2025-2026 EAI Main Motions for review

WELCOME!!

EAI has received 4 Main Motions for consideration for the 2026 World Service Business Conference. They were presented at the EAI meeting on January 11, and will be voted on February 8 at 8am. Participation in the voting on Feb 8 requires 2 years of continuous abstinence and commitment to 1 EAI-registered meeting.
*Reference the SRO regarding EAI Main Motions.

• A "yes" vote at the EAI level is ONLY TO MOVE THE MOTION FORWARD to the 2026 Conference. If a Motion passes, the Motion does not take effect until the World Service Conference (WSC) Members also pass the Motion at the World Service Business Convention (WSBC)

  1. Moving the Motion forward means that the World Service Conference (WSC) members will be asked to vote on whether or not the Motion belongs on the Agenda at the World Service Business Conference (WSBC)

  2. If the Motion is voted onto the Agenda, the Motion will be discussed and debated on the conference floor at the WSBC. 

• A "no" vote at the Feb EAI says the proposed Motion does not have enough merit to warrant further discussion.
  
  
• All Motions can move forward to the WSBC. The Motions are not competing against each other at the EAI level.
  
  
• The WSBC will take place on May 29-31, 2026 in Danvers, MA.

MOTIONS

• The Des Moines, Iowa, USA, Friday 6:00am CST videoconference meeting group moves to replace all mention of “God” and "He," "Him," "His," and "Himself," with “Higher Power” in the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.
  You can review the "Higher Power" Motion at this link.
  
  
• The Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, Wednesday, 6.30pm AEST videoconference meeting group moves that all FA Conference-approved meeting formats be amended to include, “to a God of your own understanding,” read aloud by the meeting leader immediately after introducing the Serenity Prayer at the beginning and end of the meeting.
  You can review the "Serenity Prayer" Motion at this link.

Two Main Motions presented to EAI on January 11, 2026 propose changing the FA Meeting Format. One is from the Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) Meeting Group and one is from the Silver Spring, Maryland (U.S.) Meeting Group.

**Please note that the pilot meeting formats will NOT be amended or wordsmithed at EAI.**

Start by reading the below information. The Motions will be linked at the bottom.

GOAL: The primary goal of these two Main Motions is to create a 60-minute FA Meeting Format option, but the motions have different implications.
(Meetings who choose to continue using the 90-minute meeting format are welcome to do so.) 

• The chart below summarizes key differences between the two Motions as they apply to an FA Meeting Format. 

• In addition to considering the content and flow of the format, it is equally as important to understand how each Motion will impact the governing documents of FA World Services, Inc. 

BOTH MOTIONS

1. Propose changes to the FA Bylaws and Standing Rules of Order (SRO)

2. Result in a 60-minute meeting option

A “YES” VOTE FOR THE OTTAWA MOTION MEANS  

1. You believe this Motion has enough merit to move forward to be discussed by the full WSC (World Service Conference).

2. Meetings will be able to meet for 60 or 90 minutes

3. While still needing to adhere to the FA SROs, meetings will no longer be required to use a suggested format from the FA website, so long as the meeting’s format is consistent with the Twelve Traditions and the other requirements noted in the SRO.

4. The following items will also be removed from the SRO: How It Works*, the FA Tools, and a break. Meetings will no longer be required to include these items in their format. Even without these items, meetings will still meet the requirements to be a registered FA meeting.
   *Amendment passed 1/11/26 to keep How It Works as a requirement. 

5. The suggested format can be used at both 60-minute and 90-minute meetings, with slight changes to the proposed 60-minute format to make it longer (increasing the length of time for qualifications/ literature/sharing and retaining a 10-minute break).  

A “YES” VOTE FOR THE SILVER SPRING MOTION MEANS

1. You believe this Motion has enough merit to move forward to be discussed by the full WSC.

2. Meetings will be able to meet for 60 or 90 minutes

3. The requirement to adhere to one of the meeting formats posted on the FA website will remain. However, meetings could PILOT a 60-minute format for one year. During this time, wordsmithing the format is permissible. All meetings participating in this pilot will remain registered on the FA website. Meetings choosing to remain 90 minutes long during the pilot year would continue to use the current formats.

Read the full Ottawa Motion and proposed pilot format/changes.

Read the full Silver Spring Motion and proposed pilot format/changes.

COMPARISON OF MOTIONS FROM OTTAWA, ONT. AND SILVER SPRING, MD 

Proposed Meeting Format Changes

Differences BETWEEN THE TWO MOTIONS are in bold.