In May 2023, the S-Anon Board of Trustees approved the following updates to the S-Anon/S-Ateen Service Manual regarding Home Groups and Responsibilities of an Area Delegate.
The following information about Home Groups was added under Part 1. How S-Anon and S-Ateen Groups Work, third section “How Groups are Registered”:
What is a Home Group?
It has been a helpful experience for S-Anon members to designate one group as their “home group.” This is the group that they regularly attend and in which they accept service responsibilities at and beyond the group level. S-Anon members can attend as many different meetings as they choose, but their home group is the one that the member commits to, votes in, and is represented in.
With membership in S-Anon comes the right to participate in decisions that affect the groups they regularly attend. Each member may participate in group conscience decisions regarding group- or intergroup-specific issues in any or all the meetings they regularly attend. When registered S-Anon groups are involved in service or discussions that affect World Service Conference (WSC) members or decisions, such as discussing motions to the WSC or electing Area Delegates and Regional Trustees (who are WSC members), a member’s voice and vote is appropriately represented only once, as a member of their registered home group.
A paragraph in Part 2. Areas and Area Delegates to the WSC, Area Delegate Responsibilities was updated to agree with revisions to our service literature piece Serving as an S-Anon Area Delegate. The revised SSSM language states:
The Area Delegate (AD) communicates with the Delegate body on the monthly Conference Call and is encouraged to serve on a BOT standing committee. One of the many functions of the AD is centered around activities related to the annual WSC meeting. The AD also plays an important role for local groups by providing year-round support and encouraging service engagement. The AD may also share their experience with the AAD (Alternate Area Delegate), to help prepare them to serve as AD in the future.