COCAINE ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVED MINUTES OF THE REGULAR QUARTERLY MEETING
Since this report is a confidential CA document, for members only, it contains 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 of Anonymity in public communications media (press, radio, TV, etc.).
March 1999
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CAWSBT REGULAR QUARTERLY MEETING Friday March 5th, 1999 Culver City, CA
The regular quarterly meeting of CA WORLD SERVICE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, at the Radisson Hotel was called to order at 7:30 PM.
Quiet time and the Serenity Prayer
Roll Call:
| Walter Johnson | Atlantic South Regional Trustee | Chair |
| Scott Stokes | Midwest Regional Trustee | Corresponding Secretary |
| Susan Turnbull | World Service Office Trustee | |
| Steve Amelotte | Southwest Regional Trustee | |
| Andy White | Pacific North Regional Trustee | Vice Chair |
| Barbara Braudes | Trustee at Large | |
| Amy Beech | Atlantic North Regional Trustee | |
| Meredith Amos | World Service Trustee | |
| **Joe Stephens Pacific South Regional Trustee was absent for the entire Quarterly Meeting | ||
3. The Twelve Traditions were rend.
4. Personal sharing was done.
5. Review of Minutes
MOTION: To review minutes later.
Seconded, and passed unanimously.
6. Review of Agenda.
7. Trustee reports were dispersed and reviewed (details of each to follow).
8. WSBT Officer Reports:
A. Chairperson: Walter Johnson
1.) Waller opened up a discussion with the Board about establishing and posting a meeting purpose. There was lengthy discussion.
MOTION: To set some ground rules for this quarterly meeting.
Seconded. Discussion, * Motion Withdrawn.*
2.) Walter introduced the idea of an Issues Bin. The Board discussed and there was a collective conscious taken to utilize and Issues Bin,
B. Vice Chairperson – Andy White
No report
C. Corresponding Secretary – Scott Stokes
There was no mail this quarter. The letter to Illinois was sent.
The board discussed developing a format for the Board Inventory’. There was a group conscious to allow Meredith to write out a suggested format on the easel. The Board discussed the format and suggested, as a Board, some changes. The Chair requested that each Board Member come to the table tomorrow with ideas and suggestions for some ground rules for the Board Inventory.
9. Meeting time was set for 9:00AM for Saturday March 6th, 1999.
10. Closed with the Serenity Prayer.
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Meeting was adjourned at 10:45PM. SATURDAY MARCH 6TH, 1999
Meeting was called to order at 9:20AM.
1. Quiet time and the Serenity Prayer,
2. Roll Call:
| Walter Johnson | Atlantic South Regional Trustee | Chair |
| Scott Stokes | Midwest Regional Trustee | Corresponding Secretary |
| Susan Turnbull | World Service Office Trustee | |
| Steve Ainelotte | Southwest Regional Trustee | |
| Andy White | Pacific North Regional Trustee | Vice Chair |
| Barbara Brandes Trustee at Large | ||
| Amy Beech | Atlantic North Regional Trustee | |
| Meredith Amos | World Service Trustee | |
| **Joe Stephens’ | Pacific Soutlr Regional Trustee was absent for the entire Quarterly Meeting** | |
4. The Twelve Traditions were read.
5. Read and discussed Tradition 5 – long form,
6. Read and discussed Tradition 6 – long form.
7. Read and discussed Concept 9.
8. Read and discussed Concept 10.
9. Board Inventory
Board inventory was postponed due to a Trustee becoming ill.
TRUSTEE COMMITTEE REPORTS
1. Conference Committee – Meredith and Walter
Meredith stated there was no report other than things are okay. Walter had no report.
2. Trustee Election Committee – Steve, Joe. and Susan
Steve reported that the Committee is in a state of flux. There are delegate changes. The Committee is waiting for all slates to be submitted. By the end of April they should have all the slates and the Delegates selected.
3. Finance Committee – Barbara and Scott
Barbara reported that she is starting to get some monthly reports. As of yet, she is unsure what to do with them. She also reported that they are upgrading the Communication System in the Office, they are transferring the Visa, reporting the 7th Tradition in the Newsgram, and still looking at an outside Audit.
Scott reported that he has received one mailing which included the bank statements for November and December and the Check record for November and December. Via e-mail he requested the last six months of 1998. He hasn’t received a response yet. There were some other issues that he will talk to Scott S. about when he comes. Payroll isn’t reflected in the check register. He will look into it. He requested that the WSO Trustee go back to the Office Board and request they be more consistent with the monthly statement mailings. Andy requested there be an Action Item that each Trustee get financial statements prior to the quarterly meetings.
4. Legal Committee – Amy and Barbara
Barbara reported that Meredith was to talk to the current attorney about-the CA Logo and literature. They do have an attorney that has agreed to donate his services, there has been no need for him
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yet, Susan will have him draft the letter that was previously talked about.
Amy reported that she looked into the legalities around the convention play. Legally there are no problems with the title, It was suggested to be careful with particular character depiction’s, due to Disney copyrights. Regarding fairuse on the Internet, which was originally a committee referral to the Board and Meredith referred it to legal. The current Copyright attorney can address this issue; it is Iris field, Amy and Barbara will do a follow-up on the Internet fair-use laws.
5. Negotiation Committee – Meredith, Steve, Amy and Walter
Meredith reported that she is making writing the Hotel Guidelines a top priority. She had already established Negotiating Committee Guidelines, in process of the above. She requested that any other needs or suggestions in line to Negotiating Guidelines be submitted to her. Once all changes are submitted sheTl compile everything together.
Steve, Amy and Walter had nothing to add.
6. Newsgram Committee – Andy, Amy, and Walter
The Committee seems to be having some problems. The Conference call never happened. Steve E. hasn’t called. Mary let him know this week there weren’t any articles. He asked the Board for article submissions on Honesty. He requested the articles go directly to the office, and distributed from there. Amy offered to take a more active roll with the Newsgram; editing, coordinating a conference call, whatever is needed, Susan said the conference call not happening was partly her fault. Tilings fell through the cracks. It was difficult to get everyone together.
Walter had several conversations about the Newsgram with Scott S. He suggested via Scott S. that Steve E, go back three years or so and re-run articles when the Newsgram is short of articles. He himself went through old boxes and pulled some articles from 1987-1993 and left them in Steve E.’s box with a note dictating the suggestion.
Amy gave Susan a file of articles that were given to her by Steve A, They are to be given to Steve E, for the Newsgram. Andy requested that Amy pursue the conference call. The committee will get together and talk first, and then the conference call will be set up to include Steve E.
7. Orientation Committee – Steve, Joe and Susan
No report, by any members.
8. Long Term Planning – Andy, Walter and Scott
The report was deferred to a two hour slot under Old Business. Scott requested he be on this committee.
11. Minutes from November were reviewed and accepted with changes.
12. Board Inventory
Ground rules were set and all the Trustees accepted them.
WS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORTS
1. Conference Committee – Meredith
Jay took the Delegate Credential Notebook out of the Office and re-organized it and sent it back to Mary. Meredith has continued working with the Conference Coordination Committee regarding obtaining information and negotiating with hotels for upcoming Conferences, standard forms for committee minutes and motions, and operational procedures for Coordination Committee.
2. Convention Committee – Steve
Nothing new to report.
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Milwaukee 1999 – Scott
Things are going well. Everyone is working hard. They are putting a tot of work into the play. They have made approximately five thousand in pre-convention sales.
Arizona 2000 – Steve
It was suggested that the Convention Committee do some fund raising. The Committee is uncomfortable about the response time regarding their needs and issues (i.e. independent banking account and overflow hotel). All the rooms in the hotel are a flat rate. The Committee is full. Co-Anon was invited to join the Committee. There is a meeting every month.
New York 2001 – Amy
Service resumes have been submitted to the Convention Committee. Things are going well. The hotel contract was submitted to the WSOB Chair and the WS Trustee Committee and will be signed this afternoon. The prices arc lower than everyone anticipated. It will be held at the New York Hilton on 7th Avenue and 54th Street. They have started some small scale fund raising. They are anxious to get the sub-committees together.
3. Finance Committee – Susan
No report.
4. H&I Committee – Andy
He has spoken with Jim B. on several occasions this quarter. There is not too much going on.
Jim is staying in contact with the Committee. Caryl is working on storyboards for an H&I video. It might be a good opportunity to Set the community know who C,A, is and what we are about. Veronica sent an e- mail asking if he would attend the Southwest Regional Convention on October 22nd – 24th, 1999. There will be a series of meetings taken into the prison. He won’t be able to attend.
5. Internet Committee – Joe
To be tabled until next quarterly meeting due to Joe’s absence.
6. Lit, Chips and Format Committee – Walter
He has had several conversations with Steve J. The survey was altered from the Nevada and Oregon area. They drew a line through the last statement. , .’’Replace the Big Book”, To be discussed further under New Business. Walter requested Unity Committee pamphlet input. Susan, Amy and Barbara called for an Action Item to get a copy and put it on the agenda for the next Board conference call. Walter will request that the Committee re-submit the Anonymity piece to the WSBT and group guidelines.
7. Public Information Committee – Barbara
She has spoken with Tony Seaton. They are raising money to do service announcements. They are also doing a PI survey to see what OSA’s are being used, outreach, new bills, and mail outs. She also spoke with Dan Dickey and Jim. They are also conducting a survey to determine what PSA’s and what types of information PI committees are using around the country’. David K, has collected the surveys and is tabulating the results. The results will be brought by Barbara to the Conference.
There is a goal to start a meeting “in new territories. She has reviewed the PI workbook. She has found two people in the New York area interested in PI, She and David K. have agreed to mentor them.
She has also spoken with Mary. She is supposed to receive sample PSA’s and has not gotten it yet. New PI kits went out to Wisconsin, Calgaiy, St. Louis. Joe Stephens is sending her the minutes from the PI Conference Committee, There may be a movie set in a recovery’ home where the CA book is shown
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in a scene. Last time it was used on B.H. 90210 CA got many calls.
8. Structure and Bylaws Committee – Amy
The Committee had the 1999 manual finished for the delegates in time for the December mailing. Some delegates got the 1998 packets instead. Susan offered to take care of that.
9. Unity Committee – Scott
There will be no Unity Breakfast at CAWS ‘99. They will do something Friday evening at no cost to the conventioneers. Susan, LA Chair, says things seem somewhat better, there are small flare ups here and there but not as bad. A member of the LA area called the Office to tell them they want to disband the New Orleans District Service Committee. They referred the call to Barbara Brandis and John Henson.
- Atlantic North Trustee – Amv – See attached report.
- Atlantic South Trustee – Walter – See attached report.
- Midwest Trustee – Scott – See attached report.
- Pacific North Trustee – Andy – See attached report.
- Pacific South Trustee – Joe – Absent for this Quarterly Meeting.
- Southwest Trustee – Steve – See attached report.
- Trustee at Large – Barbara – See attached report,
- World Service Office Trustee – Susan – See attached report.
- World Office Trustee – Meredith – See attached report.
OLD BUSINESS
1. Long Term Planning – Andy and Walter
Moved to the end of the agenda.
2. PS Trustee Attendance at WSOB Meetings – Joe and Susan
It was previously Conference mandated that the PS Trustee be part of the WSOB. if the Board wants to change it will have to go back to Conference.
MOTION: TO REFER ISSUE OF PS TRUSTEE REQUIREMENT TO GO TO WSOB MEETINGS BACK TO CONFERENCE TO TAKE A SECOND LOOK AT IT. Seconded. 7 in favor, motion passes.
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3. Newsgram – Andy, Amy and Walter
Leave on Old Business.
4. What is the Role and Relationship of the WSOB and WSBT (May 97 New) – Joe and Scott
Table until next meeting.
5. Negotiating Committee Guidelines (May 97 New) – Meredith and Steve
Covered in Meredith’s report, Keep on Old Business.
6. Pass It On – Conference Committee Overview – Walter
Tabled until next meeting.
7. WSO Financial – Progress on Engagement Letter that Susan was to Send to Walter and Scott. Progress on Meredith and Scott Writing of Detailed Procedures Regarding the Accounting Practices.
Keep on Old Business. Covered in Scott’s report.
8. What are the Legal Rights of Copyright Infringements for On-Line use of CA Logo and Copyrighted Literature by Third Parties, “What Constitutes Fair Use?” (Nov. 97 New) -Meredith
Referred to Legal Committee.
9. Schedule of Rotating Off the WSOB and WSBT – Amy
No response yet. Keep on Old Business.
10. Feasibility of Filling the 2nd TAL and Non-Addict Trustee Positions – Barbara and Joe
They are still gathering data. Keep on Old Business.
11. Retaining of Pro-Bono Attorney – Meredith and Susan
Done. Susan will get a letter this week. This will be referred to Legal Committee, Keep on Old Business.
12. Conference Location Requirements – Joe
Done.
NEW BUSINESS
1. WSCC Chairs, (delegate vs. non-delegate) Subsidizing Expenses outside of WSC – Steve
A couple of the Chairs are requesting financial assistance to go to Milwaukee. One Chair is being sent by World for a one hour meeting, it was approved and budgeted for by Conference. MOTION: SCOTT AND STEVE PUT TOGETHER INFORMATION ON FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONFERENCE COMMITTEES. Seconded. Much discussion.
FRIENDLY AMENDMENT: CHANGE WORD TO INFORMATION. Accepted.
FRIENDLY AMENDMENT: FOR REVIEW BY TRUSTEE BOARD. Accepted.
7 In favor, motion passes.
MOTION: REFER TO CONFERENCE COMMITTEE AFTER IT IS WRITTEN. Motion Withdrawn.
2. CAWS Convention and the WSO Convention; Time and Cost to the Fellowship – Steve and Scott
Refer to the Conference Committee to research using an outside (outside WSO) volunteer
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committee handling the conventions. Ask AA what they do for their conventions and see if it can be implemented in CA. The Board took a group conscience and decided to have Steve find out what AA does and report on it with the next conference call.
MOTION: TO ADJOURN FOR THE EVENING. Seconded. Motion passes.
Meeting time set for 8:00 AM on Sunday March 7th, 1999,
Meeting was adjourned at 10:45 PM.
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1. Meeting was called to order at 8:10 AM.
2. Quite time and Serenity Prayer.
3. Roll Call:
| Walter Johnson | Atlantic South Regional Trustee | Chair |
| Scott Stokes | Midwest Regional Trustee | Corresponding Secretary |
| Susan Turnbull | World Service Office Trustee | |
| Steve Amelotte | Southwest Regional Trustee | |
| Andy White | Pacific North Regional Trustee | Vice Chair |
| Barbara Braudes | Trustee at Large | |
| Amy Beech | Atlantic North Regional Trustee | |
| Meredith Amos | World Service Trustee | |
| **Joe Stephens was absent for this entire Quarterly Meeting | ||
4. The Twelve Traditions were read.
NEW BUSINESS CONTINUED
3. WSC Approve Survey Alteration Prior to Distribution – Joe and Walter
Nevada and Oregon altered their surveys. A line was drawn through the last line. It appeared to be done by committee members who disagreed with that line being in the survey. It was suggested that the Trustee on that committee will take it back to the Chair on that committee.
MOTION: RECOMMEND TO CRIPS LIT AND FORMAT COMMITTEE THAT THE ALTERED SURVEYS SHOULD BE EITHER THROWN OUT OR COUNTED IN A SEPARATE CATEGORY. Seconded.
FRIENDLY AMENDMENT: SUGGEST THE COMMITTEE MAKE A CHOICE OF EITHER DISCARDING, CLASSIFYING IN A 3RD CATEGORY OR RETURNING THE SURVEYS TO THE ALTERED AREAS. Not accepted.
FRIENDLY AMENDMENT: IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE CONFERENCE’S GROUP CONSCIENCE IT’S THIS BOARDS OPINION. . . . Accepted. Passes unanimously.
4. NY Area Concerns Regarding Speaker Taping; Tradition Question – Amy
The New York area has never done any taping before. They thought it would be a good idea for 2001 to do some taping. They had a annual event a few months ago with six speakers, and the event was taped. One speaker used controversial language. Members of the fellowship asked that it be removed. The 2001 committee put a disclaimer on it. The area voted to remove the entire speaker from the tape. It was passed, Amy’s reason for bringing it to the Board was due to lier concern of a Tradition violation. The New York area didn’t ask for an opinion from the Board. Some of the trusted servants asked.
MOTION: AS A BOARD WRITE A LETTER ISSUING AN OPINION TO THE NEW YORK AREA ON THE ISSUE OF THE TAPING. Seconded. 7 in favor, motion passes.
Meredith and Andy are to write the letter. The rest of the Board will review it and sign off on it prior to sending the letter.
5. WSCC Response Letter – Scott
The WSCC response letter was written and discussed during the last conference call. Scott doesn’t recall being a part of that process. The response was read at the table. This matter was previously dealt with by the Board.
6. Fundraising – Barbara
Barbara requested that the Trustees go back to their areas and regions and see if there are any local guidelines in regard to fundraising. Please respond to her within the next 30 days, or the
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next conference call.
7. TEC Process – Scott and Steve
Scott has some thoughts about changing the process. Steve had talked about re-working the questions so they’re more than yes or no. In reviewing the process there’s a question of whether to go back to the old way or the way they did it this time. Last meeting Joe and Susan volunteered to work with Steve in this process and to take it over when Steve rotates off. Scott purposes to look at the process and what happened last year and fine tune the process. He will come to the second conference call with ideas and suggestions. Steve will continue to move forward and look for proposals for change and present them to the Board. This will include Steve, Joe and Susan.
8. Possibility of Subcontracting a News gram – Scott
Long Term Planning will address this item.
9. CAWS Chair Attending the Conference – Scott
The Current Chair of CAWS would be useful to the next Conference Committee and the Conference to give input. It would come from the Convention Committee’s budget.
MOTION: TO REFER THIS PIECE OF BUSINESS, THE CAWS CHAIR ATTENDING THE CONFERENCE, TO THE CONVENTION COMMITTEE. Seconded, 3 in favor, 3 opposed, Chair opposes, Motion fails.
10. WSO Fiscal Health and Fundraising/How to Encourage Host Cities to Bid for CAWS – Meredith
Meredith read the New York contract. They are asking CA to guarantee rooms. There was a performance clause in it. They are asking for a guarantee of 90% of the rooms are taken at $199, to a total of $22,000, this was the revised contract. If they don’t realize 1,120 room nights they will loose the complimentary meeting rooms, and CAWSO, Inc, has to pay for the rooms. The Arizona contract obligated CA ns well.
New York and Arizona have now set (he precedent for fiscal obligation to the cost of CAWSO. The era we are now entering places fiscal risk with hotel contracts.
She questioned the feasibility of continuing LTP to do World Conventions in light of the financial obligations CA has to shoulder. She requested that LTP look at encouraging host cities to bid.
11. Trustee Transition – Scott
Discussed moving the end of the Trustee term to the end of the March meeting so they can follow-up on conference business and make a smoother transition to the new Trustee who would begin after the March meeting.
This was moved to Long Term Planning.
LONG TERM PLANNING
**Priority of items on Long Term Planning List:
- Newsgram
- Finance
- International Growth…. A) Communication
- Individual Responsibility
- Membership and Spirituality
- PI and H&I … A) Cooperation with Professional Community
- Structure
- Conventions
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9. Trustee Roles
NEW PRIORITY
- Membership and Spirituality
- Pl and H&I
- Trustee Roles
1. MEMBERSHIP AND SPIRITUALITY
- Carrying the Message
- Treatment Centers
- Community
- Attracting New Members
- Recovery Houses
- Dual Diagnosis
- Professionals Specialty Meetings
- Court Systems
These items were now divided into sub-groups. . .
I. Keeping Membership
- Old Timers
- Newcomers
- Service Commitments
II. Attraction
- Community
- Attracting New Members
- Specialty Meetings
- Institution Meetings
III. Institutions
- Treatment Centers
- Recovery Houses
- Court Systems
IV. Specialties
- Dual Diagnosis. . .Psychiatric
- Dual Diagnosis. . .Addictions
- Dual Diagnosis. . .Health Diseases
- Specialty Programs
A sub-group was now individually focused upon:
1. Keeping Members:
Old Timers: Ask them to speak at conventions. More Old timers meetings. Encourage workshops. Child Care Meetings. Stay recovery focused. More step meetings.
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Story Book meetings. Refer to Chips, Lit and Format to develop Old Timer geared meeting format. Newsgram articles. Sponsorship. “Day of the Dinosaur/Old timer meetings. Meetings sponsor H&I panels. Old Timers reaching out to Old Timers. Service Sponsorship. Old Timers out of structure of service. Newsgram write a piece to the Old Timer (i.e. How to be an Elder Statesperson), How to teach to be an Elder Statesperson. Suggest literature: “Could You be an Elder Statesperson?”
In the next Long Term Planning Session the Board will take a look at taking some action around the ideas generated at this quarterly meeting.
There was a suggestion from a Board member to forma Long Term Planning Finance Advisory Committee. This will be discussed further at the next Board Meeting, Former Trustees will be invited to attend and give some input on this issue.
6. Conference calls were scheduled for March 28th, 1999 at 6:00PM Pacific Time, and April 25th, 1999 at 6:00PM Pacific Time,
7. Next Quarterly Meeting scheduled for May 25th, 1999 at 7:00PM. Milwaukee convention will follow.
8. Meeting was adjourned at 1:00PM with a prayer.