Virtual Region Board Meeting July 7, 2024, 1:30 PM ET (UTC-5)

Members Present: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Trustee, Tech Support, Data Coordinator, Finance, Twelve Step Within, PIPO, IGOR, Interpretation/Translations, Digital Coordinator, Digital Resources, Visitors (1).

STRATEGIC VISION: The function of the Virtual Region Board is to serve and support its committees, intergroups, meetings, and members and to carry the message to those who still suffer.

• Start Recording
• Serenity Prayer in Spanish, French, and English.
• Approval of Minutes: The Minutes from the April Board meeting are pending approval and will be brought to the next Board meeting.

Treasurer’s Report:   PLEASE CONTACT THE TREASURER IF YOU WISH ANY DETAILS OF THE FINANCIAL DISCUSSED AT THIS MEETING.  

Committee Updates or Questions:

• Bylaws: Not present.
• Convention: Not present.
• Digital Resources: No updates. Reports should be placed in the board files in view-only mode. It is everyone’s responsibility to review these reports before meetings. It is not the Secretary’s responsibility to send these files each time.
• Finance: The proposed Annual Appeal letter should be brought to the Board in August for approval to launch in September. The initial feedback was that the letter was too long and did not translate well, so it will be shortened by the Finance Committee and sent to the Interpretation/Translation Committee for feedback
• Twelfth Step Within/Workshop: A 15-week workshop is tentatively scheduled to run from August 14 to December 4, from 2 to 4 PM ET. The VR Chair will also lead a group on Friday evenings starting in August or September. This is not only beneficial for members’ recovery but also a good source of income. More volunteers signed up during the Assembly.
• Public Information Professional Outreach/Unity With Diversity: The Newcomer Open House is scheduled for September 21, from 8 am to 9 pm ET, and September 22 from 11 AM to 5 PM ET. The PIPO committee’s website description needs expansion to clarify Unity with Diversity implementation. The co-chair has resigned, and a replacement is needed.
• Intergroup Outreach and Renewal (IGOR): Two subcommittee chairs were elected at the Convention. A potential committee member is on vacation, so the election will be held at the next meeting. There are three subcommittees: Outreach to unaffiliated meetings, Service Fair equivalent, and intergroup renewal document.
• Digital Communications: Report stands.
• Interpretation/Translation: More recruits are needed.
• Ad hoc Tech Committee: The first meeting will be tomorrow. There was significant interest at the Assembly, and many members joined. An E-blast will be sent for the Steps, Traditions, and Concepts workshop.

Old Business:

• Virtual Region Inventory Update: The inventory update was completed and posted, please read it. If there are actions your committees may take care of, please let the Chair know. There was a common request to do something similar to the Service Fair, which is a way to reach out to unaffiliated groups, and the IGOR committee has taken it up. Members also requested more information and contact, which will be addressed in a digital newsletter in charge of the Vice-chair. The Chair also plans to hold a monthly Chairs meeting for IG officers, reps or anyone interested in bringing questions and requesting information on specific topics. The inventory is in the Board file and will be sent to the Committee Chairs because there are good ideas that could be guidelines to take action. It can be also posted on the website, and it has been translated into three languages. 
• Calendar: Updates by the Vice Chair and the Digital Committee.
• Bylaws: Specific deadlines exist for reviewing Bylaws and P&P. The Committee is updating due to the Secretary transition. The new Secretary and Digital Committee will review the minutes and update them. Changes should be sent to the Chair.
• Digital Coordinator: Would like to propose a change in the Standing Rules. It will be discussed with the Bylaws Committee. It is suggested that the Standing Rules be discussed within the committee before being taken to the Assembly.  

New Business:

• New Board Committee Assignments: Some committees may benefit from having two liaisons.
  • Bylaws: Trustee and Secretary
  • Convention: Chair and Treasurer
  • Data: Data Coordinator
  • Digital Communications: Digital Content Coordinator and Vicechair.          
  • Finance: Treasurer
  • Twelve Step Within: Chair
  • PIPO: Vice Chair
  • IGOR: Chair
  • Interpretation/Translations: Digital Content and Secretary
  • Ad hoc Tech: Data Coordinator
  • Note on Digital Communications:  The committee is responsible for creating and delivering content that supports outreach both within and outside the community.
  • The current focus is on producing the newsletter. The committee is actively seeking a volunteer editor for this role. It is important to remember that collaboration is essential.
  • The newsletter may function as a subcommittee of Digital Communications. An announcement will be made to recruit a subcommittee chair for the newsletter, with training provided by the Vice Chair.
  • Plans are underway to redesign the website, though resources are limited. A subcommittee for social media is needed to implement the committee’s innovative ideas.

In the coming days, there will be an e-blast for the Convention. A Convention co-chair needs to be appointed; technical skills are necessary. The service role description is in the Convention shared folder. 

                 Zoom: Zoom administrators and co-admins are urgently needed.

New Proposal:

New Proposal:

• Dropbox and Hello Sign Subscriptions: Proposal to use Adobe Acrobat Pro.
  • Motion: To stop using Dropbox and Dropbox Sign subscriptions and move files and use Adobe Acrobat Pro instead.
  • Result: The motion is unanimously approved. Dropbox files will be moved to Google Drive. However, there was a data breach, and currently, we cannot access our Dropbox Sign files. A letter will be sent to all the speakers listed in the Dropbox Sign files to inform them about the breach. Dropbox files can be moved immediately.
  • Cost Considerations: Adobe Acrobat Pro costs $59.99 per month, which includes access to 20 different apps for content creation. This option is more cost-effective compared to our previous expenditure on Dropbox.
  • Implementation: Due to data retrieval constraints from the UK, the Chair and Treasurer will oversee the transfer of files to Google Drive.

Exit Debrief Process:

• There is a need to establish an exit debrief process for departing servers and an onboarding document for new volunteers. While some board positions already have these processes in place, others do not.
• The Chair requests that all board members begin jotting down ideas for these documents.
• Outgoing volunteers must ensure the removal of data from personal devices and follow a checklist for debriefing. Templates are available online to facilitate this process.
• Notes left by the former Secretary for the incoming Secretary were rolled over in the Assembly documents.

Facebook and Instagram:

• The Chair proposed removing this topic from the agenda due to time constraints but will meet separately with the Digital, Interpretation/Translation, and PIPO committees to discuss maintaining regular postings on social media and enhancing content. Both platforms are currently performing well, but the Chair aims to start adding new content.

Motion approved.

Important Notice:

• All reports should go directly to the shared folder to avoid duplication. It is everyone’s responsibility to post and read reports before the next meeting. If you submitted your report using the form, the Chair and Tech Support can post it. If not, email it to the Chair.

End of the Board Meeting: Closed with the Serenity Prayer in Spanish, French, and English.

Summary of Approved Motions and Proposals:

1. Dropbox and Dropbox Sign Subscriptions: Move files to Adobe Acrobat Pro. (Unanimously approved)
2. Facebook and Instagram Content: Drop this proposal and meet with the committees involved  (Approved)