EAI Guide Regarding Main Motions for 2024-2025

This document includes a brief description of how a “Main Motion” is developed, sent to EAI, and, if voted on by the EAI body, will be sent to WSI to be heard at the Annual FA World Service Business Convention.

We also have included a “timeline” with deadlines that must be met according to EAI/WSI Bylaws and CEM’s.

Below, you will find the September 2013* EAI SRO (Standing Rules of Order, formerly Continuing Effect Motions) regarding motions.

• Any member with 90 days or more of abstinence and working with an FA sponsor may present a motion to their registered EAI FA meeting. Please note that the meeting must be formally registered with the Eastern Area Intergroup.
• October or November 2024: The meeting discusses the merit of the potential motion at their business meeting. If the majority of members agree that the motion has merit, a member of the meeting group will complete the EAI Main Motion Submission Form.
• Saturday, November 30, 2024: The Main Motion Submission Form must be received by the EAI Office one week prior to the December EAI Meeting.
  *Please submit prior to Saturday November 30, 11:59 pm.
• The EAI Bylaw Chair, with a small committee, will contact and partner with the motion maker to make clarifications or modifications as needed.
• January 12, 2025: The motion maker or their designee are required to present the merits of the motion to the EAI body at the January FA-EAI meeting. A discussion and potential amendments will be heard. The motion maker must be present according to the platform in effect at that time.
• February 9, 2025: All members with at least two (2) years of continuous abstinence may vote upon the main motion. If two-thirds or more of the assembly agree that the merits of the motion are substantial enough for EAI to move the motion on to the WSC, the executive board or its designee will submit the motion to the WSB secretary. In addition, the executive board may also unilaterally submit a Main Motion to the WSB secretary.
• March 2025 - May 2025: If the proposed main motion is approved by EAI, it will be forwarded to the World Service Board (WSB), via the FA office, to all registered World Service Conference (WSC) members. Note that a WSC member is an FA member who has five years of continuous abstinence and have completed one in-depth study of the Twelve Steps in sequence, using a method focused on food addiction and requiring abstinence throughout each Step, within the current term of abstinence, and been elected by their registered meeting to be a voting member at the convention. Officers and chairs of the World Service Board, Intergroups, and Chapters are also WSC members by position.
• Upon receiving a positive majority vote from the WSC, the motion will be placed on the World Service Board Convention (WSBC) agenda. 

THE EAI Standing Rule of Order (formerly known as Continuing Effect Motion) below was voted on and passed by the EAI body September 2013*, and it is the governing document that is followed by EAI regarding “Main Motions.”

It was adopted that the EAI Procedure for “Main Motions” for submission to the WSO Business Conference is as follows:

1. Motions may only be submitted by meeting groups, and must be received into the EAI Office one week before the December Intergroup meeting. The EAI Bylaw Chair (with the assistance of a small committee) will partner with the Motion-Maker as needed to (a) draft the Motion and put it in proper format, (b) work with the Motion-Maker to clarify the Motion intent and language, and (c) detail the procedures and next steps with the Motion-Maker. Motions will not be considered by EAI if they violate the Bylaws or Traditions, or if they duplicate issues or motions already decided.
2. The “Proposed Motion” will then be heard during the January Intergroup meeting. Note - the Motion-Maker (or representative) is required to attend this meeting to present the merits of the Motion to the Intergroup membership. The “Proposed Motion” will receive as full a discussion as time permits. Amendments and edits to the Motion can be made at that time.
3. All EAI members with more than two years of continuous abstinence (“the assembly”) will vote on whether to submit the “Proposed Motion” to WSI at the February Intergroup meeting. If two-thirds or more of the assembly agree that the merits of the motion are substantial enough for EAI to propose the Motion to the WSC, the Executive Board or its designee is mandated to submit the Motion.
   
   The Executive Board may also unilaterally submit a main motion to WSI.
   
   
4. Thereafter, WSI will forward the proposed motion to all the Voting Members (formerly delegates) for decision as to whether the motion ought to be placed on the Agenda at the Convention.

If you have any questions regarding “Main Motions” for EAI, you may contact the Bylaws Chair of EAI at eaibylaws@foodaddicts.org.

*Note that this SRO is currently being considered by FA-EAI for editorial updates, and may be updated at the November 2024 EAI.