Your First AA Service Commitment: Questions to Ask Before Saying Yes
Someone asks whether you can help with the room, the coffee or a meeting task. You'd like to say yes, but you don't know what the job involves. Before accepting a regular commitment, ask for the details. A modest task that you understand is easier to carry out than a vague promise to help with everything.
Find out what the group actually needs
Ask the current trusted servant or another responsible group member what is available. There may be a one-time setup task, an elected role or a regular commitment with specific requirements. Don't assume the same title means the same duties in every group.
A.A.'s Who runs A.A.? FAQ describes practical group responsibilities and rotation. Your group's business meeting and local procedures supply the details for your role. This article offers questions to ask, not universal sobriety-time requirements or instructions that override a group's decisions.
Ask for the full time commitment
A meeting that begins at seven may require someone to arrive earlier, collect supplies or stay after others leave. Ask about the actual arrival and finish times. Check transport, work and family commitments before agreeing.
Ask how long the commitment lasts and how a replacement is arranged. “Every week until the next business meeting” is clearer than “whenever you can.” If you can help only once, say so. A limited offer is useful when everyone knows its limits; it becomes a problem when others reasonably expect regular coverage.
Get a handover you can use
If possible, do the task once alongside the outgoing person. Find out where supplies are stored, who has access, and whom to contact about problems. If you're handling coffee, ask about the equipment and cleanup. If you're arranging chairs, learn the room's access and exit needs.
Write down practical information without collecting unnecessary personal details. Keys, account permissions and money should follow the group's own arrangements. Don't improvise purchases or reimbursements on the assumption that the group will agree afterward. Ask who can approve expenses and how records are kept.
Know what happens when you cannot attend
Illness, work changes and transport problems happen. Agree on whom to notify and how early. Ask whether you arrange cover yourself or inform a designated person who coordinates it.
Don't hand keys, member contact lists or online permissions to someone simply because they volunteer at the last minute. Follow the group's process. If you're unsure, ask before the meeting day. A backup plan should help the meeting run; it shouldn't create confusion about access, money or responsibility.
Start with a role you can sustain
You can enjoy helping without taking on every vacancy. After a few weeks, consider whether the role fits the time and capacity you expected. If it doesn't, tell the group promptly and arrange a handover rather than disappearing from the task.
Service can include very ordinary work. It doesn't need a purchase, a presentation or an anniversary. If your task concerns coins, our chip-service checklist covers that specific responsibility. If you'd like guidance about service more broadly, ask an experienced member how your local structure works.
Medallions to consider
A service commitment doesn't require buying a coin. If a separate anniversary is being celebrated, these designs offer different milestone options.
Tricolor Jet Black Diamond Sparkle (1-50y)
Annual selections from 1 through 50 Years. Choose the listed Sobriety Time option on the product page.
Tricolor Jet Black (24h, 1-50y)
The selector lists 24 Hours, 18 Months and annual selections from 1 through 50 Years. Choose the listed Sobriety Time option on the product page.
Catalog photos show sample years, not a promise that the pictured numeral is your selection. Confirm the recipient's milestone, use the Sobriety Time selector and review the selected option in your cart.
Common questions
Do all roles require the same time sober?
No universal requirement is established here. Ask about the particular group's requirements.
Can I offer one-time help?
Yes. Make the limit clear so the group can plan regular coverage separately.
Should I buy supplies before asking?
Check the group's purchasing and reimbursement arrangements first.
Keep reading
For a milestone you want to recognize, browse Elite Medallions and Deluxe Coins. Check the exact design and available duration on the product page.
