CA WORLD SERVICE BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR QUARTERLY MEETING MINUTES
March 6th – March 8th, 2009
APPROVED
Since this report is a confidential CA document, for members only, it may contain members’ full names. This usage to facilitate communication within the fellowship was approved by the 1990 WS Conference. Such confidential use does not, of course, violate in anyway our Tradition on anonymity in public communications media (press, radio, TV, etc).
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March 6th, 2009-7:00 pm PST
WSBT March 2009 Quarterly
Portions of the opening recording were missing – unable to reconstruct.
Opening agenda of missing items from WSBT Secretary’s notes prior to the break:
- Personal sharing (no more than 10 minutes each) – Done
- Moment of silence and Serenity Prayer – Done
- Roll call – Done
- Reading of the 12 Traditions – Done
Read & discuss Tradition VII (limit discussion): Every C.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting. Declining outside contributions. – Done
Read & Discuss Concepts (limit discussion): Grab bag everyone picks a concept, there can be no repeats. – Done
- Chair’s opening remarks – Done
- Review of the Agenda – Done
- Items requiring discussion before Board-to-Board meeting – Done
-Add the CAWSO financial statements – off record/Joy’s research of budgets-concerns
Hayward: Ok, we’re back on the record. We changed the Board to Board item number 3. We changed that to CAWSO Financial Statements. Is there any other Board to Board items that we need to discuss prior to the meeting? Nope, ok we’re going to approval of minutes. So we don’t have the November–Kim?
Kim: Motion to table the approval of the November 2008 quarterly minutes until we have a complete set.
Trevor: Second
Hayward: Motion by Kim, second by Trevor. Any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Ok. Kim?
Kim: Motion to table the minutes of the 2008 WSBT, WSOB, Board to Board minutes until we
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have a complete set.
Trevor: Second
Hayward: Motion by Kim, second by Trevor to table the approval of the November 2008 Board to Board minutes. Any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor?
Hayward: Any opposed? Motion passes. Ok. Next, Kim?
Kim: Motion to approve the minutes of the February 2009 WSBT Conference call.
Joy: Second
Hayward: Motion by Kim, second by Joy to approve the February 2009 WSBT Conference call minutes. Any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Kim?
Kim: Motion to approve the record of Online business between November 2008 to March 2009 quarterly meetings.
Richard: Second
Hayward: Motion by Kim, second by Richard to approve the record of Online business between the November the quarterly and March quarterly. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor?
Kim: I have a discussion.
Hayward: OK
Kim: Did everybody read those?
Joy: Yes
Kim: And everyone is ok with all the material that’s in the Online minutes from November to March?
Richard: I did not finish reading them.
Hayward: That was in that email.
Kim: That was in a separated email I sent.
Richard: I was behind on catching up on your stuff.
Hayward: So how do you want to handle this?
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Kim: Alright, I just wanted to just ask that question to make sure that everybody was…
Richard: Did you see a concern?
Kim: I went to great efforts to review them for corrections and to remove full names.
Richard: Thank you.
Joy: Fabulous job.
Randy: South West Regional Trustee, Thank you
Hayward: Any of those items going to be posted on the help desk site?
Kim: I can take a look and see what wasn’t included and what was sent last time. Because some of what we sent to Mike was actually from that what we already approved. There might be a couple of things.
Hayward: I got to revise—I got a list of stuff so we will take a look. We will work on that stuff.
Kim: Ok
Hayward: We will work on that.
Kim: Ok
Hayward: Is there any other discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Ok, Trevor.
Trevor: I would like to motion to approve all the Trustee, Regional Trustee…
Hayward: No, we haven’t got there yet.
Trevor: Why not?
Hayward: You sent an email that shows TEC questions—I don’t think we need to—that was just some housekeeping stuff and just needed approval.
Kim: The items that I attached with that email fall under TEC report.
Hayward: Ok
Kim: Just for everyone’s review.
Hayward: Ok, we are now down to Trustee—Ok Trevor go ahead with your motion.
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Trevor: Motion to approve all lead Trustee reports.
Kim: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Trevor, second by Kim to approve the WSBT Officers report. Any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Joy.
Joy: Motion to approve all the Trustee Reports.
Trevor: Second
Hayward: Motion by Joy, second by Trevor to approve the Trustee Reports. Any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Next, Joy.
Joy: Motion to approve the WSBT sub-committee reports.
Lawrence: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Joy, second by Lawrence to approve the WSBT sub-committee reports. Any discussion on these reports? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Trevor.
Trevor: With the exception of the CAWS the four CAWS convention reports, I would like to motion to approve the Trustee Conference Committee reports.
Joy: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Trevor, second by Joy to approve the Trustee Conference report excluding the Convention reports. Any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Now we are going to do the Convention Committee separate. Whose is going to do that? Joy.
Joy: We are going to do them separately?
Richard: Yes.
Joy: Motion to approve CAWS 2009.
Trevor: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Joy, second by Trevor to approve CAWS 2009 Convention report. Any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Kim.
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Kim: Motion to approve the CAWS 2010 report.
Richard: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Kim, second by Richard to approve CAWS 2010 Convention report. Any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Next, Joy.
Joy: Motion to approve CAWS 2011 Convention report.
Willie: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Joy, second by Willie to approve CAWS 2011 Convention report. Any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Joy
Joy: Motion to approve CAWS 2012 Convention report.
Randy: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Joy, second by Randy to approve CAWS 2012 Convention report. Any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. We are down to Place Makers. Item 2006.02.20, that’s Copyright and Trademark Protection. I email you guys the last thing that you had a problem opening it.
Joy: I don’t know what your computer problem is.
Hayward: I’ll post from now on and everybody will pull it from. The last thing that we got was the renewal of the protection of CA and the US of the trademark. CA, that was due in December, so I think what it was just FYI, it goes to the legal firm. They sent us a bill saying it’s time to renew this and it’s going to cost this. So I just passed those along to let everybody know where we are at.
Richard: You have this on the call by you want to bring it over to the quarterly. How come?
Hayward: It follows
Richard: Ok.
Hayward: We keep track of….
Richard: Thank you. So it will always follow?
Hayward: Yeah.
Richard: Thank you, very much. Ok
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Hayward: Joy.
Joy: I have a question. How come it took so long after they got the letter in December—the renewal date was December 2008 but—and they asked for certain documents?
Hayward: Slow to pay
Joy: Ok, I will leave it at that.
Hayward: Slow to pay. To be taken care of. Can anyone see a check written for that amount yet?
Joy: No
Hayward: No? The law firm usually sends a reminder Hey, pass due on this. What are you guys want to do?
Willie: What is the amount on this?
Hayward: I think is about $500 for ten year protection.
Joy: Can I just tell you, it’s not in the AP report.
Hayward: Ok. So we’ll check with the office on the status of that. Next item. Anymore discussion on this? Next item is 2006.08.13. This is an another Place Marker that’s for taking care of the annual corporate documents that everybody signs. We are down to old business.
Old Business
Hayward: First item is 2007.10.14 TEC status. Kim and Trevor.
Kim: Just want to remind everyone as you have your assemblies, I need information regarding TEC delegate and your slate. With the slate I will need names, telephone numbers, email addresses. I sent out the questions for the one position at this time that will be vacated. I hope everybody got the opportunity to review that, and so at this time I would like to make a motion to approve those “as is” for the WST interview to be taken place at the Conference.
Nick: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Kim, second by Nick. Any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes.
Kim: I also attached with that, the process which I made some miner housekeeping changes to. I guess as a formality or for purpose of the minutes I will make a motion to approve that process (document) at this time.
Trevor: Second.
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Hayward: Motion by Kim, second Trevor. Any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes.
Kim: That is really about it. Like I said, I just need that information and I’m preparing a spreadsheet for that information.
Hayward: The matrix.
Kim: Once it comes in I’ll follow up from whoever I don’t hear from. What I said at the last quarterly regarding securing resumes, and Robert was so happy to oblige with resumes´. I don’t necessary need the resumes´ at this time, but you should get them. I know I asked for them and you did send them, I thank you. You should get them in the event one of our positions becomes vacant. So the only ones I need are from, Joy, and she has been so gracious to send those to me. I think I have them all now.
Joy: You should.
Kim: Yes.
Hayward: You have the TEC delegates all that information?
Kim: No I do not.
Joy: You do from the Pacific South.
Hayward: We need to get all that and kind of stay ahead of the game a little bit, incase…
Kim: I can tell you who I don’t have. Trevor.
Trevor: I didn’t have my assembly yet.
Kim: You don’t know who the TEC delegate is?
Trevor: Yes.
Kim: I will need that information. Nicholas. Like I said as far as nominees, Lawrence, Kim (we have ours in two weeks). Nicholas.
Nicholas: Three weeks.
Kim: And that’s it.
Hayward: Ok, can we move on? Anything else? Nobody? Willie.
Willie: I have a question. Does the office put in a slate as well each year even though there’s….
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Hayward: I guess they should. Their an item.
Trevor: There should be a slate for every position.
Joy: I read up on that.
Randy: Were you presented by the office?
Kim: The World Service Office Trustee, yes. I would need a slate with the nominees, as their called there.
Hayward: Any questions? Any other questions? Randy were you—are you straight. Lawrence.
Lawrence: Having that many interviews…
Hayward: Joy
Joy: Three. We had four, one bowed out gracefully, and we might end up down to two.
Hayward: We will do that at the Conference, right. Nothing in Denver?
Kim: Nothing in Denver. We’ll do the interviews at the Conference, three of them.
Hayward: Two or three interviews at the Conference. For whose position you got?
Joy: Some Trustee position.
Hayward: We are going to move on, now. Next item is 2008.08.01 per diem, that’s Nick and Kim about the reimbursement for travel which is 17 cents.
Nick: What is the status of this?
Kim: I had an opportunity to read over what has been sent to me from the quarterly meeting. This is supposed to go to the Board to Board at the last quarterly, and we are supposed to get more information. It’s on the Board to Board.
Hayward: Was Patty supposed to do something that?
Nick: Investigate some more on American law. I had to bow out of it. I can’t do the American law bit. Patty was going to do a little research.
Kim: I’ve been given some information but I don’t know to verify it. Maybe someone else would like to speak about that.
Hayward: Are you finished?
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Nick: Yes.
Hayward: Joy, then Willie. You do have something?
Joy: Yes. There’s two ways to do reimbursement.
Hayward: Ok
Joy: For volunteers. There’s the mileage per the Federal non-profits or an actual expense.
Hayward: Mileage, how much is that?
Joy: The mileage per the Fed rate is 14 cents.
Hayward: 14
Joy: Yes, gone down 3 cents.
Hayward: And we’re doing 17 cents?
Joy: Yes.
Hayward: We better stay there.
Joy: Or there’s the actual expense. It depends on how you want to expense it. To do an actual expense, you have to submit the actual receipt. It you just want to log the mileage and go for 17 cents a mile, for some people it’s easier; you can do it that way.
Hayward: So, if it’s gas you go and get $20 in gas and give them the receipt for$20?
Joy: You fill your tank, you drive to where you are suppose to drive, note the mileage, then you fill your tank again and how much it cost you to fill your tank the second time is the actual expense of gas used.
Hayward: Ok
Joy: That’s the receipt you turn in.
Hayward: You fill your tank before you go?
Joy: Yes
Hayward: And when you get back, you fill it again…
Joy: And that’s the receipt you use. That’s the actual amount of fuel you have used.
That’s called actual expense.
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Hayward: Are you finished?
Joy: Yes sir.
Hayward: Willie.
Willie: Patty was working with somebody and she was supposed to have it all written out for us. There’s several ways this can be utilized and have it written out (documented) as to what’s the most effective way. That should be one of the recommendations at the Board to Board that’s coming.
Hayward: Are you finished?
Willie: Yes.
Hayward: Randy
Randy: I don’t know if my math is any good but, if I drive 60 miles at 17 cents a mile that’s $10, $10.20. If I drive 60 that takes me three gallons of gas I get paid eight or nine bucks for that. 17 cents a mile is actually is a better number, if not the same. Again, it’s much easier I think for all of us to track mileage then is to go make sure we start our trip with a full tank of gas and go buy $4 or $8 worth of gas later and come up with receipts. For me, I’m not sure this is mute point exercise at the moment.
Hayward: So, we have two options. Anymore discussion on this item? We will bring this up at the Board to Board. You guys kind of remember that stuff and then we will see what Patty has and we will go from there. Can we move on? Richard.
Richard: On the update is says the office staff is being paid 45 cents to 50 cents a mile for travel.
Hayward: Employees.
Joy: Because they are paid employees.
Hayward: They have a different wage rate.
Kim: They are not volunteers.
Richard: Why are they traveling?
Hayward: That’s if they do expense any mileage or anything.
Randy: Is there a mileage reimbursement for employees?
Hayward: Like if they go travel to the Conference.
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Richard: There is?
Joy: It always has been, as long as I can remember.
Richard: Thank you.
Willie: In the non-profit sector for employees, I believe is at 55 cents.
Joy: Yes. Much higher rate.
Richard: Thank you
Hayward: Next item, 2008.08.03-NADCP. Richard.
Richard: I met again with Patty two and a half weeks ago, and she was going to come up with a concept of what she’s going to have on the coins to hand out at this event and a cost related to them. She gave me a suggestion that they were going to inexpensive and I asked for a hard cost on an email. As far as who was going to be there we’re still waiting for whether or not Hayward will be able to attend during that weekend.
Hayward: That’s June 10th through the 13th. I might have some work scheduled for that—But you’re going to be there, right?
Richard: I’m already confirmed there as it states in here the hotel reservation was made. Patty will be attending, and the intention was for the Director of Operations to also attend. We’ll see if that’s still a good viable option considering it will be a new person. It was Taffy.
Hayward: Where is it?
Richard: Anaheim.
Hayward: It could the Trustee of the region or the Office Trustee or me.
Joy: I was thinking there’s a possibility I could go.
Richard: Everyone knows this is Drug court? Joy wants to come. That does not let Hayward off the hook. He has been trying to slip off it since I asked. That’s all we have for right now.
Hayward: Can we add Willie to that? He might want to go.
Richard: Do what to come, Willie?
Willie: I plan to go whether I was invited or not. I plan to be there. Not as for as being the person to go, but I did plan to be there to help out wherever that I was going to be needed.
Richard: Thanks great. What I would like to do is, if your committed, is actually I’ll draft a
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schedule of the days. I’ll find out from Patty, since I have not unattended, kind of what the schedule will allow and have us doing a rotation. I understand it’s a small booth type. That’s great, I will add you to the schedule as someone that will show up and communicate and support. Thank you.
Hayward: Have you talked to Bobbie about any—have you need—do you need anything from Bobbie
Richard: Not yet.
Hayward: We are going to move on to next item, unless there is any other discussion on this.
Next item is 2008.11.03-WSO Bank Accounts Consolidation and that is Willie.
Willie: Just an update. The Even Year account and the Money Market account has been closed and opened under new accounts. Checks have been ordered. We should have checks in the new account. All of the accounts will remain up under the old accounts until after Convention. The Operational account will not be closed until the beginning of the fiscal year. I was recommendation of the Treasurer. We spoke at Conference call to honor that recommendation. Randy is on the Committee account.
Hayward: Do we have any forms to sign tonight?
Willie: We don’t have any to sign that Kim—because Kim can get on the Committee account but it won’t be no activity with Kim until after this committee—Randy is already on the account. We as the primary signers have to sign this document.
Hayward: Do you have it here?
Willie: Yes, I have the document here for us to sign.
Hayward: Trevor
Trevor: I just wanted to reconfirm that the Even Year Convention account has been closed.
Hayward: The old one?
Trevor: When I logged on to my Wells Fargo two days ago, when I was on there for Salt Lake in 08 I could see what that account was doing through my online banking and I still have that link on there. It still shows $390 balance in that account.
Hayward: Willie?
Willie: Yes, because we had two outstanding checks written on the old account, so that money has to stay there so we’re not charged anything. That money stays there for those checks that were written.
Trevor: Thank you.
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Hayward: Joy, do we want to stop the tape?
Joy: Yes, let’s stop the tape.
Hayward: We are back on the record. We are going to closed shop for tonight and we will be back on the record in the morning at 10 o’clock. We are going to adjourn for the evening. Thanks everyone.
Hayward: Good Morning everyone. It is now 12:05 p.m. Saturday, March 7th. We concluded all of the interviews for the Chair position. It was determined by group conscious that we would use TEC process. We are going to go into a vote first. None of the four candidates get the two-thirds vote, and then we’ll go on to discussion of that. So we are getting ready to vote.
Hayward: Thanks everyone. We are back on the record. It is 1:59 Saturday, March 7th. We are back into the agenda and we will start with old business item 2008.11.05, that’s Office Reconstruction Project. That’s Willie.
Willie: I believe I forwarded the numbers for the restructure.
Hayward: Did you put them in the binders we had?
Willie: No, they are not in the binders. That is what you had scanned and sent to me. I just had it. I will find it and pass it over. They actually come up with the hard numbers to show us how they got to under 5%. They are coming with more numbers at the Board to Board to actually—now that Taffy won’t be—I believe we have 18 weeks of not salary from there. That’s going to take the numbers. I’ll find them and pass them around as we along with the meeting. That was actually the only thing…
Joy: What did it come to? 5.5%?
Willie: Here it is. Here is the projected numbers. Here is Patty’s letter. I sent them a email to the group.
Hayward: Is this it?
Willie: Yeah, that’s it. Do you want me to go get some copies? Do I need to go get copies for everybody? Richard?
Joy: I would love a copy.
Richard: You have it all electronic?
Willie: Yes.
Kim: While that is going around Willie, what is the hard number on it? At what percentage?
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Willie: Actually right at 5%.
Hayward: Is that taking into consideration with Director of Operation leaving?
Willie: And it’s going to go down. It’s going to go down because those numbers but I—she never did send me the workup of those numbers and how that’s going to reflect to the overall budget, but it’s looking somewhere around 4%.
Hayward: Presently we have a sheet circulating around the WSBT around the tables and everybody taking a look at that.
Richard: Three sheets.
Willie: Two with actual numbers and one with the numbers from Patty. What was explained by Patty was that it fluctuates between 4 and 5 based upon her need. Now that Taffy’s not going to be there, they are also coming with some numbers that are going to reflect, given some added duties, standard duties, her being at the office more and how that’s going further take that number down to maybe 4%.
Richard: Are we not planning on replacing that Director of Operation, because you’re now bringing the numbers down with Taffy leaving.
Willie: So it’s 18 week period—there’s 18 weeks remaining with Taffy’s salary. The interim plan—there won’t be a Director of Operation during that 18 week period.
Richard: So, they decrease the numbers as reflecting just those 18 weeks?
Willie: Yes, just so the 18 weeks would work up going into the next fiscal year.
Richard: Ok
Randy: If we don’t need a Director of Operations for 18 weeks, then why do we need one?
Willie: I didn’t say we don’t need one. The plan is—the interim plan, which would be presented and laid out, would be to train or Patty would—in interim do more oversight at the office, utilize Yvette who has been…
Randy: I think I got that now. So, the plan is not to go without for 18 weeks, it purely to recognized that during the time frame of 18 weeks we may have some little additional monies that we are paying Patty it help us through that time but we will experience a little greater—ok, I got it.
Willie: To put it out there to—taking into considerations some of Taffy’s recommendations, one was—and this was probably was most critical—a non addict being Director of Operations at the office faces some challenges that an addict Director of Operations may not face. That was just
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her exit interview, sort of speak—some suggestions, some recommendations. Moving forward, that’s something we may want to consider and take a look at—that it may have been challenging for her. How to schedule out the interviews, how to get it out there for one, who are we going to get out there to first, and are we going to put out to the fellowship first then take it out? We got Convention coming. When are we going to be able to get together to actually interview the candidates? When we go through a process our next time we would get together are we going to send people to Colorado to interview next time were together? Are we going to have a special interview? How are we going to interview these people? All that stuff has to be looked at. We said let’s lay out our interim plan leading up to the eventual plan of…
Randy: And the plan—we’ll hear about the plan today?
Willie: In the Board to Board.
Randy: Ok.
Kim: I know at our last quarterly we had requested from the WSOB job description, organizational charts, accountability, employment contracts, and payroll records—have we secured all of that?
Willie: Payroll records. I don’t remember…
Kim: I’m looking at the minutes. I know that there was some job descriptions posted, we got that, but as far as employment contracts, payroll records, we want organizational charts, a viability of reducing our bookkeeper expenses—I just wonder if we secured all of that?
Willie: The job descriptions, the organizational chart, that’s been all posted. The employment contract, I don’t believe that has been secured.
Joy: That’s the one we wanted. That’s the one you have.
Kim: As far as accountability to their scheduled times that their working—I guess that’s some sort of time card. How is that being done? Are you familiar with that, do they write themselves, is it supervised by the Chair?
Willie: It’s supposed to be supervised by the Chair. For my understanding, when we went to the Director position the DRPD was a part-time position that we actually created. We created the part-time position. The Director of Operation would remain the full-time position, but the DRPD would be a part-time position. She has laid out kind of a schedule of up to Convention, she going to be at the office maybe 3 to 4 times a week, after that, non critical times she would be in the office 2 times a week. And yes, that’s supervised by the Chair. The accountability of it falls upon the Chair. Since I’m in the area and I’m working close to the office, I do drop in. Is the plan being in a year or two, I don’t know what her 2 days are; I don’t know what her 3 days are and identify. Ask questions and get more directly involved. Am I becoming the supervisor? Is it my place to say where Patty’s at, why this persons not here. The only thing I can do is ask these questions of John. John, do you know when Patty’s supposed to be in the office again or
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something to that nature because I don’t want it to be—now I’m supervising the office—and it gets into a critical area—a volunteer and you have paid employees and I’m not their supervisor. That’s sort of some of the problems that we’re having. Now, the questions that I’m asking, the requests are coming in from the WSBT—I’m asking questions because you guys are asking me to ask the questions. You guys are asking me to make these requests. I’m also getting outside— former Trustees—outside entities that’s telling me that were asking too much of the office and that we’re micro managing them. I got a personal email from a former Trustee who said he doesn’t want to have anything else to do with me based upon whatever he’s hearing from the office as to what our requests are and what’s that. That I don’t mind because its accountability, I believe is the key to this whole thing. Whether they been held accountable or not I don’t know. Like Richard said I wasn’t privy to a lot of this stuff that was going on that’s been requested of them—the information that should be passed on. I’m asking questions from my knowledge because when we get to these meetings you guys ask me questions. I don’t like to continuously say I don’t know. Then it appears that I’m not doing my job. So I ask questions so I can know. So when the questions come up I can be knowledgeable. I should be knowledgeable of small business practices. That’s part of the job description of the WSOT. So I am asking…
Kim: I appreciate all your efforts, Willie I truly do. What was drilled into my head, last year, is that were the principle planners. As I see it action was taken by WSOB without any collaboration with the WSBT and moving around and hiring and so forth. I guess we are just asking for accountability. If I’m on the wrong page here, you all jump in any time. I think that serving the fellowship we are requesting these documents so that we are accountable. When that person comes to you and says I don’t want to talk to anymore because yoru doing this and this and this—advise them that we want to be knowledgeable of what the office is doing and how they are operating. There is no intent or accusations of them being, or you being, inactive in any way. I punch a time card every day, in and out, and my employer knows what I’m doing. I pretty sure they monitor what I’m doing on the computer. We just invested quite a bit of money in computer systems and so forth. I think it’s just good business sense that we look at this in a whole the picture. This was drilled into my head last year, I’m just trying to follow thru with accountability. I appreciate your efforts and you know we have your back.
Willie: I appreciate your question. This all came about because it didn’t go through protocol. It was never presented to the WSOB and it didn’t get to the WSBT that the numbers are going to be up. When it was questioned, it was told to us that it would not exceed that 5 %. As we all know, it did exceed that 5%. I understand.
Randy: I would like to see—I agree with Kim and one agree also your doing a good job—and it is tough. It’s tough to be the guy that comes in with all the questions that we present to you to present to them. Accountability has got to be part of this. It’s got to be part of a part-time roll that has, at best, a nebulous description of what is needed and what will be done and to a certain degree even that document allows her to still write her own check—to a certain degree. I would like to see, or I would like to request, that they consider making that accountability to time, part of the job description of the Director of Operations. Though, Patty’s roll doesn’t report the Director of Operations, doesn’t preclude it from being accountable to that responsibility that person had. That person supposed to be there 40 hours a week. They have the best time, the best opportunity, to track time worked, to keep a, whether it be a time sheet, a log, a this, a whatever.
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There’s no reason a person cannot do that. You don’t have to report to someone to be accountable—for them to be accountable to your time. I have a staff of sales people throughout an entire region and they were accountable to my secretary for their time. They didn’t report to her. That was a responsibility they had to report to her where they were, what they were doing from what time to what time, however that happens. I would ask that in a job description—and I would think it would be Director of Operations—would be the accountability of the individuals that work there and the number of hours they do doing this.
Willie: Director of Operation is the time keeper, correct?
Randy: Should be. I would bet the Director of Special Projects does not believe that. I just don’t think the Chair has any ability to monitor that time. Someone that’s there 40 hours a week should be responsible.
Joy: It’s not in the job description.
Hayward: Anybody else? We’ll further information at the Board to Board for this item. Does everybody have a chance to see the numbers to the plan?
Joy: They are actually 10,000 below the actual budget.
Hayward: Only because…
Joy: They moved line items out of bookkeeping. The actual budget of 08-09, if you take salaries, bookkeeping, it comes to 165,000, but because they took 10,000 out of bookkeeping and put it somewhere else the budget now is 155,000. There still within the numbers.
Kim: I just know that part of the DRPD paid notes—the current projections for April, May, and June is 4 to 5 days a week. July 3 to 4, August to September 4 to 5, October, November, and December 2-3. There was a sheet going around that differs from what was sent. If the hours don’t exceed 4 hours we are billed for half that. If it goes 5 hours we are billed a full day, that’s how I read this.
Randy: Someone needs to be accountable for that.
Trevor: I have a problem with that. I know that may not be the case but that’s sure how it reads and it’s possible. If I worked by the hour or a set salary based on number of days—a day to me is 8 hours not 4 ½ or 5. A day is 8 hours. 40 hours a week is 5 days at 8 hours. That’s standard in Canada. I’m pretty sure it’s standard here and in the UK. I don’t like the fact that somebody can do that. I don’t want to start pointing fingers and saying that’s what’s happening that’s what’s she doing—she’s screwing us. That may not be best on the record. I can maybe edit that out, I don’t know, see how I feel. I don’t like the way that can be manipulated.
Hayward: I guess my question is do I have to be at the office or if I’m working remotely is that the same?
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Willie: We talked about that in the November quarterly. That’s the issues and concerns that come up when you have a salaried employee part-time. Those are issues that come up because the law says that if a salaried employee works 1 hour in that office they get paid the entire day. That’s how it’s been manipulated, if you want to look at it as manipulation, because you know, I’m a salaried employee so I’m exempt from hour status so I don’t have to work 40 hours to get paid for a full week. I don’t have to work 5 days to get the pay for a full week because I’m salaried employee but I have a part-time schedule.
Kim: And certainly the DRPD does a great deal of her work remote hence the laptop that we purchased for her, correct? Obviously based on honesty is the best policy she’s working when she says she’s working. I do not know if she does as her report says…regarding her responsibility to report anticipated work day—days—hours needed to the WSOB Chair each month and prior to each World Service Conference for the entire year. The question was who does she report to? It’s not the Director of Operation according to this, it’s the WSOB Chair.
Trevor: I just wanted to clarify one of the things that I might have just said basically for the record. To me its bad business practice to give somebody that and it’s not about any personality. I think for me is I’m more looking for setting a precedent for down the road incase it’s not—let’s say it’s not Patty anymore it’s somebody else—to say we can pay you for a full day if you give us 4 hours and 10 minutes. If you’re getting paid 3 days a week, I expect 24 hours out of that 3 days. That’s me. I don’t like the fact that somebody can work 12 hours and get paid for 3 days. To me that’s bad business. Ask much as personally I would love it, in the real world that doesn’t make sense.
Hayward: So have we beat this horse enough until the Board to Board or…
Hayward: We could put these questions directly to them. One we send in writing and we hold them to it. Can we move on?
Trevor: But we don’t, do we?
Joy: No
Kim: There are some notes here too, a meeting with Willie. If you all don’t have it I’d be happy to forward this to you. I don’t print everything like Joy.
Willie: You do keep it.
Hayward: We are going to move on to the next item which is 2008.11.11 that’s the AA permissions. And that’s Kim and everybody. I guess Willie could tell us what Patty provided us with for now and she will clarify more at the Board to Board and answer all the questions on how and why.
Willie: I waiting for your question.
Kim: Oh, you’re waiting for my questions?
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Willie: Yeah.
Kim: The latest update that I received from Patty was an email that I found somewhat interesting which states that the Alcoholic Anonymous does not have a copyright on the first and second editions of AA book, the big book. Ok, so what does that mean? In good faith and knowledge…they certainly have copyright on the third and fourth editions. I’m not sure what that was supposed to mean to me. A follow up question was—I only wrote back because I wrote thanks to her—the follow up question to me was Did you know that did not have the copyright? She wrote: AA does not own the copyright to the first and second editions of the big book and therefore cannot give us permission to use “How it Works” with changes. This piece is in the public domain. We can use it within the US. Report to Willie today and the entire WSBT on Friday. Just thought you would like to know who “Works” can be used by us with some restrictions.
Willie: She provided us with some dates as when they needed to copyright or renew the copyright in order for it not to go into public domain. It went into public domain, so in the United States—abroad we can’t use it because it’s cover, but in the United States it’s not because it went into public domain. That’s way if you looked at my report, my report said motion was made to look into the concept of ordering some books without “How it Works” in it, to do it abroad. That’s a whole other issue. I really believe this should wait for the Board to Board. It actually should come up then. I’m provided with some stuff and happy to pass this stuff around.
Randy: So we do not have any documentation from AA addressing the issue? This is still individual’s perception and opinion of the status.
Hayward: They are not going to give us anything in writing.
Willie: Their not giving us anything, one way or another. There is some documentation from the AA Conference at the time will they have asked their members to act as if we still do as copyright. But again that’s not coming from documentation that’s coming from AA because they won’t provide us with that documentation.
Randy: It’s a yes or a no. We don’t have anything from AA?
Hayward: No
Randy: I guess when I hear they won’t provide us anything, did they write us back and say we are not going to provide you something or…
Hayward: I believe Patty is going to have to answer that on the email. You know she loves to talk on the phone.
Willie: Right. If you remember we were trying to get email tracking so that we could have a response from them, but a lot of her stuff is on the phone so therefore she’s provided us with information. That’s where were relying upon.
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Randy: I guess I understood our request to be an official response from AA, Yes or No? Until we get an official response from AA, yes or no, we’re still just working on a person’s opinion.
Willie: Yes.
Hayward: She may show up here and say I do have an email that says no we are not going to give you what you’re requesting in writing, so this is the plan on how to deal with that. Concept of the reprint the books without taking the “How it Works” out and selling that abroad.
Randy: They lost their copyright in the States, but it would still be against the law? What copyright do they have outside of the States?
Willie: I guess dates and time frames that they have overseas that they lost here in the United States.
Richard: Public domain falls under copyright in the United States and that’s where it applies. After—I forget the years that pass—that’s when it goes into public domain and that’s not worldwide. Copyright written is not copyright except.
Willie: The time frame is in the documentation that Joy has.
Randy: They have copyrights on the third and fourth editions?
Willie: Yes, because the time frame has not expired on them.
Richard: Right.
Hayward: Randy anymore questions or do you want to…
Randy: No
Kim: Based on previous minutes and how this went at our meeting in December, we requested that we receive all emails, correspondences, etc. etc. etc. regarding the potential permission or the lack of, we were all suppose to go back to anybody we knew—I think that I know from my own prospective I did that with the first Midwest Regional Trustee who was in on the verbal commitment and permission to use it but it looks to me that we are in the same position we were back in August of last year. Do we have this permission?
Hayward: No
Kim: I think we don’t. I see a lot of heads nodding, for the record. I’m correct, we don’t have it. My perception from reading her emails is that she’s going on the basis that they do not have a copyright on the first and second edition of the big book hence on “How it Works” that she’s going to move forward with making the changes at the Conference floor requested or voted a group conscious. I don’t know in good faith and good conscious that we can allow that to go
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forward. I think at this time we might want to entertain advising the WSOB not to pursue this. I know that we also discussed having some sort of correspondence written by the WSOB in regards to this to the fellowship and why action will not be fulfilled, did we not? Do I need to look at minutes?
Willie: No, your right.
Kim: Ok
Willie: We have asked them to provide a recommendation—that they will present here today— as to how to precede, how to move forward.
Kim: Ok. So I guess more will be revealed, that’s what we’re saying?
Willie: That’s what we’re saying.
Hayward: Willie and I went to CALA and we’ve been through all their stuff and there’s nothing there also.
Lawrence: I think they already changed their format from what I downloaded.
Hayward: Is everybody ok with waiting for the Board to Board? This is another item that we need to—you know—we give them directives and they’re going to come with whatever and we’ll hear that out and then we’ll tell them what we want. Are you guys ok with that?
Everyone: Yes
Hayward: Anybody else on this?
Kim: Can I just say one more thing?
Hayward: Sure, one more thing.
Kim: I think that we really need to make some final discussions about this. I know from my own personal experience an area within my region that is moving forward based on the decisions that were made at the Conference. I think we need to address this.
Hayward: Ok, can we move on to the next item, which is…ok Trevor.
Trevor: I was going to ask if we were going to have a chance to have five or ten minute’s in-between now and the Board to Board?
Hayward: Oh yes. We go until 3:00 and Board to Board is at 3:30.
Trevor: Ok.
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Hayward: Next item is 2008.11.12—Accounting Internal Procedures—Joy.
Joy: I created the document and sent it to Willie, Lawrence, Richard, and Trevor. Willie made a couple of changes—we discussed them heatedly back and forth—changes were made. I sent them to all the Trustee’s so they were uploaded and now what I would like to do is sent them to the office, due to the fact that there’s some policies and procedures in there that I think the office should have the opportunity to look them over—make whatever small changes or tweaks that they want to them and accept them without us saying they have to.
Hayward: Is this also a Board to Board agenda item?
Joy: No. We should probably add it as one.
Hayward: They haven’t seen our changes though.
Joy: No they haven’t. It think we here should say aye or nay to them, all of us collectively, and then sent them. I would like to make a motion to accept the World Service Office Accounting Procedures and Policies as submitted.
Richard: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Joy, second by a Richard. The Board to revise WSOB Accounting, Internal Procedures…
Joy: Accounting, Procedures and Policies.
Hayward: Accounting, Procedures and Policies, edited by the WSBT.
Joy: Yes.
Hayward: Is there any discussion on that? Willie.
Willie: Is—by the way, a lot of work. I do have a copy of their policy manual. Is it our responsibility or our authority to create the policies for the office to work up under? I’m just asking because we do have some oversight in there. We do have some responsibility in there as far as telling them what we want done but do we tell them how to do it?
Joy: That’s way—when I wrote the document—I want to sent it to them for them to make the changes, for them to accept them if they want them. If they don’t then we wasted month’s worth of work. From talking with Patty and Yvette about—Yvette doesn’t know what’s in the document, Patty know some of the stuff that’s in the document because I had to ask her some questions on how it has been done in the past. She sees the Board as accepting them actually adopting them as Accounting Policies and Procedures to go forth with from the time they accept them to the end of time. They don’t have anything. They never have. It’s got the job descriptions in it. It’s got the flow chart in there. It gives them direction on when to sent financial statements and bank statements to the WSOT who then sends them to the rest of the Trustee’s. That has never been in there. It’s always; we have to ask for them. If it’s in writing it’s something that
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they will start to do on a regular basis. It gives them some structure.
Willie: I’m in agreement.
Joy: That’s an unofficial document. That’s something that has been written up out of their brains and has just put on paper. If we say we took your part, we added to it, we tweaked it; we would like you to use this. You don’t have to but we would like you to because we put a lot of effort into it with some very brilliant minds. With other people that were from the office and sent it to the office—already knowing they will accept it—with us saying here’s what we put together, we would love for you to now accept them or not accept them.
Hayward: My understanding on this is you’ve requested that document from the office, they sent it and we went through and made some changes…
Joy: I did not us the entire document. I only took accounting stuff from the document.
Hayward: Ok
Joy: The only thing I took.
Hayward: Ok, but that big document they sent—the thirteen meg one—you took the accounting stuff…
Joy: I just took accounting. I took bookkeeping, and accounting tasks, anything that dealt with inventory, writing checks and who’s the signers on the account. Who the signers are and who should actually be the main two signers for all the checks.
Hayward: These talks about the delegates mailing and stuff. Did you…
Joy: None of that is in here. You didn’t read it? It’s only 26 pages as opposed to—it’s short but sweet. It’s accounting tasks. What they should be doing. What they should be doing daily and how many days the invoices should be entered into QuickBooks, so we can get the discount within ten days, if we get a discount. If we pay our invoices within ten days some vendors give you a discount. We should be taking that discount. We really should.
Hayward: You took the operating procedure, the entire office operating procedure, extracted the accounting part only, made some changes and improvements to it then ran it through sub-committee, and now you would like to send that back to them and hope that they will adapt. Is that way we are all hearing?
Joy: Yes.
Trevor: Yes.
Hayward: I’m not the only one not clear on this thing.
Joy: I took what the office already wrote and made it better, on accounting only.
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Hayward: With the sub-committee?
Joy: With the sub-committee, yes.
Richard: Requesting a time line on how and when we get information is important.
Hayward: Which wasn’t in there before?
Richard: Correct.
Joy: And get some consistency on who actually signs checks, so that we are not signing the same check three times.
Hayward: Yes.
Joy: If you got two people signing the checks every time, then you’ve got some consistency. You have some internal control. You can see that this checks has been written before, why are we signing again, or why is this invoice from 60 days ago, why are just now getting it. Get some consistency in there.
Hayward: Anymore discussion on this? Alright, four against it. Willie did say he was for it, he was just asking—trying to get some clarification, is it our job to tweak there document and stuff, ok everybody believes it is.
Joy: Yes.
Randy: Everybody believes it’s our job to tell them how to do theirs?
Hayward: No. What was the question that Willie asked? Is it our job to…
Richard: Tell them how to their job. That was it.
Joy: We’re not telling them how to do theirs. I took a document that they gave me and extracted accounting policies and procedures only. It needed…
Hayward: That’s the only part we are sending back.
Joy: That’s the only part we’re sending back. With input from the Director of Operations and the Director of whatever that Patty’s position is.
Hayward: I love to see the hands.
Joy: And the bookkeeper and all that input.
Randy: Yes, I think we have the right to ask them to consider modifying their procedures to
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provide us the information that the current procedures are not providing us.
Hayward: Just provided some clarification on some grey areas. Are you finished Randy?
Randy: Yes.
Richard: Most importantly, my opinion is outlining the structure of delivery, instead of forgetting to request at the next meeting, requesting the information and closing those gaps, giving them a time line of when the information should be delivered to us.
Hayward: I’m trying to give Willie some time to get back so he could vote on this also…but he did say he was for it.
Joy: I worked really hard.
Randy: It was a lot of work. That was my first comment to you.
Joy: They even talked about unaudited financial statements instead of us waiting for audited financial statements we should receive unaudited financial statements sent to the World Service Trustee for distribution to the Trustee’s on a quarterly basis. Instead of having to request it every quarter, we should be getting them every quarter. Don’t you all agree?
Hayward: Please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Anyone opposed? Motion passes.
Kim.
Kim: We are adding that to the Board to Board agenda?
Hayward: Have you had any talks with…
Joy: With Tom, no.
Hayward: Have you had any talks with the office about what you were doing?
Joy: Yes.
Hayward: So they know its coming.
Joy: Yes. They have never had anything official…
Hayward: I don’t think we need to put that on the Board to Board.
Joy: They have never had anything official at the office. That was their concern.
Hayward: So if they have concerns with it they’ll voice that….Are going to give that back to
Willie and Willies going to that back to them.
Joy: Sure, if I can get Internet. I can’t get Internet.
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Kim: So we are not adding it to the agenda?
Hayward: We’re not going to add that to the Board to Board.
Kim: Oh.
Hayward: It may be on the next one, but…Do we need to add this to the Board to Board?
Kim: Do we not want to present it to them and show let me know the decision.
Randy: That would be nice.
Joy: That would be nice, don’t you think?
Randy: Yes.
Hayward: Ok, let me put that in there. That another—so we are going to add that in as item 9-accounting—what do you want to call it Joy, accounting?
Joy: This is what I want to call it: Accounting Policy and Procedures. The World Service Office Accounting Procedures and Policies is actually what I have it labeled as. Sorry. WSO.
Hayward: Slash procedures updates. Accounting Policies/Procedures?
Kim: Accounting Procedures and Policies.
Hayward: Accounting Procedures. We will go to item number 2008.11.14-Trustee event combined with Trustee to DRPD. 11.14 and 15 to be addressed at the same time.
Richard: I have again met with Patty. The only thing I was waiting on that pushed it to this quarterly besides the minor update, was the 2008 Conference minutes to see where this actually came from. Information that has been given to me when I came into this position was this was a requested and approved by the Conference for the Trustee event in the budget line item for Miss Patty’s position. I can’t do the acronym. Until I see those minutes I’m still proceeding along the idea that this was Conference approved. Was anyone there that recalls it?
Hayward: We have the transcripts.
Richard: Ok. Have you seen that or recall it?
Kim: No. We can search it though.
Richard: I would like to. If you’ll send me those, I will search through them this evening.
Hayward: They should be on the Yahoo.
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Richard: I went through it. I missed it. I went through it and didn’t see them. It could be my oversight. So going along on that, it has the idea that has come to for us having an event was to coincide a event that worked on the meditation book, where that way it could be a retreat, a meditation retreat and the ideas, materials, it could be workshops that submit to the meditation book. That would help the fellowship. That was something that actually just came out of a discussion and sounded like a concept that worked well for me. How does all that sound to you all? Any objections? Any hell no that won’t go? So that’s the avenue that it’s working on now. The outstanding items that were requested via email are the actual site event budget and cost to be provided by Patty, which she said that she has been under the pressure of doing a lot and has not gotten to that yet. That was two and half weeks ago when I met with her. She still knows that’s an item on her table and that’s what I’m waiting on. Thank you. I will be going through the Conference minutes and letting you know where that happened. That way I can take that part of it out of my report updates. That’s what I got.
Hayward: Ok we can go back one item. We voted on the accounting procedures/policies? We voted on that?
Willie: Yes.
Hayward: We voted yes? So, Joy’s going to forward that to you.
Joy: As soon as I get Internet again.
Hayward: And it’s also going to be on the Board to Board. Are you through Richard?
Richard: Yes I am.
Kim: My question is, will we be further addressing this at the Board to Board or is this something we are going to wait another six weeks to review it at the May quarterly?
Richard: I don’t want to wait six weeks until the May quarterly. I would like to put the question to her as to when I can have that the Board to Board.
Hayward: So, you will update us at the April Conference call?
Kim: So, move to the April Conference call?
Richard: No, I want to move it online. I can get it to move quicker. If it doesn’t move fast enough online, we can bring it the—yes, I make a motion. Thank you. Richard Trustee at Large makes a motion to move this item online.
Joy: Which one?
Hayward: 2008.11.14.
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Richard: and 15.
Hayward: and 15.
Randy: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Richard, second by Randy to move those two old business items to online. Is there any discussion?
Joy: I have a question. The Trustee to the DRPD it says TAL with rotation to the original Trustee. Which original Trustee are we talking about?
Hayward: Wherever the event is held.
Richard: That’s right, wherever this event is to be held. Would you clarify in the notes so that doesn’t come up again, Kim?
Kim: Say that again.
Richard: That on 15, that the rotation is the Trustee whichever region the event is held in, that’s the rotation. So the TAL works with the regional Trustee of where the event is going to be held.
Hayward: We going break for a bit and then we’re…Trevor.
Trevor: Before we go off to break, I just wanted to share my joy with you guys.
Joy: Can we vote on the motion first?
Trevor: Yeah.
Kim: We have a motion to move online.
Hayward: We have a motion to move those two business items online. Joy had a question that was answered. Is there any other discussion on that? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes.
Trevor: I just wanted to share my joy—uncertain right now as to the details—apparently because I share a similar last name with a Mr. Jaffrey that passed away several years ago; I stand to inherit 30 million pounds.
Joy: Break?
Hayward: Hi everybody. We are back on the record. It is now 8:30pm Saturday night March 7, 2009. We have finally completed all the Board to Board and we are back at the agenda. We are at item—oh, we are now in the section of the agenda of to be completed by or updated at March
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quarterly. The first item is 2008.04.14-CA Helpdesk site and that’s me. Well, with that remember the last thing that we did was you guys said we needed to take names out of businesses and references to areas and all that. I’ve compiled all that information; you guys said it looked good. I sent it to the office and Taffy passed it on to Mike. Mike came back with an email that says Do you want man, I’ve spent a lot of time putting this stuff up before four or five hours. He needed a procedure, so I emailed Taffy back and said there is no procedure we decided after looking at it that it’s not right so we what it this way. That’s way we revised those responses and sent it back. He’s cranking away at it. That’s about where we are. It’s still not ready for prime time yet, because we haven’t approved it and giving the WSOB a chance to look at it. Since the office owns the website, we have to let them look at it and say yeah or nay. That’s where we are at with it. Any questions about it? Is there a need for me to put any pressure on them over there that they get it done?
Richard: Thank you for updating us on the emails and stuff.
Hayward: I‘ll update hopefully at the Conference call. Next item is 2008.11.07-Trevor, that Canadian region.
Trevor: This was moved to long term planning, which would be Richard.
Hayward: Richard said to leave on the agenda until after the main meeting at the Convention. So is there any updates on that? Have you been talking to any of the Trustee’s at…
Richard: No.
Hayward: There regions extend up into…
Richard: I have not done anything on that. Sorry, can’t make stuff up.
Hayward: Next item is 2009.02.09-November minutes/transcriber. Trevor gave us an update on that. It brings us to a point of what do we want to do. Do we want to let—what’s her name?
Trevor: Kimberly.
Hayward: Kimberly from Canada to continue on?
Trevor: She has agreed with me that it’s not working out. She doesn’t have the time. She’s finishing up what we’ve got. As soon as she does she’s promised to get me back the equipment, the pedal and I will get it in the mail. The day I get it back we’ll have to find somebody else.
Hayward: She’s going to finish the November quarterly and the Board to Board.
Trevor: She was hoping to have them by the time I came down here, but she had another week at work and I…
Hayward: How do you guys want to deal with this now? Since we are back where we were, we had somebody willing but that didn’t work out. Now how do you want to deal with transcribing
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the minutes?
Joy: Do you want me to ask Barbara if she’ll do it?
Hayward: Is Barbara in the fellowship?
Joy: Nope.
Hayward: Good, so she doesn’t know anybody who…
Joy: You’re absolutely right.
Richard: Except what you mutter under your breath.
Joy: Or if she hears when I’m on the Conference call. The dogs are barking.
Richard: So, her typing skills and everything are…
Joy: She’s taken a typing class. She’s done a computer class. She doesn’t work outside the home.
Hayward: Does anybody have suggestions on how we should deal with transcribing the minutes?
Joy: Are you 1099ing her though? If she 1009’s her, she runs through payroll. How is that…
Hayward: To do the minutes, it costs $250. We pay them a check.
Joy: So it’s 1009?
Hayward: She would have to contact the office about that.
Joy: It’s under $900. I can still claim her as a dependent. That’s fine.
Hayward: Does anybody have any suggestions? Does anybody object to that? Do I hear a motion?
Joy: I have to ask first, of course.
Hayward: Ok, no motion.
Joy: Don’t make the motion, yet.
Hayward: So, no motion. You will update us online?
Joy: Yes I will. You will all have an answer by Monday. How’s that?
Hayward: We will miss the March quarterly with the November minutes and maybe they can do
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a supplemental thing once we get everything for the November minutes after the March quarterly. Anything else on that? I guess not, so we will move on. We are down to referrals. We are done with all our referrals except for referral number 5796, which is referred from LCF committee WSBT with a approval at the first 164 pages of the big book to HFC per request that this be on the agenda at our next quarterly, which is here.
Trevor: I think we should have about six hours of discussion on this. Actually, in light of the new information that we learned this weekend regarding what we are currently dealing with we can move this online and I can have a response in a couple of days just stating why we are not going to be pursuing this avenue of thinking.
Joy: So moved.
Hayward: Is there a second on that?
Robert: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Joy, second by Randy I believe or Robert? Second by Robert. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes to move referral 5796 to online. Thank you. The next thing I have here is a response to correspondence received for the fellowship. It was one that—Trevor I guess that for you—back in February 16th for your friend, somebody in your region named Ginger. Ginger H.
Trevor: I would like to make a motion to approve the already approved response for this question, be sent to Ginger.
Hayward: What do you mean, already approved?
Trevor: The response that I prepared is actually off the helpdesk site. It is an exact cut and pasted of a previous response to an identical question a couple of years ago to the Board of Trustees. So rather reinvent the wheel, they response was good, I cut and pasted it, stuck it on, and here it is.
Hayward: Have you sent that to her already?
Trevor: I have not, because I still wanted to bring it before the Board. It was something that came to us.
Hayward: Are we going to do that online? Are you going to that…
Trevor: It’s already prepared. I emailed it to everybody this morning. I can stick it to everybody now if they don’t have it.
Hayward: How to you all want to handle this? A motion—do we proceed with that or do we wait let everybody review it.
Randy: What’s the existing motion?
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Kim: There is no motion.
Trevor: I did a motion.
Kim: I’m sorry. What was it?
Randy: Motion to send her the response.
Trevor: I motion to send her the prior approved response.
Robert: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Trevor, second by Robert to forward a response that we already had to Ginger L in Lynnwood, Washington. Is there any discussion on this?
Kim: I just want to clarify. It’s a motion to approve and send the response that Trevor has prepared?
Robert: Yes.
Hayward: Seeing no other discussion, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. We are down to—do we all want to deal with new business now or do we want to go back and talk more about restructure, the interim plan and AA permissions or do we want to go on to new business and get that out of the way? We are going to move on to new business. First new business item is 2009.03.01-date and time for the next WSBT Conference call. Which is in April. We have them on Sunday’s around 10 a.m.
Joy: I thought we had it for the 19th. I thought we decided on the 19th.
Hayward: We did?
Joy: I have it written down. Trustee Conference call 10 a.m. on the 19th.
Trevor: So do I.
Hayward: April 19th?
Joy: Yes.
Hayward: Ok, that’s already happened. Next item is taken care of already too, right?
Everyone: Yes.
Hayward: Next item of business is 2009.03.03- Ratification of WSBT Director Nominee and that’s Willie.
Willie: WSOB?
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Hayward: WSOB. Director…
Willie: I would like to make a motion to ratify the nominee that the WSOB brought forward, Mona I.
Hayward: Is there a second on the motion?
Randy: Is that the only name? I’ll second it to open it up to discussion.
Hayward: Motion has been made by Willie, second by Randy for nomination for Mona I as WSOB Director. Is there any discussion on this motion? Do we need to go off line about this?
Joy: Yes.
Hayward: We are back on the record. We went off line for some discussion about the ratification of the WSOB Director nominee, Mona I. The results of the vote was “no”. She did not get ratified by the WSBT. The next item of business is 2009.03.04-My space, face book user/violation of copyrights, CA logo and motto, Kim and Nicholas.
Kim: Mostly I put this on the agenda because—in our response to Tony—I said that we would follow-up on this and research it.
Hayward: That’s right. Your response to Tony was already sent. Nick came back with something and that’s how you got tied up in it.
Nick: Yeah.
Hayward: So, it’s really not you, it’s you. Do you have a response or something?
Nick: I was going to do a cut and paste of sorts. It needs to be talked about because this is not going to go away. What they do is they go your going to quote a f**king tradition because that’s what we do. You’re the f**king Trustee. This is a copy of the conversation. Where does it say f**king face book/slam face down/f**k off? That was as loving and tolerant as I ever could be on that day. He was sent a letter from the UK area, not to go to the World Cup in Germany and hold a flag up 200 foot across with Cocaine Anonymous wrongly written on it. The picture was face. This man does what he wants. We need to say something, because it says press television and TV. Although I don’t have a TV, I do have Internet. I see his face and others. A member showed me some stuff on face book because I don’t really any of those things. Other members saw that and thought they could do it. So they started getting CAUK posters and going this is me. Now they are using copyright material that is not theirs to put. It’s getting quite complicated. I felt we should issue some sort of statement. Not a judgment, but some sort of recommendation or something. This is going to keep going. It’s almost like—but it’s not covered—and you can’t tell me what to do so I’m going to get away with it. I talked to Trevor. Trevor came up with a super idea. I thought we would bring it to this forum, because I think it’s important. I remember that was that other dude that had something and it was before and it was another quarterly. Trevor
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had an idea, didn’t you Trevor?
Richard: When I saw the email from Nicholas—the photo—I mean this isn’t the first time this has come up—something struck me at this point and time and that the appropriate place for a statement would be when the IT guidelines are talking about websites, to have a statement in there that is stating that does not apply, nor should CA be affiliated with social networking websites. We then have some place to refer them back to in our documentation. This would be a referral that would go to the IT committee from us. It would be something in black in white that we can refer our membership to—if it goes through to Conference—that says this is what the fellowship of Cocaine Anonymous has approved and what we have to say about it.
Trevor: World Service Manual latest edition page 15 electronically, I don’t know what it is real. Statement of policy: Who may use the name Cocaine Anonymous, the block letters CA, the official Cocaine Anonymous logo, blah, blah, blah “We’re Here and We’re Free” on the other stuff. The group and then it describes what that’s for, Director Area Region or Cocaine Anonymous World Services Inc. No other individual or entity may use any of that stuff without the written consent of this Board. So, we have already got it. It’s a cut and paste for IT if that’s what it is. I don’t why I didn’t think of this earlier when we were talking about it. I know this page is in the manual. I think that’s our—we don’t have to write anything because it’s already written. You are not authorized to use this, please cease and desist or we will sue your ass.
Nick: Is that strong enough?
Kim: This is on My Space: CA, uses the coin, “We’re Here and Were Free”. I’ll tell you right now who’s got this space up.
Kim: This person. We are online. I’m not using any names. All you have to do is search.
Richard: Face book has similar…
Kim: Yes, Face book had some.
Richard: They have a start up of one. They have a CAUK one and they have a CA one.
Joy: Do they have a CA one?
Richard: Yes
Trevor: Yeah, it was a woman in my home group that started it.
Hayward: Who created that, well…forget it.
Nick: So, do we think that is efficient verbiage?
Hayward: How are we going to address this item of business? Are we going to send that information out of the manual to your people about the email? Is that we are going to do?
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Nick: Yes, Even though we don’t mention the incident then, it doesn’t matter in what domain it’s in outer space. We “Cocaine Anonymous” own this stuff. We paid for this stuff. The fellowship paid for this out of 7th tradition. They don’t have the right. If we come at it from that angle, it doesn’t matter where it is, if it’s on the website—wherever it is, it’s ours.
Hayward: Am I hearing that you going to reply back to that email—you’re going to prepare a response, post it online and we are going to approve it. Is there a motion? Is there a motion to move it online or—what are we going to do?
Nick: I would like to make a motion that we address this tomorrow morning and reply.
Hayward: You will have a response tomorrow morning?
Nick: Yeah. I can do it by tomorrow morning.
Hayward: Was there a second on the motion?
Trevor: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Nick, second by Trevor to have response for business item 2009.03.04 the My Space, face book email. Nick’s email.
Kim: Nicks email. How are we overall going to address others that are—I mean are we going to send something to that particular My Space location and ask them to make changes?
Hayward: It’s included. We are into discussion on the motion now, right?
Richard: Yes.
Randy: And the motion was again?
Hayward: That Nicholas was going to prepare a response to that item of business. Kim asked how are we going to deal with the rest of it?
Kim: I’m sorry; my question was out of order pertaining to the motion.
Hayward: It doesn’t pertain to the motion?
Kim: No it doesn’t.
Hayward: So, we’re clear how we are going to deal with Nick’s issue, right? He’s going to have a response to us in the morning to look at. Let’s vote. Any other discussion on Nick’s issue? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any Opposed? Motion passes. Kim came back with a question on how we are going to deal with the rest of it. Do you have anything else to say Kim?
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Kim: No.
Nick: I was thinking, I remember receiving Co-Anon statement from the Board when I was a delegate. There was a statement issued. It was a statement about our relationship with Co-Anon and there was another thing like when to trust or not. I think there is a precedent of making statements or policy. I think we can say due to the frequency of violations of our trademark and our copyright and the motto “We’re Here and We’re Free”, the Board felt it necessary to make the following statement relating to such social networks as…and correct the shit and send it out so all the delegates get it, because this is not going to go away. Without some sort of statement, this is not going to go away.
Hayward: I need a motion before we get into some long drawn out…do you got your motion?
Nick: I would like to make a motion that the Board issues some sort of statement relating to social networking and the violation of our copyrighted work.
Richard: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Nick, second by Richard for the WSBT to provide a statement on the violations of our logo and these various social networking sites. Is there any discussion? I got something. Who’s going to lead the attack on this? Richard will take the lead. Who’s going to work with Richard? Nicholas, Trevor, anybody else? Willie, and it looks like Lawrence and Robert will too. Do you have all that Kim?
Kim: Something like that. Just something about a motion to prepare a statement to address the use of our registered trademark and copyright.
Hayward: A statement by the WSBT to address the violation of our copyright, violation of our logo being used on social networking sites. We have a sub-committee, they will prepare that and write it back to us and maybe we can get that put in the news gram also. Is there anymore discussion on the motion?
Randy: Why it just social networking? Why isn’t it the Internet in general? I just goggled Cocaine Anonymous in My Space and got 50,000 hits. It goes all over the place. I’m looking on YouTube, right now, at our CA public service announcement posted on YouTube by a member from an online area posted our public service announcement on YouTube.
Hayward: Do we need to have a friendly amendment to that to add Internet all together? How do we want the motion—does anybody object to this? No, ok. So that means a friendly amendment is going to pass. How do we want the motion to read now? Can you read that back to me and we’ll…
Kim: Motion to prepare a statement to address the use of our registered trademark and violation of our copy written logo on the Internet.
Hayward: On the Internet. Good.
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Nick: That’s cool. That’s simple.
Richard: Thank you Randy.
Hayward: Is there anymore discussion on this? We have a sub-committee and stuff? Since there is no more discussion, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Next business item is 2009.03.05-North Carolina Area, and that’s Lawrence.
Lawrence: To bring you all up-to-date, I…the groups in North Carolina and since they haven’t been active and I prepared a letter and sent it out to the groups and got five back. I’ve been in contact with the groups in Raleigh and in Charlotte and their issues is trying to get the structure back up and becoming active back in World Service and in the region. I plan on putting together a trip to go out there and meet with them and try everything back in service.
Hayward: How many groups in that—it’s an area? North Carolina area.—how many groups in that area?
Lawrence: The list they sent me was 22 meetings but I didn’t get anything else from them. I just got an announcement back from three groups in Raleigh and two in Charlotte.
Hayward: But you sent a letter out, or something out to 23 of them and we got back about five.
Lawrence: Yes.
Richard: I just wanted to let you know how serious they were. I was in Raleigh in March of last year. I called the helpline and left three different messages, never got a return call, couldn’t find any of the meetings. In October I got a phone call from one the guys who said things have fallen apart. I don’t know when you left the message but I just wanted to call back. Regardless of how long it had been—and I told them how much I appreciated that and that I was there traveling and I really appreciated that regardless of how long it had been that he called back. I would say there are serious about getting back on track.
Hayward: You’re thinking about, somewhere down the road, you’re going to request the travel…Great. Great. Anybody have anything to add? Is there anything else to add on that Lawrence?
Lawrence: Not a thing.
Hayward: Ok. Next item of business 2009.03.06-Reports timing response—I’m talking you’ all—reports, timing, responsibility when people rotate out. That’s Nick.
Nick: This is just my experience, this is not criticism. This is my experience. I just wanted— about throughout the experience, when someone lets go and when someone signs off, when the new Trustee comes and the old Trustee lets go are there defying theories. Is anything written down? I couldn’t find anything. And my experience was the S & B committee did all the work
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that we were ready to rock and roll in November. Bobbie H. did not get back to us until so long after that it is was untrue. This could have gone out before Christmas. The new manual was ready to go on January 1st, but—I think it was your direction Hayward but I’m not crumping you—but it was something like our politeness that Bobby should be able to sign off of it. We were ready to go, to launch, in January 1st. I just wanted to know if there is any written policy and when the old Trustee, ex-Trustee, former Trustee, let’s go and when…I just wanted to know if there was anything written down there?
Hayward: Yes there is. I’ll have to dig it up.
Nick: That’s cool.
Hayward: We definitely have something about—I think it’s the time period—it addresses that. I don’t want to talk too much about it but we got it and I’ll dig it up and I’ll pass it on.
Nick: Does it go to old?
Hayward: Do you know what, I think it’s in the orientation information that Lawrence originally sent out.
Nick: It’s that there’s a few members obviously knew that it’s been done because they worked on the S & B. They were telling people it was coming but it seems to be a long time coming, but if it’s written down its policy somewhere. We got it covered. I couldn’t find it. Do you think it may be there?
Hayward: I’m going to find it and I’m going to send it to you.
Nick: Ok, I just couldn’t find it.
Hayward: You just wanted—ok.
Nick: Just clarification.
Hayward: I’m going to bring up something. I know we are volunteers and we’re all busy as hell but we need to post all of our reports a week before the quarterly. I’m not saying anything about anybody. We need to just get the reports posted for the people that have to travel—like Nick has a travel from here to east heaven. It’s a long flight and he needs to get all that stuff. Let’s try to handle all that stuff and get it out of the way. Post all our reports. It just makes it easier on everybody. Ok? Nick did you just wanted to bring that up or…
Nick: I would like to look at the verbiage to see what we got down as policy.
Hayward: I’m going to find that in a minute.
Nick: I get asked stuff.
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Hayward: Next item is 2009.03.07-Trustee Budgets and that was Willie.
Willie: I just wanted to get everybody to start thinking—I know Richard you were talking about a Trustee at Large Budget. Going back on what you guys are spending so that way we can present some budgets—I guess have them gather at the May quarterly? Is that the time frame that the budget has been submitted?
Hayward: I would say it’s before the Conference because that’s when they come to us and say we need the your budget information The sooner that we get it and you can look at it and stuff the better it is. Remember before the Conference and for the new people I gave you guys something when you came on—this is what the previous person had, so take a look at this. If you want to add some more trips in or something, just add them in. Now you will be able to create something also. Will you need an example of what to use?
Joy: Pull an old one for TAL. There are old ones.
Richard: They said there were old ones.
Joy: We use to have two TAL’s and they both have budgets. I know somewhere on my computer at home I actually have old finance stuff.
Richard: Send an old one and I’ll work with his and make one.
Joy: Ok.
Richard: Thank you.
Hayward: If anybody has lost theirs let me know and we’ll figure out something.
Kim: Do you want those by the May quarterly?
Willie: Yeah, just something. Roughly at the May quarterly so we can go over it so we can be prepared, have them submitted by the Conference.
Hayward: That’s right.
Joy: To the Finance committee? So I should submit them?
Hayward: Yes.
Nick: I just want to remind everyone, think it’s written down here somewhere—if it’s under 10%, it flies and there is no questions. If the budget is over a 10% increase then there is a problem with them flying on the Conference floor, but if it’s over 10% then there is a problem. It’s just an observation. If it’s over 10% then we have to completely defend it.
Willie: When we say over 10%, that’s over 10 % of the Trustee budget that’s…
Nick: That’s the total Trustee’s personal budget. So, now my budget is $260. So if I want
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anything over $260 it’s going to go before Conference.
Willie: I believe this is Cumulative budget of the Trustees being over 10%. The individual budget make up the cumulative budget.
Nick: I would have to see the verbiage. I just wanted to remind you. Maybe it’s the whole thing.
Willie: I’m just trying to get clarity.
Hayward: Is it 10% per or is it 10% for the whole committee?
Nick: That’s where I think it should be made clear.
Lawrence: That’s the whole budget.
Willie: Right.
Nick: Could you confirm that Willie?
Willie: I will.
Joy: What would you like to know?
Trevor: Last year it was broke out individually for each one that was presented.
Joy: It’s broke out individually.
Hayward: No that wasn’t the question. We did that but…
Joy: You’re talking that 10%.
Hayward: I think that Earl said that if the total budget increases by 10%…
Joy: Any budget.
Hayward: If any budget. So is that individual Trustees or the total combined Trustee budget?
Joy: Both.
Hayward: Ok. There’s your answer. Look over your stuff.
Joy: That’s in place for…
Nick: Forever.
Randy: We are going over by 12% just by adding another budget. If your numbers are even
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similar to all of ours, were…
Richard: Unless…
Joy: Which is ok because the reality is when we go to the Conference floor I’ll back them up and say Look, the TAL, for the last three years was acting as if they were the Regional Trustee. They didn’t have a budget so they were using the budget of the Regional Trustee’s whose position was vacant. We need to have a TAL budget due the fact the TAL travels and has a specific job description.
Hayward: That’s right and your budget will include their assembly, the NADCP thing, blah, blah, blah.
Randy: I’m still trying to figure all this out so I apologize if I am bit confused. Kim, will you put your budget for you travel to Milwaukee and back? Will that be part of your budget?
Kim: No, that actually is coming out of their budget.
Randy: Ok. But, Denver not coming out the committee…
Joy: It’s supposed to and it’s a posting issue.
Kim: It’s supposed to.
Hayward: It should come out of there because the Conference said that.
Randy: Right now with a TAL that’s coming out of my budget your trip to the Regional with me…
Richard: came out of…
Randy: so our attendance to the trip to the Regional and my trip to Denver once for their Convention meeting, my monies gone. I know there’s a Convention in Oklahoma that’s coming up the end of this month that they ask to come, not to speak, Danny and Barry and the guys wanted—hey we finally have kind of a Trustee Father Bob. One of those pitches. I just hope because I’m personally not able to cover that financially. With the Regional and the Convention in Denver—it’s not there.
Trevor: I was always under the understanding that we have required travel. The Conference, the Convention, our two other Regional’s (the quarterly and our regional assembly) those are do not count technically against our budget. They can’t.
Randy: Not our regional travel does?
Trevor: Regional travel…
Randy: I mean the Regional Convention which is our assembly.
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Trevor: Yeah, that’s a required trip.
Joy: That is part of your budget, but it should have still been inclusive in the amount of your budget.
Trevor: It comes out of the common Trustee budget rather than our individual travel budget.
Randy: It sounds like we’re all a little confused. I’m confused. I don’t know. I just know that when Taffy gave me my amount left I was out of money. You used the money but I did too. A hotel involved, and I had a trip to Denver, but it’s basically three trips.
Trevor: For me, one trip and I’d be done. Pretty much, you know. If I’m going to Edmonton next month for my Regional, I could do a couple of those but I have to go to Nevada or Idaho—I don’t know how the hell I’m going to do that. I can’t even afford to go Idaho or any of that. Kim looks like she found something.
Kim: No, this is the budget I submitted. It was $3940 which was well over the 10% so I set up for $2100.
Hayward: Ok, so have we had all our discussion on Trustee budgets?
Willie: Yeah.
Hayward: I found the information on the previous item about report timings and stuff. I just pointed Nick in the direction that the information he was looking for was included in the orientation. You talked to Lawrence, and Lawrence is going to forward you that—so those two. It is now 10 o’clock. Let take a review of the agenda right quick. From the top down, we need to talk about old business item 2008.11.05-Office Restructure Project and the Interim and all that’s kind of—and we also need to talk about the 2008.11.11-AA permissions. I think that’s about it, everything else is dealt with.
Randy: I would like to take the response we got regarding the Earmarking question and move that online. Can I make a motion to do that?
Hayward: Let’s put a number on that and we will add that as—is that a new business item?— 2009.03.08. We will call that Earmarking. We’ll put Randy on that. Do you need any help on that?
Randy: Yeah, at this point I think everybody has participated at least twice. The people in my sub-committee have participated six or seven times as we drafted and redrafted and reworked— I’ll post something and…
Hayward: Randy will be leading and everybody will be part of the sub-committee.
Randy: Thank you.
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Hayward: I heard there was a motion to move that business item online, is there some…
Richard: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Randy, second by Richard to move new business item 2009.03.08-Earmarking. Randy is the lead and the whole Board is part of the sub-committee. Is there any discussion on that? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. We only have two things to deal with now. Let’s break.
Hayward: Alright everybody, we are back on the record. It is now 10 o’clock. We’ve had a long day and we completed all our interviews and Board to Board and we’re plowing through our agenda. We have a couple more items. We are going to deal with that first thing in the morning. We are going to adjourn for the evening and reconvene back here at 9 a.m. Thank you.
Hayward: Morning everyone. Its Sunday morning 9:04am March 8th. We are back in session. We have a couple of things that we need to discuss this morning. The first one is old business item 2008.11.11-AA permissions. Do we need to go off line and talk about this or? We’ll just talk and whatever comes out and if we need to have it edited we’ll just tell the transcriber.
Kim: I’m sorry, what about 2008.11.05
Hayward: Ok, we’ll do that one first. 2008.11.05, the Office Restructure project and the Interim project lumped together. We’ll call it that. Is everybody on the same pages of where we’re at with this? They are suppose to bring us the plan on the 5%, and they did, they brought us that and now that the paid director has resigned—so there are going to be even further under their 5 %. Patty told us about the plan she had of training the assistant director of resource and project development and also training Yvette.
Joy: I think training Yvette is a good idea.
Hayward: Anybody have any thoughts on how we should direct them?
Willie: I support the interim plan. I actually encourage the cleaning up of the books, the training and then moving forward, but I one thing that I would ask that I would like to have them lay it all out and format, black and white, so that way at the Board meeting on that Friday I could send it out to the Yahoo group—what that plan is an how it looks on paper and what we hope to achieve, the timelines for putting it out to the fellowship, interview process of the WSOB, and eventually get it to the WSBT.
Hayward: Good. Anybody else? Do we need a motion for this or something you can take back to—how do you want to craft the motion Willie?
Joy: I second your motion, whatever it is.
Willie: I motion to accept the Interim plan of training and replacing the DOO on an interim basis.
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Kim: Motion to accept the plan of training and…
Willie: Training, cleaning up and restructuring the financial…
Joy: Correcting the financials.
Willie: Yes.
Joy: Let’s make it “Correcting”.
Willie: Yes. Auditing…
Joy: They’re audited after they’re cleaned up.
Willie: Ok.
Hayward: Are you through?
Joy: Could you re-read the motion?
Hayward: Please restate the motion, please Kimberly.
Kim: Motion to accept Interim plan of training and correcting the financials. That’s all I have.
Hayward: For the WSO?
Willie: For the WSO, with timelines to follow.
Hayward: Anything else? Who said something about a date or something when they are going to circulate the announcement?
Willie: Yes, that’s with a timeline—is to follow.
Kim: And you’re going to second that?
Joy: I second that motion.
Hayward: Can you restate it please?
Kim: Motion to accept the Interim plan of training office staff and correcting the financials of the WSO with timeline to follow.
Joy and Willie: Wait, with timelines to follow on the hiring of the DOO.
Joy: Now I second that motion.
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Hayward: Are we through with that. Ok, motion by Willie, second by Joy as the secretary stated. Is there anymore discussion on this?
Kim: So this motion states nothing about Patty actually performing the duties of the DOO in the interim period?
Hayward: But it assumed.
Kim: Assumed?
Hayward: Should we state that the director of resource and project resource planning and project development is going to assume the duties of the DOO during the interim plan and provide the training?
Willie: Should that be a separate motion? I believe that should be a separate motion and that’s what I plan to accept the…
Hayward: So that’s a separate one? That’s the next one?
Willie: Yeah, that’s the next motion.
Joy: It should be two separate motions.
Hayward: So we are through with the first motion right? It’s already stated and stuff. Is there anymore discussion on the first motion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Next motion.
Willie: Next motion—I don’t know, you may have to help me craft this motion—but I want to accept what Patty was talking about. Her hours, being interim DOO and DRPD, but actually it goes with some financial aspects because now you are going to be compensating—I believe she said Tony and Yvette for the hours that they are going spend on what they are going to be doing.
Hayward: So they are actually going to expand this stuff, right?
Willie: Right.
Joy: They are going to be trained to expand some of their duties. Actually, the shipping clerk should be providing those specific reports anyway. When it comes to the inventory he is the inventory dude or man, or whatever you want to call him.
Kim: Should the motion be we basically, during the interim period that Patty Flannigan will be the acting DOO in conjunction with her current position as DRPD?
Willie: There it is Kim. Then we can make it real simple.
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Kim: Motion to have Patty Flannigan fulfill the position of DOO during interim point in conjunction with her current position as DRPD.
Joy: I’ll second that motion.
Hayward: Motion by Willie, second by Joy as the secretary stated. Is there any discussion on this motion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Is there anymore discussion on that business item 2008.11.05?
Kim: Willie, when will you be able to get that timeline?
Willie: You would get the timeline—I would like to know Monday. The timeline should be ready for me on Thursday at our Board meeting and I’ll put it out the group Thursday night or Friday morning of next week.
Hayward: So we don’t need to put a date on the timeline. We’ll give them some time to work on it.
Willie: Right.
Kim: So this will be updated in April then as well.
Hayward: It’s going to be updated April Conference call?
Willie: Yes.
Kim: Thank you.
Hayward: Thanks everybody on that. Next thing is, our baby, 2008.11.11-AA permission.
Trevor: That last one, the timeline. Just so I’m clear. The timeline is how we are going to go about rehiring a new Director of Operations?
Hayward: Right.
Trevor: Thanks. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t dumb.
Hayward: No you’re not. We are here talking about the AA permission. We now know that there’s are some thinks that we can do that’s not really cool. We are not going to tear the book up and throw it away. I kind of like something that I overheard in the parking lot about the current inventory could be distributed amongst the H & I within the states because we really don’t have a problem in the states, right?
Willie: No.
Hayward: We could distribute that to the H & I facilities. Divvy it out and we do a reprint on the
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book, the right way, and then we are back in business and we can sell it anywhere.
Richard: It just sounds and feels like we are going forward without seeing if we can be comfortable with AA and what we have already done.
Hayward: So you think that we oughta go AA and offer them some of the money?
Richard: Yes.
Hayward: We’re not going to sell the book just what’s in inventory. You still think we oughta go to them and say hey, hey…
Richard: Yes, or this is our intention is to distribute the book through H & I and not sell it. Is this an acceptable amends for stealing your shit.
Hayward: Whatever we do, whatever we decide, we need to go to AA and tell them?
Richard: I feel we do.
Trevor: I think legally I’m cool with that plan to distribute to H & I in the states, but morally and ethically I’m not so sure about that without going to AA and saying this is what we’ve done, this is what we’ve been doing, we apologize how can we fix it, how can we make it right with you.
Richard: Or does this fix it? Sorry.
Trevor: You’re totally right. At this point to sweep it under the rug and say we screwed up and we are going to fix it but we are not going to admit to it—if we’re a big grown up fellowship, then we have big enough shoulders to take whatever crap that is coming down the line. I never had a lot to do with AA on a business level but I can’t see them—obviously they can’t sue us—I can’t see them making a big deal of it.
Hayward: Legally they lost it anyway. They don’t care about that.
Trevor: I just think for me it’s more of a moral and ethically thing as far as doing what we know to be right. I don’t want to have to stand before my higher power and say I helped the fellowship do this to AA, we screwed up to bad for you. I can’t support that. I think with that plan going forward I would be supportive of it provided that we did go to AA and say this is what we want to do. How else can we try to fix this for you?
Hayward: Are you through, Trevor?
Trevor: Yep.
Joy: We have a lot of inventory between the hard and the soft bound HFC II. I agree going to AA and saying this is our plan to get rid of our inventory. We are not going to sell the inventory, we are going to use this inventory for starter kits, and H & I and PI stuff and we’re giving it free.
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Then order new inventory without “How it Works” in it. So then we can then sell it everywhere.
So we can try and make up some of the funds that we lost for our huge, huge mistake.
Hayward: Right. How much—maybe this is a little project to you—how much inventory do we have?
Joy: I know in book we have quite a bit. We ordered a lot.
Hayward: We spent like $40,000.
Joy: Right. I know we still have $30,000 worth of inventory.
Hayward: What about the books that we printed in French to sell?
Joy: Guess what? We get to eat that.
Hayward: We eat that too.
Joy: We have to eat that. There’s no way around it. You can’t give that free. That has to be eaten.
Hayward: Are you through?
Joy: For about a minute.
Hayward: Ok. Willie.
Willie: I would like to see this time the local Trustees be involved in whatever meeting, negotiation goes with AA so we can be clear, so we’re not going it’s been passed on, it’s been misrepresented, it’s been looked at differently, that we are clear what the plan is, what AA is actually willing to accept in this amends process to move forward. Then we’re clear on what we have to do to make this right. We will report back to the full Board on just what we have to do.
Hayward: Is that a motion?
Willie: It could be.
Hayward: Are we still discussing it until we come with a motion?
Joy: I want to make sure, because if we do this…
Hayward: Do we need to research it first and then if we need to schedule some kind of meeting with AA…?
Joy: Because we also need to make sure when we come back to the Conference that we have our side of the street clean. Whether we do it unified as two Boards or whether we as Trustees…
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Hayward: Both Boards are going to…
Richard: Stand together.
Joy: I don’t want us to take the full blame for this because it wasn’t us. I want us to be able to go to the Conference and say we did, this is how we did it, and this is what our plan of action is. Hayward: Next is Richard, then Nick and Robert and then Kim.
Richard: The thought that I wanted add on was just the fact that it’s been mentioned sense I spoke was that this is specifically so that we are responsible, accountable to our fellowship so when the question is asked—Great you got rid of the books, what did we do about what we did to AA?—that we have the answer.
Nick: I use to work at …a long time ago and we use to import LP’s from America with Columbia written on them. Columbia in America is CBS Columbia in England is…so we didn’t get our ass sued, we rather removed the sticker and we covered them over. I was thinking it would be more spiritually fit if we take “How it Works” physically out the books and tell AA we’ve done it and then give them to H & I. I think it’s better to give the book as we intended without” How it Works” in it. If it takes awhile we’ll we know you organized printing it, maybe she can organize how getting the pages out. We didn’t do that, someone did that on the promise they have permission to do that shit. That was self will run riot. I not going to stand on stage and take shit for something someone else did. I don’t want praise for sorting it out. I think what we need to do is sort it out. If it take 20 seconds to per book to get a scalpel blade to tear the page out of the big book, but I think it needs to be done. We literally clean house, literally clean house. Then we don’t have to go…bullshit. Clean it up or burn the f**king things or take “How it Works” out of it because it’s still…A member of Alcoholic Anonymous goes to an H & I meeting somewhere and laughs Oh you got a special version, where did you get that? Oh, we got 500 sent from CA. Alright, oh fine. Although it’s not wrong it’s like someone shits in a car part. It might not be illegal but you can still smell the stench. I think clean house and help others and find God means that.
Hayward: So we should get rid of the book?
Nick: If Bruce was here, Bruce would say where’s God in this. We want to be spiritually fit, get rid of “How it Works” out of the book, not the book, just that page. We don’t own it, they don’t own it, but it doesn’t feel right.
Hayward: That’s why we were going to go to them first.
Nick: I think even taking it to H & I it’s not right to have that in the book. That is an error and it says clean house. It doesn’t say to apologize is good, it says clean it, get rid of it. I wouldn’t be for sending the books—oh we can side line that—we didn’t do that. If we let those books go with “How it Works” in it—we did do that. We sat in this room and we did that.
Hayward: I don’t know if we are going to throw the books away?
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Nick: If we cut the page out we don’t have to throw the books away. We literally take the records out of the sleeves, get a sticker and stick it over, because if a man came in from the regulation and say I need to see the American import and he’ll go well done fantastic Sir. If we sold it they would confiscate the whole lot.
Hayward: What about all those books already out there?
Nick: We can make amends for that, we can cease now. We don’t have to send anymore out. We don’t have to recall them. There not like dangerous Toyota Camry’s or something but we can stop sending out faulty books. We can draw a line on this. When we go to Conference, it’s done. We are going to give them that bit. You know when you sponsor and do step 4 and you get to step 5 and he says is there anything you haven’t written down? Tell me now. It would feel like that. I don’t want to go on in September and stand there and blah, blah and by the way we gave them all to H & I centers and please don’t tell AA people because you’ll see “How it Works” in the books. Make an amends to AA for what we have done and ask them what we can do about it. Maybe we need to make a phone call to as many people—we know where they’ve gone and ask them to remove it. I think the second part is not to send anymore out. You know when they say when you’re in a hole best thing to do is stop digging. We don’t to make it any worse.
We are supposed to be open and fully transparent. Cleaner than clean, it’s on Trustee misdemeanor and behavior and telling the fellowship.
Hayward: We are never going to get those books back. I think that is what we’ve been discussing. We are going to go to AA first and tell them what happened…
Joy: And clean our side of the street.
Hayward: And get there take on it. Find out how we clear it up with them.
Nick: They may say that’s cool. Do worry about that lot. But I still think if we start the action and we take it out, it just looks cool. I don’t need a letter from AA to take it out. I know I need to take it out.
Joy: He’s right.
Hayward: Who is going to be that task force that all those books and cut those pages out?
Joy: Its call community service workers.
Hayward: I hear you Nick. Believe me.
Nick: I feel very strongly about it, we need to clean our shit up.
Robert: Basically, to go along with what Nick said, we have to do a fourth and a ninth step on this and that’s where we are at, spiritual principle. We need to say this is what we did, this is why we did it and our communication with AA and what do we need amends to your fellowship. We need to say why we did it. We believe we had it and we were wrong and how can we fix it.
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Rather than just saying this is what we did. We thought we had .historical permission to do it. It wasn’t done internally. We’re owning up to it. We are putting on big peoples pants. We need to say this is what we did this is why we did it and how can we make amends to you. Whether it tearing a couple of those pages out or—what do we need to do. It’s about working the step as the Board of Trustees.
Hayward: Are you finished?
Robert: I’m done for now.
Hayward: Ok. Kim.
Kim: I guess just for purposes of the record most of this discussion about “How it Works” is not so much about what happened at the Conference, but the fact for 25 years we have been using “How it Works” without full permission from AA. I wanted that on the record, so when somebody reads all this stuff they understand. This all came about due to what happened at the Conference obviously. I am a lover of books and I will not vote for us to rip out any pages out of a book. To me that just defaces the book. I’m all for placing a sticker, a disclaimer in the book of some type. We are not just talking about books; we are talking about starter kits. The things is— as I said the other night—we read this piece in our meetings, but we no longer are going to print it, I presume. All these discussions at dinner, in the parking lot—we all love “How it Works”. We all embrace “How it Works”. We can’t imagine totally letting it go of “How it Works” and replacing it with “We can Recover” or “Letting it Go”.
Hayward: I like that.
Kim: You know what, that is in our Hope, Faith, and Courage books. They do encompass and embrace the 12 steps. Maybe we need to embrace our literature that we actually have. Where is God in this, we made a mistake and guess what, it’s human failing and it’s built all into the 12 and 12 and the big book that—we do that, we are allowed that almost. My higher power knows I made a lot of mistakes and he’s pretty sure I’m going to make more. We can’t go back and fix the last 25 years. In some ways we need to put a band-aid on it and reconcile and correct future publications of any type. But I will not vote to cut out a page of any book. I think that we need to make a motion to cease publishing “How it Works”. I think we need to make a motion to approach AA with our human failing and our attempts to make amends and humbly apologize and what can we do further. I think we all know what they are going to say and then we need to move forward. Then we need to unify with the other Board. You know how passionate I was about this, from the Conference, to the emergency call, to now. Yes, someone else led this fellowship to believe that this was going to be ok. And to spite our best efforts; it got approved at the Conference. At this point we do need to stand together as two Boards. I do think that collectively we need to write a letter to our fellowship, explaining what has happened and how we plan on moving forward. I don’t think we are going to get every single group worldwide to stop reading “How it Works”. It’s not going to happen. I think we need to focus and we need to set some goals and have some basic motions about how we want to proceed. We are cleaning this up. We have to clean it up. I got the impression that they don’t want to clean it up. The WSOB does not see it as an opportunity to correct the mistake, but rather stand on the pretense that Oh
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they didn’t own the copyright anyway. This is not about legalities for me. Eighty-five percent of my life is about spiritually doing the next right thing. Whether or not they own it, it just doesn’t feel right to me. That’s how I’m going to proceed with this. I’m watching groups in my home town area taking action. One meeting doesn’t want to change it, another meeting is reading something else. They’re acting based on what happened at the Conference. You all know there are a few people in my home area that—they know what happened at the Conference. You have some people that know what happened at the Conference, Nick. They’re moving forward. Possibility a sticker. How many books are we talking about? A lot. There are books in Rockford stored at a warehouse, another human failing and not having a place to store X amount of books so on and so on and they are struggling. Rockford is a small fellowship, but they are assisting with correcting the error. They have two or three people over there stickering these books. I don’t even know how many hours. They were told there was like 209 cases. More like 20 pallets. How many books is that.
Hayward: Before we move forward we need to craft some motions. We are just talking now.
Everybody kind of aired their thought, now we need to focus in on a plan.
Kim: Can we go off record and maybe work on this for a half hour. Craft some motions?
Hayward: Ok, we will go off line.
Hayward: Hi everybody. We are back on the record. It is 10:59 Sunday morning March 8th. We’ve been off line crafting motions for old business item 2008.11.11. Kim, are you going to read the motions. We’ve crafted five motions. Five motions and we are getting ready to see if we can approve those. First motion.
Kim: Motion one to cease publications and distribution of any material and or literature containing “How it Works” in any medium.
Richard: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Kim, second by Richard as read. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Motion two.
Kim: Motion two to have the TAL investigate as to whether or not we have permission to reprint with redistribution (all media) of other AA literature/Phases ie: The Promises and A Vision for You.
Joy: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Kim, second by Joy as read. Any discussion on this motion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Motion three.
Kim: Motion for WSO to set up a meeting face to face with AA to address the problem and ways to resolve it, make amends, ask forgiveness and how can we make further restitution. Record of meeting via minutes should be distributed to the WSOB and WSBT meeting to include the local
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Regional Trustee.
Willie: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Kim, second by Willie as read. Any discussion on this motion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Motion number four.
Kim: Motion number four, that a letter regarding this issue be drafted with numbers of both Boards involved in the writing of it. Letter should be approved by both Boards before distribution.
Lawrence: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Kim, second by Lawrence as read. Is there any discussion on this motion?
Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes.
Motion number five.
Kim: Motion number five to address the issue with the fellowship via letters to the delegates, new gram articles, CA website, assemblies, and delegate mailings after the meeting with AA.
Joy: Second.
Hayward: Motion by Kim, second by Joy as read. Any discussion on this motion? Seeing none, please prepare yourselves to vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion passes. Ok we got what we needed on that. We have one more new business item which is 2009.03.09. It’s a revised UK royalty agreement. Nicholas.
Nick: Purpose of this is to discuss royalty between CA World Office and the UK areas service committee regarding the low production World Service Conference approved Royalty Agreement, Hayward signed it, I’ve signed it, the area Chair will sign it and I will see John B. later and he will be signing it. At the addendum a member took upon himself to print some pamphlets and put them into a little booklet and wanted to distribute them. Failing to recognize that actually it wasn’t his to print or distribute. He was challenged. He agreed that he made an error and here is a letter replying to a statement by the area UK Convention Chair. Dawn is the current Chair. The current UK rule states the following: The UK ASC will pay annually to CAWSO…Based on this agreement the charge for 1000 of the original booklets, which include 16 pamphlets, would come to 960 US dollars. Since four of the pamphlets include in the booklet are given to the country at no charge, the overall royalties for this booklet will come down to 720 US dollars. Recognizing these booklets are printed by a separate committee you are welcome to make a separate one-time payment for the royalties. So we are inviting them to pay. They want to pay. They realize they are obliged to pay. I just wanted to let you know that was sent out and that will be emailed by Patty at the office?—this week and the UK will pay that fee.
Hayward: That was an item of business that came up at the WSOB. We agreed to revise the royalty that the UK pays from 8 cents to 6 cents. That was approved. That is the agreement that
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is now drawn up and I’ve signed and Nick signed it and John will sign it and we will get the area Chair to sign it.
Nick: Can I just say, the reason for that was the dollar/pound ratio. It went from 4 and got doubled to 8 and then the dollar went and settled a bit and Patty phoned me up and I talked to John B. and she said should we make a jester and meet in the middle. That’s how the 6 cents was agreed on.
Hayward: I don’t think this requires any motion it just putting everybody here in the loop on what happened.
Kim: Repeat what the agreement is. The royalties will be how much?
Nick: 6 cents per pamphlet.
Kim: 6 cents per what?
Nick: Pamphlet sold.
Kim: Thank you.
Hayward: Is there any questions on that? That concludes our agenda. We did a lot of work. We did four interviews for the Office Chair position, we did a Board to Board meeting that kind of ran over a little bit, and we completely handled everything else on our agenda. It’s now 11:08. We will go off record to do our last item of business which is a group inventory. Then we will come back on and do a motion to adjourn. Thanks.
Hayward: We are back on record. We have one motion that I will entertain.
Joy: Motion to adjourn.
Everybody: Second.
Hayward: All in favor? It is now 11:45 Sunday, March 8th and we are adjourned.
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For all reports and attachments see: 2009-03-06-08-WSBT-Quarterly-Minutes.pdf