Virtual Region Board Meeting Minutes

September 1, 2024, 1:35 PM ET (UTC-5)

Members Present:

• Chair
• Vice Chair
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Trustee
• Data Coordinator
• Twelfth Step Within Committee Chair
• PIPO Committee Chair
• Bylaws Committee Chair 
• Digital Resources Committee Chair

Quorum: Declared present.

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.

Opening: Serenity Prayer in Spanish and English.

Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the August Board meeting are pending approval.

Digital Resources Chair Report:

• The committee needs a vice chair and a secretary.
• A team will be established to manage calendar updates.
• The Vice-chair contacted Canva and confirmed it can be used for Intergroup (IG) projects.
• The Chair cautioned about the use of images, highlighting the importance of understanding copyright policies, even with Canva. The region’s insurance does not cover the intergroups.
• The chair informs the committee that the IGOR committee will need to create a space on the website with multiple links, a video and pop-up information so groups have better access to intergroup activities to join them. 
• The treasurer is not able to find past financial reports on the website. Since it is sensitive information, she should send the information through e-mails upon request. 
• The Data Coordinator inquired about the registration forms for the Assembly, which Alan P. will review.

Twelfth Step Within Report:

• The committee continues to work on the 15-week step-study workshop, now extended to 17 weeks. The updated schedule will be announced tomorrow. 
• The committee is still finalizing details for “The Interview” events.
• The Chair reported recent Traditions and Relapse prevention workshops and mentioned that WhatsApp lists have been created for these events.

PIPO Committee Report:

• The committee needs a co-chair and a secretary. The Chair will assist in finding suitable candidates. 
• The Open House is scheduled for September 21- 22. The committee requested the Chair to promote the event on Facebook.
• Intergroup members are needed to meet with newcomers in English, Spanish, Greek, German, and French. No interpreters are required.
• The Chair will contact various intergroups to ensure their participation.
• A new unaffiliated group from Asia has joined the Newcomer Open House. There may be interest in joining the Virtual Region.
• The Vice Chair noted that the Translations/Interpretations Chair is best reached via WhatsApp, but there is currently no need for this committee’s involvement. Angelica will support Spanish-speaking newcomers throughout the event.
• The PIPO Committee Chair requested that the Chair post announcements in German on Facebook for the German-speaking community. 
• “Una Visión para ti” expressed interest in the Virtual Region’s Facebook page, but they would need to be affiliated to access it.
• Tentative dates for the next Open House are January 25-26, 2025. The Chair approved announcing these dates to participants of the September event.
• The World Service Office (WSO) is interested in the interactive Welcome Center project and may request assistance from the PIPO Committee. The committee has to be invited to join the WSO PIPO task force.
• The WS PIPO Trustee liaison is Blair. 

Convention:

• A survey will be conducted to name the Convention committee.
• Committee members should have technical skills, familiarity with Google Drive, and strong abstinence, as this position has seen relapses in the past. The committee also needs a co-chair. 

Data and Tech Coordinator´s Report:

• The committee requires a chair. 
• The Data Coordinator has been working on the Policies and Procedures Manual (P&P) with the Secretary, and they are ready for Board review.
• The Secretary, Data Coordinator, and Translations/Interpretations Chair identified gaps in their understanding of Google Drive. Two volunteers will lead a workshop to address this. All Board and committee members are welcome to attend. Further details will be shared, with the workshop likely taking place on a weekend for better attendance.
• An Ask-It-Basket may be used to collect questions in advance.
• Google also offers tutorials that may be helpful.
• The Data, Digital, and Tech committees will compile “how-to” documents into a single, accessible file.
• The Chair has identified two individuals with experience serving above the group level who can assist in these committees.
• The Tech Committee has three open roles that need to be filled.

Treasurer´s Report:

• Receiving checks has become problematic due to a $2.50 fee for sending checks to the Treasurer. Members are encouraged to give more, less frequently, to mitigate this issue.
• World Service (WS) is updating its contribution recommendation for groups to 50-40-10, with 10% of income (after building a prudent reserve) going to the region. This change comes as OA is no longer self-supporting through contributions and literature sales alone.
• Some intergroups are holding onto large reserves (up to $10,000), and donations are not reaching WSO. Regional income is more stable than at WS.
• To address this, WS has sent out an appeal letter.
• The Region’s prudent reserve is set at four months of expenses.
• The Treasurer is unclear on how National Service Boards manage their incomes.
• The Treasurer is preparing the 2025 budget. The Open House will not require interpreters. Other committees have yet to submit their budget requests.
• Claire will assist the Translations/Interpretations Committee in finalizing their budget and reporting back to the Treasurer.

Bylaws Committee Report:

• The Digital Resources Chair has requested a review of her job description, as the committee name does not align with her duties.  However, since it will be a vacant position, it is tricky to change them to be voted on during the Assembly.
• A motion is needed to establish the name of the Translations/Interpretation Committee. Input from the committee chair is required.
• A procedure for naming committees should be established.

IGOR Committee Report:

• The Committee has 3 subcommittee chairs.
• The bylaws may need to be amended to require all groups to affiliate. Intergroups will be contacted differently to address current issues. If these new measures prove effective, the motion may be unnecessary. Otherwise, the motion will be brought to the Conference, as there have been significant irregularities in unaffiliated groups that were not promptly reported to the Chair. Several Trustees support this motion.
• Regarding the ad-hoc committee on minors, there was a legal incident in Australia where OA was sued. The Board of Trustees is preparing a motion to create a new policy against endorsing minors attending OA meetings. If minors are present, local authorities should be consulted to ensure compliance. Virtual groups fall under the jurisdiction of the country where the group originated and where most members are located.
• There is a concern that minors could be exposed to inappropriate content, such as pornography if a meeting is hacked.

Secretary

• The Secretary made a motion that will be reviewed and voted on via the WhatsApp chat. The Bylaws Committee will review it in the meantime.

Closing: The Board Meeting closed with the Serenity Prayer in Spanish and English.