Finance Committee
C.A. WORLD SERVICE CONFERENCE 2001
INTRODUCTION AND OPENING COMMENTS
Phil Landau, Chairperson (New York Area)
Brian Tenenbaum, Vice Chair (Illinois Area Delegate)
Deneen Grant, Secretary (Los Angeles Area Delegate)
Joy Hutcheson, WSOB Treasurer (WSO)
Brett Kobjerowski (Omaha Area Delegate)
Kim Nelson (Los Angeles Area Alternate Delegate)
George Pennington (Kansas Area Delegate)
Bill Wright (Colorado Area Delegate)
Heidi Jonathan (Pacific North Regional Trustee)
MOTIONS:
Referral #1501: All budget line items over $3000 be put to the conference as a separate motion. Such as projects of committees (Video) which have conference approval to complete the project and not disappear when that committee’s budget ends.
Motion 1: To allow multi-year budget authority of a defined duration to a Standing Conference Committee for a specific project that requires more than one year so that the necessary budget authority does not expire before the project is complete. Each year must have a defined projected expenditure. Any unused funds during a budgeted year cannot be carried forward into the next budget year. (i.e., if a budgeted amount is not used in the year projected, the committee cannot add it to their next year budget as a “rollover”.) This motion to take effect upon approval. Second.
Chair: Any debate?
Kevin: Parliamentary inquiry – does this supersede any motion that contained a rollover that passed either today or previous?
Committee: This is related to income, not expenses.
Kay: Point of information – 12k budget for the video, they don’t actually have those funds, but I understand…will this effect that in anyway.
Joy: This deals with expenses, not income in your reserve account. The H&I video is part of this year’s budget, it would not roll over to next year’s budget, unless a motion was brought forth to address this. Meredith: Point of information – so any funds budgeted, but not spent that year, would go away?
Joy: If it is a multi-year project, then they need to bring a motion to that effect when asking for the funds.
Bill: Let me try to clarify – this allows for project budgeting over multiple years.
Kevin: Point of information – that did not answer my question. Considering the referral that this came from, does a multi-year budgeted project required a separate motion. Bill:
Jahi: If a project, i.e., the H&I video is ready for production, and the only thing holding things up is the
availability of funds, you’re telling me that we’d have to make the motion for the funds all over again.
My second question…
Chair: Jahi, don’t go there…
Questions continue…
Jahi: Motion to lay on the table. Second.
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Chair: Motion fails. Questioning will continue…
Bill: Is there anyone on your committee, who drafted this motion, who is not qualified to understand this?
Bill: No.
Bill: Then, why don’t we trust our finance committee?
Meredith: Would it be out of order to ask for this to be brought back for debate?
Chair: Althought I’m not sure there is procedure for this to occur, we do rely on other things to make our business go forward. So, under our 4th concept, I will allow for this to come back up for debate.
Kevin: Friendly amendment – at the end of the motion to take effect…”, except for funds requested during the current year that could not be provided by the WSO due to current financial conditions..” Committee: Yes, we’ll accept.
Chair: To allow multi-year budget authority of a defined duration to a Standing Conference Committee for a specific project that requires more than one year so that the necessary budget authority does not expire before the project is complete. Each year must have a defined projected expenditure. Any unused funds during a budgeted year cannot be carried forward into the next budget year. (i.e., if a budgeted amount is not used in the year projected, the committee cannot add it to their next year budget as a “rollover”.), except for funds requested during the current year that could not be provided by the WSO due to current financial conditions. This motion to take effect upon approval. Jim: Call for quorum.
Chair: We do not have quorum
Deneen: Friendly amendment – expired budget year instead of current.
Kevin: I accept.
Chair: The motion to read: Chair: To allow multi-year budget authority of a defined duration to a
Standing Conference Committee for a specific project that requires more than one year so that the necessary budget authority does not expire before the project is complete. Each year must have a defined projected expenditure. Any unused funds during a budgeted year cannot be carried forward into the next budget year (i.e., if a budgeted amount is not used in the year projected, the committee cannot add it to their next year budget as a “rollover”), except for funds requested during the expired budget year that could not be provided by the WSO due to current financial conditions. This motion to take effect upon approval.
Bill: Call to question. Second.
Chair: Motion to close debate. Please prepare yourself to vote. Motion carries.
Chair: Please prepare to vote on the main motion which is as stated above. Motion carries
Referral #1525: Add to budgeting instructions to committees a request that unusually large expenses be made subject of a separate motion.
Motion 2: All budgeted line items over $1000 for a Standing Conference Committee, with the exception of the CAWS Conference Committee, must be brought to the conference floor as a separate motion by the Standing Conference Committee requesting the funds. This motion to take effect upon approval. Second. Chair: Any debate. Would the committee like to debate on their motion?
Bill: It will enhance budgetary control. $1000 is typically an unusually large expenditure, which would trigger
the mechanisms in place.
Discussion continues.
Jahi: Point of Information – Prior to this motion coming up…what does this really change beside setting a dollar amount.
Bill: That’s exactly what it does, besides setting a trigger.
Jahi: Wouldn’t any committee still have to come here if anything exceeded 20%.
Bill: Yes, however there are ways around that, and this would prevent such a thing.
Evin: Can you give me an example where this is not taking place right now?
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Joy: No one is asking for large amounts of money due to budget constraints.
Chair: Prepare to vote. Motion carries.
Motion 3: To accept the proposed CAWS budget for July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003 with revisions (first 8 pages) as submitted. Second.
Chair: I would like to ask each delegate to limit themselves individually to asking only two questions.
Joy: This budget was put together with a lot of thought and effort before coming to the floor. Bottom line?
Our deficit is $314.00.
Steve: Motion to close debate. Second.
Chair: Prepare to vote. Motion carries.
Terry: Is it going to be possible for trustees to visit our area, and would it be appropriate for our area funds to
pay for our trustee to come to our area.
Joy: Of course, and yes, that’s a good idea.
Sheri: When your summary of assumptions says you do not expect an increase in sales…
Joy: That has changed.
Sheri: Can you explain what the increase is in numbers and dollars because of the increase in price.
Joy: 49200 in income over the budget amount. To reach 169,000, 40 in which will be in actual increase in
product sold, I expect it will be 25,000 more pamphlets than last year…these are just estimates. An example
would be $6,000 in newcomer chips a year.
Sheri: Do you feel these are realistic numbers?
Joy: Yes.
Bryan: With budget deficit being reduced significantly, is that…it seems that the way it was reduced was by
being optimistic…was the first budget pessimisitic?
Joy: Yes.
Chair: Prepare to vote. Motion carries.
Kevin: motion to suspend the rules in order to hear a motion to extend the time of this session to allow Finance to finish their report.
Kevin: Motion to extend the time of session in order to hear the balance of the finance committee report.
Second.
Chair: Discussion.
Chair: Motion fails.
Scott: Motion to suspend the rules to hear a motion to extend the session to allow finance and s&b to finish
their reports. Second.
Chair: Motion carries.
Scott: Motion to extend the session to allow finance and s&b to finish their reports. Second.
Chair: Is there any debate????
Discussion
Jay: Point of information – what committees are left?
Chair: There are only 3 committees left.
Char: Prepare to vote. Motion carries.
Chair: Notification received of a motion to rescind the motion regarding sending the convention chair to the convention.
Sheri: Minority opinion – This body should realize that our 314.00 deficit is based on projections.
Rick: Minority opinion – This is my last year as a delegate, I watched the same thing happen my first two years…I was proud last year to watch the finance committee to present a deficit budget, and I would like to ask.
Motion: Limit debate to one minute per person per issue for the remainder of tonight’s session. Second.
Jay: Not debatable.
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Chair: Prepare to vote. Motion carries with substantial unanonimity.
Jay: Minority opinion – I’m in favor of limiting debate, but not everyone can get their point across in that time.
Rick: Minority Opinion
Brenda: Minority opinion –
Scott: Minority opinion – we’re restricing
Joy: Thank you for letting me serve.
Conference: Thank you, Joy.
ITEMS TABLED UNTIL NEXT YEAR; AND ITEMS THE COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE WORKING ON THROUGH THE YEAR:
Referral #1514: Create Trustee Spending Guidelines.
Referral #1524: Suggestion guidelines any large projects over $3,000 be the subject of a committee fund-raiser.
Referral #1534: Form a ways and means committee (fundraising) as a new committee or sub-committee of the finance committee.
Referral #1537: Written guidelines on fundraising.
ITEMS REFERRED TO OTHER COMMITTEES; WORLD SERVICE OFFICE, OR BOARD OF TRUSTEES Referred to Conference:
Referral #1319 (from Conference 2000) To read the 12 Traditions before each new day’s business in exchange of one smoke break to better serve the business at hand.
Referral #1966 Pass a 7th Tradition basket during the conference to help pay for conference expenses.
The Finance Committee supports this concept.
Referred to Convention:
Referral # 1511: Put flexibility clause in Cash Handling Guidelines.
The finance committee submitted a written recommendation.
AND
Referral #2084: Add to cash handling guidelines a note that changes made to the guidelines be approved by at least three of the following: Convention Chair, Convention Treasurer, WSOB Treasurer, WSO Chair or WSO Office Manager.
The Finance Committee submitted a written recommendation.
Referral # 1960: Include in the CAWS Convention budget money to ensure the Chair for the upcoming convention attend both the Conference and the CAWS Convention.
The finance committee submitted a written recommendation.
Referral #1967: Have the CAWS Convention include their regional Trustee’s travel expenses in their budget if the Trustee is not from the Host City’s Area.
The finance committee submitted a written recommendation.
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Referral #2070: Place a limitation on, and/or WSO oversight of, Host WSC Committee’s right to transfer funds among budgetary line items. Particularly limit line item transfers from “must spend” categories.
The finance committee informed Convention Committee that this is already a policy.
Referral #2260: Please design a template for the CAWS convention budget that is user friendly and self-explanatory.
The finance committee submitted a written recommendation.
Referred to H&I
Referral #2079: To establish an H&I Account at the WSO. (with our blessings)
Referral #2124: To have this type of bookmark available for the fellowship.
Referred to Structure & ByLaws
Referral #1701: That committee’s not be allowed to respond to referrals as “no action taken”.
Referred to WSO
Referral #1989: That CAWSO implement a “monthly partner” program to solicit, accept and acknowledge donations from individual CA members.
Referral #2023: Create an e-mail database of all conference members in order to email all conference mail outs.
Referral #2082: Budget line to include Committee Chair’s such as Webmaster to participate by phone in Office Board meetings.
Referred to WSOBT
Referral #1990: That CAWSO improve its long term financial position by buying suitable headquarters rather than renting.
REFERRALS THAT DID NOT RESULT IN MOTIONS:
Referral #1510: All budgets from any committee have assumptions and projections along with the budget.
We do not feel that is a reasonable request of committees.
Referral #1825: Review practice of the projection of future revenues in CAWS budgets. Recommend revenue projections be made by actual revenues of previous year. Action already taken that went into effect this year.
Referral #1908:It is important that financial reports be made available to the delegates a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the conference. In addition, budget discussions and the like should be done on the first day, not the last day, of the conference.
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It is not feasible to make financial reports available two weeks prior to the conference because our fiscal year ends June 30. It takes over a month to compile an audit, the necessary data for the accountant’s report.
Budget discussion is done on the first day of the conference during initial committee reports. Additional budget information cannot be discussed until after Standing Conference Committees have met.
Referral #2026: To allocate a per diem fund for the Trustee’s to be given prior to any function in which the Trustee’s are required to attend.
AND
Referral #2038: That the reimbursement procedures for Trustee’s be changed. Upcoming known expenses should be paid ahead of time to be followed by receipt. This policy is already in place.
Referral #2123: Define Gross Profit.
Gross Profit is a term that is a generally accepted accounting term that denotes the excess of revenue over expenses. Something we don’t see here often.
Referral #1309 (from Conference 2000): Standing Rule 14
Regarding Standing Rule 14 this item has been addressed by the conference.
Referral #1353: To have a financial statement read at the beginning of the conference so we can know our finances before we go to break-out sessions.
The financial situation is explained during the WSOB Treasurer’s report on the first day of the conference.
Referral #1366 (from Conference 2000): Please refer to the above that whenever speaking of time sober to say “clean & sober” not “clean time”.
No action needed by this committee.
Referral #1423 (last year): Consider providing actual totals from previous year to each delegate or committee.
This was put into effect last year.
NEWLY ELECTED COMMITTEE TRUSTED SERVANTS:
Chairperson: Phil Landau
Vice Chairperson: Brian Tenenbaum
Secretary: Deneen Grant
CLOSING COMMITTEE COMMENTS:
Thank you for letting us be of service.
Questions:
Rick: Did you base this budget on an increase in sales?
Phil: Yes
Rick: Then how can you say that you based this budget on actuals?
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Joy: It’s based on the increase in prices…
Steve: Parliamentary inquiry – the speaker was phrasing his statement as a request, not a question.
Jim: Parliamentary inquiry – what is the appropriate process to remove Deneen’s “comment” from the official transcript/record of this conference?
Chair: A motion to rescind and expunge would be appropriate to address this.
Jahi: 1510 are you saying that it’s not a reasonable request…that the
Phil: It was not reasonable to request an explanation of what each committee’s expenditures were expected to be.
Chair: Thank you for your report
Jim: I’d like to make a motion to rescind and expunge Deneen’s statement made in the closing remarks of the Finance Committee’s report in the transcripts of the 2001 World Service Conference. Second.
Kevin: Parliamentary Inquiry – could you please read from Robert’s Rules of Order exactly what this means?
Chair: …on extremely rare occasions to express extreme disapproval…requires a strong majority
Kevin: Object to consideration of the previous motion. Second.
Chair: Chair reads from the manual…our WS manual…
Chair: There is a parliamentary inquiry…
Chair: Prepare to vote on the objection of consideration to rescind and expunge. Objection to consideration fails. We
are now faced with motion to rescind and expunge.
Discussion
Mark: Call to question. Second.
Chair: Please prepare to vote. Motion carries.
Chair: Please prepare to vote on the motion to rescind and expunge. Motion fails with noted support.
Meredith: Like to take a moment to read a statement regarding: The WSBT has heard the concerns of the delegates from the San Gabriel Pomona Valley and we thank you and are in agreement with those concerns. We understand that some of the members of the Conference felt manipulated by the actions of some members of the Board of Trustees. We apologize to the Conference for our part in those activities and please be assured that it was not anyone’s intention to interfere with the right and obligation of each person to vote his or her conscience. We will make amends by always respecting the individual conscience of each member of the fellowship and, of course, respecting the group conscience of CA.