Letter from Dr. John L. Norris of Rochester, NY

TRUSTEES LETTERS OF COMMENTS ON BILL'S

TWELVE CONCEPTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

LETTER from DR. JOHN L. NORRIS of Rochester, NY,
a non-AA Trustee and Chairman of the General Service Board "Dr. Jack"
is also Chairman of the StudyCommittee on Procedures and Structure.

To all members of the General Service Conference:

Because of our devotion to Bill and our regard for his wisdom, knowledge and experience, it is difficult for us to think clearly and express ourselves adequately, when our judgment doesn't coincide with his. We would like to agree, but after lengthy discussion and soul-searching consideration of the concepts and recommendations, a majority of the Board do not share Bill's views concerning the present and future needs of the movement. With the assurance of the knowledge of the way Tradition Two developed, we present our thoughts about Bill's seven recommendations. The twelve Concepts we favor as written, with these three minor exceptions, and recommend their acceptance by the Conference:

(a) substitute new paragraph for 1st paragraph on Page 24 (see "Trustees Recommendations").

(b) eliminate last sentence of first paragraph on Page 46 (Concept IX).

Bill's Recommendations, it seems to us, are based on a overemphasis on the significance of non-AA's on the Board as a sign of immaturity -and fears that the G.S.B. may not have the flexibility to adjust to changing conditions and the strength to withstand a possible crisis.

The present structure as Bill designed it has worked amazingly well. Your Chairman, in spite of early doubts of the feasibility of the Chairman living 400 miles from the Office has been in constant touch with GSO - first with Hank while Vice Chairman, and now with Herb -and in frequent touch by telephone and letter with Bill. With Grapevine Trustees and Policy Committee and Board Meetings, with representatives of AAWS as Trustees and GSO Staff at Policy Committee and Board Meetings, communications are excellent. Each unit has a voice and uses it.

Mechanics exist for change when circumstances wan?ant; the opportunity to experiment exists. The development of the Policy Committee, from an informed get-together of the out-of-town AA Trustees to its present stature and influence, is a case in point.

With respect to Bill's Recommendation II there is unanimous agreement that more area AA Trustees are needed, and that a change in the selection procedure is indicated, to provide regional representation. Responding to a felt need, the Board believes that action should be taken according to the pattern suggested. A committee will be appointed to work out details of regional boundaries, and a specific plan to determine which region should select the next Area Trustee.

In their written comments on the Recommendations, the Trustees oppose any change in the Trustee ratio at the present time. The AA Trustees voted 5 to 1 on this point; the Board as a whole, 10 to 3.* Conference Delegates have repeatedly turned down proposals that the ratio be changed. The Board feels that, in the spirit of Tradition Two, this action should be accepted and not raised again for at least five years, to allow the heat of previous debates to subside.

* One Trustee absent and one vacancy. Absent Trustee has signed in favor of change, making vote 10 to 4 opposed.

A majority of the Trustees opposes the selection of Trustees-at-Large. Bernard Smith, in his letter, says with his usual clarity of thought and expression:

"I do not believe, however, that wisdom dictates creating a situation where the General Service Board arrogates to itself the right to appoint so?called AA Trustees at Large. We cannot anticipate the future of AA much as we might like to. Accordingly, we cannot be sure that on a future Board of Trustees there may not be those who will be prompted consciously or unconsciously by political considerations and a desire for power in the designation of such AA Trustees at Large. So far as the need to have the benefit of the views of specialists such as bankers, lawyers, publishers or public relations experts, I see no reason why the Board cannot designate a consultative group to advise without necessarily seating them on the Board.

"The fad is that AA has managed to do very well up to now without too much expertise and with the limited funds that are controlled by the General Service Board and its modest income and the precept of corporate poverty. I would hesitate to have a concept of financial, legal, publishing and public relation expertise constitute the motivating factor in the designation of Trustees as against a group of men, primarily dedicated to the socio-spiritual foundation upon which AA rests. "I would rather suggest that initially, if the General Service Board or the Conference should reach the conclusion that the operations of the General Service Board require specialists draw from the areas to serve on the Board, this conclusion should be communicated to the areas in the hope that some of the areas may decide, on the basis thereof, to elect area Trustees having the type of experience that either the General Service Board or the Conference regard as advisable in the best interests of AA. If this procedure does not result in attracting the kind of specialists the Conference or the Board have indicated to the areas would be helpful in the operation of the affairs of AA, the Board can then solicit the areas to suggest men of the type Bill has described to serve as consultants to the Board who could then be asked to come to New York for the quarterly meetings of the Board without disturbing the basic approach of area elections of all area Trustees, a procedure that I would hesitate to see disturbed.

"Frankly, I do not believe that the business which the General Service Board must transact is so complex as to warrant creating a Board that is more suitable for a large business corporation than for a Service Board dedicated to the preservation and expansion of AA as a society based on socio?spiritual concepts."

The Board believes that the Vice-Chairmanship should be a significant assignment, as it has been in the past. His appointment as Chairman of various Board committees, as in the past, accomplishes this. To make the Vice-Chairman of the Board a personal representative of the Chairman on the active service scene implies lack of confidence in the President of AA's and in the Editor-Publisher of the Grapevine, and creates dual management which we believe would seriously weaken responsibility, efficiency and initiative.

The present Nominating Committee of the Board represents all elements of the GSB and headquarters. Selections of all intown Trustees and Headquarters personnel have been made only after careful investigation and consideration of the capabilities and AA service record of the nominee. A written procedure available to the Chairman and member of the Nominating Committee to insure a continuation of this policy would be worthwhile and will be prepared. We believe that the suggested method of selection of regional trustees, as outlined in the Recommendation II will ensure quality and dedication in these men, will increase the responsibilities and value of the Conference Nominating Committee, and can bring those skills to the Board which are needed among the regional AA Trustees.

We are at the moment puzzled by the reference to "reorganize the Board". Doesn't the GB have power to organize in any way that the needs of the movement suggest?

It seems to the Board that the transfer of world service leadership has to a substantial degree already been accomplished as planned by Bill and accepted at the St. Louis Conference.

There is no provision in the By-laws, which requires the Chairman to be a non-alcoholic member of the Board. We believe that a Chairman of the Board should be that person who in the judgment of the members of the Board is best qualified to fill that position, without regard to his AA or non-AA status. The specific relationships of the person to the movement as a whole will depend on the man and the needs of the time. It is unlikely that he will be in any sense the spiritual leader of the movement. There will never be another Bill or Dr. Bob, nor should there be.

Sincerely,
John L. Norris

February 9,1962