District 78 Operating Procedures
“Our Leaders are but Trusted Servants – they Do Not Govern…”
Purpose: The District 78 Operating Procedures are to be a guideline for our district’s operations and meetings. The District Committee is to reflect the conscience of our individual groups, provide feedback to Area 83, the AA GSO, and other districts and to provide feedback to our District and each group on larger AA issues and information.
The “District 78 Operating Procedures” are to be read in conjunction with the AA Service Manual in order to define The District’s governance. As a District we aspire to the smooth, united and continuous operation of the District and its individual groups. The District Committee will reflect the conscience of the individual groups.
The 12 Traditions and the current AA Service Manual serve as the foundation of our Operating Procedures and are incorporated by reference. The intention is that our Operating Procedures will address areas that are missing or ambiguous in the AA Service Manual, and/or unique to our District. Our primary purpose is to carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
The District Committee:
- represents the “conscience” of the District’s collective groups;
- The DCM provides aggregate feedback to Area 83 and/or the G.S.O., and to other districts, and;
- The DCM provides information/feedback/requests to our District from Area, G.S.O., etc.
- Structure:
- The District 78 Committee is comprised of:
- the District Committee Member; the Alternate DCM, Secretary, Treasurer, Technology Chair, Committee Chairs and Group Service Representatives (GSRs);
- The District Committee Meetings are called and chaired by the DCM and we meet on the 1st Sunday of each month;
- The DCM may call off meetings in the summer months of July and/or August;
- The District 78 Committee is comprised of:
- Roles:
- As defined in the AA Service Manual with the following additions/clarifications;
- Alternate D.C.M. and Alternate GSRs: May vote and debate when the DCM or GSR is not in attendance;
- Treasurer:
- Maintains an account of District finances in the prescribed format, attached;
- Disburses approved funds. Such approvals may be completed by explicit inclusion in approved budget detailing the item, or, as an individual expenditure at a regular District Meeting.
- Secretary:
- records, distributes (after District Committee approval) within 2 weeks of meeting and maintains minutes of District meetings
- maintains an up-to-date contact list of Committee members
Committees: District 78 has the following subcommittees which form part of our District Committee:
- Grapevine: Maintains contact with Grapevine magazine and supports access to the Grapevine magazine.
- Archives: Works on updating group histories, locations and sharing of stories.
- Public Information: Develops ways of sharing AA information with the larger community to support the alcoholic who still suffers.
- Technology Chair: Maintains the District website, manages zoom meetings, directs emails received as appropriate, shares any announcements with volunteer assigned to send them out to members and coordinates related issues with Area 83 Technology Chairs.
- Round-Up Chair: Organizes and chairs, with support from other members and volunteers, the annual District 78 round-up committee.
- Voting:
- GSRs: To ensure balanced representation of group consciences, only GSRs are entitled to vote. Other members of the Committee are not entitled to vote but may be invited, by the DCM, to speak to an issue under consideration.
- Alternate GSRs may only vote if their GSR is absent.
- For clarity, voting will follow the AA Service Manual processes and is done with a motion, first moved and seconded, then discussed. The DCM (or Alternate if the DCM is absent) will call for a vote on the motion after they determine appropriate discussion has occurred. Generally, motions require a simple majority to succeed unless a super majority (2/3) has been requested, moved and voted on successfully. The DCM only votes in case of a tie. The Alternate DCM does not vote unless they are also a GSR and/or standing in for the DCM but at no time shall they have more than 1 vote.
- Minority Opinion: While District members always strive to reach a group consensus and to make decisions in the best interests of AA fellowship, after a vote, the DCM may call for a minority opinion. This is expressed by a dissenting member, and, after discussion, another vote may be called, as opinions may have changed.
- Where the DCM, representing the Committee, asks the GSRs to take an issue back to their home group for discussion and feedback, this should be completed within 2 weeks.
- Elections:
The home groups’ election of officers is held every two years, being completed by October 31. The District election of officers and committee chairs is completed by the November meeting. Voting is by GSR’s and a simple majority. The AA forms for communicating new officers are completed by the DCM and submitted to Area 83 by December 01. The members term of office will begin on Jan. 1, for a two year term.
- Budget:
The Treasurer presents a detailed annual budget in January of each year. The Budget comes into effect when it has been properly proposed, and voted on successfully.
This District reimburses the following:
DCM attending (in person) Area Assembly Meetings $400
DCM attending (in Person) Area Committee Meetings $ 50
In the DCMs absence the DCM may designate the Alternate DCM to attend in their absence and in this event the ADCM shall be entitled to such reimbursement.
These amounts are to be included in the Annual Budget.
Updated: July 2, 2023
APPENDIX ‘A’ – District Financial Report