Committee Guidelines

Literature Committee Principles

Process for Creating & Approving New UA Literature by the WSC-Approved Literature Committee

Creating New UA Literature: Style Guide

Glossary of 12 Step and UA Terms for the Purpose of Translation

Procedure for Translation

Diagram of Path to Conference Approval

The Upside-Down Triangle 

The “upside-down triangle” is the shorthand the fellowship uses to describe its governance model. In a conventional organizational chart, authority flows from a small group at the top — a board, a CEO, an executive team — downward to the many. In UA’s (as in any 12 step fellowship's) model, the triangle is inverted: the fellowship is at the top, broad and authoritative; the board is at the narrow tip at the bottom, the most constrained and the most accountable. 

The image is not decorative. It encodes a genuine governance theory: that service structures exist to carry the group conscience, not to exercise power over those who elected them. A trustee at the tip of the inverted triangle is not a leader in the conventional sense. They are a point of delivery — the narrowest expression of an authority that originates far above them. 

The upside-down triangle is referred to throughout UA’s board meeting transcripts as a touchstone — sometimes as an aspiration, sometimes as a rebuke. The new board chair who took office in late 2024 described herself at her first public meeting as “the lowest person, the tip of the inverted triangle.” That framing was explicit and deliberate. 

There is a complication in the record that Part Two must note honestly: the service structure document from which the upside-down triangle derives was drafted in 2016 and cited at every World Service Conference since. But as a board member stated on the record in October 2022, “there is not an upside down triangle that was approved by the fellowship.” The bylaws themselves were adopted by the board in 2016, not voted on at a Conference. Outgoing GSB Chair acknowledged the same gap at the 2020 World Service Conference, noting that the bylaws should have been brought to the fellowship for ratification and expressing uncertainty about why they were not. 

This does not mean the structure is illegitimate. It means the structure was always intended to be ratified and never fully was during the period this chapter describes. That unfinished business is part of the context in which the events of Part Nine unfolded. 

This Explanation is taken as an excerpt from "A Record of Service and Strife-A History of UA's Service Structure", compiled by a former GSB Member during the time of their service on the Board) Sources: October 18, 2022 GSB private meeting transcript (primary source); WSC 2020 approved minutes (Outgoing GSB Chair, acknowledgment).

UA WSC-A Literature Committee 

Summary of Responsibilities and Activities General 

The WSC Approved Literature Committee collects, creates, discovers and prepares literature for conference approval of the fellowship of Underearners Anonymous under the direction of its World Service Conference. Any piece of literature, used or created within the fellowship, in a UA meeting, or on a UA website, or shared between members, may be presented for approval for the good of the entire fellowship.This committee is interdependent with and autonomous from the other WSC Committees, and the Trustees. The Yearly Topics for Consideration are considered cumulatively, as well as written requests from groups, members, and the trustees. The Literature Committee also creates improved procedures as needed to improve its activities to better serve the fellowship.

Types of Literature 

The word “literature” is broadly defined. It includes books, eBooks, pamphlets, worksheets, audio/video recordings, computer or smartphone apps, and website materials, etc. Regardless of the format, these materials shall be designed to enable members to share their experience, strength, and hope with others in the UA fellowship. The Literature Committee is the clearinghouse for all the types of UA literature that have been described here. Meeting scripts and administrative documentation used to manage the activities of UA are not under the purview of this committee. 

Membership 

Literature Committee membership is open to anyone within UA. At the present time, officers include: Chairperson, Vice-Chair and Secretary. Other key roles include:  Audio Literature Coordinator, Editors, Voice-Over Volunteers, Proofreaders, Project Leaders for each Literature Project, Time-keeper, Translations Coordinator and Tech Savvy Volunteers. 

Decision Making 

The creation of new literature for the program follows a process intended to ensure that the principles of UA are placed before the personalities of the people creating it. While we strive for substantial unanimity around every step of the process, we use Robert's Rules when this does not occur. It is the goal of the Literature Committee to reach a consensus that a given piece of literature is ready to move forward to the next step in the process. If consensus is not achieved, then the dissenting voices must be given the chance to discuss their objections before the proposed literature is allowed to move to the next stage of development.

Initiating the Process of Literature Creation 

The initiative for literature development may come from a variety of sources, such as: 

● One or more individuals may feel a burning desire to share their experience, strength and hope by creating a book, pamphlet, or other piece of literature and offering it to the Literature Committee for development and distribution. 

● One or more UA groups may have found a piece of literature created within the group(s) to be useful and is asking the Literature Committee to make it available to the entire fellowship. 

● The World Service Conference may have identified a need for a specific piece of literature and is asking the Literature Committee to create the resource. 

Doing the Work of Literature Creation 

It is anticipated that the expertise of volunteers may be used to create some types of UA literature. However, in some cases, an author or media specialist may be hired to complete certain projects. It is understood that funding for such work and for the reproduction of physical literature will be approved by the World Service Conference and funds will be allocated through the Trustees Finance Committee. 

Final Approval of New Literature 

The World Service Conference will receive proposals from the Literature Committee for the approval of new literature before the literature is distributed to the fellowship. The WSC will determine whether literature is “Conference Approved” or approved for distribution without that designation. Draft literature or literature under development will be available on the Literature Committee web pages, as long as it is clearly identified as such, allowing for feedback from the fellowship, prior to being presented for approval at a future WSC. 

Future Projects 

A wish list of potential literature projects will be maintained by the Literature Committee to guide the long-term vision for UA literature development.

UA Literature Committee Service Structure 

Chair or Acting Interim Chair 

            Liaison with the Board of Trustees (prepare and present monthly reports)

Liaison with the GSRC (prepare and present monthly reports)

Sends reports out to the rest of the committee

Sets agenda and emails out to committee members

Chairs meetings

Prepares and Submits Motions for World Service Conference 

Prepares and Presents Yearly Report at World Service Conference

Makes updates and changes as needed to the Google drive/committee web pages

Follows up with project leaders  between meetings

Secretary 

Takes notes at the meeting 

Completes minutes 

May help chair put together the agenda 

Sends minutes to be approved 

Reads minutes to the meeting 

May be substitute chair for a meeting

May be substitute liaison to read reports at Trustee and GSRC meetings

Supports chair/VC in preparing and submitting motions to WSC

Supports chair/VC in preparing and presenting annual report to WSC