When I agreed to be GSR, I thought I understood what I was signing up for. I didn’t. I thought I’d just take notes, report back, and maybe go to a few meetings outside my home group. I figured I could coast on the same service energy that had gotten me through secretary and coffee maker. Turns out this was different.
I remember walking into my first district meeting and realizing I didn’t understand half the acronyms people were using. I was too embarrassed to ask. I smiled, nodded, took some confused notes, and left feeling overwhelmed. At home group, I gave a shaky report that no one really listened to. I told myself I’d try harder next time, but I didn’t know how.
What I didn’t realize then—and wish I had—was that being a GSR isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about learning how to show up, speak up, and listen for the voice of the group. That took me a while. At first, I thought my job was to figure out what I personally thought about an issue and then vote that way. I learned later that my actual job was to bring back information, create space for discussion, and then carry our group conscience—whether or not I agreed with it.
I also made the mistake of thinking I had to do it all alone. I didn’t know how much help was available until I finally asked. I started reaching out to other GSRs. I leaned on my DCM. I even called past GSRs from our group and asked how they did it. That changed everything. Suddenly I wasn’t just lost—I was learning.
Somewhere in the middle of all that stumbling, I started to feel connected to something bigger than my home group. I began to understand what people meant when they said “AA as a whole.” I saw how our little group voice, when carried through a GSR, actually meant something in the larger Fellowship. That mattered to me. Still does.
If you’re new, I don’t have advice. Just this: my GSR experience wasn’t easy, and I made plenty of mistakes. But I stayed. I showed up. I learned how to ask questions and listen better. And in the end, that service kept me sober—and made me feel a part of.
