An AA DCM and a GSR: Follow the Question Through the Service Structure
A service conversation includes both a GSR and a DCM, and you are unsure which person should receive your question. Begin with the level of the work. A group's report and a district's shared discussion are connected, but they are not the same responsibility.
Locate the role in the official description
AA's DCM FAQ gives the basic distinction. The Your DCM resource provides further information about the responsibilities. Read those descriptions before assuming a district role means directing every group.
Our GSR guide covers the group's link to general service. If the initials are unfamiliar, identify the person and service body as well as the title. Local meeting and contact information still needs confirming.
Separate a group question from a district report
State whether you are asking for information, carrying an agreed group view or suggesting an item for discussion. Those messages can sound similar when the source is left out. The person receiving the question needs to know what the group actually decided.
Keep the wording and relevant date with the report. If a question has not reached group conscience, label it as your own inquiry rather than presenting it as the group's position. Clarifying the source helps information travel without acquiring authority it did not start with.
Bring back information in a usable form
When information returns, distinguish an explanation, an invitation to participate and a decision requiring further group discussion. Record the appropriate source and any actual deadline. Do not convert a summary of a service conversation into an instruction that everyone must follow.
Ask how unanswered questions should be followed up and who will take that action. A clear next step can be modest: locate the relevant section, obtain a current contact or bring the matter to the next appropriate meeting. Avoid promising an outcome on another service body's behalf.
Recognise experience without inventing rank
Our oldtimer guide concerns long experience in AA. Neither years of participation nor a service title means that a person governs another member's recovery. Discuss the work attached to the role rather than assigning personal superiority.
If thanking a volunteer, keep the service occasion distinct from a sober anniversary. The length of a DCM term does not establish the number for a sobriety medallion. Confirm the recipient's actual milestone and whether they want a personal gift.
Medallions to consider
These medallions are for a separately confirmed AA sobriety occasion if wanted. A service title or the duration of an elected term does not establish a sobriety milestone.
Tricolor Velvet Plum Ombre Sparkle (1-45y)
The current Sobriety Time selector lists 1–45 years. The catalog photo shows the sample inscription I; choose the confirmed milestone using the product page's Sobriety Time selector.
Tricolor Jade Green (24h, 1-65y)
The current Sobriety Time selector lists 1–65 years, plus 24 Hours and 18 Months. The catalog photo shows the sample inscription XXIII; choose the confirmed milestone using the product page's Sobriety Time selector.
Common questions
Is the DCM another name for a group's GSR?
No. The roles connect different levels of general service.
Does my personal question automatically represent the group?
No. Say whether you are making an inquiry or carrying an agreed group view.
Does a service term determine a sobriety inscription?
No. Confirm personal sobriety time separately.
Keep reading
Choosing a medallion for a confirmed AA occasion? Explore Elite Medallions and Deluxe Coins, then check the intended product's current milestone options and the recipient's preferences.
