Conference Opens
Steve Edwards, Conference Chair, welcomes everyone to the 2007 World Service Conference.
Moment of Silence followed by the “We” version of the Serenity Prayer.
How it Works – Read by Bob Nordquist Roll Cal!
Steve Edwards – come to the microphone in your seated order. Please put your name on the chart whether or not you have vote. When roll call begins, come to microphone one at a time, state your full name, affiliation and number of votes. During roll call, please do not approach the dais. We need to count the number of votes to have a quorum.
158 roll cal! votes and the quorum is 106.
Thank you for conducting orderly and quiet roll call. At least 3 people approached the dais, and that shouldn’t be done.
We will now resume with the agenda.
OPENING REPORT
C.A. WORLD SERVICE CONFERENCE 2007
World Service Office Board Report
INTRODUCTION AND OPENING COMMENTS:
It is once again a pleasure and our privilege to report to you on the status of your World Service Office operations and special projects of the World Service Office Board of Directors (WSOB).
As chairperson l would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to the entire board for its remarkable commitment and hard work in the many duties and responsibilities that we are charged with throughout the year.
Additionally our appreciation is most genuinely extended to the Director and Staff of the World Service Office (WSO) for another year of hard work, and a job well done. Working in conjunction with the WSOB and WSBT, the Office continues to migrate toward a process of orienting its activities around longer-term goals with an eye toward future planning and the emerging needs of a growing International fellowship. As a result the WSOB has identified several areas that it shall remain focused on for the coming year including:
- Professionally and effectively discharging the program services.
- Continually assess and evaluate our staffing needs and new skill sets required.
- International Growth and Development with an emphasis on translation of world service approved literature and formats, as well as other mission critical materials.
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- Further develop outreach efforts to the professional and substance abuse diversion oriented groups and organizations.
- Develop new products and strategies for sales growth.
- Increased support and professional administration of convention event planning.
- Improving IT infrastructure to accommodate and ever-growing need to communicate with the fellowship worldwide.
- Further development of existing and new fundraising initiatives by way of new appointments of either staff or task forces to evaluate implement and deploy these new programs.
Perhaps the most exciting news to report the WSO received a final sign-off by the LCF subcommittee on HFC2 and was able to present to the WSOB a final review copy for production. At this writing, I am happy to announce that the board approved that copy and the book is now in the hands of the printer. It is proposed that a limited “first run” of HFC2 will be delivered and available for sale at this year’s conference event. I would like to particularly acknowledge the diligence of the LCF storybook sub-committee as well as Patty Flanagan and Teresa Neighbors for the tireless efforts to communicate effectively and bring this work to its ultimate completion. Similarly, I would like to thank all the WSOB members that throughout the year participated in the successful completion of several important projects.
The WSOB shall remain focused on key issues Among these is the publishing, effective marketing and release of HFC II, literature translation, vendor licensing, new royalty agreements, Newsgram publication, Web Operations and seemingly ongoing process of WSOB director recruiting.
CAWSO
WSOB wishes to express its confidence and thanks to Patty Flanagan and Office Manager Robin Long, as well as all the staff, for there fine work outstanding customer service in the last quarter.
HFC
Completed. Delivery of first run slated for late August 2007.
Translations
A CAWS Policy on translations has been completed and approved by the WSOB and WSBT.
Vendor Licensing
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A CAWS Policy on Vendor License has been compieted and approved by the WSOB and WSBT.
COMMITTEE INTRODUCTIONS:
John Bodkin – Chairperson
Kathy Jo Rangno – Vice-Chairperson
Teresa Neighbors – Secretary
Tom Phelan – Treasurer
Patty Flanagan – Director of Operations
Willie Bailey – Director
Earl Henderson – WSO Trustee
Hayward Hunt – WS Trustee
REFERRALS THAT WERE WORKED UPON DURING THE YEAR:
#4982
I’d like to see us as a conference body pas the can yearly to support translation in our lit. for other countries to carry the message of C A
#4993
That the WSOB create an instrument in the accounting procedure to allow for donations from Fellowship Members Areas/Districts/Regions to have a line item in the budget to allow for earmarked monies for specific “special project” donations. Thank you!
#5174
I would like to see a fund or committee established for donations to create a scholarship fund to be used for shipping cost to support smaller area’s to help carry the message. Could we do the same to help with translations?
o The board will take no action and per our financial guidelines.
#5234
Please start printing the sobriety chips in Dutch, Swedish and any other language needed to support our new areas around the world (in addition to English, French and Spanish).
o Motion was made and carried to proceed with this project.
CLOSING COMMENTS:
Thank you.
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Steve Edwards – Any questions?
Bobbie Harmon – In the CPA’s report in the last paragraph, it states that management has elected to omit substantially all of the disclosures required by generally accepted accounting practices.
Tom Phelan ~ this is a compilations and not a full audit for $2000 rather than paying for the full audited version,
Bobbie Harmon – is it fiscally responsible to omit these items?
Tom Phelan – we have a very simple spreadsheet The fees charged for full audit is to cover their liabilities. They would then charge us for that liability. Bobbie Harmon – where is the prudent reserve?
Tom Phelan – not a standard accounting principle. Doesn’t show up on the statement. In a general way, it shows up on the balance sheet. Shows up on the Money market.
Ruby Lemoine – Delegate Registration form has spot that suggests that one receive the mailer via email. When will that be instituted?
John Bodkin – we are waiting from direction from the Conference Committee and better coordination, it is already underway.
John Whitaker – when l arrived at the Convention and saw the beautiful colored banners and was excited. I saw the Spanish translation was not correct and not consistent, which is important in translation. I was appalled, shocked and hurt.
Have been working with the WSOB for 6 months. This was translated and printed and set up and sent out without verification of correct translations. I would like to find out what went on when the translations were received without input. I did not buy it or bring back to my Area meetings.
Patty Flanagan – the volunteers in the Missouri created this piece and the WSO facilitated it. We do not have creative control.
John Whitaker – the last word is not Spanish.
Yves White – now that the HFC II is out, what is the status of the HFC !.
John Bodkin – We will not abandon the first book. We will reprint and sell it. The plan is two fold – basic availability of HFC and in the future to combine with HFC II in a bundle.
Patty Flanagan – but it might look like that if you call the WSO and ask for the book. If you call on Tuesday to order a book, you will receive HFC II.
Yves White – since we have a French version of HFC, do you plan to keep that in stock.
Patty – Yes
Gloria Bridget – Have we ever been audited? If not, can there be monies put away for the future designated just for that. After 25 years, don’t you think we need that. Tom Phelan – 1 asked the same question last year. It would have to be presented to the floor here and passed.
Joy Hutcheson – are financial statements used to break out administrative and….costs.
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Tom Phelan – it’s on the back and I will give you a copy. I only presented the first 3 pages.
Patty Flanagan – we have a 25 page report. We have it available and I will email it to anyone who wants it.
Monika Suyker – Dutch translations are incorrect and we weren’t consulted. It worries me that there is a translation procedure and we don’t know about it. It is a difficult job. It is not like a currency converter. I’m worried. I made a referral to involve local language speakers in all matters affecting translations. How will or will the office include local language folks?
John Bodkin – the translations will be challenging. The policy is available on the back table. There are certain of us who are more involved. Yes, local Areas will begin the work of translations very early on in the translations policy. This is not the time to come up and criticize the very technical and spiritual growing experience about how we can carry this work forward. The answer is yes. We are talking about a t-shirt here and has a major effect on some people here. We should be mindful of progress not perfection. Patty stated that we are working on local area translations. This area will be one of our flagship projects in the years to come. Under new policy, a sample will be submitted to a professional translation consultant. It is too deep to leave at the local language areas.
Monica Suyker – how will the WSO involve local areas in the translation policy? John Bodkin – we look forward to working with you. We understand that you have been at work on this for a long while. We hear you, we are trying and are working for a solution. We want to have ail translations with local areas.
Monica Suyker – i don’t know how this process work, does the conscience have to approve this policy.
John Bodkin – as the policy stands right now is what the Floor directed us to do last year. If this conference has a better idea, I am absolutely open to a better solution. There may be a translations subcommittee come from the floor. Please feel free to speak to me or the WSOB members or the Trustees. I feel your frustration. We are with you on this and we are working to make progress. Bobbie Harmon – HFC l -1 was under the impression, other than putting I & II together, that we were going to stop printing the HFC I. Why are we going to keep printing HFC I,
John Bodkin – we aren’t abandoning HFC 1. It will be available as long as there is inventory and then an informed decision will be made about reprinting.
Bobbie Harmon – I heard Patty say that if you don’t specify you want HFC I, you are getting HFC II,
Wendali Kahn – questions about translations. Everything we did went through your office for approval. It sounds like you said you screwed up.
Patty Flanagan – we didn’t see all of your artwork on the tshirt prior to printing. That piece of artwork wasn’t done in your actual area. We allowed it because we checked with everybody.
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John Bodkin – every member in this room, we tend to wait until the last minute to do things. We are not blaming anyone. We heard John express deep concern. In the future, we need to do this better and we intend.
David Crosland – global outreach are their any plans to have a satellite office in Europe.
John Bodkin – brilliant concept and it was discussed at the Board to Board. Our intention to develop this concept this year. More effective communications globally, more effective distribution of chips, books, etc. We would like to come back with a plan,
Susan Bredau – l was wondering if HFC II is available for discounted price for Public Information.
Patty Flanagan – we made referrals because of pricing because the cost is much more than the first printing of HFC l. Today, the answer is no. Maybe on Sunday it will be different.
Dan Sadur – what is the price?
Patty Flanagan – 9.95
Dan – the Spanish translation – which is it – Latin American/American or European Spanish?
Patty Flanagan – East LA!
John Bodkin » Do we use standard Spanish or Castilian? This has been quite a learning curve. This is just one of the many questions/issues we are working on today.
Nicolas Lynn – can l buy more today?
Patty Flanagan – we only got 200 copies for today’s delivery. We can send you more.
Nicolas Lynn – I wanted to say thank you for the balance of the foreign language banner. Although not perfect, I want to thank you for doing it. It is the first time I have seen anything like that in a foreign language. The translation policy is on the floor. We can help you because you need help. Thank you for your efforts. We are probably going to discuss in the caucus.
Bryan Seid – HFC l, HFCll and combination. I heard that there are 50 cases of HFC i, HFC II is on order. You would look over the reorder of HFC l prior to ordering and looking at profit margins. What would that have to be?
Patty Flanagan ~ could not shrink for what it currently is. In this business, it’s about what the fellowship wants. If they want HFC l, we will provide it. I come to you with an argument about profit margin. I would like to sell more than 1000 books of HFC I.
John Bodkin – this is a business meeting that a Higher Power drives our group conscience, but you have directed that we look at profit margins. We try to balance the spiritual with the business side.
Wesley Blount – we bring English and Spanish to our H&l commitments, but something else we have is a large Brazilian population. Are we doing something about that.
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Patty Flanagan – 1 would love to meet you outside to talk about what we are doing.
John Bodkin – this has come up quite a bit We are being very cautious and sensitive.
Dan Sadur – Have the 200 copies been distributed to the room free of charge? I would like to donate $10 to offset the charge and encourage ail to do the same.
Steve Edwards – please join me in thanking the WSOB for their hard work.
We will be taking a short break but I have a few announcement.
Before the copies are distributed to the floor, we need four copies up here along with the jump drive. We are missing some electronic and hard copy versions. Kelley Colvin – Karen Rupp, Jenn Scheible, Robin Long and l have tickets for the last Delegate dinner.
Steve Edwards – when we get back we will begin the Opening reports as they are listed in the WSManual.
*****BREAK*****
The Conference was called to order.
Announcements: Please return any blank referral forms you may be hanging onto because we are running short.
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