CLOSING REPORT
C.A. WORLD SERVICE CONFERENCE 2010
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FINANCE REPORT
INTRODUCTION AND OPENING COMMENTS
The Finance Committee started our committee meeting with the Serenity Prayer and the reading of a portion of the 11th Concept…This is the place where money and spirituality do have to mix, in just the right proportions. We found ourselves guided with the words from this concept because they speak to our duties as members of the fellowship who must take on the hard task of handling the financial affairs of C.A. as a whole. “The main responsibility of this body is to see that we do not become money-crippled or go broke. This is the place where money and spirituality do have to mix, and in just the right proportion. Here we need hard-headed members with much financial experience. All should be realists, and a pessimist or two can be useful. The whole temper of today’s world is to spend more than it has, or may ever have. Many of us consequently are infected with this rosy philosophy. When a new and promising C.A. Service project moves into sight, we are apt to cry, “Never mind the money, let’s get at it.” This is when our budgeters are expected to say, “Stop, look and listen.” This is the exact point where the “savers” come into a constructive and healthy collision with the “spenders”. The primary function of this committee, therefore, is to see that our Headquarters operation is always solvent and that it stays that way, in good times and bad.”
While the economy is showing some improvement, Cocaine Anonymous is still experiencing some “economic insecurity”. With literature sales continuing to decline, and expenses rising, the need exists for new and exciting ways to raise funds so we can continue to fulfill our primary purpose of carrying the message to the addict still suffering. Many of the fund raising concepts approved at WSC 2009 have become reality. We will be presenting two of these tonight. The
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Finance Committee will continue to provide fund raising solutions for the C.A. fellowship worldwide.
Committee Introductions
Idea People:
Edward Ballard
Brian Tenenbaum
Alan Siegel
Sandy Shamberger
Chair: Tom Walsh
Vice-Chair: Carl Jenkins
Secretary: Jane Sisson
Co-Secretary: Elizabeth Wise
WSO Treasurer: Barry Jacobs
WSO Director: Elizabeth Schmidt Saldebar
WSO Chair: Tom Phelan
Trustee Representative: Joy Hutcheson
COMMITTEE WORK THAT RESULTED IN MOTIONS
- MOTION: To approve the 2010-2011 Revised Budget. Second. Kevin Murphy: speak to your motion?
Tom Walsh: not at this time.
Kevin Murphy: debate on this motion? Seeing none. Prepare yourselves to vote. Motion passes unanimously.
- MOTION: To approve the proposed 2011-2012 budget as presented.
Second.
Kevin Murphy: speak to your motion?
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Tom Walsh: not at this time.
Kevin Murphy: debate on motion? Seeing none. Prepare yourselves to vote.
Motion carries unanimously.
- MOTION: To approve the Gratitude Month Announcement. Second. Kevin Murphy: speak to your motion?
Elizabeth Wise: not at this time.
Mike Seden: can we change to every month?
Elizabeth Wise: you can do it everyday. I wanted to say in speaking in favor the motion, this is an informative announcement to be read by the GSRs at meeting and will be available ASAP. Download from www.ca.org. A method for you get the message out to the groups.
Kevin Murphy: any other debate?
Bill Hood: Point of Information – motion to approve flyer. Has this been approved already?
Elizabeth Wise: yes, last year.
Kevin Murphy: Motion carries unanimously.
- MOTION: To approve the Birthday Envelope flyer. Second.
Kevin Murphy: speak to your motion?
Sandy Shamberger: We have received donations up to $700. You have already seen the envelopes. Please take them back to your group and all donations will be well received by the WSO.
Kevin Murphy: any further debate?
Cynthia Cronkhite: Point of Information – reference on envelope that donations are tax deductible and that we are a worldwide fellowship. Is that fact been verified in all the countries?
Sandy Shamberger: we will make that change.
Kellie Federici: Do you automatically send a tax donation slip back when I send this in?
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Tom Walsh: Only over $250
Kellie Federici: Is there a box to check?
Tm Walsh: Anything over $250, it is our responsibility to send a letter to you. Susan Bredau: Parliamentary Inquiry – is friendly amendment in order to modify the envelope.
Kevin Murphy: The envelope was approved last year.
Elizabeth Saldebar: We will be making the change within the WSOB structure.
Speaking favor of the motion.
Tom Walsh: the envelopes will be made available with your chips and literature orders and I am also speaking in favor of the motion.
Bryan Seid: I’m confused now. Is this a picture of how the envelope looks now.
Tom Walsh: No
Marjie Mineard: Will the birthdays be printed in the NewsGram?
Tom Walsh: Birthday donations will be printed in the NewsGram.
Kevin Murphy: prepare yourselves to vote. Motion passes unanimously.
REFERRALS THAT RESULTED IN MOTIONS
We had none.
REFERRALS OR ITEMS TABLED UNTIL NEXT YEAR; AND ITEMS THE COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE WORKING ON THROUGH THE YEAR
Referral #6412 COMMITTEE INVENTORY
This referral is a request that the Finance Committee take a group inventory of itself in the spirit of assessing how well the committee helps the Conference to fulfill its purpose and to identify what action(s) the committee could take to improve the committee’s ability to better help the Conference fulfill its purpose.
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Should the Finance Committee opt to take no action on this referral either at the 2010 Conference or as a post-Conference activity throughout the 2010 / 2011 year, please be kind enough to cite the Finance Committee’s reason(s) for not undertaking such action in the Finance Committee’s closing Conference report.
We think this is a great idea and we will work on the group inventory in the coming year as time allows.
REFERRALS OR ITEMS REFERRED TO OTHER COMMITTEES; WORLD SERVICE OFFICE, OR BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Referral #6392 PI CENSUS AND SURVEY
That the finance committee make provision for the funds necessary to make the PI census and survey available for completion online, as a World Service Office expense.
Funds are included in the PI budget, sent to WSOB for continued action.
REFERRALS THAT DID NOT RESULT IN MOTIONS
Referral #5587 TREASURERS HANDBOOK and FINANCIAL GUIDELINES
Please create a workbook for area/district treasurers, using the NA workbook as an example.
Upon review, the finance committee has determined that the existing “Financial Guidelines for Groups, Districts and Areas of Cocaine Anonymous” satisfy this referral. The WSO will use this document to prepare an inventory item to be made available for purchase.
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Referral #5878 THIRD PARTY DONATIONS
Find a way to have monies donated through a third party on behalf of a member. Example: I donate monies to United Way and request that they send the monies I donated to WSO. The monies received by WSO would be a check from United Way on my behalf. It would be no different than if I had sent the monies myself. Being an autonomous program.
Maybe a form could be placed on file with the WSO stating my desire to accept monies sent to them on my behalf.
Per the 6th Tradition, while a C.A. group may cooperate with anyone, such cooperation ought never to go so far as affiliation or endorsement, actual or implied. A C.A. group can bind itself to no one.
In addition, under Concept 12, warranty 12 states that any group of addicts gathered together for sobriety may call themselves a C.A. group provided that, as a group, they have no other purpose or affiliation.
Referral #6696 INTERNATIONAL BUDGET APPROVAL
Can you please review the procedure for oversea’s world convention, “budget approval” and the necessity for the conference to approve a budget in the currency of the host city.
Our budget must stand first in sterling as if approved in dollars. And the exchange fluctuates greatly it may/would effect the convention and fellowship as a whole.
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The convention budget is prepared in the currency of the host country. C.A. is a U.S. corporation, and reports in U.S. dollars. C.A.’s operating budget uses the existing exchange rate at the time the budget is submitted.
Referral #6493 CONVENTION PETTY CASH
We believe the $100.00 ceiling for petty cash expenses should be raised to $250.00. You need to trust the host city and relieve the work load on the WSO and WSOB.
We feel the $100.00 is a sufficient petty cash fund due to the diverse level of committee experience.
Referral #6710 BUDGET 3 YEAR COMPARISON
Due to many discrepancies in bookkeeping, can we make it a policy to state that accounting budgets contain 3 year comparison?
There is already an existing accounting procedure in place that presents 3 years of financial reports. The outside accounting firm will be instructed to report 3 year financial disclosure.
NEW COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AS OF THIS CONFERENCE
Chair Tom Walsh
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Vice-Chair Alan Siegel
Secretary Elizabeth Wise
CLOSING COMMENTS
Serving the fellowship of Cocaine Anonymous has become a part of all our lives. Serving the past four years at this level has been a learning experience I will keep with me. We make new friends, learn new things, become emotional, and learn to rely on our Higher Power….even more.
I want to thank my committee; it has truly been a pleasure to serve with you. You have all taught me something!
We would like to thank our outgoing members,
Carl Jenkins
Edward Ballard
Keep coming back!
The theme of the Finance Committee over the years that I have been here has been finding ways to promote “FUN…RAISING”. One of the many concepts put forth has been the Birthday Envelope. The 2010 Finance Committee would like to invite ALL of you to celebrate the birthday of the Birthday Envelope, and have a piece of Birthday Cake.
With Love and Service
2010 WSCFC
Respectfully Submitted: Tom Walsh WSCFC
Kevin Murphy: questions for committee:
Bryan Seid: did I hear that we approved the birthday envelope last year and you are going to be making revisions without bringing it to the fellowship. Elizabeth Saldebar: the concept was approved
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COMPUTER SYSTEM BLEW UP!!!
BREAK