EAI Meeting Secretary Kit: A Guide for the EAI Meeting Secretary

One year of continuous abstinence suggested. Thank you for your willingness to serve as a meeting secretary.

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• Responsibilities of the Meeting Secretary
• Available Resources for Business Meeting Discussion
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Suggested Parliamentary Procedure for FA Business Meetings
  • Formal Procedure
  • Informal Procedure 

Responsibilities of the Meeting Secretary

• Announce business meetings both one week ahead and on the day of the business meeting during meeting announcements. Welcome all members to attend, particularly those with 90 days of continuous abstinence. Inform members with 90 days of continuous abstinence who are working with a FA sponsor that they will have a voice, a vote, and service positions open to them. Also, announce any additional business meetings that may be necessary because of time-sensitive issues.
• Facilitate the group’s monthly business meeting in the following ways:
  • Announces all bold-faced items noted in Document 7A: Sample Business Meeting Agenda/Minutes and record the minutes using this form.
  • Uses basic parliamentary procedures to facilitate the group’s discussions and the review of motions brought forth by meeting members, as appropriate.
  • Uses the Meeting Service Position List on page 22 in Document 7: Service Positions—Description of Responsibilities, to monitor the group’s service positions, informing the group when a term of service has expired or a position otherwise needs to be filled.
  • Instructs newly elected members to review the information in Document 7: Service Positions—Description of Responsibilities on the FA website or prints and distributes copies in order that they can learn about their new service positions (In-Person meetings).
  • Provides a “double check” for the monthly treasurer’s report.
• Maintain business meeting materials, including previous business meeting minutes, service position lists, and relevant communications from World Service, Intergroup, and Chapters.
  • Video Conference - save electronically 2 years.
  • In-Person - File these documents in a three-ring binder dedicated specifically to the group’s business meeting materials - 2 years. Store the binder with the rest of the group’s literature, so that all members may have access to the information.
  • Phone - save electronically or in a three-ring binder - 2 years.
• Assures that the meeting format is updated with any changes that are voted in by group conscience, provided that these changes adhere to the FA Meeting Requirements Document 1 on the FA website. Acceptable changes to the format include specific meeting-based items, for example, requests made by the hosting facility regarding parking, the necessity of using a microphone, etc. Changes to the format that are not acceptable include anything that conflicts with the meeting requirements voted upon by the FA World Service Conference.

It is important to note that while the secretary facilitates discussion and focuses the group around business motions, the secretary does not bring motions to the floor, does not express an opinion, and does not vote during the meeting. However, according to parliamentary procedure, if there is a tie, the secretary may vote to break the tie. If time is short, or if the question at hand may be clarified by more reflection or more information, the secretary, like any other member of the business meeting, may suggest that a particular motion be tabled until the following business meeting.

Available Resources for Business Meeting Discussion

• These resources are available on the FA website to help inform business meeting discussion: Document 1: Meeting Requirements, Standards, Registration And Changes, Document 2: Meeting Essentials, and Document 9: Meeting Effectiveness Questions.
  • Video-conference - The above links can be accessed during the meeting.
  • In-Person/Telephone - The secretary may want to keep copies of these documents in the group’s business meeting binder for use as needed.
• In addition, the monthly “Meeting Health Question” (Document 9:Meeting Effectiveness Questions) can serve as a starting point for discussions about meeting effectiveness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there a recommended time limit for business meetings?

A: The meeting group conscience may decide on the business meeting’s time limit. Some of the business meetings have a suggested time limit of 30 minutes.

Q: What if someone wants to speak at the business meeting, or make a motion, and this is not their committed meeting?

A:  Only those with 90 days or more of continuous abstinence in FA, who regularly attend the meeting, have a voice and a vote. It would be appropriate to make that statement, rather than simply ignore someone with a hand up.

Q: Can the secretary contribute to a discussion for a motion or even an exploratory discussion?

A: The secretary facilitates the discussion on a motion, but cannot contribute to the discussion or express an opinion on a motion.

Q:  Is it true that the secretary should not bring up a new motion or second a motion?

A: Yes.

Q:  I heard that the secretary only votes when there is a tie.

A:  According to parliamentary procedure, that is accurate. Keep in mind that the secretary is a facilitator for the meeting.

Q: What should the secretary do if discussion at the business meeting becomes heated or personal?

A: Remember the purpose of the business meeting: to receive up-to-date reports about service activities (treasury, literature, public information, etc.), and to discuss and vote on motions that directly impact the effectiveness of the meeting. The business meeting is not a place to air grievances, but rather, a place to conduct the business of the meeting, through group conscience and the loving guidance of a Higher Power. If a particular discussion becomes too heated, it may be wise for the motion to be tabled until the following month, in order to give members time to reflect upon the issue and speak with their sponsors.

Q: What should the secretary do if someone is behaving in a disruptive manner, for example, packing up the literature during the break, or while the promises are being read? Or what if the treasurer is counting the money during the meeting?

A:  Remember that the secretary is not in charge of other group members. As an individual FA member, it is always a good idea to speak with one’s sponsor about experiences at meetings, which may be a source of confusion. Your sponsor may have suggestions for you about how to handle these situations, within the context of your own recovery. The secretary has no more responsibility to address these situations than any other member of the FA group.

Q: What should the secretary do if someone who holds a service position has not shown up for several weeks?

A: This may be brought to the group for discussion during the “New Business” portion of the meeting. Perhaps someone from the meeting will volunteer to contact the absent member and discuss the situation, asking whether the member intends to continue filling this service position. It is important to remember that the secretary is not in charge of “enforcing” or “patrolling” the meeting, but rather, serves as a facilitator for group discussion about meeting effectiveness and what measures the group, as a whole, may adopt, to ensure meeting effectiveness.

Q:  What should the secretary do if they notice that someone who holds a service position is no longer demonstrating physical, mental, and spiritual recovery?

A: This should not be brought up at the business meeting. This is not the responsibility of the secretary. The secretary may consider taking additional quiet time and discussing with their sponsor.