Adult Children of Alcoholics--World Service Organization
Agenda
Monthly Teleconference
Saturday, November 8, 2014
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) Step 11: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understand God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out.
B. Roll Call of Board Members:Larry A., Chair, and Literature Committee Chairperson; Joan B., Vice Chair and Hospital and Institutions Committee Chair; Mary Jo L., Treasurer; Karen R, Secretary; Vonnie G., MPS Chair and Trustee; Allen C., Finance Committee Member and Trustee; Majbrit M., European Committee Chair and Trustee; Ines Z, Spanish Liaison and Spanish Translations Committee Chair and Trustee, and Martin C, Finance Committee member and 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. Only board members may talk while we have discussions. We ask everyone to press *6 if you are not speaking. If someone needs to talk further, they may do so after the close of the meeting.
E. Minutes: Motion to approve the October 11, 2014 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. Standardization of Conference Approved Literature (Larry)
b. Audio Book Project (Larry)
c. Spanish Groups and Spanish Translations Liaison, Ines
d. Intergroup Guidelines Literature (John M)
3. ACA WSO Distribution Office, Sam
4. ACA (MPS) Members and Public Service Committee, Vonnie G
5. Hospitals & Institutions Committee, Joan B
6. ACA Website/Database Committee, Larry
7. European Committee, Majbrit M
8. OPPM Review Committee, Karen (no report)
9. Intergroup Liason Committee, Martin C. (estab. Sept. 2014)
10. 2015 ABC Committee, Mary Jo
11. Executive Committee, Joan B.
G. Old Business:
H. New Business:
Motion #1: To validate for the record an additional $150 expenditure for Martin's trip to the Riga, Latvia ACA conference. (Mary Jo)
Background: Martin's expenses were more than anticipated primarily due to airfare, even though he purchased his tickets well in advance.
Motion 2: To validate for the record to subscribe to a service called "The California Employers Association" as a more cost efficient advisory service for matters dealing with HR issues. (Mary Jo)
Background: We've already incurred over $500 in charges above the cost of the employee handbook with matters of HR. Our Distribution Office manager researched several firms and found that California Employers Association is a non-profit that specializes in CA policy with smaller organizations, have both online and phone support and are more reasonably priced.
Motion #3: To validate for the record the purchase of a fireproof file cabinet for the Distribution Center at a cost of approximately $760. (Mary Jo)
Background: This will allow us to house sensitive documents safely, including many files that are currently being kept offsite.
Motion #4: To validate for the record the Board's concurrence to purchase of additional shelving in the warehouse. (Mary Jo)
Background: To make better use of available space, purchase of a shelving unit was recommended at a cost of approximately $250 that will easily facilitate the pre-packaging of more commonly ordered combinations of items.
Motion #5: To validate on the record the Board's specific concurrence to have the BBI allotment for October be 47 books. (Larry)
Background: The BBI (Board Book Initiative) sends out 33 books per month or about 400 books annually for free to therapists, social workers, or institutions as a way of sharing our program's message with these people. In October, we had already sent 35 books with an additional 12 requests that had been received. This authorization was to allow the BBI staff to fill the other requests.
Motion #6: To validate for the record the Board's concurrence to authorize $1,550 for electrical work to be completed at the Distribution Center (Mary Jo)
Background: The wiring at the Distribution Center has been in need of upgrades for some time. According to our lease, we have to pay for most of the cost of this electrical work. The landlord will be paying a minimal amount of additional work. The Chair and Treasurer both tried in the past to negotiate changes that would require the landlord to pay for more, but there was no room for discussion with the way the lease was written.
Motion #7: To validate for the record the Board's specific concurrence to order 2,000 re-sized Meditation books at a cost of $6,982. (Larry)
Background: The WSO received several requests to have the book in a slightly larger size and with better binding. These Meditation books will be 5" x 7" and have Smyth binding.
Motion #8: To validate for the record the Board's concurrence to move the new Distribution Center Office Manager, Sam B., from a probationary employee to regular employee status. (Mary Jo)
Background: The three month probationary period was concluded with Sam having shown that he is doing well at performing the responsibilities he's been assigned, including dealing with the difficulties of being temporarily short-staffed, and working on necessary projects that had been delayed.
Motion #9: To validate for the record that the Board hold a Strategic Planning Meeting in November. (Mary Jo)
Background: The Board discussed during the Strategic Planning Meeting in January of 2014 the need to have at least two such meetings per year, independent of the ABC. This would be that second meeting.
Motion #10: To validate for the record the Board's concurrence to have the Distribution Center Office Manager (Sam) and the Literature Assistant (Robin) attend one day of the WSO Board's Strategic Planning meeting that will be held in Nashville, Tn., November 13-16, 2014. (Mary Jo)
Background: This will allow Sam to give greater detail about the challenges he sees that we are facing and will help give him a better picture of how the Board works. Robin can give us a better picture of the projects she is working on and the challenges she faces.
Motion #11: The Board validate on the record the decision to rescind the requirement that the audio Fellowship Text be listed non-exclusively with the vendors. (Larry)
Background: The Board had previously voted to post the audio Fellowship Text in a non-exclusive form with the vendors so that the WSO could place the recordings with an agency that would make it accessible to the visually impaired by using DAISY technology. The vendors that are being used to offer the audio Fellowship Text have reassured the WSO that there are a multitude of audio readers that are compatible with the various vendors' offerings, and that the visually impaired may also use computers, smart phones, tablets, etc. to gain access to the audio Fellowship Text including devices that use DAISY technology or that convert the book to Braille.
Guest Comments: 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.
Announcements: The next ACA WSO Board Teleconference is scheduled for December 13, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. EST.
Is there a motion and 2nd to adjourn the meeting?
Close with the Serenity Prayer
