TXSCYPAA Advisory Council

TXSCYPAA Host Committee Current Practices

As of February 25, 2007

All elections are conducted by 3rd Legacy Procedure, as outlined in The AA Service Manual. When only one candidate is available to serve, a voice vote may be taken.

Anyone that wants to stand for an available position must be present at the meeting where the election is held.

These are the recommended practices for the Host Committee. At the outset of the Host Committee’s formation an order of business, and ratification of these practices or a version thereof, should be established and voted on. This should be done as soon as possible to ensure proper communication processes throughout the Host Committee’s existence.

Order of elections: chair, secretary, treasurer, registration chair, hotel chair, outreach chair, program chair, website chair, activities chair, secretary, merchandise chair, graphics chair, public information chair, bid city liaison chair, entertainment chair, linguistics chair/special needs chair, sober & willing alcoholic team chair(SWAT), Al-Anon chair, hospitality chair, coffee chair, alternate chair, alternate treasurer, alternate registration chair, alternate hotel chair, alternate outreach chair, alternate program chair, alternate website chair, alternate activities chair, alternate secretary, alternate merchandise chair, alternate graphics chair, alternate public information chair, alternate bid city liaison chair, alternate entertainment chair, alternate linguistics chair/special needs chair, alternate sober & willing alcoholic team chair(SWAT), alternate Al-Anon chair, alternate hospitality chair, alternate coffee chair.

SOBRIETY REQUIREMENTS

Chair, treasurer — three years; hotel, secretary, registration, program, public information — two years; outreach, website, activities, entertainment, merchandise— 9 months; all other committee chairs — six months. Alternates carry the same sobriety requirements as the related chair positions.

That drinking alcoholic beverages will result in a voluntary resignation from an elected position, including any positions with no sobriety requirement.

COMMITTEES

The steering committee shall comprise a maximum of 4 voting members. A quorum will comprise 3 voting members. Substantial unanimity on the steering committee is defined as at least 3/4 of the cast votes (in all other committee votes, 2/3 of the votes cast). The voting members are the chair, alt. chair, secretary, hotel chair, and treasurer. The alternates of these positions may participate and will have a voice in all steering committee meetings. In the absence of the voting member, the alternate of the member will be allowed a vote.

Current standing committees: registration, hotel, outreach, program, website, activities, merchandise, graphics, public information, entertainment, linguistics/special needs, sober & willing alcoholic team, hospitality, coffee.

Committee chairs are required to submit a report for each meeting, either in person or via a representative of the committee (also in person). Reports are to be typed and read as written, to ensure that the minutes are an accurate reflection of the meeting, and that a soft copy of the report is to be provided to the recording secretary, prior to the meeting. As often as possible, committee chairs are encouraged to announce, during meetings, dates, times & locations of their upcoming committee meetings.

FINANCE

The TXSCYPAA host committee shall observe the spirit of the 7th Tradition in the strictest sense (i.e. including within the Fellowship).

The rent for the meeting facility is ___ a meeting. It is the Chairperson’s responsibility to collect rent and pay the facility. All excess will be handed over to the Treasurer.

The checking account should have two signers. The following positions will be two signers on the account, in the order listed: chair, treasurer, alternate treasurer, secretary.

In addition to the two signers above, the advisory council chair is a signer also. The signers on any contract will be limited to Chair and Treasurer.

Advisory Council Actions in Regards to Finance: (Referenced from TXSCYPAA By-Laws)

In keeping with the 7th Tradition of AA, all Conference Host Committees ought to be fully self-supporting. The current host committee will relinquish 80% of all proceeds, above and beyond financial and contractual obligations, to the Advisory Council Treasurer. The Host Committee then may make contributions of the remaining 20% of the proceeds to the local service structure (Intergroups, Districts, or Area Assemblies), as the current host committee deems fitting. The Advisory Council treasurer will make available $1000 to be deposited into the new Host Committee's checking account once it has been established.The Advisory Council will make contributions to GSO World Services, out of it’s own monies above and beyond its prudent reserve and operating expenses, to ensure the contributions from the current host committee are given back to the district’s and area assemblies supporting it.

ATTENDANCE

That attendance at meetings is not mandatory, but is strongly suggested, in the spirit of an informed group conscience.

A quorum at a regularly scheduled business meeting is two steering committee members and one voting member.

The following combinations of the steering committee will be the presiding officer and clerk for regularly scheduled meetings: (presiding officer: Chair, Alt. Chair, Hotel Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, Alt. Treasurer; clerk: Secretary, Alt. Secretary, Treasurer, Alt. Treasurer).

In the spirit of Concept IV, all attendees at meetings will have a voice; officers, committee chairs and those alternates acting in place of an officer/chair/liaison will have one vote. All motions and seconds must be made by voting members.

GENERAL

The committee’s expectation is that all phone calls and e-mails (or other communications) from committee members be returned within 72 hours. It is generally suggested that a service worker be asked to resign if time does not permit him or her to carry out the responsibilities of the position. All elected members receive unapproved minutes.

Approved minutes are distributed to the elected members, those with prior interest in the defined as attending a host committee meeting, and those on the existing outreach list.

POSITION DESCRIPTIONS: Position responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following (i.e. you may do more than your description):

Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 3 years

Responsible for chairing host committee meetings, contract signing, conducting elections, chairing steering committee meetings, and hotel negotiations

Treasurer: Sobriety Requirement: 3 years

Responsible for host committee finances, maintenance and setting up of checking account, writing of checks and contract signing

Hotel Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 2 years

Responsible for coordinating between the hotel and host committee, contract proposals, and negotiations with the hotel

Secretary: Sobriety Requirement: 2 years

Responsible for taking the minutes of the meeting, resides on the steering committee

Registration Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 2 years

Responsible for making pre-registration packets, getting with local tourism bureau to get free items for registration bag, collecting all pre-registrations

Program Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 2 years

Coordinates with speakers, reserves their rooms on our room block, takes care of them at the conference, coordinates with entertainment chair & graphics chair on all things pertaining to the program

Public Information Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 2 years

Responsible for dealing with local news agencies should they show up to the conference, ensuring the anonymity of our speakers

Outreach Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 9months

Responsible for the email list, sending out conference approved emails, updating and maintaining contact list, setting up outreach trips & coordinates with the activities chair on outreach events

Website Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 9months

Responsible for setup and maintenance of website: www.txscypaa.org

Merchandise Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 9months

Responsible for researching and ordering coffee cups, t-shirts, and conference banners

Activities Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 9 months

Responsible for planning outreach activities for the conference

Entertainment Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 9 months

Responsible for obtaining DJ for the conference, and game planning

Graphics Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 6 months

Responsible for designing banner, logo, and coordinating with merchandise chair & program chair for necessary signs & program design

SWAT Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 6months

Responsible for order and any extra help at the conference

Bid City Liaison: Sobriety Requirement: 6 months

Coordinates with cities at the conference, and before, who may want to bid for the conference

Hospitality Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 6 months

Responsible for Hospitality suite, obtaining volunteers, buying board games, cards, and food for the room

Coffee Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 6 months

Responsible for ensuring we have the proper amount of coffee during the speaker meetings, and keeping track of its cost

Al-Anon Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 6 months

Coordinates with Al-Anon speaker, reserves room on our room block, takes care of them at the conference

Special Needs/Linguistics Chair: Sobriety Requirement: 6 months

Responsible for making sure any person with language translation or special needs (wheel chair, deaf, blind, etc..) is taken care of