A Sense of Service

Generally, when we hear the word organization, we think of a situation where there are a lot of rules, and someone with a certain amount of power governs or is in control. Out of curiosity, I decided to look in the dictionary for a definition of the word "organize," and I found that to organize means to systematically prepare or arrange for effective operation. Isn't this what has been done in AA? We have service boards and committees of varying natures that we elect or appoint and who assume responsibility without trying to take on authority, people who, because of a true sense of spiritual simplicity and service to others, effectively carry out the duties of whatever job they are asked to perform. But this sense of service doesn't only apply at the level of boards or committees. Look at the group and the people who regularly get there early and set up the meeting area, the people who make the coffee, clean up the ashtrays, sweep the floor, and carry out the other tasks just because they know they have to be done. These are only a few examples, but the same principles apply in all of AA, be it at the level of group, intergroup, or general service. As long as we have members who continue to have the best interests of AA at heart and enjoy doing the things that need to be done without any notion of power or prestige, Tradition Nine won't be any problem.