ACA WSO TELECONFERENCE MINUTES
October 11, 2014
A. Called to Order: The regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of ACA WSO was called to order at 2:00 p.m. EST by Larry A., Chairman, and opened with The Serenity Prayer.
Step Ten was read by the Chairman.
B. Roll Call of Board Members: Larry A., Chair and Literature Committee Chairman; Joan B., Vice Chairman and Hospitals and Institutions Committee Chair; Mary Jo L, Treasurer; Karen R, Secretary; Vonnie G., MPS Chair and Trustee; Allen C. Treasury Committee member and Trusteee; Majbrit M., European Committee Chair and Trustee; Ines, Ines Z, Spanish Liaison and Spanish Translations Committee Chair and Trustee and Martin C, Treasury Committee Member and Trustee
C. Quorum established
D. Guest Introductions: Guests who chose to introduce themselves at this time included (number of TC meetings attended shown in parenthesis if known): Precious, PA (7 or 8); Jillian, Canada (2); Mona, Chicago, IL (since 2011); Jude, VA (5); Marietta, CT (6); Robin, TX (Literature Committee Production Asst.); Sam, CA (ACA WSO Office manager); Paula, CO; Josh (Washington D.C.)
E. Approval of Minutes: A motion was made and 2nd , and the minutes of the September 13, 2014 teleconference meeting were approved as posted. (Karen)
F. Committee Reports:
1. Treasurer, Mary Jo L., (given by Martin, Trustee and member of the Treasurer Commiittee) The increase in net income is due to the increase in book sales. Installments are reserved for payments of the services for the new website. The full report can be found on the Repository.
2. Literature Committee, (Larry A.): Acknowledgement and appreciation for new Literature Committee volunteers was expressed. The audio books are ready to roll out.
Ines reports completion of the translation of the BRB, only lacks vetting and index; continues to cultivate Spanish speaking volunteers and expressed appreciation for Vonnie's assistance through MPS. Karen read the report from John in Santa Barbara re progress in the guidelines for the establishing of Intergroups; Robin reports about creating a "translations starter pack" and possibly changing the format for Strengthening My Recovery. These full reports can be found on the Repository.
3. Distribution Office Report, (Sam): reports reviews of current inventory processes; purchases a fireproof cabinet and has hired an H R services firm to assist with personnel issues regarding employee health, etc., also working on establishing written procedure for office operations and reviewing options to reduce shipping costs. Is looking forward to staff training on new website. Full report may be found on the Repository.
4. ACA Members and Public Service (MPS) Committee, Vonnie G.: Continues to provide service and guidance for USA and Non-USA members. Complaints come in regarding ACA Points of Contact members receiving unwanted emails and breach of anonymity with those emails. MPS and the WSO Board continues to address these matters. Full report can be found on the Repository.
5. Hospitals and Institutions Committee (Joan B.)Continues to respond to requests from inmates and institutions. She also continues to receive responses of appreciation from inmates and professionals for ACA materials. Full report may be found on the Repository.
6. Website/Database (Larry):Reports on a teleconference between various ACA Board members and the website designers regarding the timing and cost of this project. Current proposed launch is in early to mid-November.
7. European Activity Report, Majbrit M: Reports activity over the past 2 months of various translations experiences and issues; Expresses a need for literature exists mainly because of prohibitive shipping costs. Hopes to establish better structure within the European Intergroups to provide for better transition when one leaves one's post as a service member; Reports great success in the ACA conference held in Riga, Latvia with discussions about how the 7th Tradition donations are spent, about ACA copyrighted materials, about the need for service structure; The conference was held with translations and like Denmark, the Serenity Prayer was recited in home languages and reminds us that ACA touches all nations. Europe hopes to have a conference yearly with the next one scheduled to be held in Finland. Full report may be found on the Repository.
8. 2015 ABC Committee, Mary Jo: Karen read for Mary Jo the report stating that the call for proposals from the fellowship have gone out and that they are expected to be turned in by November 15. Also that we have not as yet found a city to host the 2015 ABC.
9. OPPM Review Committee, (Karen): No Report
10. Executive Committee Report: (Joan): Reports the purchase of new phones for the Distribution Center and the purchase of a subscription to "Survey Monkey" to help with ABC efforts and WSO Board voting. Full report may be found on the Repository.
G. Old Business:
Motion #1: (1) The ACA Board accept the Social Media Working Party's proposal that Tradition 11 be amended so as to read as follows: "Our Public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, T.V., films AND OTHER PUBLIC MEDIA OF COMMUNICATION” and
(2) if accepted, the Board will seek to establish the collective conscience of the whole fellowship by asking all constituent meetings and Intergroups to consider this motion in their own group conscience discussions, and advise the ABC in 2015 whether they accept or reject this amendment of Tradition 11, and
(3) that the result of that consultation be placed before the ABC in 2015;
(4) Based on the advice received from the worldwide fellowship's conscience, the ABC in 2015 be asked whether to accept or reject the proposed amendment. (Martin)
This motion was 2nd and passed unanimously.
H. New Business:
Motion #1: To validate for the record the Board's specific concurrence to use the ACA debit card to make flight arrangements for Board members who request it for the November Strategic Planning meeting. (Mary Jo)
The motion was 2nd; a friendly amendment was offered but then withdrawn.
Motion passed unanimously.
Motion #2: To validate for the record the Board's concurrence to change the due dates for the 2015 ABC proposals. (Larry)
The motion as read was 2nd and passed unanimously.
Motion #3: To validate for the record the Board's specific concurrence to authorize the payment of up to $45,000 (inclusive of the current outstanding bill of $37,000) so that we need not revisit this item in the next month for the payment of the additional work which is estimated to be about $8,000. (Larry)
The motion was 2nd and passed unanimously.
Motion #4: That the Board validate for the record the Board's specific concurrence for the increase to the H & I budget for September to meet the needs of requested materials (Joan)
The motion was 2nd and passed unanimously.
Motion #5: To donate the materials (a BRB, Workbook, Meditation Book and set of pamphlets and tri-folds) that were sent to the Riga conference to the Riga meeting. (Majbrit)
The motion was 2nd and passed unanimously.
Before opening the floor up for guest comments, the Secretary stated that while going through her emails she'd found 4 motions she'd overlooked for this month's agenda. She stated that all of the motions were about usual and customary decisions about office matters, some of which had been reported in today's committee reports. The matter was decided by the Board and the Chair to place those motions on next month's agenda.
The floor was then opened for Guest Comments which included: Comments about feeling angry and frustrated at the seeming inability to find safety attending ACA phone bridge meetings.
It was announced that the next ACA WSO Board Teleconference meeting is scheduled for November 8, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. EST.
Adjournment: The motion to adjourn was made and 2nd. The meeting was adjourned at 3:18 p.m. EST and closed with the Serenity Prayer.
Minutes respectfully submitted by; Karen Ragan, ACA/WSO Board of Trustees, Secretary
