Mid Ohio Area Service Committee of Narcotics Anonymous

Mid Ohio Area Service Committee of Narcotics Anonymous Policy 1 st, 2 nd, and 3 rd Concepts Initial: 12-96 Last updated: 10-11 GENERAL AREA POLICIES 12 th Concept 1. The Area Service Committee (A.S.C.) meeting will be held the third Sunday of each month at 2:00 pm with the following rotation: Upper Sandusky, Marion, Tiffin, Marion, Ashley, Marion, Fostoria, and Marion. (7-11) a. If there is a conflict with the third Sunday, the A.S.C. meeting will be held the fourth Sunday of the month at the same location. (7-11) b. If there is a last minute change for A.S.C. (emergency, weather, etc.), it is the chairperson's responsibility to contact the G.S.R.'s and arrive at a consensus regarding the change in date and time. It is the G.S.R.'s responsibility to notify their home groups of the change. (7-11) 2. We are a member of the Ohio Regional Service Committee of Narcotics Anonymous (O.R.S.C.N.A.). (12-96) 3. Use and follow new A.S.C. Meeting Format adopted in September of 2009. (10-09) 4. G.S.R. s shall use Report Forms provided by A.S.C. (10-09) 5. Groups have the option to comply with a consistent court paper signing policy, being that papers must be submitted prior to the beginning of the meeting and will not be signed until the end of the meeting. (7-11) a. Optional: if anyone arrives late or leaves early the group may sign their paper as long as the time of arrival and leaving is plainly recorded on their paper. (02-05) b. If a court ordered attendee is an excessive disruption to the meeting, a group has the option to not sign that person s court paper. (10-07) c. If any attendee is creating a disruption or distraction, the meeting Chairperson may take appropriate measures to stop the disruption and restore order to the meeting. (See NA Booklet: Disruptive and Violent Behavior) (7-11) 6. All area trusted servants will participate in an area inventory, as detailed in the Guide to Local Services, in January of each year. (7-11) AREA VOTING PROCEDURE 2 nd Concept 1. Any Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.) member, directed by their Groups' Conscience, may carry votes (either in person or by way of proxy), to M.O.A.S.C.N.A. in order to represent that Group's decisions. (12-96) 2. Voting is: Yes, No, or Abstain. (10-09) 3. The A.S.C. Chairperson can vote only to break a tie. (12-96) 1

a. A.S.C. Chairperson has the option to table until the next A.S.C. meeting if a 2/3 Majority is not in attendance. (10-09) 4. If a Majority is to Abstain on a Motion, the Motion is brought back up for discussion and voted on again. If a majority abstains after the second discussion, the motion fails. (7-11) a. If only two Groups are represented in attendance, one vote of Abstention will table vote until next A.S.C. meeting. (12-96) 5. A Simple Majority of G.S.R. s is needed to carry a Motion. (10-09) 6. A 2/3 Majority of G.S.R. s is needed to change A.S.C. Policy. (10-09) 7. Any two or more Group Service Representatives (G.S.R.'s) present may determine that a Motion needs to go back to Groups. (7-11) a. Motions sent back to Groups will be voted on at the next A.S.C. (06-06) 8. If a G.S.R. is also a Chairperson of an Area Level Subcommittee, then that G.S.R. may not vote on Motions submitted by them, in the capacity of Subcommittee Chairperson. Nor can they vote on Motions made by other A.S.C. members which pertain to their Subcommittee. (10-09) a. Intent of policy is to avoid conflict of interest. (10-09) b. This pertains only to Motions made during the A.S.C. meeting, not Motions brought from a Group Conscience. (10-09) 9. Ad Hoc Committees may be formed as needed. All Ad Hoc Committee Members have voting privileges. (10-09) AREA MOTIONS 6 th and 7 th Concepts 1. Elected G.S.R.'s or G.S.R.-A.'s, in G.S.R.'s absence, may make any Motions. a. Any Motion from area sent back to Home Groups can be carried back to area by an elected (or delegated) Home Group member from that Group. (12-00) 2. A Subcommittee Chairperson, or Vice-Chairperson, in the absence of Chairperson, may make Motions pertaining to their area of responsibility. (12-96) 3. Motions need to be written before A.S.C. meeting and submitted with their Report before being brought to the floor. (10-09) 4. All Motions being submitted and/or sent back to Groups must include one (1) pro, one (1) con and Intent of Motion. (10-09) 5. All Motions are to be seconded at the A.S.C. meeting before discussion. (10-09) a. Any A.S.C. member of the Administrative Body, except the A.S.C. Chairperson, has the right to second any Motion on the floor. (10-09) 6. Motion discussion will consist of pro(s) and con(s). Priority is given to G.S.R.'s. (7-11) 7. Defeated Motions cannot be brought back to A.S.C. for three months. (7-11) 8. A.S.C. Chairperson and Secretary will update and organize passed Motions that affect/change Policy quarterly, and make available. (11-06) 2

AREA FINANCIAL 11 th Concept 1. All monies donated to M.O.A.S.C.N.A. will be placed into the General Fund. (10-09) 2. The area will maintain a prudent reserve of $100.00. (9-11) 3. Subcommittees should present a written itemized and estimated statement of money needed to A.S.C. for approval before a planned Function or Event. (10-09) a. All A.S.C. members must give an itemized statement of funds spent. (10-09) b. All Surplus Funds and Necessary Receipts need to be returned and submitted by the next A.S.C. meeting. (10-09) 4. A customary donation of ten percent (10%) will be given to Region on a quarterly basis. This donation will be calculated at the conclusion of the A.S.C. meeting, after group donations have been added to the general fund and all requests for monies have been made, as long as remaining funds don t dip below the prudent reserve. (9-11) 5. A.S.C. will donate $5.00 per month for rent to the hosting facility. (10-09) 6. Checks will be signed upon issuance of check, never ahead of time. (10-09) 7. Regional Committee Member (R.C.M.) is to automatically be given up to $90.00 before Regional Service Committee (R.S.C.) meeting to cover expenses that may occur. Surplus Money and Receipts will be submitted at the next A.S.C. meeting following the R.S.C. Meeting. (9-11) 8. The H&I Subcommittee has a quarterly budget of $75.00 for literature. (10-11) 9. Three signers on A.S.C. checking account are: Treasurer, A.S.C. Chairperson, and R.C.M. In event 2 of these positions are held by one person or one or more is vacant, or of the same household, the alternate signer will be the area Vice-Chairperson or Area Secretary. (06-04) a. In the event of open positions the 3rd signer will be voted upon by the A.S.C. body. (06-04) 10. Necessary Subcommittee Funds will be disbursed on an as needed basis. (10-09) 11. The web site, moascna.org, is hosted by Godaddy.com and needs renewed every August by the web master. (9-11) 12. P.O. Box is due in March to be paid by the treasurer. (12-96) 13. Each September the area service body and subcommittees will work with the treasurer to audit expenses and present their projected budgets at the October A.S.C. (9-11) 14. All monies received by Treasurer will be deposited within one week whenever possible. (12-96) AREA ELECTIONS 4 th Concept 1. A.S.C. Trusted Servants are to have suggested Clean Time and perform duties as suggested in current Guide to Local Services and Area Policy. (10-09) 2. Nominations will be brought to A.S.C. for all positions in May. Nominees are to be present in May or must send a letter stating willingness in cases of emergency. (12-96) a. M.O.A.S.C.N.A. will use a written N.A. Resume Form for our election process. Nominees are to complete a Service Resume Form. (4-98) b. Voting occurs in June. (12-96) 3

c. Position change occurs in July. (12-96) 3. The A.S.C. Chairperson cannot also be a G.S.R., with the exception that there should be a limited number of recovering addicts with willingness to serve. (10-09) 4. In case of only one (1) Nomination for a mid-term position in A.S.C., a Vote of Confidence at A.S.C. will be taken. (12-96) a. A 2/3 Majority is needed for Elections. (10-09) AREA RESIGNATION AND REMOVAL 5 th and 7 th Concepts 1. Trusted servants of A.S.C. may resign at any time during their term. A letter of resignation should be submitted to A.S.C. Chairperson before A.S.C. meets. (10-09) 2. In case of resignation of any Subcommittee Chairperson or A.S.C. Trusted Servant, the duties will be assumed by Subcommittee Vice-Chairperson or Area Alternate respectively. (10-09) 3. In the event of a mid-term Resignation or Removal of a Trusted Servant position, a Special Nomination and Vote of Confidence will be held to fill the Vacant position until a Formal Nomination is brought to next A.S.C. meeting with voting to occur at that time. (10-09) a. In case of two or more Nominations, a Simple Majority Vote of G.S.R.'s will determine if an Election will occur at that time or go back to groups. (3-98) 4. M.O.A.S.C.N.A. Trusted Servants may be removed, by Ballot, from their position by a Majority of G.S.R.'s present for any of the following reasons: relapse, excessive absenteeism without notification, neglect of duties, acts of theft, acts of violence (physical or verbal) or coercion in committee or towards committee members. (10-09) 5. All Resignations of Subcommittee Chairpersons and any A.S.C. Trusted Servant must be done in person in compliance with #1 under Area Resignation and Removal. (See above, this Section) (10-09) 6. All A.S.C. and/or Subcommittee Supplies are to be returned at time of Resignation or Removal from Position. (10-09) TRUSTED SERVICE IN M.O.A.S.C.N.A. M.O.A.S.C.N.A., its service structure, and its trusted servants follow the 12 Steps, the 12 Traditions, and the 12 Concepts for Area Service of Narcotics Anonymous. 1. All trusted servants are to keep and maintain accurate records. a. Upon leaving a service position, all trusted servants must transfer complete records of their service position, including all contacts, all current notes, all information related to their trusted service position, and all materials to their successor. (8 th Concept) (10-11) 2. The previous position holder will stay on at the area level for two additional months in order to train new member at that position. (7-11) 4

Chairperson: AREA ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE 8 th and 9 th Concepts The area committee chairperson is responsible for conducting committee meetings, preparing the agenda, and various administrative duties. The chair s primary tools are the short-form rules of order, which appear at the end of this guide, a firm hand, a calm spirit, and a clear mind. Guide to Local Services, Page 48. 1. Suggested to have three (3) years Clean Time. (10-09) 2. Suggested to have a minimum of two (2) consecutive years service as either a G.S.R. or other A.S.C. position prior to being Area Chairperson. (10-09) 3. This is a one (1) year service commitment. (10-09 Vice-Chairperson: The primary responsibility of the area committee vice chairperson is the coordination of the area subcommittees. The area vice chair keeps in regular touch with the chairpersons of each subcommittee to stay informed of their projects and problems, attending subcommittee meetings whenever possible. If disputes arise within a subcommittee or between subcommittees, the ASC vice chair helps find solutions to them. The vice chairperson works closely with subcommittee chairs when they prepare their annual reports and budget proposals. The vice chairperson is also responsible to assist the chairperson in conducting area committee meetings and to conduct ASC meetings him or herself in the chairperson s absence. Guide to Local Services, p. 48 1. Suggested to have two (2) years clean time. (10-09) 2. Suggested to have one (1) year of A.S.C. service. (10-09) a. To conduct the A.S.C. meeting in the absence of the A.S.C. Chairperson. (10-09) b. Attend all A.S.C. meetings. (10-09) c. In case of vacancy of any Subcommittee Chairperson or A.S.C. Secretary, the A.S.C. Vice-Chairperson will fill that position, when and if necessary. (10-09) d. In the event no vice chair is available to assume the duties of a vacant service position, that service position will be marked as vacant in the A.S.C. minutes, and where applicable the duties will be assumed either by a member of the administrative committee or by an ad hoc committee. (10-11) 3. This is a one (1) year service commitment. (10-09) 5

Secretary: Area secretaries handle all their committees paperwork, a formidable job. Their first responsibility is to take clear, accurate minutes of area committee meetings and distribute those minutes to all committee participants within a reasonable period of time after each meeting. In the process of keeping the minutes of each meeting, secretaries should regularly update a log of area policy actions Secretaries should have copies of the most recent printing of the log of policy actions available for new G.S.R. s and should periodically distribute updated versions to all area committee participants... They need to keep an updated list of participants addresses. Guide to Local Services, p. 48 1. Suggested to have eighteen (18) months Clean Time. (01-08) 2. Suggested to have six (6) months of A.S.C. service. (01-08) 3. A.S.C. Minutes will be distributed to A.S.C. members within eight days after the previous meeting, whenever possible. (03-06) 4. Any Area Group, either missing or not sending a Report for two (2) consecutive A.S.C. meetings, will not receive minutes for that month. (10-09) 5. A.S.C. Secretary and A.S.C. Treasurer are responsible for all Area mail. (01-08) 6. A.S.C. Lines of Communication will be updated and made available as needed. (01-08) 7. A.S.C. Secretary or A.S.C. Chairperson are responsible for supplying the A.S.C. policy. (10-11) 8. This is a one (1) year service commitment. (10-09) Vice-Secretary: 1. Suggested to have (6) months Clean Time. (10-09) 2. Attend all A.S.C. meetings and assist the A.S.C. Secretary as needed. (10-09) 3. This is a one (1) year service commitment. (10-09) Treasurer: The treasurer receives contributions from the groups, administers the area s checking account, pays the rent for the committee s meeting hall, reimburses officers and subcommittee chairs for their budgeted expenses, keeps careful records of all transactions, and reports on the financial condition of the area committee at each of its meetings. As the administrator of the area s unified general fund, the treasurer is also responsible to prepare an annual budget for the area committee. Guide to Local Services, p. 49 1. Suggested to have three (3) years Clean Time. (10-09) 2. Suggested to have one (1) year of A.S.C. service and experience handling NA funds responsibly. (10-09) 3. Maintain all financial records. An audit is to occur upon position change and if proven necessary. (10-09) a. Complete financial records are to be made available upon request by any NA member. (10-11) 4. A.S.C. Treasurer and A.S.C. Secretary are responsible for all Area mail. (01-08) 5. This is a one (1) year service commitment. (10-09) 6

Vice-Treasurer: 1. Suggested to have two (2) years Clean Time. (10-09) 2. Suggested to have one (1) year of A.S.C. service and experience handling NA funds responsibly. (10-09) 3. Attend all A.S.C. meetings and assist the A.S.C. Treasurer as needed. (10-09) 4. Responsible of being aware of what is in the Financial Records. (10-09) 5. To assist with the audit(s). (10-09) 6. This is a one (1) year service commitment. (10-09) Regional Committee Member (R.C.M.): Regional committee members serve as the core of the regional service committee, a body which coordinates service forums throughout the region, is responsible for the regional convention, and conducts the regional assembly. The regional committee also serves year around as a contact point between NA world and local services RCMs keep their areas in touch with the larger world of NA by providing information on activities in neighboring areas, functions being sponsored by the regional committee, reports relevant to subcommittee affairs, and important issues being discussed at various levels of service. Guide to Local Services, p. 50 1. Suggested to have a minimum of eighteen (18) months Clean Time. (10-09) 2. Suggested to have one (1) year of A.S.C. service. (10-09) 3. R.C.M. will be elected every odd year. (10-11) 4. Is to attend all Area and Regional Meetings. (04-07) 5. Is to submit Reports and update A.S.C. and R.S.C. (Regional Service Committee) on a regular basis. (10-09) 6. This is a two (2) year service commitment. (08-07) Regional Committee Member Alternate (R.C.M.-A.): 1. Suggested to have six (6) months Clean Time. (01-08) 2. Attend all A.S.C. and R.S.C. meetings (in absence of R.C.M.) and assist the R.C.M. as needed. (10-09) 3. R.C.M.-A will be elected every even year. (10-11) 4. This is a two (2) year service commitment. (08-07) Literature: 1. Literature will be stamped by the groups with the Ohio Region 800 number. (05-98) a. A.S.C. will provide a stamp for groups to stamp literature at Group request. (04-06) Area Webmaster: (10-11) This trusted servant position will require: 1. Suggested to have two (2) years of Clean Time. 2. This is a two (2) year service commitment. 7

3. Computer skills including coding in html, the ability to do simple graphics work, knowledge of internet and web-related skills. 4. A working knowledge of the 12 Steps, 12 Traditions, and 12 Concepts of Narcotics Anonymous. The Area Webmaster will: 1. Set up / maintain current domain hosting and domain registration with mailing address to Area PO Box. 2. Create and monitor email account associated with domain for any pertinent communications. 3. Maintain web site as directed by Public Relations Subcommittee, keeping with Area service policies and the 12 Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous. 4. Bring all communications, bills, and suggested changes to the Public Information Committee for review prior to publication. 5. Coordinate with Area treasurer regarding bills. 6. Record all changes to site and convey any pertinent communications as part of monthly report to Area Service Committee. 7. Make note of all requirements to access web site, email account, etc. (address, IP addresses, user name(s), password(s)) and provide duplicate copies to PI chair and secretary for safe keeping. 8. Attend all Area Service Committee meetings. AREA SUBCOMMITTEES 5 th and 9 th Concepts 1. All Subcommittee Chairpersons need to attend all scheduled A.S.C. meetings unless an emergency arises. (10-09) 2. All Subcommittee Chairpersons are to hold regularly scheduled meetings. (10-09) 3. Addendums detailing subcommittee duties like area functions are available from subcommittee chairs or the Area Service Committee secretary. (10-11) Hospitals and Institutions (H&I): 1. Suggested for H & I Chairperson to have one (1) year Clean Time. (10-09) 2. The guidelines from the current N.A. H&I Handbook are to be accepted and adapted for use. (10-09) 3. Provide a schedule of H&I commitments to all groups. (10-11) 4. This is a one (1) year service commitment. (10-09) Public Relations (PR/PI): 1. Suggested for PR/PI Chairperson to have one (1) year Clean Time. (10-09) 8

2. The guidelines from the current N.A. P.R. Handbook are to be accepted and adapted for use. (10-09) 3. The Area Meeting Schedule is P.R. responsibility and should be updated as needed. (10-09) 4. M.O.A.S.C.N.A. Meetings to be included on the Formal Schedule, need to meet the following M.O.A.S.C.N.A. criteria: a. Provides N.A. Literature, Schedules and Announcements available for members, according to their Group Conscience. (10-09) b. Follows the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of N.A. to the best of their ability. (10-98) c. Any NA group that has been active and met regularly for six (6) months may request at open floor to be put on the M.O.A.S.C.N.A. schedule. (10-11) 5. This is a one (1) year service commitment. (10-09) Activities: 1. Suggested for the Activities Chairperson to have one (1) Clean Time. (10-09) 2. All Area Functions and Events are the responsibility of the Activities Committee. (8-98) 3. All Prospective Area Functions and Events, excluding the Psychedelic 60 s Dance, are to be presented to A.S.C. in the form of a Motion for A.S.C. Approval. An Estimated Budget will be made available with Motion. (10-09) 4. All monies generated by a M.O.A.S.C.N.A. Function or Event must be counted by the Activities Chairperson, the Treasurer, and one (1) other recovering addict at the end of the function before leaving. (10-11) 5. No M.O.A.S.C.N.A. Function or Event shall take place on an N.A. member s Private Property. (10-09) 6. No non-na members are to handle NA funds at an area function. (10-11) 7. This is a one (1) year service commitment. (10-09) 9