Aug 30, 2025 – WS Conference Minutes – Conference Committee Report – Day 3

CONFERENCE REPORT

C.A. WORLD SERVICE CONFERENCE 2025

WORLD SERVICE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT

INTRODUCTION AND COMMENTS:

Welcome to the 2025 C.A. World Service Conference!

We’ve worked hard all year to get prepared and organised for this year’s conference.

We want to provide the best service possible to all of the conference attendees and ensure that we have a great productive conference.

The committee meets every forth Sunday at 9am (Central Standard Time) throughout the year. We also have various subcommittees which meet weekly, fortnightly and monthly.

We’ve accomplished the following projects this year:

After Conference Wrap-up

Reviewed and formatted the 2024 ‘After Conference Report’ for distribution to the delegates and fellowship.
Distributed the Conference daily minutes and summary of motions to delegates and fellowship.
Completed the Conference Committee 2024 ‘After Conference Report’.
Generated and reviewed the 2024 Conference evaluations and made some planning changes thereafter as a result for the 2025 Conference.

Hotel Coordination

Worked throughout the year with the hotel, planning and organising the details of the conference.
Communicated regularly with the hotel discussing meeting room numbers and sizes, meals, equipment and other hotel related items.
Reviewed and arranged hotel reservations for the WSBT, TEC and WSOB.
Resolved issues with hotel reservations for attendees and monitored room block availability and occupancy.
Planned meeting space size and layout with various committees.

Delegate Support

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Revised the 2025 Conference forms i.e. Credentialling, Registration, Delegate and Trustee proxy and Referral process.
Maintained the Conference Committee page on the website i.e. Registration, Credentialling, referrals, delegate mailings etc.
Pulled together materials and organised contents for 4 delegate mailings posted to BOX for the delegates.
Reorganised and cleaned up the Box providing access to new delegates.
Revised the information of ‘How to use the Box’.
Updated the Conference fact sheet for delegate and conference attendees.
Planned both a pre-conference and on-site new delegate workshop in order to help new delegates attending for the first year.
Planned the delegate orientation for the start of conference.
Revised and updated the credentialling and registration platforms to assist all conference attendees with compliance to the Conference Standing rules 5 & 6.
Monitored and managed over 164 registrations from 59 different areas on the RegFox platform with the following break-down by region:

Region	No of Delegates		No of Areas
o	Atlantic North	11	5
o	Atlantic South	15	7
o	European	14	10
o	Mainland Europe	7	5
o	Midwest	13	7
o	Pacific North	27	8
o	Pacific South	28	9
o	Southwest	23	8

Reviewed, resolved, and/or approved over 196 credentialing requests from over 59 different areas.

Committee Administration

Prepared the committee budget for the 2025 conference and revisions to the 2026 committee budget.
Attended to 28 referrals made to the in-conference committee during the year producing committee approved responses to 25 of these referrals.
Prepared the 2025 conference agenda.
Generated 4 quarterly reports for the WSBT.
Organised memorabilia to be sold at the conference.

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Coordinated with the Unity Committee to provide a Unity Breakfast and an Ice Cream Social at this year’s conference.
Updated our Committee Guidelines with motions to bring to the conference floor.
Continued to compile a conference committee handbook for committee use.
Continued to strengthen the Coordinator committee to assist with the tasks of Box management, hotel liaison, registration, credentialling and memorabilia.
Monitored and forwarded incoming 96 referrals to the appropriate WSC Standing Committees, updating the necessary data on Formsite.
Checked and continued to follow up on all outstanding referrals from previous years.
The referral master document has been uploaded to the Box and is available for review. It is saved in the following location:

Delegate Information Main File/2025 Conference Materials/2025 Master Referrals List

In addition, the Conference Committee has continued to coordinate with the World Service Office concerning certain administrative tasks such as Credentialling and Registration that can be handled by an employee of our non-profit organization to continue to ensure sensitive and personal data is handled securely and safely. Many of these tasks have been handled by the Conference Committee and will be transitioned to the World Service Office in the near future.

The Conference Committee was recently made aware of a long-term planning project that is currently gaining momentum which specifically relates to the frequency at which the World Service Conference is held. We feel that this project undermines the conference committee’s defined scope and purpose which includes overseeing matters related to the organisation and frequency of the conference.

It disrespects the authority our committee has and undermines the framework of our WSC.

Every year we re-look at the balance and discuss this topic extensively so to hear that meetings about this project were scheduled to take place is disappointing and bypasses our committee. We have not been contacted for any information or invited to these meetings which has led to questions within our committee as to why we are not seen as qualified or responsible enough to manage the work within our designated authority. This is disappointing particularly as the committee works tirelessly throughout the year to ensure a smooth and seamless conference.

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COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AT CONFERENCE:

Position | Name | Email | Phone

DIAS
Conference Chair | Russell S. | r.sedman@yahoo.com | +66 63-751-6831S

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Conference Vice Chair/Parliamentarian Duane Mduanemiller59@yahoo.com +1-951-830-7854
Conference Co-Secretary Albina K. akowalko@yahoo.com +1-718-885-7600
Conference Co-Secretary Amanda T. amandatimoney@hotmail.com +44 7539 965997

WSBT/WSOB

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE MOTIONS:

MOTION 1:

To approve our revised committee guidelines – Pages 2 – 10 (Attachment 1);

MOTION 2:

To approve our revised committee guidelines – Pages 11 – 14 (Attachment 1);

MOTION 3:

To amend Standing Rule 21

21. Materials to be distributed to the fellowship by World Service Conference Committees shall be approved on the Conference floor prior to distribution with the

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exception of financial budgets.

All WSC Standing Committee service documents (guidelines, workbooks, handbooks etc) shall contain on the coversheet the following information:

A. Cocaine Anonymous World Services

B. WSC Committee Name

C. A WSC approved C.A. Logo

D. “Year” edition

REFERRALS THAT WERE FORWARDED TO OTHER COMMITTEES:

Referral # 15189680 – 24-Aug-2024

Please discontinue the Unity Breakfast! The time allotted could be better spent in committee breakout sessions. Time for committee business has been severely curtailed the past few years making it difficult to handle the business of new referrals submitted before the deadline, leaving very little time to get to know and acclimate new committee members.

Delegates are sent to Conference to do the business of C.A. not attend a speaker meeting.

There are regularly scheduled meetings on site for those who need or want one. Thank you.

Thank you for your referral.

Referral transferred to Unity Committee

Referral # 16030632 – 29th March 2025

Would the conference please provide language on their Tradition 10 perspective with regards to current U.S. port of entry practices? It seems to me that in the past, C.A. delegates responded to ESTA questions as to the purpose of the visit that we were visiting family/friends. That is not accurate and today’s ICE practices create big risks for inaccurate data entry. If delegates going to conference say “I’m going to the Cocaine Anonymous World Service Conference” they might trigger being questioned about

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former illegal drug use. This creates a burden on conference participation while it continues to be hosted in the U.S.A. In our areas, we need to discuss these thoughts and any World Service perspective would be helpful.

Thank you for your referral.

Referral transferred to the WSBT with this wording;

The Conference Committee believes it is not within their purview, or appropriate, to respond to this Referral. Similar communications have been previously addressed to the WSBT, hence it would be prudent to request your attention to this Referral to allow for continuity and a consistent message to our Fellowship.

Referral # 14811023

Devon & Cornwall District currently part of CA UK Area petition to change Area to the West Country Area for geographical reasons. Map attached – new Area will be the part shaded in yellow. The two meetings lists represent all of the meetings that will make up the new Area – these will be sent by email as the option to load below does not work.

Thank you for your referral.

Referral transferred to S&B Committee

Referral # 11616647

I write on behalf of our home group in London as the appointed GSR. We recently attended our District meeting and discussed the various SR14 motions. At that time we were shown all the SR14s in the usual form of SR10s ie add, omit, lined through and bold type as is procedure.

We also discussed the SR14-11 re Gender Neutral referral. At this stage our group requested the proposed changes in context and with the strike outs or bold type as procedure dictates. Our group was informed that with this motion there is no SR10, why not? I have consistently asked for a reason that protocol has not been followed in this regard and moreover as this motion referral implicates such a huge change, with the further referral requested that service documents also be changed, why hasn’t the SR13 procedure been followed either?

Firstly we cannot have faith in making an informed decision without proper procedure being followed by the S and B committee. We as a group do not have confidence in the process being carried out correctly.

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Secondly we have members in our 30 strong home group that have varying degrees of literature and grammatical understanding, as well as language barriers, therefore we feel the draft referral as per SR10 is a must.

Our group has had numerous meetings and conversations about this referral, which is a healthy sign.

And we would at this time like to forward some questions to be satisfied as follows-Why choose the WSM as the document for the motion?

How have S and B arrived at the understanding that this motion is non political/cultural in essence, when these changes are reflective of a current Geo political / cultural movement? Therefore an outside issue (Tradition 10, particularly to the 12 and 12 Washingtonians etc)?

What evidence do you have to support any claim that the current pronouns in the literature cause some people to disconnect with the message of recovery?

Are there risks that changing the existing pronouns in the literature may cause some members who currently connect to feel disengaged?

What is the risk of personal anonymity becoming diluted going forward, regarding one’s personal, political or cultural beliefs.

Why is a movement that has such ambiguity outside of our fellowship being considered for such a change within our spiritual entity?

These are some of the questions put forward by our group.

We thank you in advance for responding to our communication, and can we ask that we have correspondence prior to our Pre Conference Area assembly.

Thank you for your referral.

Referral transferred to S&B Committee

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REFERRALS STILL IN COMMITTEE:

Referral # 16335754

Make the CAWS Conference a 100% Virtual Conference.

1.) A Virtual Conference saves the fellowship hundreds of thousands of dollars!

a.) Currently it costs every C.A. Area approximately $4000 plus dollars to send 2 delegates to the Conference—that’s $640,000 dollars out the Area coffers that could be better used for Area Public Information, Outreach programs, H&I panels, local events, or donations to World Services, rather than giving it to the airlines and hotels. A Virtual Conference would eliminate this gross expenditure of C.A. Members monies.

b.) Total Conference Expense savings of: $43,520.00 for 2024 and projected $46,312.00 for 2025. A Virtual Conference would eliminate this expense. The cost of a CAWS Zoom Business licence is less than $400 and can manage attendance up to 300 participants.

2.) A Virtual Conference provides maximum accessibility and maximum attendance.

a.) A Virtual Conference makes it possible for anyone to attend regardless of financial difficulties, physical disabilities, health challenges, legal travelling impediments, or safety issues.

b.) Some argue that a Virtual Conference is problematic due to the different time zones around the world. This matter can be easily surmounted… One year the conference could be held in the North American time zone, next year in the European time zone, or the times and days of the Conference could be staggered, just name two possible options.

3.) A Virtual Conference has all and more of the audio/visual needs to facilitate the Conference business.

a.) The technology of the ZOOM platform allows for complete control and management of such an event, transcripts (in any language), screen sharing, participant interaction and management, recording the entire event (if necessary).)

Referral # 16268842

At the next WSC RFP review could a fully virtual conference be considered? So we can consider the cost for an online conference vs the various physical locations.

It feels this could open up the right to participate for many more of our fellowship Including people with health issues childcare or domestic situations people who cant take time off to travel a long distance people with travel document or visa issues people with criminal records.

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If we restructured WSC to not include the sub-committee or regional meetings it could possibly even be done in two days, and we could save the fellowship the travel and accommodation costs.

Referral # 16265543

Is it time to reconsider our WSC?

Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom have recently issued travel advisories for their citizens regarding entry to the US.

They fall into two types of warnings:

The US only recognising gender at birth (so gender change or gender “x” is not recognised”.)

And the increased vigilance of border staff and possessing an ESTA or visa does not guarantee entry.

Many governments have stressed the importance of honesty when interacting with border agencies. I believe many of our delegates and other members travel to the US via the ESTA process. It is amazing so many members of Cocaine Anonymous can answer no to these questions which are on the ESTA (especially the bits in bold)

1.“Do you have a physical or mental disorder; or are you a drug abuser or addict; or do you currently have any of the following diseases (communicable diseases are specified pursuant to section 361(b) of the Public Health Service Act): Cholera, Diphtheria, Tuberculosis infectious, Plague, Smallpox, Yellow Fever, Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers, including Ebola, Lassa, Marburg, Crimean -Congo, Severe acute respiratory illnessescapable of transmission to other persons and likely to cause mortality.”

2. Have you ever been arrested or convicted for a crime that resulted in serious damage to property, or serious harm to another person or government authority?

3. Have you ever violated any law related to possessing, using, or distributing illegal drugs?

Answering yes to any of these questions is likely to result in the ESTA being denied and then a visa and or a waiver of the entry requirements is likely to be necessary.

If delegates and or trustees do get refused entry this could affect the use of Tradition 7 money, the right of a voice and participation is going to be affected. Also if we can only have delegates from outside the USA who have never used or dealt illegal drugs or whose gender identity matches their gender assignment at birth it restricts the ability of many of our fellowship to participate as delegates.

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Given the increased vigilance at the border (including checking the contents of electronic devices such as phones and laptops) it appears there is a much bigger risk of being declined entry to the US.

Additionally there are now extra security and documentation requirements for people to travel internally in the USA.

This could impact Tradition 7 funds in a couple of ways, we might fail to meet our contractual obligations with venues for events and incur penalties. Additionally people denied entry may have to pay their repatriation cost, and this could also have an ongoing impact on their ability to travel elsewhere in the world.

Our venue choices can affect members right and ability to participate at events such as the WSC (concept 4).

Given these issues is it about time we reconsider how/where WSC takes place?

Can the conference be run as a hybrid meeting? What are the barriers to this happening? Could conference be restructured? The World Service committees already meet electronically outside of conference, so is it essential to have these committees meeting at conference?

Regional meetings take place outside of conference, so do they need to be included in the conference schedule?

If committee and regional meetings were removed from the conference agenda then perhaps the conference could be reduced to a two day event and this could be done virtually.

This would increase the potential for more of the fellowship to participate as delegates in a number of ways.

Previous convictions or drug useage would not be a barrier to attending

People’s gender identification would not be a barrier to attending conference

Delegates would not have to take a week off to attend conference, there are potential delegates who do not go for the position because they cannot afford to take time off or have childcare or other responsibilities meaning they can’t travel for extended durations

The cost of delegates participation would be hugely reduced (no travel or accommodation costs)

People with travel, health or mobility issues could participate. Also there are environmental benefits;

Continuing with the current format is reducing people’s ability to participate, it has huge financial costs, there is an environmental impact associated with the travel

Another option would be to have Regional Service Conferences, allow Regions to have a service structure similar to WSC, Areas and Districts. We could have Area Service Representatives similar to DSRs and GSRs and a full service structure at the Regional level, again this could reduce travel, and accommodation costs, it could be part of the role of an ASR that they participate in a World Service Committee too.

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Referral # 14022599

Change the wording of Standing Rule 5(a) to read as follows:

a. To be credentialed and carry votes at the WSC, the chair of the body you are representing must submit complete names, email addresses, phone numbers, and number of votes being carried in writing to the World Service Office 30 days prior to the World Service Conference.

(Attachment provided to properly show strike-through text.)

Reason the change is being requested:

– The reference to ‘complete mailing addresses’ needs to be removed to better reflect our current operational process. Delegate Mailings are no longer sent by physical mail, so there is no reason for the WSO to need this information.

– To be in better compliance with our current Statement of Policy, Point I (WSM, Page 18). Collection of complete mailing addresses falls into the category of collecting too much information, based on our current operational process.

– The second instance of the wording ‘must be submitted’ is redundant as it is already present earlier in the sentence.

CLOSED REFERRALS:

Referral # 15240277

Create a digital calendar that people can subscribe to for the agenda.

For clarification:

Most digital calendar apps allow people to “subscribe” with the click of a link, which automatically copies those calendar events into the users calendar app (and can be turns on and off by user), without anybody actually owning the calendar.

Then everybody would have little alerts on their phones when the next session is, what the next event is, when to be back on the floor, etc. No need to take a screenshot of the agenda, or constantly open Box to check the agenda.

There are some caveats with this idea, so if this is a no-go that’s totally cool. Just thought I’d throw this idea at the wall and see if it sticks. 🙂

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Response:

Thank you for your referral.

The committee have put together a step -by-step guide on how to create a digital and downloadable calendar, for the purpose of providing attendees of the CAWS Conference information on the Conference activities onto their personal devices. This will be stored on BOX with other conference materials (CA World Service Conference/Delegate Information Main File/2025 Conference Materials/10 Digital Calendar)

Please note that the calendar provided is not live and will be subject to change. Any amendments made to the activities/agenda throughout the course of the Conference, will be the personal responsibility of the attendee to make the changes to their calendar.

Referral # 15688982

Asking each committee and the boards to adopt pp15-17 of the Archives handbook to unify naming conventions for saved materials (literature, documents, handbooks, files, digital assets, etc).

Further, that each committee/board determine that their current files/documents etc confirm to the naming convention.

Response:

Thank you for the referral. We are aware that this referral was also received by the WSOB and they have addressed it in the normal course of business as they plan to move to a CRM that will be able to host a plethora of document storage concerns. No action taken.

Referral # 13507252

I would like to recommend the fellowship stop the practice of allowing non-delegate committee chairs. With over 200 delegates attending conference there is no reason for any committee to have a non-delegate chair. This is an unnecessary financial burden on the fellowship. See WSM page 45 and Standing Rule 1.

Response:

Thank you for this referral.

We, as the Conference Committee, have seen similar referrals made in past Conferences – so we acknowledge that the issue of non-delegate chairs is important at

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many levels. That said, after review of the two cites you list (WS Manual 2024 page 45 and Standing Rule 1), we observe that non-delegate chairs of WSC Committees are in fact permitted in certain instances and there is a detailed process which a WSC Committee must follow in order to have the non-delegate chair approved. The selection of a non-delegate chair goes through the applicable Committee first for vote and approval, then the related expenses for that Chair are included in that Committee’s budget which is then approved and ratified by that Committee. Then that budget goes to the Finance Committee for review and approval and then ultimately to the Conference Floor. So, the Committee under this process have voted twice to put the non-delegate chair forward. And then the Finance Committee approves the budget after careful review. With this process in place, it seems that there is a check and balance mechanism in place as well.

These servants are not put in these positions lightly and with all deliberate process. Further, our experience has been that a non-delegate chair is needed in a variety of unique circumstances which we have experienced over the past Conference years.

Additionally, we are mindful of the autonomy of the Committee to select its own leaders under Concept 2 and the encouragement of the Committee to select the best leader for its defined purposes at that time as set forth in Concept 9. No action taken.

Referral # 15218485

During the delegate/alternate delegate training can there be some type of explanation on how the voting process works within committees, Regional Caucuses, and Conference session.

More specifically explaining to the alternate delegates at what time they do/do not have a vote.

Additionally, how proxy votes work.

Response:

Thank you for your referral.

During delegate orientation our World Service Conference (WSC) Chair and Parliamentarian provide clear explanations on voting procedures and offer ample opportunity to ask questions.

Relevant information regarding voting/ proxies during WSC main sessions are also included in the WSC Chair’s opening comments.

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Further information can be found in the World Service Manual (WSM) as detailed. Page 36 of the WSM explains the voting entitlements of the World Service Conference Delegate and/ or Alternate Delegate.

Page 38 of the WSM suggests that the Regional Service Assembly adopt the C.A.

Manual to govern it’s proceeding and voting process.

Page 40 of the WSM advises that the first order of business during a Regional Caucus is to establish voting qualifications. It then suggests that voting be open to all participants.

Lastly, information pertaining to proxy voting can be found on page 54 under point 5C within the Standing Rules for the C.A. World Service Conference.

No action taken.

Referral # 15240163

Add the Freedom Fund as an opt-in to conference registration form. I understand regfox.com may have integration limitations, so perhaps even a mention and a link could be helpful.

A wee hint at the Freedom Fund will prove higher value than none at all.

Response:

Thank you for taking the time to write this referral.

We will certainly consider incorporating a link to the Freedom Fund donation page in a way that does not distract visitors from completing their registration on our Conference Registration page.

Referral # 15240146

Better Wi-Fi, please! 2024 was much better than 2023, but it still was too slow for many people to load larger pdf files from Box during conference floor sessions.

I know this is largely out of our control, so if the hotel can’t provide anything better than we’ll make due. But perhaps we can ask them?

Response:

In an ideal world, the Conference Committee would facilitate a WiFi service that provides high speed connectivity for all attendees, without bottle-necking and bandwidth limitations.

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But improved WiFi services come at additional cost to the Conference; and hence Fellowship.

With financial prudency in mind, it would be potentially egregious of the Committee to incur this expense, when with better planning, preparation and consideration by those using the WiFi service, an improved experience and performance could be realise.

Although we recognise that ad-hoc downloads cannot be avoided, due to on-the-fly updates and changes to materials and documents, the Conference Committee always encourages Delegates and Committee Officers to show diligence and download all relevant materials prior to Conference starting. Additionally, it is strongly encouraged that attendees do not use the WiFi for non Conference related matters and entertainment, as this severely impinges the WiFi experience for other users.

Thank you for your referral. No action taken.

Referral #15304826

With the new positions (conference chair, parliamentarian and secretary) becoming available at the next conference, could we have a live zoom link into the conference when it comes to elections. Candidates could express an interest with the committee and be kept in touch of when the elections will be held so they can put themselves forward to the conference floor via zoom link. This will create an opportunity for anybody that is interested and not just those members that are attending the conference. This will also give the opportunity for anybody overseas or living a distance away from Texas to put themselves forward. This makes it more inclusive and is a sign of the times and if we are a worldwide fellowship then let’s prove that. This would be a fair way of electing members and not just assuming that you would have to be a past delegate to ever got the opportunity. Can we do this for August 25 please?

Response:

Thank you for your referral.

While we respect the desire to include all in this process the facilitation of electing officers at conference already allows this. In the past there have been nominations of a members who were not at conference. This has on at least one occasion concluded with the election of a member who was not present during nominations and debate. Delegates can nominate a member in their absence and can/should confirm with the member prior to doing so allowing for the nominated member to agree to the nomination and send a service cv to the nominating delegate to be read to the floor. Respectfully, no action taken at this time.

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Referral # 15221358

Regarding the conference schedule, i would like to make the following

Recommendation:

Considering that over the past few years we, at the Conference, have been able to complete the conference agenda business by end of day on Saturday, I would like the Conference committee to consider adjusting to allow for an additional couple of hours for Sub-Committee Breakout sessions. Maybe an additional hour each day scheduled for those sessions.

Response:

Thank you for your referral. There has been a significant shift in the utilization of onlineactivities throughout the year within the Standing Committees. The majority of the committees’ work, particularly for presentations at the Conference, is typically conducted in advance of the World Service Conference (WSC). Additionally, while we have been fortunate in recent years to conclude the Conference on Saturday, this has not always been the case, and the timing may vary depending on the number of submitted motions. We do, however, recognize the advantages of a committee convening in person, and we will carefully consider the agenda in relation to the scheduling of Committee sessions. Furthermore, we would like to clarify that Committees are welcome to remain in their assigned rooms beyond their allotted time in the evenings if additional time is needed, as some have done in the past. No Action Taken

Referral # 15224479

Please put ‘new delegate introduction’ on the agenda – some new delegates missed it because they didn’t know it was on.

I asked the conference committee why it wasn’t on the agenda and was told – it wasn’t strictly conference business but I would state that nor is ‘welcome dinner’ and ‘unity breakfast’ ‘regional caucas’

Please change this for next year.

Once of the most important things is to help/educate the new delegate, how can do this if they don’t know what’s available. Please add the new delegate introduction to the agenda to give new delegates as much support as possible.

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Response:

Thank you for your referral. We are reluctant to add further ‘non business’ related items to the actual agenda. The WSC Conference Committee do generate information and flyers on various workshops including the New Delegate Introduction. This information is shared prior to WSC in BOX. Existing delegates are responsible to inducting new delegates and helping them to access relevant documents. The WSC Conference Coordinator may also add the informational flyer to BOX in the agenda folder.

No action taken.

Referral # 15235651

As a new delegate this year, I’m disappointed that I missed the new delegate introduction.

Why as this not on the conference agenda?

I heard from somebody that attended, it was useful so would have liked to attend but didn’t

know about it. Please put this on the agenda if you run it next year.

Response:

No action taken.

Referral #15240135

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Add the “New Delegate Introduction” to the official agenda, with listed times. (This could help eliminate confusion for our first time conference delegates).

Response:

No action taken.

Referral # 15220562

I think being at conference has been a great experience for the past few years however sometimes debate can get heavy for some of our members. I know that a majority of our members get smoke breaks every few hours. I thought what if we can have a mindfulness room at conference for those needing to get centered. I googled and found this earlier and this might help.

8 Steps to Design Your Own Meditation Space

1) Choose a Feel-Good Place. …

2) Avoid Distractions. …

3) Keep it clean and uncluttered. …

4) Be Guided by Soothing Scents. …

5) Bring Sounds Into Your Meditation Room. …

6) Consider Sound Insulating for Zero Disruption. …

7) Use Nature-Inspired Decor. …

8) Choose a Calm yet Energising Colour.

Thanks for all that you do to accommodate our needs during conference each year.

Response:

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Thank you for your thoughtful suggestion regarding a mindfulness room at the upcoming conference. While we truly appreciate your desire to foster a calming space for attendees, we must respectfully address your concerns regarding this proposal. First, according to our First Tradition, which emphasizes unity and places common welfare of the fellowship above individual preference — introducing a designated mindfulness room could inadvertently shift focus from the collective mission and purpose of the conference.

Second logistical challenges make it difficult to accommodate such a room. Given the short 10 -15 minute breaks, the demand for access to a dedicated space would likely exceed its capacity, leading to the potential for frustration among attendees.

Additionally, the short breaks are designed primarily for quick transitions or brief personal needs rather than extended activities. As an alternative, we can encourage attendees to find peace and quiet during these breaks by either stepping outside, finding a quiet corner to sit and reflect, or using the lunch break for a longer opportunity to recharge either through personal mindfulness practices or quiet conversations with trusted peers.

We believe these approaches honor both the spirit of the fellowship and the logistical realities of the event. Thank you again for your understanding and dedication to creating a mindfulness experience for attendees.

No Action Taken

Referral # 15220051

Referral to add the Finance Committee’s Financial Primer to their ‘useful documents for conference.’

Response:

Thank you for your referral. We think this is a great addition and once the Financial Primer is approved by the Conference Vice-Chair/Parliamentarian, we will add it to the useful documents for Conference.

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Referral # 15099515, 15099525 & 14571066

I am hoping some-where along the way it could be taken serious and looked at that conference can become hybrid or online only how would i get this voted on and up for discussion please

Response: Thank you for your referral.

This matter has come to our Committee each of the past five years by one or more referrals requesting some sort of hybrid or on -line component. Each year, we have carefully considered the respective referral(s) and have concluded that a hybrid or on-line option is not possible.

This year, is no exception. We have discussed and considered at length the points raised in the current referral, in related previous year referrals and similarly submitted referrals regarding WS Conference options. We carefully and thoroughly reviewed and discussed all of the complex and spiritual issues relating to facilitating the needs of our Fellowship to plan, produce and attend the Conference; with the various options presented, these include; costs, travel, practical attendance, momentum, participation, responsibility, coordination, healthy debate environment, time zones, regional rotation(s), continent rotation(s), unity etc. These and similar suggestions have been made periodically over the years, and each time they are made, the Conference Committee actively considers the various suggested nuances for Conference location, structure, days, dates and more. This year, there is this current referral. Again, our Conference Committee carefully considered all the alternatives and after many months of active exploration and debate we once again conclude that CAWS Conference should maintain its current form, that being an annual ‘in person’ meeting.

We are certain, as our fellowship continues to grow and evolve, this subject may again return for further discussion and consideration, but at this time no further action will be taken.

Referral # 15289050

As an attendee of the last 3 CAWS Conferences, and a member with a disability, I would like to propose for there to be a $5000 line item added to Conference and Convention Committees budgets to be used for accessibility accommodations in facilities/ cities where accessible options do not currently exist. This could potentially include things like ramps for speaker podiums/ stages, live closed captioning for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, sensory friendly rooms set up with CCTV for those with mental health challenges that make being in a large, loud room with lots of people and fluorescent lights difficult, or any other accommodations for those with disabilities, as

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needed. This is coming from a number of discussions I had with individuals at the 2024 conference as well as the information shared in response to another members referral. I would also like to see it add to all Conference and Convention RFP proposals, a report on the accessibility options available at a particular hotel or venue.

Including, but not limited to, the availability of the options listed above. As we move forward as a fellowship of inclusion of all regardless of religion, ethnicity, economic status, age, gender, sexual orientation, or physical/ mental challenges, I believe this to be an important step to not just saying those of all abilities and backgrounds are welcome, but actually creating a space in which they feel welcome. The Conference Committee has done an excellent job trying to learn and adapt “on the fly” to my particular set of needs but I do believe that we can and should do more as a fellowship to provide inclusive options, wherever possible. I am happy to assist in any way with this process or speak to this further if needed.

Response:

Thank you for this referral. It seems to have action(s) requested of our committee related to the

Conference and to those, we will respond below. Your requests for actions done at CA Conventions is beyond our Committee’s scope and as to those we invite you to submit separate referrals to the boards and committees which you deem are appropriate to consider such matters.

As to the requested action at a future Conference, our response follows:

Currently, on each year’s registration form or related on-line process, we inquire as to the special needs of all attendees. If a special need is indicated/requested, there is a process for us to connect with that person directly to ascertain their needs and then make reasonable efforts to accommodate those which comply with local laws and ordinances where applicable, and also accommodate the principles of inclusivity. That said, the needs of these members are not the same each year and for us to expend funds on items as suggested here when there may not besuch a need that year is not alignment with the Conference’s purposes and would be financially wasteful overall. We much prefer to understand the unique needs and then accommodate them always seeking to find that spiritual balance between the overall Conference’s needs as contrasted to the needs of the individual attendees. Each year when these matters come up, we carefully craft solutions to address the unique needs of the individual attendees. We believe wholeheartedly that our attendees do feel welcome each and every year.

No action taken.

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Referral # 15235693

I have a disability but it’s a hidden one and but obvious.

I found that when we were in session and the committees were lined up on the chairs, some committees shouted ‘second’ very loudly.

This triggered my anxiety and trauma when I heard this as it often took me by surprise.

I purchased some ear plugs but it didn’t help much.

Is there something we could do to encourage a quieter committee response please?

Response:

Thank you for your referral. As the excitement of the conference and some of the traditional governing. The chair has the authority to request proper behavior at any time but balancing that with the positive nature of the excitement of our participation is in the purview of the chair.

The business-like rapport of conference must be balanced with the personality of our membership to continue to foster attraction to the effort.

No action taken.

Referral # 15202517

Could the fellowship be notified of upcoming Dias positions available.

Please make the fellowship aware of any Dias positions available – Secretaries, Chair or Parliamentarian after conference of the previous year of vacancy so that the fellowship can prepare and share the vacancies with the fellowship in plenty of time for interested parties to prepare to attend the conference in order to put themselves forward for one of those positions.

If a flyer was distributed in the September before the conference in August of the election year, this would give time for potential candidates to consider applying for the role.

Response:

Thank you for your referral. At the end of the previous conference we actioned this by featuring the information pertaining to upcoming open positions on the Dais in the conference committee

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closing report.

Referral # 15240187

Perhaps a small reminder to anyone who steps up to the mic during a motion that they need to state “for”, “against” or ask a question before jumping into the debate.

Maybe something small and non-intrusive, like a sticker or post-it at the microphone that says:

“For, against or question? Please state.”

Maybe we can save some of the Chair’s sanity if they don’t need to ask question that every 7 minutes for 4 days straight haha.

Response:

Thank you for your referral.

We believe that the reminder to speak “for or against” is sufficiently and repeatedly clarified and we believe that a sign may not be as effective as desired.

No action taken.

CLOSING COMMENTS:

The conference officers and entire conference committee are excited to be here and working with you to create a successful 2025 World Service Conference.

If you have any concerns during the conference, please see myself, Robyn G (Conference Coordinator) or any member of the Conference Committee.

We are seeking and encouraging new members to join and serve on this committee.

It is a wonderfully challenging and fulfilling committee to serve on.

Thank you for allowing us to be of service to the fellowship.

Respectfully Submitted:

Justine K

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WS Conference Committee Chair

Conference Parliamentarian to complete

Date of receipt of Conference Report:____10 Aug 25______________

Comment:

Date of receipt of final Conference Report:___10 Aug 25___________

Parliamentarian Signature:_________DM______________

COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AT END OF THIS CONFERENCE:

Justine K – Read opening report

Judd W – Motion 53: To amend Standing Rule 21

21. Materials to be distributed to the fellowship by World Service Conference Committees shall be approved on the Conference floor prior to distribution with the exception of financial budgets.

All WSC Standing Committee service documents (guidelines, workbooks, handbooks etc) shall contain on the coversheet the following information:

Cocaine Anonymous World Services
WSC Committee Name
A WSC approved C.A. Logo
D. “Year” edition

Seconded

Russell S – Would you like to speak to your motion?

Judd W – Not at this time

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Russell S – Prepare to vote.

Motion passed unanimously

Justine K – We are looking into the cost of registration next year. RFP (request for proposal) will be getting together in September, if you or your area are interested, please get in contact with us conference@ca.org could you also please take a few minutes to fill out the survey form, it is really helpful for us, there are QR codes around.

Questions?

Stu E – Why are we not reading who is a cocaine addict? Can you please add who is a cocaine addict at the conference?

Russell S – Regarding the motion that just passed, that needs to get over to Structure & Bylaws.

Cassandra S – I noticed repetition in the questions and debates, is there a way to take into consideration?

Justine K – We do take that into consideration.

Russell S – Seeing no further questions, please join me in thanking the conference committee.

Robyn G – This is Justine K’s last year at conference committee chair, lets please show our appreciation for her.

Russell S – Next up is convention

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