OA VIRTUAL REGION
ASSEMBLY 2026-2
November 14 -15 2026

Excerpts of the
Virtual Region Bylaws
Relevant to the Secretary Position

Revised Assembly A1, 05-30-2026

ARTICLE 5 – THE VIRTUAL REGION BOARD

Section 2 – Qualification for the Virtual Region Board

Qualifications for the Virtual Region board are:

1. Two years of service beyond the group level,
2. Two years of continuous recovery in Overeaters Anonymous as evidenced by:

1. Two years of current abstinence
2. It shall be a requirement that the officer shall demonstrate continued recovery, including abstinence and working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight throughout the entire term(s) of office.
3. Each person shall be the judge of their recovery,

3. Having worked the Twelve Steps and having a working understanding of the Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts of OA Service.
4. Have attended at least one prior Virtual Region assembly within the past 36 months as a voting member or service volunteer.
5. When a board position cannot be filled in line with these qualifications the qualifications listed in paragraphs 1 through 3 above may be set aside by a two thirds majority of the Virtual Region Board or Assembly.

Section 4 – Election of the Virtual Region Board Members

1. Nominees must be present for election.
2. Elections will be held at the last assembly of the calendar year unless otherwise required by these bylaws.
3. Each board member is elected for a two-year term.

a. Chair, treasurer, data coordinator, and member at large are elected in odd years.

b. Vice-Chair, secretary and digital coordinator are elected in even years.

4. Nominees will have five minutes to address the assembly and five minutes for questions.
5. When board elections coincide with that of the Virtual Region trustee, the trustee ballot shall be completed first.
6. For election, the candidate must receive a majority of the ballots cast.
7. If there are more than two nominees and no nominee receives a majority, the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes will be dropped from consideration and another vote will be taken.
8. If there are two candidates and neither receives a majority, a second ballot will be taken.

Excerpts of the
Virtual Region Policies and Procedures Relevant to the Secretary Position

Revised Assembly A1, 05-30-2026

4. Duties of Board Members

1. Serve as guardian of the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts of OA Service.
2. Perform the duties of their offices in accordance with the Bylaws and this Virtual Region Policy and Procedure Manual.
3. Serve as guardian of Virtual Region funds, including review of the annual financial audit.
4. Provide a forum for the interchange of ideas and information among Virtual Region Service Bodies and Virtual Region committees.
5. Attend all assemblies during term of office unless excused by the chair.
6. Become familiar with and assume responsibility for adherence to: Virtual Region and World Service Office Bylaws and Policy and Procedure Manual.
7. Assists others in becoming familiar with the Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts of OA Service.
8. Work with the data coordinator, as appropriate, to support the goals of the region.
9. Reports:

1. Submit a written report to the virtual region at least 60 days prior to the next assembly.
2. At the assembly, present an update to the written report for up to five minutes and then answer questions for an additional five minutes.

10. Respond to all correspondence, phone calls, and questions in a timely manner.
11. Maintain a consolidated record of all assets, including passwords for security protection as directed by the chair and the data coordinator.
12. Administers the Virtual Region meeting platform.
13. Upon completion of service term, provides the successor with any information and documents from their service period via either written or electronic media, including handover notes developed during their term, and given directly to the successor within a time period agreed upon by both incoming and outgoing board members.        
14. Serve as board liaison to committees as determined by the chair.

5. Board Members Duties by Position

3. Secretary

1. Takes minutes of all assembly and board meetings.

1. The Secretary will compile draft Assembly minutes within 30 days of the Assembly.
2. The draft minutes and Assembly recording will be sent to the Minutes Review Committee, which will provide any additions or corrections to the Secretary within 15 days.
3. The minutes will then be sent to the Data Officer for redaction and final review who will send them to the Webmaster for posting on the website.

2. Additionally, the secretary shall:

1. Have access through the Data Coordinator to contact lists and other data as required.
2. Send application forms of trustee nominees to the World Service Office within one week of affirmation of candidates.

c.  Assembly duties:

1. Assemble a team responsible for preparing registration and assembly-related materials. Both before, during and after the Assembly.      
2. The Secretary shall maintain copies of all pertinent assembly materials in the appropriate Google Drive.  
3. With the support of the data coordinator and a support team, updates credentials and roll call before and during the Assembly.

4. Other duties as assigned.