Virtual Region of Overeaters Anonymous

Assembly 2 Minutes
Date: November 16, 2024
Time: 10:00 AM Eastern Time

Opening

The assembly opened with the Serenity Prayer, followed by the reading of opening materials and remarks by the Chair.

Roll Call

The Secretary and Data Officer conducted the roll call:

• 17 intergroups represented,
• 28 representatives,
• 4 board members, and
• 8 committee chairs,
  for a total of 40 voting members.

Meditation and Readings

The Eleventh Step Prayer, a 3-minute meditation, and a passage from For Today were read.

Introduction of Parliamentarian and Center Microphone Monitor

The Chair introduced the Parliamentarian and Center Microphone Monitor.

Quorum

The Secretary and Data Officer confirmed the roll call results, and the Chair declared a quorum.

Approval of Assembly 1, 2024 Minutes

The minutes from Assembly 1, 2024, were adopted without objection.

Standing Rules

The Standing Rules were adopted without objection.

Adoption of Agenda

The proposed agenda was adopted without objection.

Appointment of Minutes Review Committee

Two Footsteps representatives and the Secretary were appointed to the Minutes Review Committee.

Consent Agenda

The consent agenda was presented, and Policy Manual Amendment 3 (Secretary’s duties) was removed for further discussion.

Questions were addressed from the floor. A motion to extend the question period by 7 minutes was adopted (20 in favor, 16 against). A subsequent motion for another 7-minute extension was defeated (16 in favor, 20 against).

The Treasurer also requested assistance for current duties and reminded members to prepare for the vacancy in 2026.

Budget Amendments

1. Amendment 1:

• Add  XX   for an e-commerce site for literature.
• Increase individual contributions from XX to XX
• Adopted (32 in favor, 5 against).

2. Amendment 2:

• Separate Google Workspace expenses from GDPR compliance, allocating half to each.
• Adopted without objection.

Adoption of Amended Budget

The amended budget was adopted (33 in favor, 3 against).

New Business

Motion 2: Add a Language Services Committee to the P&P

Move to amend the OA Virtual Region Policy Manual, Article VIII, Item 4, Committees of the Virtual Region to add a Languages Services committee by inserting the following:

PROPOSED WORDING

VIII. Committees

1. The board will determine committees to serve the Virtual Region.
2. These committees will be reviewed every 24 months.
3. Each committee will establish internal guidelines, which will be reviewed by the board.

1. Committee guidelines are documented separately and will be maintained by the committee.
2. Each committee will comply with the document management system established by the Virtual Region Board.
3. Each committee will comply with all other board-approved guidelines.

4. The current committees of the Virtual Region consist of Bylaws, Convention, Data Protection, Digital Resources, Finance, Intergroup Outreach, Language Services, Public Information/Professional Outreach (including Unity with Diversity) and Twelve Step Within (including Workshop).

Submitted by the OA Virtual Region ad hoc naming committee and the committee itself.

The chair answered questions from the floor.

Adopted unanimously (35 in favor, 0 against).

Motion 3: Secretary’s Duties

Move to amend the OA Virtual Region Policy Manual, Article V, Item 3, Secretary by striking and inserting the following

PROPOSED WORDING

3)  Secretary

a)   Takes minutes of all assembly and board meetings.

1. The Secretary will provide within 10 15 days after the Assembly a draft of the Assembly minutes for the Minutes Review Committee to review.
2. Minutes Review Committee members will provide the Secretary with additions or corrections within 10 15 days upon receipt of the minutes.
3. If there is a discrepancy, the secretary will review the recording and advise the committee.
4. After the committee has been advised as to the contents of the recording, the committee will vote on the inclusion or removal of any found discrepancies of any element of the minutes. This requires a two-thirds majority.

b) Once the minutes are completed

1. Will submit a copy of the unapproved minutes to the Digital Communications Committee to be posted on the Virtual Region website.
2.  Send application forms of trustee nominees to the World Service Office within one week of affirmation of candidates.

c)  Additionally, the secretary shall:

1.    Create a digital copy of all Virtual Region documents for storage on the appropriate platform.
2. Have access through the Data Coordinator to contact listings of all representatives, intergroup chairs, committee chairs and board members including but not limited to their name, phone, email and time zone.

iiiBe responsible for keeping and giving out passwords for all digital platforms to those authorized by their position, unless restricted or otherwise assigned.

d.  Assembly Duties

1. Be responsible for  assembling a team to do the preparation of registration and Virtual Region business assembly-related materials, including updating credentials and roll call for assembly.    
2. Create a digital copy of all Virtual Region documents for storage on the appropriate on the appropriate platform
3. The Secretary shall maintain copies of all pertinent assembly materials in the appropriate Google Drive.  
4. Be responsible for updating credentials and roll call for and at the Virtual Region business assembly.
5. Review updates resulting from motions at the Virtual Region business assemblies and then submits Bylaws and Policy and Procedures for posting within 25 days of the business assembly.

6.        Works with the data coordinator as needed to accomplish the goals of the region.

7.  Other duties as assigned.

Submitted by: The virtual region board.

The chair answered several questions from the floor.

Adopted (34 in favor, 1 against).

Elections

The session started with the reading of Voices of Recovery

Vice-Chair

• Candidate: Elected (31 in favor, 3 against).

Digital Coordinator

• Candidate: Elected (31 in favor, 5 against).

Secretary

• Nominee: Elected (33 in favor, 1 against).

Green Dot Ceremony

A ceremony recognizing 3 green dots was conducted.

A fragment of the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of OA and the Responsibility Pledge were read.

Other Business and Announcements

Strategic Planning

Communication: Representatives were encouraged to share the activities of the Region with their groups, intergroups and service bodies.

Convention: Scheduled for February 28 to March 2, 2025. Volunteers and speakers are needed.

• Registration is in January.
• Members, groups, Intergroups and service bodies can sign up and offer to host one of the 60 meetings or be speakers by the end of December 2024. Links to sign up will arrive in the reps emails.
• The theme of the Convention is “There is a solution! Roadmap to Recovery”
• Fill in the Convention Session Leader Sign-Up form to host a meeting at the Convention:   https://forms.gle/h8Wm6pU5CjuCt8Hx8   (signer of this form will remain as a contact). The list of meetings is:
• Schedule https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15kcPj5FYUxvETHK56zcsU50JZ2KS74R4/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102368618917032749804&rtpof=true&sd=true (the list of meetings is in red).

Public Information Professional Outreach /Unity With Diversity Committee

Attention was drawn to the Carry the Message portion of the website link

and the public service announcements (PSA’s):

https://oavirtualregion.org/oa-psa-radio-spots/

All representatives, committee chairs, and board members were asked to contact local radio and tv stations with requests to have them air our PSAs and to also bring these PSA's to their intergroups or service board meetings.

The chair announced we will be creating PSA's in other languages and for the UK this year. This news also needs to be taken back to respective service bodies.

The VR Chair announced she will be purchasing copies of the pamphlet, When To Refer Someone to OA, for US and Canadian representatives, committee chairs, and board members, so they can give them to professionals, clergy, and others when sharing in carrying the message of recovery.  For service bodies outside of the US, we will apply to the World Service office to license these for translation and delivery via print-on-demand.

Open House

It will be during the Convention.

Groups who have already participated are given first dibs and need to sign up now. All other Virtual Region Service Bodies and meetings, affiliated with service boards or intergroups, will receive the sign-up link on 12/14/2024.

Unaffiliated Virtual Meetings                                                                                                     Efforts are underway to engage unaffiliated meetings and invite them to affiliate with an intergroup of the Virtual Region.  Each representative, committee chair, and board member are asked to visit one unaffiliated meeting a week or a month.  Please contact:

IGORCoChair@oavirtualregion.org or IGORassistant@virtualregion.org.

First Annual Appeal

A fundraising appeal, including a QR code for donations, has been launched, and we ask everyone to share the appeal in all intergroup or service board meetings and within all Virtual Region affiliated and unaffiliated meetings: https://oavirtualregion.org/annual-appeal/

Young Persons

• This intergroup needs mentors. If you are interested, please contact the Virtual region chair at chair@oavirtualregion.org.  
• After WSO decided OA would not endorse minors in meetings, the chair offered help to service bodies who want to bring a motion to WSBC (deadline December 1st). Contact the Chair or VR Trustee if you need help making a motion.

Intergroup Outreach Committee

New co-chairs were announced, with plans to develop intergroup renewal. All service bodies are encouraged to send a regular representative to this committee. The meeting times will be posted on the region calendar.

Twelfth Step Within

The committee is continuing their 17-week Green Book Workshops, based on the OA Workshop Study Guide. The committee is looking for leaders and intergroups to co-sponsor future Step studies and workshops To serve contact: pipochair1@oavirtualregion.org

Call to Service for All Virtual Region Committees

https://oavirtualregion.org/call-to-service/

Closing

The assembly ended at 4:00 PM EST with the Serenity Prayer recited in French, Spanish, and English.