Jan. 27, 2024 – WSBT Q1 Conference Call Minutes

WSBT 1Q 2024 Conference Call Minutes

January 27, 2024, 8A PST – 12 Noon PST – on Zoom

Johan opened the meeting with a moment of silence followed by the “WE” version of the Serenity Prayer.

Roll Call

• Richard B., ANRT
• Chris M., ASRT
• Stuart J., ERT
• Johan T., MERT
• Clay P., MWRT/WSBT Chair
• Ruby C., PNRT/WSBT Secretary
• Aurora L., PSRT
• Barry H., SWRT/WSBT Vice Chair
• Gary P., TAL1 – not Present. Prior notice was given to the WSBT Chair.
• Robert B., WSOT
• Joni E., WST/WSBT Assistant Secretary

Chair’s Opening Remarks

Clay – Everyone is doing a great job. Please stay up on the emails and participate in the debate and voting process.

Joni – No changes with the Markers/Business Items.

Place Marker / Business Items (items retained on agenda for every meeting)

• Copyright and Trademark Protection (Joni)

Matter No.	Country	Mark	Renewal Due
59628-0001	Canada	WE’RE HERE AND WE’RE FREE	September 30, 2027
59628-0002	U.S.	COCAINE ANONYMOUS	September 4, 2030
59628-0003	Canada	COCAINE ANONYMOUS	December 13, 2031
59628-0004	U.S.	C.A.	December 20, 2028
59628-0005	Canada	C.A.	June 12, 2032
59628-0006	U.S.	C.A. HOPE FAITH COURAGE (logo)	April 24, 2030
59628-0007	Canada	C.A. HOPE FAITH COURAGE (logo)	August 9, 2032
59628-0008	U.S.	WE’RE HERE AND WE’RE FREE	April 2, 2026
59628-0009	Europe	COCAINE ANONYMOUS	April 1, 2026
59628-0010	Europe	C.A. HOPE FAITH COURAGE (logo)	July 26, 2026
59628-0011	Europe	C.A.	July 25, 2025
59628-0012	South Africa	COCAINE ANONYMOUS	Provisional Refusal
59628-0013	South Africa	C.A.	Provisional Refusal
59628-0014	South Africa	CA HOPE FAITH COURAGE (logo)	June 30, 2027
59628-0015	CA.org		October19, 2026

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1. App copyright update – Chris & Joni – There was a glitch with the application process, but that has been resolved.
2. Cease and Desist Letter update Amazon Coloring Book update. – Joni – No updates

Standing Business

a. Signature of annual corporate documents (Q4) (Chair) in preparation for Q4 signing

CAWSO Inc and CAWS Inc– signature (Robert) — Everything with State of California is electronic now and everything has been done. Everything has been recorded with the State of California that is needed. Nothing needs to be signed anymore.

Barry – In the past, the WSBT had to sign some things.

Robert – Patty, Earl, and I have all researched everything we can and we haven’t found anything we need to sign.

Barry – We have records in our WSBT files that the Trustees have signed.

Not on a consistent basis. The documents are titled ‘WSBT Bylaws Compliance Agreement.’

Robert – (Robert reviewed the doc virtually) That is an internal document. This is not required by the State of California. Again, the WSOB has done research, and we can’t find any documents that need to be signed by the WSBT.

Barry – So, this document in our files appears to be an ‘integrity’ document.

Discussion about whether the WSBT will continue to use this document. End result – We will continue to use do this form. It will become part of the WSOT responsibilities to have new Trustees read/sign the WSBT Bylaws Compliance Agreement and will be added in to the Orientation Documents for the WSOT.

Joni – What about the Conflict of Interest form? Are we still doing it as well for each new Trustee? If so, then Robert and Stuart need to sign it. Robert – I will get some info typed up for the Orientation Documents for the WSOT and these two forms, then get that language to Barry, as Lead on the Orientation Committee to incorporate into the WSOT responsibilities.

b. WSBT Project Chart (Barry)

Regional Restructuring – Great discussions have been had for this project and a recommendation will come to the Q1 Meeting in Dallas.

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Attracting members – Moved to the Website Ad Hoc Committee, removing this from the WSBT Project Chart.

Office move – Moved to WSO, removing this from the WSBT Project Chart.

Book approval – Nothing to report at this time

Fair Use Policy – Joni is reformatting the documents and will have done by Q1 meeting.

Global Distribution – No meeting the past two months due to holidays and health issues. Name change to Global Fulfillment; Lead is now Stuart. Committee is Johan, Joni, Stuart, David C., and Robert. Meeting will be set up soon to get the last info gathered by Greg and Sarah, before Sarah rolled off the WSBT.

Suite of Documents – Fair Use Policy is still being formatted, but all other documents are current and housed in the designated location.

Orientation Documents – Barry/Johan/Ruby have gone over the first 7 docs and have updates to propose. Would like to bring them to the floor 2-3 documents at a time to get them approved.

Chris – When was it decided that we would upload these documents to ca.org? Clay – In 2021 or 2022

God Deity – Removing from the project chart as this is being tracked on the Referral Tracker.

C.A. shares on website – Johan – Our project team have a motion that I would like to do at the end of this meeting, if we have time.

Cease and Desist Amazon – Joni – we are going to try to get a complaint submitted through the WSO Amazon account to see if Amazon will respond that way. Hope to have done by the Q1 WSBT meeting.

CA logos on YouTube – We decided we are not chasing copyrighted material on YouTube as it is an endless game of whack-a-mole. This is about getting the Fellowship to use the platform we are going to propose. This could be part of the project C.A. Shares on Website (2023-05). Possibly create a referral to the WSC IT Committee to add language saying it shouldn’t be done. Aurora – I thought this one was supposed to be about giving guidance to the Fellowship, they are doing this and they will continue to do it, so we need to give them guidance. We have had confusion about this project for several meetings now. Clay – There was a motion in Q4 that this would go to IT. Johan – I have the language ready

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for the referral for C.A. Shares, I can add language for this as well. Clay – We will get to the motion to approve the language for the referral in old business.

Ca.org briefing document – Done and with the Website Ad Hoc committee.

Removing from the WSBT Project tracker.

S&B 11^th Tradition Ballot – Ballot is now out with the Fellowship. Removing from the WSBT Project tracker.

WSOB motion regarding Directors – This is a referral and being monitored on the Referral Tracker. Removing from the WSBT Project tracker.

12 Concepts revision – Barry has done substantial research as to all the locations where the 12 Concepts in long form are referenced in our literature. Will email the document to everyone. AA has given us permission to use the short form only. I have a suggestion for a process to address this and will email that suggestion as well. This will be discussed more at the Q1 WSBT meeting.

Ca.org to be a marker – This is done. Removing from the WSBT Project tracker.

c. Correspondence Tracker (Joni) — 3 outstanding correspondences 

Q4-02 2023-10-31 – Motion to accept response. Seconded. Passed.

Q1-04 2023 – Review info on Wikipedia — Response is almost ready.

Discussion was had as to how this matter might be handled in the future. Aurora recommends adding this to the agenda for the quarterly.

Q1-01 2024-01 – Donation to Convention – Just recently received and acknowledged

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d. Referral Tracker (Joni) – Review/update outstanding referrals. 

2019-07- Full name at Conference – Response has been crafted. Motion to approve the response and to transfer the referral with the research statement to the WSC Conference Committee. Seconded, passed.

Dear Kevin,

Thank you so much for contacting the WSBT and we apologize for the delay in providing a response.

Attached please find a copy of the Conference Committee On-Line Referral Process which clearly describes the referral submission process. If you want to send a referral to Cocaine Anonymous World Service Office, please direct your referral to the World Service Office Board (WSOB).

Thank you again for your inquiry.

Sincerely,

World Service Board of Trustees

Cocaine Anonymous

Online Referral Process.pdf

WSBT 2022-04 – Gender terminology in WSM – Discussed response, will be brought as an online motion.

2023-01 – Guidance handling recordings online – Response has been crafted and will be brought up during old business.

2023-05 Regional restructuring – Response will be brought at Q1 meeting.

2023-06/07/08 – Responses are in progress. Will come as online business.

2023-07 – Possibly sent to us in error, WSOB sent it to the Convention Committee, who then sent it to S&B, then S&B sent to us. We need to send back to S&B.

2023-09 Restructuring – Response will be included with the response for Referral 2023-05.

2023-10 Transparency – Response in progress. Suggestion is to create a ‘annual report’ to give highlights once or twice a year. Suggestion to create a summary of

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motions to help fellowship easily find info without having to dig through a 200-page document.

2023-11 – Response in progress

2023-12 – Response not started yet

2023-13 – Response in progress

e. Long Term Planning (Gary) – Report presented by Clay. Nothing new to report since Q4, we do have stuff that needs be get moving.

 f. International Structure & Development (Johan)

 2 active projects – Progress is happening on both of them. The Project Team is reviewing the suggestions that were sent by Jo P to the WSBT.

 g. Status of World Service Office (Robert)– WSOT overview. Spent a lot of time doing interviews for various open positions.

Director of Conferences and Convention Selection (DoCaC) – Four people submitted resumes. WSOB selected 3 to be put forward on the Slate based on the interview process.

Motion – To elect Jesse G. as the Director of Conferences and Conventions. Seconded. Passed with 2/3 majority, Jesse G. is the new DoCaC.

 h. Trustee Election Committee. (Johan) MWRT

 i. Financial Overview (Robert)

Old Business Items

1. Recordings/uploads of members shares/pod cast (Joni/Gary)

Has referral to IT been completed? No, this will be handled in online business or at the WSBT 1Q meeting in March.

2. Moving Office WSBT Robert – WSOB is creating an ad hoc committee in Arizona so there are boots on the ground in the geographic area. Also need to get a real estate agent involved to help locate a properly.

3. Lead Trustee Roles and Responsibilities & Non-Addict Trustee Duties (Barry/Johan/Ruby) – The project team is going through the current orientation documents and making updates. These updated documents will be presented

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during online business for review/discussion/approval. When new documents are drafted, those will be presented for review/discussion/approval.

4. Ratification process to be reviewed (Clay) – A draft document is in process, will be submitted for review later. 

5. Tradition 11 change (Joni/Ruby)

 Joni – Discussions have taken place about the email from Russell in regard to the change to the timeline. S&B is asking to be kept in the loop on vote counts as they come.

The typo in Tradition 11 as shown on the ballot will be taken care of in housekeeping. 

Regional Trustees, please ask to have ballots back to the WSO as soon as possible.

New Business Items

1. WSOB Referrals (Johan) – will be handled as online business

2. A. on Wikipedia (Aurora) – will be brought up at a future meeting 

3. Issue of fliers being created and sent out but not approved by Conference (Ruby).

Discussion – Whenever possible, the WSC Committees need to have things ready for approval at the Conference. They understand this. Things happen sometimes. Is it really the intent of SR-21 to bog down the WSBT to approve fliers? Could the two Trustees sitting on the Committee approve the fliers? The WSC Committees are moving faster than our process can keep up in its current state. More discussion will be had on this topic.

4. Q4 Minutes approval – Online business

5. WSM Update and Conference Committee Guidelines – S&B is updating the WSM now, trying to get it ready to go out by Jan 31^st.Clarified that if no changes have happened, WSC Committee guidelines don’t need to be updated.

6. Per Diem (Barry) –

 Barry – There is nothing we can change right now, so this can hold until Q1 meeting. The Finance Committee referral to change this was going to be a motion at Conference, but the Conference Chair stated it was ‘housekeeping’

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and the motion wasn’t allowed. Aurora – The Finance Committee did make a decision in their committee, but she is not sure why this didn’t get recorded in the committee’s minutes. No, the budget wasn’t updated to reflect the increase to $65. Robert – this was a question in the WSOB as well. WSBT Treasurer states the budget that was passed was with the $55 per diem. Which one is correct, the approved budget or the decision made by the Finance Committee as housekeeping?

Aurora – FYI, in the past, the Finance Committee has adjusted the budget mid-year many times.

Agreed that we will use $55 for the upcoming 1Q meeting.

8. Checks for Holland (Clay/Joni) – Please don’t use debit card for Holland due to conversion fees. Everyone will get a check for per diem. 
9. Room Sharing – Will be discussed online.
10. Print on demand for North America – Robert thinks this is a good thing to have the LTP Advisory Committee to look at for the potential long-term impact if this process was implemented for North America.

Motion – To send to WSBT LTP to investigate if Print on Demand for pamphlets will be used for N. America. Seconded. Discussion – Stuart – why only pamphlets? Robert – this is for the licensing agreement which is currently only for pamphlets. This is pretty much the standard process for non-North American areas. Should we roll this out to N. America so WSO staff isn’t doing the printing/packing/shipping? Users could print on their own using the licensing agreement.

Motion Passed.

10. Members Unable to add Al-a-carte items for CAWS 2024 Registration – Aurora – Adding single items to registration does not appear to be an option on the current platform. People can’t add ala carte items if they don’t register again. Concerns that no one is responding to emails sent to the committee. Request to the committee to have info put on the social media page appear to have disregarded. Robert – At the very bottom of the registration page is a link for ‘resend order,’ then you use that link to add things to an existing registration. This link is in the original email the person received when they registered the first time. Aurora – Thanks for that info. Could someone on the committee please answer questions that have come up on the social media page? Johan will pass that request to the committee. Joni – She has had discussions with Robert. They will get with the WSO to get the Trustees registered.

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Motion to close. Seconded. Passed.

Any Other Business

Dates and Times for Conference Calls and Quarterlies 2023-2024

• 2024– Q1 March 1 through 3, 2024 arrive February 29, 2024, Dallas, Texas
• WSBT Conference Call April 13, 2024, tentative date for call 8am – 12pm PDT (4pm UK, 5pm Sweden)
• WSBT Conference Call June 8, 2024, tentative date for call 8am – 2pm PDT (4pm UK, 5pm Sweden)
• 2024 – WSBT Q2 Meeting July 8-10, 2024– Convention July 11-15, 2024 (TEC interviews to be included?)
• 2023– Q3 – Conference (Dallas) Q3 August 23-25, 2024, TEC August 26-27, 2024, Conference August 28-September 1, 2024

Moment of silence followed by the “WE” version of the Serenity Prayer.

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