Friday Report from Miami's SOAR Assembly

As always, thank you for allowing me to do this service.  Harriette

Friday July 13, 2012

Theme of Assembly, " Recovery:  Pass It On"

40 Reps, funded chairs, visitors, and board members were present.  There were 40 eligible to vote and 2 nonvoting.

2 from Colombia,  SA

Desire of Assembly is for renewed hoped for the future of OA and to pass it on.

                                     "Recovery: Pass it on"

1.  First thing I can do is to pass on solution we have found to a cunning, 
      baffling, disease.

2.  Most important thing I can do is to guard my abstinence and maintain a fit 
       spiritual condition.

   The Strategic Operations Plan will now be Region 8 Action Plan.  There are 7 committees, 7 tasks, 7 ideas on how to implement the action plan.

Members were asked to come to the mic and give ideas on each committee's action plan.

(I worded the following so we can see how we may perhaps use these also in the Triangle.)

I.  IG Outreach - what more can we do?
    A.  Find where meetings are that are not sending reps to IG.  Attend their 
           business meeting and try to determine why they are not.

    B.  Let the group know how attending IG has helped you and your group.

    C.  Develop a phone tree and call members from non-attending groups and
          encourage them to speak to their group about sending a rep and how 
           important it is.

II.  Concepts of Service
      A.  Invite Trustee and/or Board members to come and do workshops.
      B.  Go to the Region 8 website and make use of skits that are there.
      C.  Hold Concept Service workshops.

III.  Unity with Diversity - addresses any personal barriers and apathy and/or
       negative perceptions
       A.  Get ideas out to groups and encourage groups to act on ideas.
       B.  Invite members who struggle with diversity to speak and share their
              experience.
        C. Focus on unity and not diversity.

IV.  Ways and Means - helps groups understand why 7th traditions are 
       important.
       A.  Ask reps to go back to their groups and stress how being a rep has
              helped them.
       B.  Have 7th tradition skits at Serenity Days or Retreats.
       C.  Ask board members or Trustee to come and do a workshop on why
              7th tradition is important and why it is more than just putting a few
              dollars in a basket.
      D.   Remind members how the donations are used.

V.  Tech-web
       A.  Create podcasts on web site so members can share how program
              helped them.
       B.  Put WSBC and other reports on web site.

VI.  12th Step Within
        A.  At workshops, retreats, and at meetings encourage the identity of
               Abstinent sponsors.
        B.  Ask abstinent sponsors to stand.
        C.  Pass list of abstinent sponsors.
        D.  Post list of abstinent sponsors in Newsletter.
        E.  Stress meaning of abstinence when talking about sponsorship.
        F.  Ask sponsors to stand and qualify about 1 minute.
        G.  Create a WE CARE book and pass around at meetings.
        H.  Ask board members or Trustee to come and do workshop on 
               Sponsoring.

VII.  PIPO = Public Information Professional Outreach
        A.  Have seminars for members doing outreach to help develop
               continuity.
        B.  Ask everyone at IG to take information to their doctor.
        C.  Teach groups how to have public information events.
        D.  Have a Public Information month.
        E.  Find where Health Fairs originate in our area.  Go to the original source
              and see if they would allow a member/s to come and do a presentation 
              about program.

                     SOME GREAT THINGS HEARD

1.  "How can I do more to carry the message."
2.  "If we each would just touch one other person..."
3.  "Without you what would I have?"
4.  "Stick around for you will never know when the miracle will happen."

Saturday Morning SOAR Business Assembly
7-14-2012
42 Voting members present
1.    Minutes from Raleigh 2012 Assembly adopted and approved
2.    Chair reports
·         Region Chair, Gloria- shared ESH and photos from her trip to Caracas, Venezuela by invitation of the National Service Board.
·         Vice Chair-Sander extended thanks to the Triangle IG for doing a wonderful job hosting the March 2012 Assembly!
·         Sander shared that flyers for local events can be posted on the Region 8 website.  They must bear the official OA logo (only if blanket permission has been granted from WSO).  These forms can be emailed to him through the region 8 contacts tab.
·         Our Treasurer, Patty, shared that Region 8 is a 5013C and individual donations to the region are tax deductible.
·         Our current Secretary, Jane and Trustee, Gerri will not be running for another term in their position as board members
·         Trustee Gerri encouraged OA members to support OA’s recovery magazine, Lifeline, in order to help it become fully self-supporting. She suggested taking old subscriptions to your doctor’s office or a health professional’s office.
3.    Additional Reports
·         Our own Triangle SOAR rep Harriette shared the Raleigh Report regarding the March 2012 SOAR assembly. 
·         Pedro, from Medellin, Colombia gave a final report from the 2011 SOAR assembly in Medellin.  Pedro emphasized that the spirit of recovery during the convention overcame language barriers.  He also said that the convention in Medellin bridged the gap between the US and Latin America.
 
4.    Motions
·         Consent Agenda- Motion to change wording in Bylaws
Motion for Miami Business Assembly
Move to make the by-laws consistent with current practice by amending Article VII, Section 1, Part A. Page 12 as follows
Current Wording A. Region-8 shall hold regular Region-8 Recovery Convention and Business Assemblies three (3) times a year, on a rotation basis among the states, countries and territories in the Region as approved at the previous Region-8 Business Assembly.
Proposed Wording A. Region-8 shall hold regular Region-8 Recovery Convention and Business Assemblies three (3) times a year, on a rotation basis among the states, countries and territories in the Region as approved at the Region 8 Business Assembly one year previous.
Intent:
To make the By-Laws consistent with current practice, which allows the hosting intergroup 12 months to prepare for the Assembly and Recovery Convention.
 
It was approved
 
·         A second motion was discussed that would amend bylaws as follows:
A. Region-8 Committee Chairman shall be nominated by said Committee and appointed by the Region-8 Board yearly at each late October early November Region-8 Business Assembly, on the following schedule:
 
1. Even Years: Ways & Means, Intergroup Outreach, and By-Laws/Electronic Documents
 
2. Odd Years: Technology/Web Site, Twelfth-Step-Within, Unity with Diversity, Public Information/Professional Outreach Committee
 
The intent for this motion was to stagger the 2 year terms of committee members in order to ensure the greatest possible operation stability. 
This motion was approved.
·         The final motion was to amend the current years’ budget.  Region 8 currently has a prudent reserve of 80% and bylaws state that is shouldn’t exceed 60%.  The overage is due to careful spending and the “Spend 5 to keep Medellin Alive” campaign.  The motion increased the budget for our region chair to meet her mandatory responsibilities, created a reserve fund for travel in region 8, and increased this year’s annual donation to WSO by $500.
This motion did pass following much discussion and an approved friendly amendment.

5.    Following lunch, committees met to discuss their progress and make a plan of actions to take before our next assembly.  I am serving on the Unity with Diversity committee and was personally challenged to look into starting a special interest group in my area. 
6.    Nominations were held for funded committee chair positions. Individuals who were not present or nominated are still welcome to apply for the positions with applications due 60 days prior to the November assembly.
7.    The Boca Raton, Florida group bid to host next summer’s July, 2013 assembly.  They sang and performed a skit for our entertainment. The group will serve as host next summer.

My trip to Miami included the very purposeful attendance at the business assembly as well as beach time, connecting with new friends in recovery, and an evening of dancing! The recovery side of the convention hosted sessions in both English and Spanish.  Our lunch time entertainment was a fashion show of items that were available at the boutique. I had the new experience of listening to our dinner speaker Pedro, from Medellin, Colombia, share completely in Spanish. His address was translated for those of us who are not fluent Spanish Speakers.  I appreciated the diversity of OA that was evident in this year’s Miami convention. Our disease affects a wide range of people from all cultural backgrounds, but we are blessed to have a solution that works for all who wish to work it!
 
Report submitted by Janeen T. SOAR Rep