The AA Group Secretary: Keep Agreements and Meeting Information Usable
You inherit a folder, a key and several explanations of what the secretary has always done. Some refer to current responsibilities; others describe work a previous volunteer happened to take on. Start by finding the group's actual agreement and the information needed to carry it out.
Confirm the scope before rebuilding the routine
AA's AA Group resource provides background on group life and service. New York Inter-Group also publishes suggested officer duties. Read examples as a starting point for questions, not as proof that every group assigns the same tasks to its secretary.
Ask which duties belong to the chair, treasurer, secretary and other volunteers. Identify who handles venue contact, incoming correspondence and meeting-information changes. If responsibility is unclear, bring the gap to the group rather than silently making it a permanent personal obligation.
Record what the group actually decided
For a business discussion, keep a usable account of the decision, the person who accepted a task and any agreed next step. Distinguish a suggestion that was raised from something the group adopted. A later reader should not have to infer the outcome from a list of competing opinions.
Keep routine service notes separate from members' private sharing. Avoid recording personal recovery accounts as though they were administrative minutes. If a record contains sensitive information, ask what the group needs to retain and who appropriately needs access.
Keep public details current
Maintain the route for correcting the meeting name, location, time and access information with the relevant listing provider. A change known to regular attendees may still leave a newcomer travelling to the wrong entrance. Confirm who will submit an update and whether it has actually appeared.
Anniversary arrangements also need a clear contact. Our AA chip guide is background for asking about local customs. The secretary title alone does not establish permission to buy tokens, announce private milestones or promise that someone may collect one for an absent friend.
Hand over tasks and access deliberately
Before the role changes, prepare a current list of recurring tasks, useful contacts and unfinished matters. Explain where legitimate group records are kept and how the next volunteer should obtain authorised access. Do not circulate private credentials in a broadly shared handover document.
Use the transition to identify any task that needs a separate group decision. A previous volunteer's helpful extra work does not automatically bind the next person. Keep a personal thank-you or anniversary gift separate from the group's role, funds and records.
Medallions to consider
If an individual separately wants an AA anniversary keepsake, these are current catalog options. The secretary role does not itself authorise group spending or determine an individual's sobriety milestone.
Tricolor Jet Black Rainbow Sparkle (1-50y)
The current Sobriety Time selector lists 1–50 years, plus 18 Months. The catalog photo shows the sample inscription IX; choose the confirmed milestone using the product page's Sobriety Time selector.
Tricolor Opulent Deep Blue (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 XXV; choose the confirmed milestone using the product page's Sobriety Time selector.
Common questions
Are a secretary's duties identical in every AA group?
No. Confirm the actual division of responsibilities with the group.
Should minutes include private recovery sharing?
Keep administrative decisions separate from personal disclosures.
Does the role automatically authorise buying medallions?
No. Check the group's agreed recognition and spending arrangements.
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.
