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WAI Standing Rules of Order

Standing Rules of Order Manual FA/WAI

Note: All motions are adopted by the group conscious of Western Area Intergroup of Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA/WAI). Not included in this list are Bylaws, Policy and Procedures or motions temporary by their nature.

INDEX – in alphabetical order by topic

Note: The index is arranged alphabetically. The motions are arranged chronologically, in the order of the date they were passed.

FA/WAI Business

 

STANDING RULES OF ORDER– in chronological order

2002 November – Nominations and Elections of Officers: months & years – It was adopted:

(NOTE: This was REPLACED in 2006-December by motion regarding Nominations and Elections of Officers: Staggered elections )

FA/WAI elections of Officers shall be at the FA/WAI February meeting in odd-numbered years. The nominations of Officers shall be at the FA/WAI January meeting in odd-numbered years and additional nominations may be made at the February meeting. The elected officers shall take office on March 1 in odd-numbered years.

2003 December – Financial Assistance to FA Business Conference: Requirements for applications to Conference Resource Committee – It was adopted:  
(NOTE: This was REVISED in 2005-December motion) The Conference Resource Committee shall be authorized to make decisions in conjunction with the FA/WAI Treasurer, regarding providing moderate financial assistance from IG funds to assist FA members from this IG in attending the yearly FA Business Conference. Written applications would be received from such members. Applications shall be evaluated on a first come-first serve, case-by-case basis each year, with guidance from the FA/WAI executive board (the officers) regarding the amount of financial assistance for each applicant, and the total funds available. Decisions to offer financial assistance would be based on:

a) the member is interested in participating at the Conference and can pay some of their own way;
b) the member has a clear financial need for assistance in order to attend; and,
c) the member would be a voting attendee at the Conference (either as a meeting delegate or as an IG officer or committee chair, and has at least two years of abstinence in FA).

The requirements to be Chair of this Committee are to have four years continuous abstinence in FA and have completed an FA-AWOL. The requirements to be a Member of this Committee are to have two years continuous abstinence in FA, and have completed an FA-AWOL. Both Chair and Members of this Committee must have attended one Conference previously, be active with Intergroup and not need financial assistance themselves to go to the Conference.

2005 December – Financial Assistance to FA Business Conference: Requirements for applications to Conference Resource Committee – It was adopted:

(NOTE: This REVISES the 2003-December motion)

That the December 2003 SRO regarding the Conference Resource Committee be amended as follows regarding requirements for financial assistance:

Change item c) which currently reads:

c) "the member would be a voting attendee at the Conference (either as a meeting delegate or as an IG officer or committee chair, and has at least two years of abstinence in FA)."

To read:

c) "the member either would be a meeting delegate (including both voting and non-voting delegates) or else would be a voting attendee at the Conference (as defined by the FA World Service requirement s)."

The revised Standing Rule of Order is as follows: 

The Conference Resource Committee shall be authorized to make decisions in conjunction with the FA/WAI Treasurer, regarding providing moderate financial assistance from IG funds to assist FA members from this IG in attending the yearly FA Business Conference. Written applications would be received from such members. Applications shall be evaluated on a first come-first serve, case-by-case basis each year, with guidance from the FA/WAl executive board (the officers) regarding the amount of financial assistance for each applicant, and the total funds available. Decisions to offer financial assistance would be based on:

a) the member is interested in participating at the Conference and can pay some of their own way;
b) the member has a clear financial need for assistance in order to attend; and,
c) the member either would be a meeting delegate (including both voting and non-voting delegates) or else would be a voting attendee at the Conference (as defined by the FA World Service requirements)."

The requirements to be Chair of this Committee are to have four years continuous abstinence in FA and have completed an FA-AWOL. The requirements to be a Member of this Committee are to have two years continuous abstinence in FA, and have completed an FA-AWOL. Both Chair and Members of this Committee must have attended one Conference previously, be active with Intergroup and not need financial assistance themselves to go to the Conference.

2006 December – Nominations and Elections of Officers: Staggered elections, months & years – It was adopted:
(NOTE: this REPLACES the 2002-November motion regarding Nominations and Elections of Officers: months and years )

FA/WAl elections of Officers shall be at the FA/WAl February meeting, with nominations at the January meeting. Chair and Vice Chair will be nominated and elected in odd years; Secretary and Treasurer will be nominated and elected in even years. The elected officers shall take office on March 1 in the year they are elected. As a transition from the current practice, Secretary and Treasurer will each be elected in 2007 for a one year term.

2021 November – Main Motion Process – It was adopted:

  1. Main motions are motions concerning FA as a whole. A main motion may be submitted to WAI by any meeting group registered with WAI. The WAI board may, on its own initiative, also propose main motions. Main motions that are adopted by WAI are passed along to the FA World Service Board for consideration by the World Service Conference members.
  2. A proposed main motion will not be considered by WAI if, in the opinion of the WAI board, it is not in keeping with the Twelve Traditions of FA or the WAI bylaws or if it duplicates issues or motions already decided upon by WSI.
  3. Main motions submitted to WAI, either by a meeting registered with WAI or by the WAI board, will be subject to the following procedures:
    1. Proposed main motions must be submitted to the WAI bylaws chair no later than one week prior to the December WAI meeting. The WAI bylaws committee will partner with the motion makers as needed to (i) clarify the intent and language of a motion, (ii) designate the proper format for motions, and (iii) explain the next procedural steps.
    2. Proposed main motions will be presented and discussed at the January WAI meeting. A representative from the meeting or board submitting the motion must attend this meeting to present the motion to the intergroup members.
    3. Intergroup members who are present at the January WAI meeting and who have two years or more of current continuous abstinence in FA may suggest amendments or edits to proposed main motions during the January WAI meeting. The WAI board may also do so. Any such amendments or edits must be consistent with the intent of the motion makers.
    4. At the February WAI meeting all WAI members with two years or more of current continuous abstinence in FA who are present that day will be eligible to vote on whether to send a proposed main motion to the World Service Board for consideration by the World Service Conference members. A 2/3 majority vote is required to pass a proposed main motion.
  4. The WAI executive board must submit all proposed main motions receiving a 2/3 majority vote as defined above to the World Service Board by the Wednesday following the February WAI meeting.

2021 December – Nominations and Elections of Officers: Special Provisions for 2022 – It was adopted:
Notwithstanding the odd/even schedule for nominations and elections stated in the December 2006 Standing Rule of Order, all four WAI officers will be nominated and elected in 2022, following a three-month period in 2021 during which interim officers appointed by the FA World Service Board have served WAI. Nominations and elections for the chair and the vice chair will resume the usual odd-year schedule in 2023.

2024 December: Voting – Defining Substantial Unanimity – It was adopted:
Unless the Western Area Intergroup votes otherwise before debate begins on a main motion, substantial unanimity for the purposes of the vote on a main motion shall be set at 2/3.

Document Date December 2024

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