Service Structure
How our fellowship is organized — from the individual meeting all the way up to World Service — so that the whole is guided by the groups, not the other way around.
An Upside-Down Structure
CEA-HOW is organized as a service structure, not a chain of command. Ultimate authority rests with the groups and the members in them; every level of service above the meeting exists only to serve the groups, carry out tasks the groups can't easily do alone, and keep the fellowship unified. Leaders are trusted servants — they do not govern. The tiers below build from the bottom up, with each one accountable to the one beneath it.
The Levels of Service
This is a general, plain-language description of how CEA-HOW is organized — not official policy, and tier names may vary. For the fellowship's authoritative structure and governance, see ceahow.org.
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Level 1 — The Foundation
Groups & Meetings
The heart of the fellowship. A group is a set of members who meet to practice recovery and carry the message. Each group is autonomous and self-governing through its own group conscience, electing trusted servants (such as a secretary or treasurer) to keep the meeting running.
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Level 2
Intergroups
Neighboring groups join together to form an Intergroup. Through elected representatives, groups pool their resources to do together what no single meeting can do alone — maintain a meeting directory, host workshops and events, answer inquiries from newcomers, and coordinate local service.
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Level 3
Areas
Intergroups across a region may organize into a larger Area (sometimes called a region or district). Areas link Intergroups over a wider geography, share experience between them, and serve as a bridge to World Service.
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Level 4 — The Group Conscience of the Whole
World Service Business Conference (WSBC)
Representatives elected from throughout the fellowship gather at the World Service Business Conference — the collective group conscience of CEA-HOW as a whole. This is where fellowship-wide decisions are made: policy, literature, the Traditions and Concepts of service, and the direction of the fellowship.
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Level 5 — Trusted Servants
Board of Directors & World Service Office (WSO)
Between Conferences, an elected Board of Directors carries out the decisions of the WSBC, and the World Service Office handles day-to-day operations — publishing and distributing literature, maintaining fellowship-wide records, and supporting groups and Intergroups everywhere. They act on behalf of the fellowship, always accountable to the groups that entrust them.
Governance Documents
The official governance materials of the fellowship — bylaws, Board information, financial reports, and Conference minutes — are published and maintained by the CEA-HOW World Service Office, not by any local Intergroup. They are the fellowship's authoritative record.
Bylaws, Board of Directors information, financial statements, and World Service Business Conference minutes are published by the World Service Office. For the current official versions, visit the CEA-HOW World Service Office at ceahow.org.
How You Fit In
Every level of this structure begins with you. Sharing at a meeting, taking a service position, or becoming a group's representative are the ways members carry the message and keep the fellowship strong. If you'd like to get involved locally, reach out to your Intergroup or contact us — service is a cornerstone of recovery.