Northern New Jersey Intergroup, Inc.
2400 Morris Avenue, Suite 106
Union, NJ 07083-5706
intergroup@nnjaa.org
908-687-5706

Introduction

Since 1946, the Northern New Jersey Intergroup has been coordinating the efforts of its member groups in carrying the message of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.). Intergroup is an organization created and supported by A.A. groups of northern New Jersey to act as a Central Office. An Intergroup or Central Office is a vital A.A. service office that represents a partnership among groups in a community—just as A.A. groups themselves are a partnership of individuals[1]. The Intergroup Office maintains group records, provides meeting listings, responds to phone inquiries, and coordinates A.A. activities that span multiple groups.

Member groups elect or appoint an Intergroup Delegate to represent their group. The monthly meeting of Intergroup Delegates reviews the business of Intergroup, is a forum for group concerns, and provides information to be brought back to home group meetings. Joint and Intergroup committees report on their activities at the monthly meeting.

Intergroup

Intergroup is often the first point of contact for individuals newly introduced to A.A. The Intergroup phone is answered 24/7 by knowledgeable staff and members who can provide information on meeting locations and answer general questions about the A.A. fellowship. These services are provided for northern New Jersey and much of central New Jersey.

Key Functions

• Clearinghouse for meeting information for approximately 1,300 A.A. groups in northern and parts of central New Jersey.
• A.A. meeting information/listings
• Phone, e-mail, postal, and walk-in inquiry/response
• Speaker meeting bookings
• Delegates meeting
• Stock and sell a select supply of A.A. literature
• Preparation of meeting lists, databases, and coordination of 12th Step contacts.

The Member Groups and Delegates

Member groups are admitted to Intergroup through an application and admission process at the monthly meeting of Intergroup Delegates. Delegates are expected to bring information and issues back to their group and vote their group’s conscience on matters requiring decision. From time to time, a Delegate may have to vote immediately on a matter affecting A.A. with no time to hold a group conscience meeting pertaining to the situation. The right of decision allows the Delegate (as the group’s trusted servant) to cast their vote concerning a given matter based on all the facts at the time the vote is called.

Support

Contributions

The primary financial resource for Intergroup is member group contributions. In keeping with A.A.’s Seventh Tradition, accepted contributions are limited to A.A. members and groups. Intergroup is self-supporting within A.A. and accepts no outside funding.

Volunteers

Our Intergroup Office has one full-time office manager and three part-time workers to handle the administration of the nearly 1,300 Groups and 2,000 weekly meetings throughout northern New Jersey. We rely on A.A. office volunteers to help answer phone calls and assist with day-to-day office tasks. Many A.A.s have found that volunteering at Intergroup has opened their eyes to the amount of information the office is responsible for and has strengthened their connection to the fellowship.

Intergroup Functions

Meeting Information

Member groups provide updated Data Sheets that include meeting type, location, time, and contact information for group service members. We produce a meeting book for distribution to our fellowship and interested members of the general public. The same meeting information is accessible via the Meeting Finder on www.nnjaa.org and via A.A. World Services’ Meeting Guide® app, which syncs with more than 400 A.A. Intergroup/Central Offices and service entities’ websites throughout the U.S. and Canada

Phone Inquiry

Intergroup responds to phone calls 24/7 and serves as a primary point of contact in the northern New Jersey area. We serve A.A. members, professionals, and the general public. Intergroup is an essential resource for those new to A.A. who are looking for help with alcohol-related issues.

Bookers Exchange

A.A. meetings often include speakers from outside their group. The Bookers Exchange is a quarterly meeting for A.A. group representatives interested in exchanging speakers for future meetings. The Bookers Exchange is traditionally held on the second Sunday morning of the last month of each quarter. There is also an online Bookers Exchange on the same day.

Group Concerns

A.A. groups will occasionally have issues or questions about the interpretation of A.A. Traditions. The Intergroup Delegates Meeting is a forum to bring group issues up for discussion and resolution.

Literature

The Intergroup Office stocks and sells the following A.A. literature:

• Hard- and soft- cover Big Books
• Large Print Big Books
• Hardcover 12 Steps and 12 Traditions
• Daily Reflections
• As Bill Sees It, Living Sober, and Came to Believe

Nightwatch

Nightwatch is the system we use to answer calls from alcoholics in need of help when the Intergroup Office staff is not available. To keep the system current, Intergroup sends out 12th Step Contact Sheets once a year. The group secretary lists those members of the group willing to be 12th Step contacts. The lists are added to the Night watch manuals so that current contacts are always available. Nightwatch enables Intergroup to provide telephone coverage 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Joint Committees

Northern New Jersey Intergroup and Area 44 cover approximately the same geographic area and have overlapping group membership. These two A.A. entities maintain close relations and meet quarterly to coordinate activities. The budget for Joint committees is split between Intergroup and Area 44. These Committees provide information to the A.A. fellowship, general public, and professional individuals. The specific functions of each joint committee are outlined below.

Cooperation with the Professional Community (CPC)

Members of this committee provide information about A.A. to those who may have contact with alcoholics through their profession. This group includes healthcare professionals, educators, members of the clergy, lawyers, social workers, union leaders, and industrial managers, as well as those working in the field of alcoholism. Information is provided about where we are, what we are, what we do, and what we do not do.

Correctional Facilities Committee (Corrections)

The purpose of the Corrections Committee is to coordinate the efforts of A.A. members and groups who are interested in carrying the A.A. message of recovery to alcoholics who are in correctional facilities. The Committee also runs a “Temporary Contact Program” that puts incarcerated individuals in touch with sober members living in the town where they will be living when released to help them make the transition to living in society.

History & Archives

As with other committees, the primary purpose of those involved in archival work is to carry the message of A.A. History and Archives service work is more than mere custodial activity; it is how we collect, preserve, and share the rich and meaningful heritage of our fellowship. It is the collection and sharing of these important historical elements that our collective gratitude for A.A. is deepened.

Newsletter

This Day is published quarterly as a joint newsletter for Area 44 and Northern New Jersey Intergroup. This Day promotes communication between the groups in northern New Jersey and provides members with service-related information. This Day is also a forum for the diverse opinions of the local A.A. fellowship through shared experience, strength, and hope in all three of A.A.’s legacies: Recovery, Unity, and Service.

Public Information (PI)

The purpose of PI service work is to provide accurate A.A. information to the public when requested. PI committee members visit schools, businesses, and community meetings for this purpose. They also serve as a resource for our friends in the local media, emphasizing our Traditions of anonymity, singleness of purpose, and non-affiliation, as well as offering A.A. public service announcements to radio and television stations.

Treatment Facilities Committee (TF)

The purpose of a treatment committee is to coordinate the work of individual A.A. members and groups who are interested in carrying the A.A. message of recovery to alcoholics in treatment facilities and to set up a means of “bridging the gap” from the facility to an A.A. group in the individual’s community.

Website

The “official” website for A.A. in northern New Jersey is found at www.nnjaa.org. The site is administered and maintained as a joint effort by Intergroup and Area 44.

Structure and Governance

Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation

Northern New Jersey Intergroup, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation established with the primary purpose of coordinating the efforts of member groups and individuals in carrying the message of A.A. The Bylaws provide the framework of Intergroup with descriptions of procedures, positions, duties, and responsibilities.

The Intergroup Delegates

Delegates from Intergroup member groups meet monthly to conduct the business of Intergroup. These meetings are traditionally held the first Thursday of the month with an agenda that includes committee activities, liaison organization updates, and group concerns.

Board of Trustees

The Intergroup Board of Trustees oversees Intergroup business and the functions of the Intergroup Office as per the Bylaws. The board is comprised of nine members: the Chairperson, the Treasurer, and five Trustees are elected by the Intergroup Delegates after consideration of each candidate’s A.A. service experience. Two additional Trustees are appointed by the incoming Chairperson. All board members serve for a period of two years.

Intergroup Chairperson

The Chairperson conducts the monthly Intergroup Delegates meeting and oversees the distribution of meeting minutes. The Chairperson supervises the operation and conduct of the Intergroup Office with guidance from the Trustees.

Treasurer

The Treasurer prepares monthly financial statements and reports on the financial health of Intergroup at the monthly Intergroup Delegates meeting. In addition to overseeing day-to-day financial affairs, the Treasurer prepares an annual statement of receipts and disbursements and transmits auditable financials for tax return preparation to the appropriate parties.

Recording Secretary

The Recording Secretary prepares the minutes of all Intergroup Delegates Meetings, and any other meetings which the Chairperson may request.

See our Events Page for Intergroup meetings dates, locations and times.

© 2024 Northern New Jersey Intergroup, Inc.

^[1] Reprinted from "The A.A. Group…Where It All Begins", p.38, with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.