Archives Coordinator

The elected Officers and the appointed Coordinators (3-year term) are the Service Panel members of the Southern California World Service (SCWS) Assembly. The Coordinators act in accordance with the spiritual principles of Al-Anon Family Groups while conducting the duties of their position for the Area. The Coordinators accept additional demands on their time and possess some special skills relevant to their position. Members of Al-Anon in SCWS who also are members of A.A. are ineligible to hold Al-Anon service positions that vote in matters affecting another group or Al-Anon or A.A. as a whole.

Eligibility and Qualifications

  • Must reside in the Southern California Area during their entire panel term.
  • Must be in good financial standing with the Area.
  • Past or current Group Representative experience is preferred but not necessary.
  • Active member of Al-Anon in CA(S) with good organizational skills and ability to pay attention to detail. 
  • Have an appreciation for the history of Al-Anon in the SCWS area and maintaining historical data for all that has made it successful in CA(S). 
  • Should have a thorough understanding of the 12 Steps, Traditions, and Concepts, current Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual, Knowledge-Based Decision-Making (KBDM), Area and World Service structure, SCWS Policies and Procedures Handbook, and SCWS Bylaws. 
  • Must maintain confidentiality of non-public information.
  • Able to communicate effectively.
  • Able to prioritize and work independently and as a team member. 
  • Willing to work cohesively with the other Service Panel members.
  • Able to separate opinion from facts and remain impartial and neutral. 
  • Respond and research to historical questions using information found in the Conference Approved Literature (CAL) and ASBR.
  • Can support and effectively communicate Area and World Service Conference (WSC) decisions and their implementation objectively, even if not in personal agreement with the group conscience.  
  • Is accessible, available, responsive, and flexible.

Official Duties and Responsibilities

  • Preserves the experience, history, and memorabilia of the Al-Anon fellowship in Southern California as outlined in the Area Archives Guideline (G-30). This history should be preserved so as to be available to the membership and the serious researcher, within the framework of our Traditions, for the good of Al-Anon as a whole. 
  • Assembles, maintains and stores the historical artifacts for the Southern California World Service Area, some of which is scanned and stored electronically. 
  • Chairs Longtimes’ Event in the last year of the three-year term. 
  • Makes the traveling Archives available upon request for Districts within SCWS. 
  • Acts as a liaison with the Alcoholic Anonymous entity in the Southern California Area with which SCWS has an arrangement for custodial storage of valuable, historical books and other materials that require special storage conditions, such as controlled temperature, humidity and lighting.
  • Archives Coordinator will direct an Archives Committee on reorganizing the Archives, which are maintained in a storage unit in Glendale, to implement a 2020 SCWS Board decision that the Archives contain only material pertinent to the Area, as suggested in the Al-Anon Guideline G-30, plus first-edition AFG material or AFG material personalized for the Area, as in CAL or early-day literature that contains autographs of early-day members.
  • Give simple presentations, multi-task various requests, add historical/archive items to large three-ring binders and/or save digitally..
  • Lift and move boxes of the SCWS Archives, or make arrangements for this to be done for Area meetings.
  • Attend all SCWS regularly-scheduled and/or special Area meetings (i.e., Service Panel, AWSC, Assemblies, Sharing of Service (SOS), see schedule below) both in-person and/or virtual formats. 
  • Present oral report for each SCWS Service Panel meeting, AWSC meeting, and Assembly, and email written report to SCWS Bulletin Coordinator.
  • Reply to all emails within 48 to 72 hours. Participate fully and promptly in any phone calls, email discussions, assignments, and other conference calls or Zoom meetings.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact with WSO for Archives on AFG Connects. Communicates with Area Officers and others about these matters, as appropriate.

Equipment, Technology, and Skills Required

  • Computer, printer, scanner, high-speed internet access, and use of appropriate software and Google apps. (Software provided by Area.)
  • Must be adept with email (especially handling attachments); creating and modifying documents using Google apps.
    • Prepares written reports and meets deadlines.

Anticipated Time Commitment of this Position

Respond to email (> 2-3 times / week) and routine processing 

1-3 hours/week

Attend Service Panel, AWSC meetings, Assembly, SOS (6 to 7 hours each + travel time)

8 times/year

Special projects, including presentations at District meetings, Longtimer event, Archives presentations

As needed

Preparation

  • See WSO Guideline G-30 for details on creating various types of archives (written stories and recordings).
  • Meet with outgoing Archives Coordinator for materials turnover, orientation, and training, as needed. Notebook with detailed procedures will be provided at Turnover Meeting. 

Reimbursements

  • Mileage incurred in travel to required Area meetings (see table below) are reimbursable at current approved mileage rate (with required documentation).
  • Needed supplies and materials reimbursed by Area, with required documentation.
  • Reimbursement requests are due within 45 days after the expenditure and must include all receipts and appropriate documentation, using the Expense and Mileage Reimbursement Request Form.
  • May claim reimbursement for one approved service event outside the SCWS Area during three-year term. The form for requesting a service panel event is on the password-protected section of the scws-al-anon.org website. (Makes own travel arrangements within budget guidelines.) Written report of experience must be submitted with reimbursement form.

 

Mandatory Area Meeting Attendance

Meetings Months Days Time
SCWS Service Panel January, May, July, October Saturday 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Area World Service Committee (AWSC) February, August 3rd Saturday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
DR Workshop February, August 1st Saturday 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Area Assemblies May, November 3rd Saturday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Encouraged Area Meeting Attendance

Meetings Months Days Time
Sharing of Service (SOS) January 3rd Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Longtimer's Event Last Year of 3-year Panel 3rd Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Revised: 08/2026

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