Are we having fun yet?

I am the current chairperson of a public information subcommittee that is accountable to the body we serve, an ASC with sixty home groups. I was formerly a PI subcommittee chairperson at both the ASC and RSC levels. In my early service, I usually served either on a small PI subcommittee of one to three volunteers, or as a “subcommittee of one.” This was not by choice, but out of necessity. I must admit that my character defects may have discouraged otherwise willing volunteers from serving. In early recovery, I felt a driving force to control to the point that nothing in my life worked well.

My hair is now more gray and sparse than it was then, but not my willingness to be of service to the NA Fellowship. I have more experience with step work and service. In my active addiction (until I was forty-three years old), I was a desperate loner, trusting no one. Now, at twelve years clean, I am more trusting. Instead of being mired in cynicism, and condemning my service commitments to certain destruction based on my personality, I now have a new outlook on people, NA service, and life in general.

Our ASC’s PI subcommittee has an equal distribution of responsibilities and authority. We split up the work and the authority needed to accomplish our tasks so that our subcommittee consists of six PI subcommittee “panels”:

• Helpline

• Presentation

• Press

• Public Relations (with a sub-panel: professional database management)

• Media Resource

• Multimedia

Each panel has a leader who operates and oversees activities in accordance with a set of guidelines that we call a “standard of operations.” As a subcommittee, we have agreed on these standards of operation.

The panel leaders are part of a fixed number of members of the PI subcommittee. As the subcommittee chairperson, I work closely with each of the panel leaders, giving and taking instructions, and providing and receiving monthly reports which, when compiled, comprise my monthly report to the ASC. That’s how we maintain our accountability to our ASC. Instead of the worn-out monthly lament of the PI subcommittee chairperson's report, we now have great—and fun—things to report.

With this distribution of authority and responsibility throughout the subcommittee, we have experienced the benefits of more effectively carrying the message and helping our NA groups fulfill their primary purpose. Instead of me being the only one recruiting volunteers to complete our work, each of the panel leaders recruits and orients (in a learning-day format) the many volunteers needed to more effectively carry the message to the addict who still suffers. Our volunteer numbers have increased from a few to nearly sixty willing volunteers who are both well-led and well-trained. Each volunteer is now involved in bits of PI service work instead of huge workloads. We now have masters of particular tasks, where we used to have "jacks of all trades, masters of none."

We involve newcomers in ways best suited to them without overwhelming them. For example, at a presentation for professionals, we have newcomers read, "Who Is an Addict?" or "What Is the Narcotics Anonymous Program?" No one is excluded from NA service work on this subcommittee.

I just wanted to share some hope with NA Way readers. We’re having fun doing NA service work! While working together, we laugh and enjoy fellowshipping. We utilize service-oriented literature like A Guide to Local Services in Narcotics Anonymous, Twelve Concepts for NA Service, and chapters from our books on the traditions. We also draw upon the experience of our predecessors. By doing this, we are experiencing the joy of serving the fellowship we so dearly love.

Anonymous, New Jersey, USA

Back to top