I. Final responsibility and ultimate authority for A.A. worldservices should always reside in the collective conscience of ourwhole Fellowship.
II. The General Service Conference of A.A. has become, for nearlyevery practical purpose, the active voice and the effectiveconscience of our whole Society in its world affairs.
III. To insure effective leadership, we should endow each elementof A.A.-the Conference, the General Service Board and its servicecorporations, staffs, committees, and executives-with a traditional"Right of Decision."
IV. At all responsible levels, we ought to maintain a traditional"Right of Participation," allowing a voting representation inreasonable proportion to the responsibility that each mustdischarge.
V. Throughout our structure, a traditional "Right of Appeal" oughtto prevail, so that minority opinion will be heard and personalgrievances receive careful consideration.
VI. The Conference recognizes that the chief initiative and activeresponsibility in most world service matters should be exercised bythe trustee members of the Conference acting as the General ServiceBoard.
VII. The Charter and Bylaws of the General Service Board are legalinstruments, empowering the trustees to manage and conduct worldservice affairs. The Conference Charter is not a legal document; itrelies upon tradition and the A.A. purse for final effectiveness.
VIII. The trustees are the principal planners and administratorsof overall policy and finance. They have custodial oversight of theseparately incorporated and constantly active services, exercisingthis through their ability to elect all the directors of theseentities.
IX. Good service leadership at all levels is indispensable for ourfuture functioning and safety. Primary world service leadership, onceexercised by the founders, must necessarily be assumed by thetrustees.
X. Every service responsibility should be matched by an equalservice authority, with the scope of such authority well defined.
XI. The trustees should always have the best possible committees,corporate service directors, executives, staff, and consultants.Composition, qualifications, induction procedures, and rights andduties will always be matters of serious concern.
XII. The Conference shall observe the spirit of A.A. tradition,taking care that it never becomes the seat of perilous wealth orpower; that sufficient operating funds and reserve be its prudentfinancial principle; that it place none of its members in a positionof unqualified authority over others; that it reach all importantdecisions by discussion, vote, and, whenever possible, by substantialunanimity; that its actions never be personally punitive nor anincitement to public controversy; that it never perform acts ofgovernment; and that, like the Society it serves, it will alwaysremain democratic in thought and action.