Report given by Jay F.
OPENING REPORT
C.A. WORLD SERVICE CONFERENCE 2017 CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT
INTRODUCTION AND OPENING COMMENTS:
Welcome to the 2017 C.A. World Service Conference. The theme this year is: “12 Steps One
Solution.”
Your WSC Conference Committee has been working all year to get prepared, organized and ready
to welcome you, our World Service Delegates. We want to provide the best possible service to
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all of the attendees of the Conference, as well as keeping Delegates and other attendees informed of many varied issues affecting CA as a whole. Our Committee has been working tirelessly since the close of the Conference last year in September, 2016. We met by phone every month, or more than once a month when necessary.
Our accomplishments this year include:
- A review of the Evaluations of the 2016 Conference with implementation of appropriate changes
- Completion of the “After Conference Report” for distribution to the delegates/fellowship and posting to the appropriate website and weblinks
- Distribution of Conference daily summaries to delegates/fellowship
- Review of Closing Reports and completion of Final Conference Report
- Committee review of responsibilities and participation of committee members
- Approval of all revised Conference forms i.e.: registration, proxy, etc.
- Approval of responses to Conference Committee Post Conference Referrals and follow up on any previous in Conference Referrals
- Refined the online referral process to delegates in Delegate mailings
- Refined the online evaluation process used at the 2016 Conference which will be used atthe 2017 Conference and for future Conferences
- Working on a bid to either remain at the current Conference Hotel or to move to another hotel at LAX or even perhaps in another city.
- Implementation of a plan to go green and paperless wherever possible
- Implementation of a plan to make the Conference inter-connected and cloud based wherever possible
- Method of ensuring that all items prepared by the Conference Committee are included in mailing/online distribution, including SR-14 mailing/online distribution
- Completion of 2017 Conference Agenda
- Review and update of Orientation for 2017 Conference
- Processing and organizing all referrals made throughout the year
- Worked earnestly to over-communicate with all delegates and Conference attendees about the business of the Conference, Conference logistics and the like.
- Refinement of electronic voting started last year and to be used again this year
- Refining the planning of the Kick-Off dinner on-site for all Conference Registrants
- Coordination with the Unity Committee to have the Unity breakfast and Unity speaker meeting also be on-site
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COMMITTEE INTRODUCTIONS:
Committee Members
Jay F. – Chair
Jessie G. – Vice Chair
Jessie G. – Secretary
Susan L. – Coordinator
Cindy C. – Co-Coordinator
Linda F. – DOO
Alesia F. – Admin. Coordinator
Conference Officers
Trevor S. – Chair
Russell S. – VC/Parliamentarian
Ruby L C – Co-Secretary
Vanessa J. – Co-Secretary
Yvette H. – World Service Trustee Anne M. – Atlantic South Reg Trustee.
This Committee has worked very hard all year. We are incredibly grateful for this Committee and everyone who stepped up to serve and for the opportunity to be of service to our C.A. Fellowship.
Just a quick snapshot of who is here with us this week – as of Monday August 26, 2017, does not include any on-site registrants:
153 total registrants
102 delegates
19 alternate delegates
32 non-delegates and Conference Officers/WSBT/WSOB
51 separate areas represented
Conference Registrants by Region
Atlantic North 10
Atlantic South 13
Pacific North 25
Pacific South 32
Midwest 17
Southwest 35
European 18
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We had eleven Referrals over this past year that we respond to in this Opening Report as follows:
Conference 2017-1 From Jimmy Y. Orange County (Post-Conference)
In my time at conference I have seen many committees say they are going to do something next year and when the next year comes we don’t hear anything about it because they as a committee decide to sweep it under the table. We saw this in S&B when they swept the incorporation issue under the table and H&I when they swept the H&I can under the table.
My referral is that the convention committee have a subcommittee or a line item or something that would save and call attention to the motions and referrals that we are waiting on. It is also important for them to be accessible and be called to attention so that committees know we are expecting a response. If this referral is not in the correct committee please let me know where to send it and/or forward it to the correct committee. Thank you for your efforts and I don’t mean add to your workload.
Response: Thanks for submitting this. We believe that this referral is for the Conference Committee even though your referral says “convention” committee. That said, here is our response: We have trusted the various Conference Committees to check their own referrals to make sure that they have responded to each. We have now streamlined the referral process into a few spreadsheets and programs such that we can and will start checking this ourselves as a Committee going forward. Also, please note, that any member can ask by referral or at opening report presentations or closing report presentations as well as to the status of any referral to that Committee. Ask the specific Committee as well please if you are not certain of their response or that they have or have not responded to any specific referral.
Conference 2017-2 From Stu E. Las Vegas Area (Post-Conference)
I would like the SR-14 mailing to be just SR-14s and any additional conference related non-SR14 mailings be sent separately.
Response: We worked hard this year to greatly clarify what was part of SR-14 mailing and what was not. Please let us know if there are suggestions to our process for next year.
Conference 2017-3 From John O. W. San Fernando Valley (Post-Conference)
Currently we are only allowed to send our Referral to ONE committee. I would propose that “When more than one committee would be affected by ANY referral, each committee affected will be sent a courtesy copy of any referral which may, could or will affect that committee. Hopefully before coming to the floor, any concerns will be taken care of within those committees. This would include any after- conference referrals, (so they can work throughout the year) and any in-conference referrals where committees can meet face to face.”
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Response: We unfortunately cannot agree to this suggestion. What you suggest is how the referral process used to be set up. It caused monumental chaos quite often. We believe that the referral going to one Committee at a time is the preferred method. Last year, out of all referrals we received only three were transferred to other Committees. The other Committees still have a voice and vote (as applicable) on the Conference Floor about any referral at any time.
Conference 2017-4 From Yves W. Quebec Area (Post-Conference)
Previously, we received the referral throughout the year, when they were entered. This year we did receive all of them during the last mailing in June, so we lost a few months to work on these and it also added a bigger burden during the conference. Also with the pdf format, it would be also useful to have an excel spreadsheet of the referrals list.
Response: Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We have been working earnestly to improve this process each year. Of the referrals which have come in during the course of this year, very few will need significant Committee time. Over one quarter of all referrals which came in went to our Committee and are responded to now in this Opening Report. Further, there is a SR14 Referral made about fixing some of the processes related to Referrals. This will be discussed and presented during this year’s Conference. As to your request that there be excel files with the information about the Referrals for ease of reference, we did this last year and each Committee Secretary had this information readily available to him/her. For this year, we have further streamlined the Referrals such that they will be in one Microsoft Word document for each Secretary and a pdf for each Committee and their respective members.
Conference 2017-5 From Stu E. Las Vegas Area (Post-Conference)
This year at conference we had a committee with 30 member while having another committee with only 5. I think it might be time to limit the size of committees so that member are not unduly burdened because of lack of support. The needs of the fellowship needs to outweigh the needs of the individual.
Response: We respectfully disagree. We believe that the Concept of the Right of Participation which allows each Conference member to serve on the Committee of his/her choice outweighs limiting Conference Committee sizes. The current process of allowing delegates and other Conference participants to serve on the Committee that they select is not sufficiently broken in our opinion to merit making this suggested change.
Conference 2017-6 From Yves W. Quebec Area (Pre-Conference)
For the delegate mailings, would it be possible to not number the files upfront of the name, so we can sort them by name. With the numbering in front, it is impossible to easily find a file without having to look at each name. Since there are multiple mailings and a lot of files it become a cumbersome search process.
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Response: Thanks for bringing this concern to our attention. We have worked hard to clarify the order and presentation of each document in each delegate mailing. We have also made the names of the respective delegate mailing documents more specific as well and have tried to be consistent in the ordering of our presentation. That all said, we like the numbering system the way it is working now and do not want to change it any further at this time.
Conference 2017-7 From Paul S. Colorado Area (Pre-Conference)
The Structures and Bylaws Committee requests that the Conference Minutes and the Summary of Motions are provided to them by the Conference Committee within 30 days of the closing of the Conference so that the S&B Committee may begin working on changes, additions and deletions to the WSM in a timely fashion with the intent of having the updated WSM for the upcoming year reflect the changes from the most recent Conference as close to the beginning of the new year as possible. The SW Regional Trustee who sits on the S&B Committee has spoken with both the Conference Chair and the Conference Secretary who have both stated that this would be possible.
Response: We have been working on this and have improved the timing of these documents greatly over the past two years. We will work to follow the WSM Guidelines about these dates as we do every year. Hopefully this will be sufficient, if not, kindly let us know.
Conference 2017-8 From Rodney D. Greater Missouri Area (in-Conference)
A member of the S & B committee submitted a referral for the committee earlier in the year. He made a mistake. The S & B committee only wants the summery of motions right after conference so we can get to work on the World Service Manual. I believe he also stated we wanted the minutes. That is not needed.
Response: Please see our response to the previous Referral. We believe they are on the same topic. Please do let us know if you and the S&B Committee need anything further on an ongoing basis.
Conference 2017-9 From Rodney D. Greater Missouri Area (In-Conference)
The delegate and area information form ask for a form to be sent in by each delegate. The information for every delegate in each area is the same. So for example, my area sent in 3 forms that were the same. Why is this needed? Just extra paperwork?
Response: Great question! Thanks! We are working on this now and in all likelihood will make an electronic form for each delegate and each area to submit. This should get streamlined this coming year.
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Conference 2017-10 From Thomas W. Wisconsin Area (In-Conference)
I think it’s outrageous that the price of the conference registration doubled from last year to this year. A lot of our areas our struggling with finances and find it hard to send delegates as it is. If the conference is losing money than I suggest the wsbt and wsob find cost cutting ways to augment that shortfall. Don’t push that shortfall onto the CA areas. Thank you
Response: Thanks for your referral. The registration fee charged even at $40.00 still doesn’t begin to cover the costs of the Conference. Our Committee conscience to raise this from $20.00 to $40.00 to be more in line with the 7th Tradition. We did look at some other similar non-profits which charge a much higher registration fee that what CAWS charges. Also, please note, that we have added as a part of the registration fee a Conference coin as well as a jump drive with all reports, manuals and the like included. With this explanation, we will forward this referral to the WSBT and WSOB for additional consideration and response.
Conference 2017-11 From Greg I, CALA Area (In-Conference)
My name is Greg I., WS Delegate CALA. For years it seemed that the four districts of Los Angeles got the honor of hosting a late night meeting during the conference. We simply waited until the activities were done and started the CA meetings, somewhere between 10 and 11:30 at night. Last year, I believe the Unity committee stated they were in charge and I never made it to a meeting, probably my fault.
I was introduced to the conference as a GSR, requested to support the late night meeting we were chairing on a Thursday years ago. I would suggest that allowing the host WS Delegates to coordinate our four districts hosting late night 12 step CA meetings brings the city to the conference as well as the conference to the meeting.
Response: Thanks much for your referral. We will surely discuss this with the Unity Committee and craft a collective solution which makes sense for all areas and committees involved. As of now, these 12 Step meetings are listed in the Conference Agenda as “Un-hosted” at the evening meetings, and “hosted” in the morning meetings. We will strive to coordinate all of this and get clarity for you, your Area and for the Conference.
CLOSING COMMENTS:
The Conference Officers and the entire Conference Committee are excited to be here and work with you this week to create a successful 2017 World Service Conference. If you have any questions or concerns during the Conference, please see myself, Susan L. (Conference Coordinator), or Cindy C. (Conference Co-Coordinator). As a reminder, we are seeking and encouraging all members to join and serve on this Committee. Being a member of this Committee is wonderfully challenging and fulfilling, plus we could really use your help.
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Thank you for allowing us to be of service to our fellowship.
Jay F. – Conference Committee Chair
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