How the GvR Program Began

In the early years of AA, it was mostly up to individual enthusiasts to carry the word about the Grapevine, though there have been Grapevine representatives, or GvRs, at the group level since the early fifties. By 1977, there were 286 group GvRs, or one GvR for every 66 groups. In order to increase the ratio of GvRs to groups in the United States and Canada, the General Service Conference recommended "that delegates be responsible for establishing area Grapevine committees, using the area and district structure to achieve the goal of a Grapevine representative in every group."