Tony D. – Next up is PI
John O. gives report –
CLOSING REPORT C.A. WORLD SERVICE CONFERENCE 2015
PUBLIC INFORMATION (PI) REPORT
INTRODUCTION AND OPENING COMMENTS
I would like to thank the returning PI committee members from last year, as well as the dedicated new members who joined us this year for the work we were successfully able to accomplish at this Conference. Our subcommittees of Judicial and Community Services, PSAs, Surveys and Handbook, all worked together as a cohesive unit to come up with viable plans of work needing to be done in the offseason as we continue to strive to reach out to the still suffering addict.
During this conference we actually started the process of inserting our radio PSAs through Cumulus and IHeartRadio. This service is free and only requires minimal information received from your local Areas and Districts to have this pre-approved PSA aired.
The committee decided on an online service to use, which offers translation services from English to many other languages to accommodation our friends in other parts of the world. Translations efforts have already begun. We hope to have this survey up and running by the end of conference.
While we will continue to have a strong presence at Drug Courts, we are implementing plans to widen our reach throughout the U.S. with some powerful endeavors.
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John O. – Chair | Kim B. – Member
Darline L. – Vice Chair | Alan S. – Member
Duane M. – Trustee | Melissa W. – Member
Morgan T. – CAWSO DAL | David C. – Member
Meslissa B. – Secretary | Stuart J. – Member
Joanna H.- Secretary | Edy R. – Member
Howard J. – Member | Sheree H. – Member
Rosetta R. – Member | Bob O. – Member
Mark N. – Member | Dane T. – Member
Calle O. – Member | John W. – Member
Troy L. – Member | Bill D. – Member
Beverly M. – Member | Mark G. – Member
Richard B. – Member | Dan P. – Member
COMMITTEE WORK THAT RESULTED IN MOTIONS
MOTION: to approve PSA concept and $400 budget to start production Vote 062 Motion passed
MOTION: To insert new language into the PI Handbook a full page titled A Simple Guide to PI after page 47 and renumber the following pages accordingly.
Begin new language:
A Simple Guide to PI
12 Basic Steps
- Set Regular Committee Meetings
- Reach Out to Your Local Fellowship
- Ask for Help/CA.ORG
- Get People Motivated
- Create Helpline/Review Current Helpline
- Create a Public Information Email
- A Little Money Can Go a Long Way
- Speak to the Professional Community and Reach Out to Judicial and Community Services
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- Contact the Media; Send a Letter of Engagement
- Poster Blitz
- Have Fun!!!!
- Read the Public Information Handbook
End new language.
Vote 063 passes unanimously.
COMMITTEE WORK
Work to remove pages containing outdated order forms from the PI Handbook as per request by CAWSO.
REFERRALS THAT RESULTED IN MOTIONS
None
REFERRALS OR ITEMS TABLED UNTIL NEXT YEAR; AND ITEMS THE COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE WORKING ON THROUGH THE YEAR
None
REFERRALS OR ITEMS REFERRED TO OTHER COMMITTEES; WORLD SERVICE OFFICE, OR BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Referral #2015 PI 1 – “WHO ARE WE?” – Suggestion for an info Table @ CAWS Convention and Conference for Hotel Staff, Hotel Guests, Non Members and passersby at both function….etc. et al.
This referral in its entirety asks for something that is better asked of the LCF committee and as such, has been forwarded to them.
Referral #2015 PI 2 – I do not see a Toll Free number listed on CA.org. Suggest we get/post a Toll Free number for inquiries to CA.
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Response
This was referred to the WSO for further handling.
Referral #2015 PI 5 – Change on our website Home page text, C.A.’s Purpose to include our current ‘reach. Existing line: Cocaine Anonymous began in Los angeles in 1982, and has since expanded throughout the United States and Canada, with groups now forming in Europe. Change to read: cocaine Anonymous began in Los Angeles in 1982, and has since expanded throughout the United States and Canada, with groups now forming on six . . .
Response
This was referred to the WSO for further handling.
REFERRALS THAT DID NOT RESULT IN MOTIONS
Referral #2015 PI 3 – Please bring those wonderful wonderful PSA graphics shown during your closing report last year to the floor for approval as PI tools!
Response
The PSA graphics were used as a way to advise the Conference of the direction the committee was going toward in this endeavor. This is incomplete and remains an ongoing process.
Referral #2015 PI 4 – The survey “Retaining the Newcomer” has been sitting in the unity guidelines for several years. We firmly believe that this survey should be with the Public Information Committee.
Response
The committee is working on a survey and striving towards its implementation for worldwide CA access
NEW COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AS OF THIS CONFERENCE
Chair – John O.
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Vice-Chair Secretary – Darline L.
Secretary – Melissa B., Joanna H.
CLOSING COMMENTS
We prayed for a great team of dedicated, passionate soldiers, ready and willing to go into “battle” with a solution to reach the addict still out there sick and suffering and God heard our prayer. I am grateful to God and our committee and cannot wait to see the results we accomplish in this upcoming year. We are finding out in rather alarming numbers that within the professional community, Cocaine Anonymous is not known or either is thought of as being a fellowship that is drug specific to cocaine use. Our main areas of focus to dispel this myth will be PSAs and Judicial and Community Services.
The PI Committee concluded its 2015 session in a very positive way, with all subcommittees having a definitive direction to go and grow within the off season.
Thank you all for the opportunity of being of service.
Our committee is committed to serving CA and in that regard, will continue to improve our product.
Respectfully Submitted:
John “Skins” O.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Susan B. – Was there any consideration to Areas that share the same media market? John O. – They should be able to get help no matter what phone rings.
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