How to Cover an AA Service Role for a Week
The person who usually opens the AA meeting will miss next Tuesday. If they hand over a key but forget the door that sticks or the venue’s closing time, their substitute still has a problem. Cover the tasks that have to happen that night and agree when responsibility goes back.
Decide what needs covering
List what happens before, during and after the meeting. For an opening role, that might mean collecting a key, setting out chairs, checking the entrance and locking up. Put a time beside each task if it matters. Keep tasks that can wait off the short list.
Find out how the group assigns substitutes. The A.A. group booklet describes common group roles and the decisions each group makes for itself. A regular volunteer can check with the chair or secretary before handing over an access code, record or responsibility. For someone still learning the role, use our first AA service commitment guide to confirm what they’re actually agreeing to do.
Ask with a start and end point. “Can you open and close the room next Tuesday? I’ll be back for the following week.” A person who can open but cannot stay to lock up may still be able to help if the group agrees who will finish.
Hand over only what the substitute needs
Walk the substitute through the room once if you can. Show them where to find supplies, whom to call at the venue and what to do if the room is occupied. If they need a key, agree who gives it to them and how it comes back. Keep access codes out of public notices and widely shared files.
A brief note can cover the role, date, start time, finish time and fallback. If the role involves money, follow the group's existing procedure for who can receive it, where it goes, and how it is recorded. If the meeting shares an entrance, check the shared venue arrangements before telling visitors to use a different door.
Give the substitute a way to say a task is beyond what they agreed to. If a decision comes up that needs group approval, write it down and refer it to the right person or meeting.
Return the role clearly
After the meeting, ask whether anything needs attention before the next one. Collect the key or confirm who has it. Check if a message needs a reply or if an expense is waiting to be recorded. Thank the substitute directly.
If you’ll be away longer, contact the group before the agreed date ends. The guide to rotation in AA service explains the purpose of a planned handover. A short absence can be handled temporarily, with a longer change going through the group’s process if needed.
If the group keeps having the same coverage problem, use a short Traditions study to explore a fictional case, then bring the actual proposal to a business meeting. The proposal can be as simple as keeping a second volunteer familiar with the opening checklist.
Give the group a single point of contact for the week. Tell the substitute whether the regular volunteer is available for questions. If they’re away and unreachable, give the name of someone else who can answer.
Medallions to consider
If the service role includes a milestone presentation, confirm who has the correct coin and what the recipient wants shared before handing over the task.
Both photos show one-year samples. Use the Sobriety Time selector to check the milestone you want.
Tricolor Enchanted Crimson Topaz Sparkle
Elite design with a crimson face and a triangle set with stones.
Common questions
Can one person cover several jobs?
Check what they can reasonably do and what the group allows. Assign a second person if the timing or responsibilities conflict.
Should the public directory name the substitute?
Keep the existing public contact unless it needs to change. Tell the people who handle that week’s arrangements how to reach the substitute if necessary.
Keep reading
Compare designs and milestone options in Elite Medallions and Deluxe Coins.
