GLASS HOUSE GROUP OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS STEERING COMMITTEE OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES I. PURPOSE The Steering Committee, being nominated and elected by the Group Conscience, is thereby the subset of the Group Conscience that is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Glass House Group of Alcoholics Anonymous. The primary function of the Steering Committee is to guide, on behalf of the Group and in accordance with the 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, the daily operation of the Glass House while keeping foremost in their collective mind that they as a committee are but trusted servants they do not govern. The specific duties of the Steering Committee, which will be discussed in a subsequent section of this document, include, but are not limited to; a. Interaction with the AA Glass House Corporation, b. Interaction with the Glass House AA Group Conscience, c. Interaction with the Glass House Al-Anon Family Group, d. Coordination of Quarterly Chairpersons, e. Coordination of the Election of GSR and the Alternate GSR, f. Coordination of the Election of Special Service Board members, g. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Anniversary Celebrations, h. Miscellaneous Business, i. And other such duties that may arise from time to time. II. MEMBERSHIP A. Composition The Steering Committee is comprised of eight (8) members, four (4) men and four (4) women. B. Term 1
A Steering Committee member is elected for a one (1) year term. The terms are staggered such that three (3) men and one (1) woman are elected in the December Group Conscience meeting and thereby serve from January 1 through December 31 of the subsequent year and, three (3) women and one (1) man are elected in the June Group Conscience meeting and thereby serve from July 1 through June 30 of the next year. Individuals may serve multiple non-successive terms on the Steering Committee, provided that the individual has not been a member of the Steering Committee for at least one (1) year prior to their being elected to a subsequent term. C. Eligibility Glass House Group Conscience members with at least two (2) continuous years of sobriety are eligible to serve on the Steering Committee. D. Nomination The nomination and election process is conducted during the regularly scheduled December and June Group Conscience meeting. The Steering Committee Chairperson opens the floor for nominations. Any member of the Glass House Group Conscience may nominate himself or herself or any other eligible member for a position on the Steering Committee. The nominated candidate is then requested to state their sobriety date, their service experience and their willingness to serve (i.e., attend all meetings, perform required tasks, etc.) as a member of the Steering Committee. Nominations are received until the Group Conscience has nominated all potential candidates. The nomination process is then closed. In the event that a nominee is unable to attend the Group Conscience meeting in which they are nominated then that nominee is to provide a written statement indicating their service experience, willingness to serve (i.e., attend all meetings, perform required tasks, etc.) as a member of the Steering Committee. This written statement must be given to a standing member of the Steering Committee prior to the Group Conscience meeting in which they are nominated. The Steering Committee member then reads the aforementioned written statement to the group as an acceptance of the nomination. In the event that the nominated candidate is unable to meet the aforementioned qualification process then that candidate is withdrawn from the slate. E. Election The Glass House Group Conscience uses a written vote election process for electing members to Steering committee. Prior to conducting the Group Conscience vote the nominees are asked to stand as each candidates name is read. Each Group Conscience member present is given a voting ballot and instruction as to the number of votes each individual is eligible to cast. The completed ballots are returned to the Secretary. Two members of the Steering Committee then tally the written ballots. The four (4) nominees of the appropriate male / female distribution (depending upon time of year, see section II. A.) acquiring the greatest number of votes are thereby elected. The Steering Committee Chairperson then announces the names of the new members of the Steering Committee. 2
F. Vacancies In the event that a duly elected Steering Committee Member must resign from their position prior to the first scheduled Steering Committee meeting then a special meeting of the Group Conscience is called to nominate and elect a replacement. The nomination and election procedures are followed as described in Section II. D and E above. Vacancies, which occur following the first scheduled Steering Committee meeting, are not filled. G. Officers The Steering Committee has two (2) officers, a Chairperson and a Secretary. The Chairperson is nominated and elected by the members of the Steering Committee. Each nominated individual must be beginning the second six (6) month period of their one (1) year term at the time that they assume their respective roles. The nomination and election of the Chairperson occurs during the January and July Steering Committee new member orientation meetings. The elected individual then serves as Chairperson from January 1 through June 30 or July 1 through December 31 accordingly. Nominations for Chairperson are accepted from any current member of the Steering Committee, and upon completion of the nominating process the floor is closed for nominations. The nominees are then asked to state their willingness to serve as the chairperson and a vote is taken. In the event that more than one (1) individual is nominated the nominees are asked to cast their vote for Chairperson Prior to their leaving the room for a general vote. The vote is taken and tallied, the nominees return to the room and the Chairperson-elect is announced. The duties of the Chairperson include, but are not limited to; appointing the Secretary, chairing all Steering Committee meetings, chairing all Group Conscience meetings, preparing the agenda for all Steering Committee meetings, preparing the agenda for all Group Conscience meetings, posting the New Quarterly Chairpersons sign up sheets, posting the Service Representatives sign up sheets, preparing and posting (i.e., in the daily AA meeting notebooks) the announcement of all Steering Committee meetings, preparing and posting (i.e., in the daily AA meeting notebooks) the announcement of all Group Conscience meetings, assimilation and presentation of any and all written and signed member comments to the Steering Committee, calling any and all special Steering Committee meetings, calling any and all special Group Conscience meetings, maintaining and updating the Steering Committee Notebook, and other such duties which from time to time may arise. The Chairperson appoints the Secretary. The duties of the Secretary include, but are not limited to; recording of the minutes of all Steering Committee meetings, recording of the minutes of all Group Conscience meetings, maintaining the minute books for both the Steering Committee and the Group Conscience, and other such duties which from time to time may arise. III. MEETINGS 3
The Steering Committee meets at the beginning of each six month s term, Quarterly before each Group Conscience meeting and on Special occasions as necessary. They meet in the half measures room, or other such place as may be deemed appropriate. The Chairperson chairs all meetings and the Secretary records minutes. A. Protocol All Steering Committee meetings are opened with a moment of silence followed by the Serenity prayer and closed, after the motion to adjourn has been carried, with the Lord s Prayer. The Chairperson distributes the meeting agenda followed by the reading of the minutes from the previous meeting by the Secretary. Modifications are made to the minutes, if necessary, and the committee adopts the minutes. The Chairperson directs the committee through the items on the agenda. Agenda items are to be submitted in writing from a committee member to the Chairperson at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting time for inclusion on that meetings agenda. The meetings are conducted generally adhering to the guidelines set forth in Robert s Rules of Order. In short, all discussions take place in an orderly fashion, without cross talk, and individual members of the committee contribute their input only after raising their hand and being recognized by the Chairperson. In order to transact business six of the eight members of the committee must be present. All business, including the acceptance of reports, transacted by the Steering Committee is to be in the form of a motion that is duly seconded. The Chairperson reads the motion on the floor and following discussion said motion is called to a vote. At the discretion of the Steering Committee any non-voting attendees at the meeting can be asked to leave the room during the voting process. Voting is conducted by a show of hands and each committee member casts his or her vote as; in favor, opposed, or abstains. The number of votes in each category are recorded and tabulated by the Secretary and the result of the vote is announced to the committee. A motion is carried if; the required number of committee members are present, and if a majority of the required committee members present vote in favor of said motion. The Secretary records in the minutes of the meeting the motion, notes on the discussion, and the number of votes in each category (not the name of the committee member casting the vote). In situations where circumstance dictates a motion may be carried in lieu of a meeting only when all standing members of the Steering Committee unanimously approve, in writing, said motion. In such situations it is the responsibility of the Chairperson to commit the motion to writing and to obtain the approval signatures of each member of the committee. In the event that one or more of the standing committee chooses not to approve the motion then said motion is not carried in lieu of a meeting. The Secretary places the motion and the associated signatures in the minute book. B. New Committee Member Orientation Meeting. A new Steering Committee member orientation meeting is scheduled on the first Monday of the months of January and July. Outgoing as well as incoming members of the 4
committee are to attend. It is the responsibility of the Chairperson to place notification of the day, date, time, and location of the Steering Committee meeting in the group meeting announcements to be read during the daily Glass House AA meetings. This notification should begin two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled meeting date. The purpose of this meeting is to select new officers and standing committee chairs, and orient the newly elected members as to the duties and responsibilities of the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee chairperson will assure the each committee is represented by a member of the Steering Committee member who will, after a suitable learning period will become the chair of that committee. C. Quarterly Meetings The Steering Committee has four (4) regularly scheduled quarterly meetings that occur on the Monday preceding the 3 rd Thursday of the last month of each quarter (i.e., March, June, September, and December). The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:35 pm. However, the Chairperson, at their discretion may begin the meeting earlier in the event that the agenda requires, provided that notification of same has been announced in the daily AA group meetings. It is the responsibility of the Chairperson to place notification of the day, date, time, and location of the Steering Committee meeting in the group meeting announcements to be read during the daily Glass House AA meetings. This notification should begin two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled meeting date. D. Special Meetings Special meetings of the Steering Committee can be requested by any member of the Steering Committee and called by the Chairperson at such time as group business requires immediate attention such that it could be detrimental to the group as a whole to wait until the next Quarterly meeting to attend to such business. It is the responsibility of the Chairperson to notify each committee member as to the day, date, time, and location of the Steering Committee meeting. This notification should provide as much advanced notice as possible. IV. SPECIFIC DUTIES A. Interaction with the AA Glass House Corporation. The AA Glass House is comprised of seven (7) members all of whom are members of the Glass House group. The primary function of the AA Glass House Corporation is to serve as an entity to provide fiscal and libelous responsibility (e.g., to enter into lease agreements and to provide insurances) for the group. The AA Glass House Corporation is responsible for the operations and maintenance of the facility and to protect the group s relationship with the owner of the rental property, the Ridglea Christian Church. In order to provide these services as well as other duties efficiently the Corporation collects the daily AA meeting contributions. The Corporation counts the contributions, prepares the bank deposit and delivers the deposit to the bank. It also money manages surplus funds. Additionally the Corporation is responsible for the 5
payment of all monthly bills, and for the preparation and posting of quarterly financial reports. The services provided by the corporation include, but are not limited to, the following areas; 1. Utilities a. Electric. b. Telephone. c. Water. d. Gas. e. Waste Removal. 2. Facility a. Structural and Furnishing. b. Lawn and parking lot. c. Capital replacements (e.g., rugs, furniture, major mechanical, and equipment). 3. Facility Operation and Maintenance a. Air and Heat. b. Heavy cleaning (e.g., carpets, etc.). c. Building and parking repairs and replacements. d. General (e.g., roof, plumbing, painting, etc.). e. Sound system, tapes. f. Kitchen supplies. g. Coke machine rental, maintenance, and drinks. h. Coffee and fixings. i. Paper products, trash and general cleaning supplies. j. Unusual items plant maintenance, etc. k. Party supplies. l. Subscriptions (e.g., Grapevine, etc.). m. Packets, supplies for store rooms. It is the responsibility of the Steering Committee to coordinate and interact with the AA Glass House Corporation on issues and tasks related to those functions described in this Section IV. A. Members of the AA Glass House Corporation may attend Steering Committee meetings in a non-voting capacity. It is the role of the Corporation to assist and advise, not govern, the Group Conscience through the Steering Committee. B. Interaction with the Glass House AA Group Conscience. It is critical in decisions related to the Glass House Group Conscience that the Steering Committee guide, on behalf of the Group and in accordance with the 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, the daily operation of the Glass House while keeping foremost in their collective mind that they as a committee are but trusted servants they do not govern. The two primary means of Steering Committee interaction with the Group 6
Conscience are; a) in the Group Conscience meeting, and b) written communication, from, and signed by, a Glass House member. It is the responsibility of the Steering Committee to announce and chair the Group Conscience meeting. Regularly scheduled Quarterly Group Conscience meetings occur on the 3 rd Thursday of the last month of each quarter (e.g., March, June, September, and December) at 7:00 pm. The Steering Committee Chairperson chairs, and the Secretary records the minutes of all Group Conscience meetings. The announcement of the day, date, and time of Quarterly Group Conscience meetings are to be read in the daily Glass House AA meetings for two (2) weeks prior to the scheduled meeting. Special meetings of the Glass House Group Conscience may be called, as Glass House business may dictate (i.e., business that can not wait until the next Quarterly meeting), by a vote of the Steering Committee (see Section II. a. of this document). In such special circumstances the announcement of the day, date, and time of Special Group Conscience meetings are to be read in the daily Glass House AA meetings for seven (7) days prior to the scheduled meeting. All Group Conscience meetings are opened with a moment of silence followed by the Serenity prayer and closed, after the motion to adjourn has been carried, with the Lord s Prayer. The meetings are conducted generally adhering to the guidelines set forth in Robert s Rules of Order. In short, all discussions take place in an orderly fashion, without cross talk, and individual members of the Group Conscience contribute their input only after raising their hand and being recognized by the Chairperson. All business conducted by the Group Conscience is to be in the form of a motion that is duly seconded. The Chairperson reads the motion on the floor and following discussion said motion is called to a vote. General voting is conducted by a show of hands and each member casts his or her vote as; in favor or opposed. The number of votes in each category are recorded and tabulated by the Secretary and the result of the vote is announced to the group. A motion is carried if a majority of the Group Conscience members in attendance vote in favor of said motion. The Secretary records in the meeting minutes the motion, notes on the discussion of the motion, and the number of votes in each category. The agenda for the Group Conscience meeting is determined by the Steering Committee and prepared by the Steering Committee Chairperson. The only business to be conducted by the Group Conscience at a given Group Conscience meeting is business that has been previously discussed by the Steering Committee. Motions from the floor to introduce new business are not entertained. Group Conscience members with topics that they would like to have considered by the group must submit their topic in writing to a Steering Committee member, at least two (2) days prior to the scheduled Steering Committee meeting. The Glass House member must sign all such request, unsigned requests will not be considered by the Steering Committee. All appropriately submitted requests will be discussed by the Steering Committee, put in the form of a motion, brought to a vote, and the outcome of same 7
recorded in the minutes with the original signed request. The outcome depending on the nature of the request may require Group Conscience approval. There are several areas of operation that must be brought to the group for consideration and subsequent approval or rejection. These areas include; 1. The nomination and election of all Steering Committee members. 2. The election of Quarterly Meeting Chairperson s. 3. The determination or changing (i.e., one time occurrence or permanent change) of meeting times and / or types (i.e., open, closed, speaker, discussion, etc.). 4. The addition of new meeting. The Steering Committee can add a meeting on a temporary trial basis but Group Conscience approval is required to make a meeting permanent. 5. Dropping a meeting from the schedule. 6. Special occasions or functions (excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Glass House Anniversary functions; these functions are the responsibility of the Steering Committee). 7. Special meetings or workshops. 8. The atmosphere around the facility (e.g., smoking, dogs, or other behavioral distractions, etc.) keeping in mind that the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. 9. Election of the GSR and the Alternate GSR. 10. Election of members to serve as Service Committee Representatives. C. Interaction with the Glass House Al-Anon Family Group. It is important that the Steering Committee recognize that the Glass House Al-Anon Family Group has been an integral part of the Glass House AA from its inception. It has been suggested that the quality of the sobriety at the Glass House can be linked in part to our strong Al-Anon program. Therefore, it is important that a cooperative relationship be maintained between the Glass House AA and the Glass House Al-Anon Family Group. The Glass House Al-Anon Family Group leases the portion of the facility known as the Al-Anon Room from the Glass House AA. In conjunction with this lease the Glass House Al-Anon Family Group shares access to the common areas of the facility. The Glass House Al-Anon Family Group interacts, on matters of business, with the Glass House AA Group through the Glass House AA Steering Committee in much the same manner as an individual member of the Glass House Group Conscience would. That is, a written request is to be signed by and submitted from the Glass House Al-Anon Family Group Steering Committee to a member of the Glass House AA Steering Committee at least two (2) days prior to the scheduled Glass House AA Steering Committee meeting. All appropriately submitted requests will be discussed by the Steering Committee, put in the form of a motion, brought to a vote, and the outcome of same recorded in the minutes with the original signed request. The outcome depending on the nature of the request may require Group Conscience approval. 8
D. Glass House Committee Structure The primary function of the Steering Committee (SC) is to guide, on behalf of the Group and in accordance with the 12 Traditions, the daily operation of the Glass House. The standing committees provide a way for group members to participate in the actual work of operating the group, and thus be self supporting through their own contributions of talents, skills, and ideas in addition to cash in the basket. The line of distinction between the Board and the Group is based on understanding the Boards financial and liability responsibilities and providing them with sufficient funding and support to fulfill those responsibilities and by more clearly defining the Groups responsibility to be self supporting and to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers by providing a mechanism of service committees to provide group members opportunities to serve their group and AA. Standing committees are to be chaired by a member of the steering Committee and may consist of as many additional members from the Group as are needed to do the particular task. When a chair leaves the Steering Committee they may remain on the standing committee as a member once the new SC member takes office. See Appendix V for details on committees E. Coordination of the Quarterly Chairpersons. It is the policy of the Glass House to elect a Quarterly Chairperson to be responsible for each of the daily Glass House AA meetings (e.g., Monday 8:00 pm discussion meeting). The Quarterly Chairperson serves in this capacity for the three (3) month period for which they have been elected (e.g., January through March, inclusive). This individual is required to have at least one (1) year of continuous sobriety and be a member of the Glass House. The responsibilities of these individuals are to: 1. Obtain a key to the Glass House from the outgoing chair for your particular meeting. You will pass this on to the person who succeeds you. 2. Be at the Glass House early, unlock the building, check the thermostat, make sure that the meeting room is in order, and make coffee. New people may be invited to show up early and help set up. 3. Ask as many different people as possible to chair meetings and not personally chair multiple meetings during the quarter. The individuals that are asked to chair should have at least six (6) months of continuous sobriety and be Glass House members. Only rarely should a non Glass House member be asked to chair a meeting. 4. Orient the person chairing the meeting with the Glass House AA policies and procedures for chairing a meeting that are in the front of the meeting notebook. 5. If someone identifies themselves as a non-alcoholic in a closed meeting, ask them to leave and direct them to an Al-Anon meeting. If they are accompanying a newcomer alcoholic, ask a member with long term sobriety to take both of them to the half measures room and explain the program to them. 6. At the end of the meeting if anyone wishes to purchase literature, open the literature room and then stay with the person to assure they find the item they want and pay for it. Envelopes with the price marked should be inside each book or booklet. Place this in the safe. You may need to use the meeting collection to make change. 9
7. Both the meeting chairperson and the respective quarterly chairperson are to count the contributions at the end of each meeting. If the quarterly chair is not at the meeting, they must designate someone to assist the meeting chairperson. 8. Place the money into the contribution envelope and both clearly sign it in the appropriate blanks on the envelope, along with amount collected and a count of the number of people attending the meeting. Put the envelope into the safe and record the details in the logbook on top of the safe. See that the kitchen has been cleaned, that the coffee pots have been turned off, and that the trash has been removed to the dumpster. Shut off all the lights in the meeting rooms, the hall, the kitchen and the restrooms. 9. The AA person chairing the monthly birthday meeting is authorized by the Steering Committee to provide refreshments and decorations for birthday night celebrations and to be reimbursed out of the evening s collections (i.e., exchange the receipt(s) for decorations and refreshments with cash from the collection baskets). Some decorations are permanently stored in the supply room. Additionally, person chairing the AA birthday night celebration is to announce, during the meeting, that it is a Glass House tradition to ask each of the birthday celebrants to donate one dollar ($1.00) for each year of sobriety up to a maximum of ten dollars ($10.00) no matter how many years the celebrant may have, to be collected by the GSR and sent to the GSO in New York. 10. If the Quarterly Chairperson cannot attend a meeting for which they are responsible then they must be certain that the individual they ask to chair is familiar with the format of the meeting and capable of performing tasks 4 through 8 above. It is the responsibility of the Steering Committee Chairperson or their designee to post the signup sheets for the New Quarterly Chairpersons on the first Monday of the month proceeding the new quarter (i.e., March, June, September, and December). A notice is placed in the daily Glass House AA meeting announcements stating that the sign up sheets have been posted and the requirements to be a Quarterly Chairperson. Individual Glass House members may sign up for only one (1) meeting per quarter and in the event that more than one (1) Glass House member signs up for a given meeting then an election is held during the Quarterly Group Conscience meeting to determine which individual will be the chair for that quarter. The posted sign up sheets are removed prior to the Quarterly Steering Committee meeting. It is the responsibility of the Steering Committee to review the list of volunteers and to determine that all individuals are qualified (i.e., Glass House members with at least one (1) continuous year of sobriety) to serve as Quarterly Chairpersons. A slate of volunteer Quarterly Chairpersons is prepared and brought to the Quarterly Group Conscience meeting for election. It is the responsibility of the Group Conscience to elect, by vote, the slate of proposed Quarterly Chairpersons. The Steering Committee Chairperson first conducts elections on the disputed (i.e., more than one qualified individual sign up for the same meeting) meetings. Each disputed meeting is dealt with separately with those individuals that have signed up for the same meeting being asked to leave the room during the vote. The Steering Committee Chairperson calls the vote, by a show of hands, for each individual and the individual receiving the greatest number of votes is the Quarterly Chairperson for 10
that meeting. The individuals are invited to return to the meeting and the Quarterly Chairperson is announced for the meeting in question. This process is repeated until all of the disputed meetings have been resolved. The Steering Committee Chairperson reads the full slate of undisputed, qualified Quarterly Chairpersons and a motion is made that these individuals be elected. Upon receiving a second, the motion is called to a vote (i.e., show of hands) and the slate is elected. The Secretary records in the minutes of the meeting the outcome of each of the disputed elections, the full slate election as well as the number of votes. A copy of the elected quarterly Chairpersons is provided to the individual in charge of printing and dissemination (i.e., to central office as well as postings) of schedules immediately upon the adjourning of the Group Conscience meeting. In the event that, for whatsoever reason, an elected Quarterly Chairperson is unable to complete their tenure a qualified replacement for said individual is appointed by the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee Chairperson or their designee is responsible for holding the New Quarterly Chairpersons Orientation meeting. This meeting is held on the Monday immediately following the Quarterly Group Conscience meeting at 7:35 pm in the Half- Measure room. A notice is placed in the daily Glass House meeting announcements stating the day, date, time, and location of this orientation meeting. The New Quarterly Chairpersons Orientation meeting is conducted as any other meeting, opening with a moment of silence followed by the Serenity Prayer, presentation of the duties and responsibilities of the Quarterly Chairpersons, calling for questions, and closing with the Lord s Prayer. F. Coordination of the Election of GSR and the Alternate GSR. The General Service Representative (GSR) is charged with the responsibility of linking the Glass House Group Conscience with AA as a whole. This charge is accomplished in a two-fold manner: a) by the GSR reporting the group s desires to the committee member and to the delegate, who then pass them on to the Conference and to the movement and b) by the GSR bringing back to the group the problems and remedies that affect AA unity, health, and growth. An Alternate GSR is elected at the same time, and in the same manner, as the GSR to meet the duties of the GSR in situations where the GSR is unable to fulfill the obligations of their office. These individuals are required to have at least two (2) years of continuous sobriety and be members of the Glass House. A detailed description of the duties and responsibilities of the GSR and the Alternate GSR can be found in The AA Service Manual. The GSR and Alternate GSR serve a two (2) year term, with the ability to succeed themselves one time, beginning on January 1 of the odd numbered years. The GSR and Alternate GSR are elected in the June Group Conscience meeting of the year proceeding the January of the odd numbered year in which they are to assume their position. It is the responsibility of the Steering Committee Chairperson or their designee to post the signup sheet for the GSR and the Alternate GSR on the first Monday of the June of the year proceeding the January of the odd numbered year in which these individuals are to 11
assume their position. A notice is placed in the daily Glass House meeting announcements stating that the sign up sheet has been posted and the requirements to be a GSR and an Alternate GSR. The posted sign up sheets are removed prior to the Quarterly Steering Committee meeting. It is the responsibility of the Steering Committee to review the list of volunteers and to determine that all individuals are qualified (i.e., Glass House members with at least two (2) years of continuous sobriety) to serve as the GSR and the Alternate GSR. A slate of volunteer GSR and Alternate GSR candidates is then prepared and brought to the Quarterly Group Conscience meeting for election. It is the responsibility of the Group Conscience to elect, by vote, the GSR and the Alternate GSR. Prior to conducting the Group Conscience vote the candidates are asked to stand as each candidates name is read. The Steering Committee Chairperson first conducts election for the GSR and the candidates for this position are asked to leave the meeting during the vote. The Steering Committee Chairperson calls the vote, by a show of hands, for each individual and the individual receiving the greatest number of votes is elected as the GSR. The individuals are invited to return to the meeting and the GSR is announced. This process is the repeated for the Alternate GSR. The Secretary records in the minutes of the meeting the outcome of each of the elections, as well as the number of votes received by each candidate G. Coordination of the Election of Special Service Board members. The Glass House annually elects representatives for each of the six (6) Combined District Six Service Committees and for the Central Office. A detailed description of the duties and responsibilities associated with each of these Committees can be found in the AA Guidelines which is a publication provided by the General Services Office in New York. A copy of this publication is located in the Glass House Steering Committee Notebook. Glass House members with at least one (1) year of continuous sobriety are eligible to serve on these committees. The committees are as follows: 1. Treatment Facilities Committee. 2. Corrections Facilities Committee. 3. Cooperation with the Professional Community Committee. 4. Public Information Committee. 5. Special Needs Committee. 6. Grapevine Committee. It is the responsibility of the Steering Committee Chairperson or their designee to post the signup sheet for the six (6) Service Committees and the Central Office representative on the first Monday of December. Additionally, the AA Guidelines which contains the description of the duties and responsibilities associated with each of these Committees is also posted. A notice is placed in the daily Glass House AA meeting announcements stating that the sign up sheet has been posted, the requirements to be a representative and that multiple individuals may serve on the same committee. The posted sign up sheets are removed prior to the Quarterly Steering Committee meeting. It is the responsibility of the Steering Committee to review the list of volunteers and to determine that all individuals are qualified (i.e., Glass House members with at least one (1) year of continuous sobriety) to serve as representatives. A slate of volunteer Service Committee 12
Representative Candidates is then prepared and brought to the Quarterly Group Conscience meeting for election. It is the responsibility of the Group Conscience to elect, by vote, the Service Committee and Central Office Representatives. Prior to conducting the Group Conscience vote the candidates are asked to stand as each candidates name is read. A motion is solicited to accept the slate of volunteers to serve as Service Committee and Central Office Representatives and upon receiving said motion and a second the motion is called to a vote. The Steering Committee Chairperson calls the vote, by a show of hands, for the slate of volunteers. The Secretary records, in the meeting minutes, the motion and the outcome of the election. H. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Anniversary Celebrations. The Steering Committee is responsible for the approval of the financial expenses associated with and the organization of the Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners and the Glass House Anniversaries. Prior to committing to an expense budget the Steering Committee should consult with the AA Glass House Corporation regarding the availability of financial resources. The Steering Committee may elect to organize these events as a committee, to elect a sub-committee, to appoint a committee comprised of Glass House members, or to appoint an individual to perform the tasks associated with the planning and implementation of these celebrations. These tasks include, but are not limited to, formation of work related committees, posting of volunteer solicitation sign up sheets, and if required arrangements with the Ridglea Christian Church. I. Miscellaneous Business. The following miscellaneous business tasks are the responsibility of the Steering Committee and / or their designees. 1. To approve and establish pricing on all materials from the Central Office for resale, as well as chips for free distribution. A Steering Committee member or their designee obtains these goods from the Central Office and the cost is billed to the AA Glass House Corporation. 2. To approve GSA and GSR expenses and donations. 3. To interact with Dave D. to maintain a clear and efficient process to evaluate and acquire good speakers. 4. To provide cleaning of the facility and maintenance of the grounds. 5. To approve the use of the Glass House for AA or Al-Anon functions. 6. To approve requests for non-scheduled donations and contributions. 7. And other such business that may, from time to time, arise. V Appendix J. Standing Committees 13
1. Key Committee a. Maintain Glass House key inventory by issuing keys to those members whose duties require a key and recovering the keys when the member s service position term ends or if they step down. b. Conduct Quarterly Chairperson orientation meetings and assist Quarterly Chairpersons in fulfilling their responsibilities. 2. Engineering Committee a. Responsible to monitor the condition of facilities and equipment and coordinate funding of maintenance and repairs with the corporate board. b. Where possible recruit volunteer group members to perform minor maintenance and upgrades. c. Assist the corporate board, if requested, in planning and supervising repairs requiring contractors, permits, and/or licensed tradesmen. d. Cooperate with the corporate board to insure that any work undertaken does not violate our lease. e. Assist the quarterly cleaning chairperson and group volunteers in weekly cleaning of the building by providing guidance. 3. Events Committee Responsible to: a. Recruit and provide guidance to volunteer group members to conduct special group events including Christmas, Thanksgiving and Group Anniversary celebrations b. Coordinate with the Group GSR to provide hospitality services, (snacks, greeters, cleanup etc) when the group hosts District or Area service meetings c. Assists as needed in any other special events the group may wish to conduct. d. Coordinate with the GH board regarding any funds needed for its assigned activities. 4. Publications Committee Responsible to: a. Publish and distribute group materials including schedules, phone lists, meeting agendas, election signup sheets, meeting collection envelopes, event flyers and other printed materials as needed. b. Coordinate with the board for the purchase of materials and printing services when needed. c. Recruit a web master to operate the group web site d. Insure that content on the web site is appropriate and is within the traditions. 5. Literature Committee Responsible to a. maintain inventory of AA Approved literature in the literature room to include price markings and payment envelope following established procedures b. maintain inventory of Grapevine literature with group Grapevine rep c. maintain appropriate display in literature display case 14
d. coordinate literature purchases from Central Office with treasurer and monitor purchases to insure accountability procedures are being followed e. special order items not normally stocked when requested by a member f. recruits committee members from the group as needed to perform committee s tasks 6. Supplies committee Responsible to: a. purchase kitchen, coffee, and cleaning supplies coordinating purchases with Glasshouse Treasurer. b. store supplies inventory keeping items safe but readily available when needed c. put out appropriate amounts of coffee and paper products in kitchen and restrooms so they are available for daily needs d. shop prices from time to time to be sure funds are spent as economically as possible. Revised 03/2012 15