Adult Children of Alcoholics--World Service Organization
Agenda
Monthly Teleconference
Saturday, December 14, 2013
2:00 p.m. EST
Access number: 712.432.0075, Pin 427266# Press *6 to mute or un-mute. Please notify the secretary with changes, additions, or motions for this meeting.
A. Call to Order: Please be sure that any background noises in your area are eliminated since the sounds make it difficult for participants to hear. When speaking, please say your name first. This will help us record your name with your input. Thank you.
1) Open with the Serenity Prayer
2) Concept Twelve: In all its proceedings, Adult Children of Alcoholics World Service Organization shall observe the spirit of the ACA Twelve Traditions, taking great care that the conference never becomes the seat of perilous wealth or power; that sufficient operating funds, plus an ample reserve, be its prudent financial principle; that none of the Conference members shall ever be placed in a position of unqualified authority over any of the others; that all important decisions be reached by discussion vote and whenever possible, by substantial unanimity; that no WSO action ever be personally punitive or an incitement to public controversy; that though the WSO may act for the service of Adult Children of Alcoholics, it shall never perform any acts of government; and that, like the fellowship of Adult Children of Alcoholics which it serves, the WSO itself will always remain democratic in thought and action.
B. Roll Call of Board Members:
1) Larry A.,Chair; Joan B., Vice Chair; Mary Jo L., Treasurer; Karen R, Secretary; Leanne S., Trustee; Vonnie G., Trustee; Allen C., Trustee
C. Establish Quorum
D. Guests Introductions: Guests, while this has never been an issue with this Board, as an example to anyone who manages or attends ACA phone bridge meetings, we wish to make you aware that this conference line is used to manage and record our WSO teleconferences. A caller's phone number and name appears on a dashboard visible only to the WSO Webmaster and the WSO Board. If you do not wish to disclose your information, feel free to use your phone settings to block your caller ID, or you can also attend this teleconference using your computer. Instructions for this are on our website Repository under "Teleconference Agendas."
At this point we would like to invite all of our guests to introduce themselves by first name only and perhaps telling us where you are calling from and the number of times you have attended our monthly teleconference meetings. Guests, please introduce yourselves:
After the introductions: We respectfully ask that guests hold their comments until the end of our meeting. To allow that all of our guests have a chance to share, we will limit guest comments to 3-5 minutes. If someone needs to talk further, they may do so after the close of the meeting. Only board members may talk while we have discussions. We ask everyone to press *6 if you are not speaking.
E. Minutes: Motion to approve the November 9, 2013 Teleconference Minutes as posted on the website. (Karen)
F. Committee Reports: I will ask the Committee Chairperson to give their reports. (5 minutes each)
1. ACA WSO Treasurer, Mary Jo L.
2. ACA WSO Literature Committee, Larry A
a. Meditation Book, Mary Jo
b. Spanish Groups and Spanish Translations Liaison, Ines
c. Standardization of Conference Approved Literature, Leanne
3. ACA WSO Distribution Office, Kristina
4. ACA WSO Outreach Committee, Vonnie G
5. Hospitals & Institutions Committee, Joan B
6. ACA Website/Database Committee, Scott R
7. European Committee, Majbrit M
8. Social Media Working Group, Martin C.
9. 2014 ABC Committee, Joan B.
10. Executive Committee, Larry A.
G. Old Business:
Motion #1: To approve the Budget for 2014.
Background: An action item on the 2013 Board Process Inventory was to create our first ever WSO Budget for 2014. This is now being presented for approval. We were able to do this because it has been possible to get a better picture of our financial situation since we've broken everything out into two cost centers: one for the Distribution Center and one for WSO Administration.
Item 1: The floor is open for nominations for the positions as trustees to the ACA WSO Board. Thus far, we have 2 nominees: 1) Majbrit M, from Denmark and 2) Ines Z, from New York. Are there any more nominations to be put forward at this time?
Motion #2: To elect Majbrit M as an ACA WSO Trustee(Larry)
Background: Majbrit helped coordinate the first international ACA ABC in Denmark (2013); She has been in recovery and service work for over 5 years; She is a tailor, a teacher, speaks 4 languages and currently serves as chair for the WSO European committee, helping coordinate the development of ACA groups and Intergroups in the European community.
Motion #3:To elect Ines Z as an ACA WSO Trustee (Larry)
Background: Ines has 22 years of recovery and service work threading through various 12-step programs and has been a member of ACA since 2008. She also has extensive experience at one of the largest non-profit organizations in the city of New York as the executive assistant to the CEO. This contributes to her administrative skills and knowledge of board structure and strategic marketing skills. She attended the Addiction Research Foundation Conference on Addiction and its Effects on the Family in Puerto Rico (2013) and has been very active working with 3 teams of translators to bring the ACA message to Spanish speaking communities. She is currently serving as chair and liaison for ACA's Spanish Groups and Spanish Translations.
Note: All members of the board shall agree to comply with and be bound by all the terms and provisions of the ACA WSO bylaws, policies, and procedures as set forth. If she has not done so already, the secretary will contact you with further information. And though your duties and standing as ACA WSO Trustees begins immediately, your two-year commitment to "Terms of Service" shall begin with the 2014 ABC. Welcome to the ACA WSO Board of Trustees!
Motion #4: To install a conference line that will be made available to telephone meetings to use that will provide the same vital opportunity for anonymity for a phone caller as for someone who attends a meeting in person. (Vonnie)
Background: As telephone meetings are arranged now, each conference line is owned by the person who started the account. The owner can view a dashboard that displays all caller's names, phone numbers and call duration. The owner also receives an email every time someone dials into the number. The owner can use the dashboard via computer to control live meetings by dropping or blocking callers, etc. Due to the lack of anonymity that this existing system creates on telephone meetings and the unequal power that this gives to one person over others and the increase in complaints, meetings will now have the option to move to a line where the dashboard, reports and personal information will not be made available to anyone. If approved, the website's telephone meeting list will clearly define which meetings are on the dashboard-free line and which meetings are NOT on the dashboard-free lines. The ACA website will include a disclaimer on the meeting list explaining the differences between the two types of lines.
H. New Business:
Motion #1: That the Board pay expenses estimated to be $1,890, of the trip by the WSO Chair and Treasurer to go to the ACA WSO Distribution Center. (Larry)
Background: At the November teleconference, the Board passed a motion to authorize the trip to the WSO Distribution Center to meet with the staff, assess the operation and possibly meet with the accountant. This motion is to authorize the estimated expenses of the trip, and said expenses will be attributed to the category of the Distribution Center budget.
Motion #2: That the WSO authorize the expenditure of $260 for legal fees and cost to copyright the Mediation Book, Strengthening My Recovery.
Background: The copyright of the Mediation Book will protect the fellowship's interest in the publication and sales revenues of the Mediation Book. The WSO is responsible for protecting the intellectual property of the fellowship.
Guest Comments:
Announcements: The next ACA WSO Board Teleconference is scheduled for January 11, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. EST. We also will be having the 2014 Annual Business Conference being the last weekend of April (25-27, 2014) in Chicago, IL.
Adjournment:
Close with the Serenity Prayer
Respectfully Submitted,
Karen Ragan, ACA WSO Secretary
