Jay F. read the report.
CLOSING REPORT
C.A. WORLD SERVICE CONFERENCE 2017 CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
INTRODUCTION AND OPENING COMMENTS
The Conference Committee has thoroughly enjoyed working with you and for you this past week to make our 2017 World Service Conference successful. Thank you to all
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delegates, committee chairs, Trustees and both new and outgoing members for your service and participation.
Committee Introductions
Committee Members:
Jay F. – Chair
Jessi G. – Vice Chair
Jessi G. – Secretary
Susan L. – Conference Coordinator
Cindy C. – Conference Co-Coordinator
Linda F. – Director of Operations
Alesia F. – Admin. Coordinator
Loni S. – Illinois Area member
Dane T. – Wisconsin Area member
Jerico McM. – Colorado Area member
Conference Officers:
Trevor S. – Chair
Russell S. – Vice-Chair/Parliamentarian Vanessa J. – Co-Secretary
Ruby C. – Co-Secretary
Conference Committee Trustees:
Yvette H. – World Service Trustee
Anne M.– Atlantic South Regional Trustee
COMMITTEE WORK THAT RESULTED IN MOTIONS
None
REFERRALS THAT DID NOT RESULT IN MOTIONS
Special Note: Our Committee responded to the first eleven referrals which we received in our Opening Report presented earlier this week. The following Referrals were made or transferred to us after we completed our Opening Report, as well as during this Conference week.
Conference 2017-12 From Caroline B. SGPV Area (Referred from S&B at end of Conference to Conference Committee – Prior Referral Number was S&B 2016-10)
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I write to request C.A. (structures and bylaws committee) seriously consider making a significant change in the way C.A. as a whole conducts our annual conference by holding it bi-annually instead of annually.
1.As a delegate who has attended three conferences I am not alone in my experience that the agenda does not warrant a conference each year.
2.More areas around the world may be able to participate if they are to send delegates bi-annually. This would lessen the financial burden on each area.
3.The fellowship would save money each year from not having the conference.
4.Electronic communication has greatly improved since the inception of C.A. in 1982 significantly changing the way the C.A. fellowship as a whole and its members, delegates, office staff, office board, and trustees are able to communicate and conduct committee work throughout the year.
5.Current hotel contract could be amended.
Response: Thanks for making this Referral. We have seen it several times over the years. We are not in favor of this Referral for the following reasons: The Conference is too complex to meet only every other year; our entire service structure would have to change including delegate rotation, trustee selection, convention location approval, approval of CAWSO budgets and more. Further, in the spirit of the Concepts of the Right of Participation and proper use of Delegated Authority, we believe that the fellowship and its delegate and Conference representatives would be greatly neglected if the Conference went to every other year. People need to be in the same room to have a group conscience which is just too hard remotely for up to 175 people at the same time. Work gets done God’s way during our collective group conscience and to not have this except every two years would diminish this greatly. Further, we believe that the savings to the fellowship pales in comparison to us all being together to carry on the collective business of our fellowship on an yearly basis. Also, we polled our entire Committee on this, who in the aggregate have participated in over well over 100 Conferences collectively, and none of our group would support the change you are requesting. One other point, without the Conference meeting yearly, the WSBT would not have a sense of the conscience of the fellowship which it gets when the Conference meets. We believe that this sense and the reciprocal sense of what the WSBT is doing is much better served by the Conference occurring annually. Lastly, it is not as simple as you think to amend a hotel contract any more, we are contracting several years out and would have a hefty penalty to pay if we
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canceled a year. At the end of this Conference 2017, we will likely be contracted with a Hotel for the Conference on a yearly basis through 2021.
Conference 2017-13 From Dawn M. CAUK Area (In-Conference)
I propose that Conference Committee/WSO employ the attached editable electronic
form for the annual submission of the requested information.
Special Note from the Conference Committee: the form referenced in this Referral is available for general review, but not attached to this Referral Summary.
Response: Thanks for submitting this to us. We have, as a Committee, submitted referrals about aligning the dates for this submission with the registration dates specified in the Standing Rules. That said, we intend, once this is resolved, to use an online process for each area to use, similar to the referral protocol, which will be as user-friendly and easily referenced. But thank you, we are on the same page with you in moving this to an electronic form.
Conference 2017-14 From Audz C. Northern Alberta Area (In-Conference)
In consideration to those who are scent sensitive or allergic I’d like to make a motion that the conference floor be scent free.
Response: Thanks for bringing this concern to our attention. We don’t agree with or support this referral becoming a motion for the Conference floor. That said, we will gladly modify our registration process to ask if any of our attendees have any special needs. Based upon the response(s), we will use our collective best efforts to make a reasonable accommodation to the special needs as requested of us.
Conference 2017-15 From Dawn M. CAUK Area (In-Conference)
Motion that CAWS Conference Committee adopt a format similar to that attached for managing and reporting on the progress of ALL referrals that they receive and that this monitor is updated and published in each quarterly delegate mailing.
The excel template includes ‘LIVE’ tabs to split referrals by type ie: Pre/Post or In Conference.
It also includes an archive ‘CLOSED’ tab where ALL referrals when considered as dealt with can be moved to from the ‘LIVE’ tabs for the purpose of record management.
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The document should be employed on an annual rolling basis with NO referrals EVER being removed for at least the next 10 years.
Special Note from the Conference Committee: the spreadsheet referenced in this Referral is available for general review, but not attached to this Referral Summary.
Response: We thank you for this referral. We have earnestly worked this year to advance this protocol and review. We will now be tracking all referrals to make sure all are responded each year, and our existing referral software allows us to go back at least 4 years. We will of course keep those referrals on an ongoing and easy accessible basis. We will build upon this process each year as we have the past years as well. We decline to go further at this time but will keep this suggestion as an ongoing topic for our consideration. This year and hopefully going forward, we will be sending the Conference attendees home with a list of each referral, its response and applicable committee action.
Conference 2017-16 From Jason L. London Area (In-Conference)
I would like to propose that consideration be given to a method for the setting up project specific cross committee ad hoc working groups for addressing referrals where it is not possible for a single World Service Conference Committee to move the item forward through our process.
It has become apparent that some referrals can require input from more than one sub- committee and because of that they can end up being passed back and fourth without achieving any traction or conclusion.
Response: Thanks so much for sending this in. If committees want to work together, great news, it is not the Conference Committee’s place to facilitate this dynamic. This year, there are several committees meeting together and working on referrals which have broader impact than just that specific committee.
Conference 2017-17 From Jason L. London Area (In-Conference)
Please provide supporting / explanatory information with items that are issued under SR-14, such that adequate consideration can be given prior to Conference.
This year in particular items have been issued without supporting explanation and this has greatly hindered the possibility of an informed decision being made by The Fellowship. For example we have received a revised Convention Committee Guidelines
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that not only has no explanation of the changes but also is not red-lined or tracked such that the changes are apparent. A red-lined version of the Referral process excerpt from our World Service Manual was also issued for consideration. The changes can be seen however there is no explanation as to why the changes are being proposed. With no supporting rationale it is not possible for Delegates to adequately explain, with any assurity, what the members are being asked to vote on.
Response: Thanks for bringing this concern to us. The document you reference was a new document in its entirety, hence there were no markups. It could have been clarified accordingly but was not required to be. That said, if you had questions or concerns or didn’t understand this prior to the Conference, you could have reached out to us or to the applicable committee chair for clarification. We will be mindful of this unique dynamic with all future SR-14 mailings and will encourage further explanatory detail where appropriate.
Convention 2017-25. Conference. From Rodney D. Missouri Area (In-Conference) NOTE THIS WAS ORIGINALLY REFERRED TO THE CONVENTION COMMITTEE WHO
REFERRED IT FOR RESPONSE TO THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.
To allow full questioning of committees and boards. Could the convention committee consider requiring having opening reports be completed and posted to delegates ahead of the conference. Along with posting the opening reports delegates would receive contact information for contacting the committee to ask any questions before the conference. Thanks for your consideration.
Response: Thanks for these suggestions. We have worked hard this year to get the Opening Reports done at least the day before the Conference starts so that they can be posted for all delegates to review that day or before the Conference starts. This has been a major shift in and of itself which we are proud to have achieved this year. As reports are completed, we review them for proper redaction, once that is done, we will gladly put them in the Box as soon as possible. Also, as has been our practice for many years now, if there is a referral which needs contact information, we can and will gladly provide that information.
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CONFERENCE COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AT OF THE END OF THIS CONFERENCE: COMMITTEE INTRODUCTIONS:
Committee Members:
Jay F. – Chair
Jessi G. – Vice Chair
Loni S. – Co-Secretary
Jerico McM. – Co-Secretary
Susan L. – Coordinator
Cindy C. – Co-Coordinator Linda F. – DOO
Alesia F. – Admin. Coordinator
Conference Officers *** subject to any elections which might be necessary
Trevor S. – Chair
Russell S. – VC/Parliamentarian
Ruby C. – Co-Secretary
Vanessa J. – Co-Secretary
Anne M. – Atlantic South Regional Trustee
Yvette H. – World Service Trustee
CLOSING COMMENTS
Thank you to everyone who came out and made this Conference successful! We are extremely grateful for the full participation of the Conference in the online referral process and the online evaluation process. We also appreciate the chance to have the Conference in the Cloud this year. We will be working out the kinks of these exciting changes over the upcoming year and again, want to thank you for helping us be a lot more Earth-friendly and stream-lining the process.
The Conference Officers and the entire Conference Committee are excited to be here and work with you this week to create a successful 2017 World Service Conference. If you have any questions or concerns during the Conference, please see myself, Susan (Conference Coordinator), or Cindy (Conference Co-Coordinator). As a reminder, we are seeking and encouraging all members to join and serve on this Committee.
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Thank you for allowing us to be of service to our Fellowship. Jay F. – Conference Committee Chair
Trevor S. – Are there any questions for the committee? Seeing none, please thank the committee.
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