Q: What should C.A. avoid? A: Undue concentration of money or personal influence in any service group or entity.

Q: At each level of service, what should authority be equal to? A: Responsibility.

Q: What do these provisions do? A: Refine working relations that can be friendly and yet efficient.

Q: What do these provisions restrain? A: Tendency to concentrate money and power.

Q: What do the Concepts represent? A: The best summation to make after years experience in the creation of our service structure and in the conduct of C.A.’s world affairs.

Q: The Twelve Concepts are a welcome addition to what? A: Our “Third Legacy,  Manual of C.A. World Service.

Since October 15, 2019

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