ACA WSO TELECONFERENCE MINUTES
July 11, 2015
A. Called to Order: The regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of ACA WSO was called to order at 2:01 p.m. EST by Larry A., Chairman, and opened with the Serenity Prayer.
Tradition Seven was read by the Chairman.
B. Roll Call of Board Members: Larry A., Chairman, Website and Dtatabe Chair and Literature Committee Chair; Mary Jo L, Treasurer, and Finance Committee Chair; Ines Z, Secretary, Spanish Liaison and Spanish Translations Trusted Servant; Martin C, Finance Committee Member, Intergroup Liaison Subcommittee Chair and Trustee.
C. Quorum established
- Guest Introductions: Guests who chose to introduce themselves at this time included (number of TC meetings attended shown in parenthesis if known:
E. Approval of Minutes: A motion was made and 2nd, and the minutes of the June 13, 2015 teleconference meeting were unanimously approved. (Ines)
F. Committee Reports:
1. ACA WSO Treasurer, (Mary Jo L.): There was a decrease in sales of Literature in June by about $10,000 due to workbook backorder but is still doing well for the year with Net income of $39,000. Finance committee met 3 times in June to discuss California Sick Leave policy and ABC Budgets. Have created a list of types of
WSO expenditures and the approval structure for them will be disseminated to the board this week. Minutes for Meeting will be posted shortly.
2. Literature Committee, (Robin.): The Hospitals & Institutions Guideline Booklet is up for review. May-July we received 4 comments. We have the Intergroup Guidelines for June, July and August, so far no comments on this. We have had request to expand steps 6-12 with additional suggestions and exercise. We have received 2or 3 emails with suggestions for expansion of the 12 Steps of the ACA Workbook. Our Laundry List workbook “Integrating Our Laundry List Traits” is about to go to press. The Comline has just been released and people are very happy with that. Full report on Repository.
3. Distribution Office Report(Mary Jo) With resignation of office Manager, Majbrit and I have been filling in for that role and working with the staff. Because of space issues in warehouse we have rented a storage unit for the overflow. The workbooks were a problem (for a few reasons) because we ran out of them but now everything is back in order. Several small internal issues we are working on. Gloria’s Sales Comparison is on the Website. I think she reported 1,467 meetings currently.
4. ACA Members and Public Service (MPS) Committee (Denise) For the month of May, 2015 there were 495 e-mails, 68 voicemails. International connections made were Australia, Austria, Polaris, Canada, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finalnd, France, Hungary, India, Latvia, Northern Ireland, Norway, Russia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand and Zambia. The most requests were Meeting changes, literature order needs and finding a Meeting request. For June, 2015 there were 310 e-mails, 96 voicemails. International connections made Denmark, England, Germany, Ireland, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Most common requests were Meeting changes, literature requests and help finding a meeting.
5. Hospitals and Institutions Committee (Joan B.) Only 4 requests for the month from Inmates. Orders for Fellowship Text and Workbooks were fulfilled by Distribution Center. Need for Intergroups and groups to become active in H & I work. Work would consist of making arrangements with Treatment centers and jails, prisons, etc to take in meetings for the residents there who are unable to leave the facility to attend meetings. These H & I Meetings would be held weekly or monthly depending on what is set up with the facility. Another way to do H & I work is to take literature into the various facilities so the residents and counselors can learn about ACA. Contact me through the contact us feature on the website.
6. Intergroup Liaison Committee (Martin C.) We have brought John M and John Van T onto the committee they are already adding to the conversation about adding a form for the Intergroups or their reps to talk to each other. Next step to talk to web team and once an answer is found we can ask for Board approval. Want to add our support to communicate the 30% discount once it becomes abilable Urge anyone listening in that’s in an area that doesn’t have an Intergroup to consider what the benefits may be. Intergroups grow out of your meetings and your needs and they remain Atonymous with World Services Organization. Committee exists to assist those trying to set an Intergroup up so please don’t hesitate to contact us on [email protected].
7. Website/Database (Larry): Issues with shipping rates so an emergency call was placed to come up with program to fix this which is already underway. Several upgrades have been approved and will come up at a later Meeting. Always looking for ways to make Website more user friendly. In depth report was prepared by Scott and is on Repository where Committees houses minutes, agenda’s and reports.
8. European Activity Report, (Majbrit M): There are two documents on the Repository. First one in European committee section there is the minutes of the last European committee meeting which was held last Saturday on the 4th of July and then this report. We would like everyone to come join us on our Skpe call the next one is August 1st at 1400 Central European time. At our last meeting, the European committee talked about budgets, how to organize itself, how to provide contact information once the region is formed. Will the European expressed a desire to come to Helsinki to the European meeting at the end of August and we discussed the business meeting planned to be held there. The three of us Majbrit, Will and myself working face to face. Will is getting more and more involved so it seems natural that he join us. Please see the minutes of the Skype call. We’re having the European committee business metting in Helsinki at the end of August that will be attended by lots of people coming for a recovery weekend but there will be business in there as well. Fin’s looking for donation of 80 euros for banner. The Swede’s are wondering about booklet translations, the Norwegians are in touch with the Dane’s about Dane’s translations. Been in contact with Latvia, Estonia, Germany, Holland, Turkey, Greece and Denmark. In order to do the MPS and H & I work Majbrit needs to work out how best to do this with with Mary Jo and then make a motion for the board. Starter kits, right now, are not being sent.
9. OPPM Review Committee:(Joan) Nothing to Report committee was not able to meet this month.
10. 2016 ABC Committee, (Larry): So far only received one letter of intent from a group in S.E. USA but way over budget. Waiting to receive more information to stay in budget. September 30th is new deadline date for proposals for ABC consideration. This is posted on Website. Working with Gloria to teach how to run/manage the ABC.
11. Executive Committee Report: No report this month
G. Old Business: Reduce Cost of “Identity Booklet” from $2 to $1.50
Background : (Mary Jo) The warehouse has a large quantity of these booklets in stock. Since 2011 over 5,000. Lowering price will help move the inventory.
Motion will be tabled until further notice.
H. New Business:
Motion #1: That the Board validate on the record the Board's Specific Concurrence to change the deadline for the submission of proposals for the ABC to September 30. The proposals will be analyzed and translated into several languages, and sent to registered ACA groups and Intergroups by December 2. The groups and Intergroups will have until February 28 to vote on the proposals.
Mary Jo-Second the motion
Motion passed unanimously
Motion #2: That the Board validate on the record the Board's Specific Concurrence to pay for the machine translations of all the booklets, tri-folds, or free downloadable meeting starter information into Danish, Finish and Spanish at a cost of about $24,000. Martin Second the motion
Motion passed unanimously
Motion #3: Approve travel cost for Mary Jo, Ines and Majbrit to Distribution Center in California at a cost of $7000. Ines-Second the motion
Motion passed unanimously
The floor was then opened for guest comments. In summary, Intergroups looking forward to 30% discount program. Estimated start time couple of months. Meeting update issues acknowledged. Inquiries about 2016 proposals.
It was announced: ACA WSO Board Teleconference meeting is scheduled for August 8, 2015
Adjournment: The motion to adjourn was made and 2nd. The meeting was adjourned and closed with the Serenity Prayer.
Minutes respectfully submitted by;
Ines Z., Secretary
