THE OHIO CONFERENCE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

November 19, 2017

BY-LAWS

OYPAA By-Laws enacted on August 10, 1991 Amended on June 12, 1992; March 23, 1995; April 10, 1998; April 11, 1998; April 2, 1999; April 21, 2000; April 13, 2001; August 18, 2001; May 15, 2003; July 25, 2003; March 26, 2005; April 18, 2010; May 28, 2011; October 6, 2011; September 4, 2013; October 4, 2014; October 26, 2014, September 24, 2017, November 19, 2017.

By-Laws revised by 2017 OYPAA Advisory Council on November 19, 2017.

PREAMBLE

In 1979 The Ohio Conference Young People (OYPAA) was established in Mansfield, Ohio. Our purpose is tri-fold: The ultimate goal, the same as every AA group and every type of service work, is to carry the message to the still suffering alcoholic. Considering that our personal recovery depends on AA unity, our main concern is the unity of Ohio’s younger alcoholics within the fellowship of an Alcoholics Anonymous Conference (OYPAA). The direction, effectiveness, and the execution of the conference shall always emphasize the value of sobriety. The Ohio Young People’s Steering committee shall continually address problems and needs of the younger recovering alcoholics, therefore, the maintenance of a communication network is essential to our efficiency.

Strictest adherence to the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous, the Twelve Steps, The Twelve Traditions, and the Twelve Concepts of World Service shall forever be practiced in all of our affairs.

The OYPAA Advisory Council is formed for the purpose of operating exclusively for charitable and educational purposes within the meaning of section 501c (3) of the Internal Revenue code. The specific purposes and objectives of the corporation are to further the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous among young people by:

Sponsoring, promoting and producing the annual Ohio conference of young people in Alcoholics Anonymous
Providing information to the general public regarding the recovery of young people through the Alcoholics Anonymous program and young peoples’ Alcoholics Anonymous groups
Providing information to, and sharing our experience with, the Alcoholics Anonymous General Service Office (G.S.O.) on a regular basis

ADVISORY COUNCIL POSITIONS

CHAIRPERSON: Council Chair is responsible for arranging and announcing the agenda for all Council meetings, opening and maintaining such meetings in a reasonable order, recognizing all members entitled to the floor, stating and putting to a vote all motions properly made and seconded, announcing the result of all votes, affixing their signature to all Council actions, ensuring that host committees have secured the described insurance policy 10 days prior to conference. The chairperson is responsible for maintaining OYPAA’s incorporated statues. This is a check-signing position. The chairperson will work with the chairperson of the host committee. Make sure to have a monthly chat/checkup on host committee chair.

CO-CHAIRPERSON: In the absence of the Chair, the Co-Chair shall assume the Chair’s full duties. The Co-Chair shall carry out all of the various duties assigned by the Council and act as liaison between the Council and the General Service Office. The Co-Chair is also responsible for assisting the Host Committee in securing the required insurance policy. This is a check signing position. If or when the chair is not able to keep in touch with host committee, the co-chairperson will work with the chairperson of the host committee. Make sure to have a monthly chat/checkup on host committee chair).

SECRETARY: Advisory council secretary shall act as the custodian of all Council material. Secretary responsibilities include keeping minutes of all Council meetings and furnish minutes thereof to all Council members in a prompt fashion, furnishing information from our records to anyone who may request it, answering all correspondence promptly and to the will of the Council, furnishing copies of all correspondence to all Council members on all matters affecting the Council as a whole, maintaining the P.O. Box and arranging to receive all materials from or regarding the P.O. Box. The secretary shall maintain the database of all past OYPAA attendees and transfer it to the host committee in time for their mailing. At the conference the secretary shall create a package (paper or digital or both) with the welcome letter, current by-laws, contact list and the previous year’s minutes to be given to the new Council members from the current host committee before the start of the conference. The secretary will be responsible for a monthly report from the host committee secretary with anything that is related to the above-mentioned duties.

CO-SECRETARY: In the absence of the Secretary, the Co-Secretary shall assume the Secretary’s full duties. The Co-Secretary shall carry out all of the various duties assigned by the Council.

TREASURER: The Treasurer shall keep accurate financial records of all Council transactions, give financial reports at all Council meetings, submit a written financial statement annually, have in their possession at all Council meetings all receipts, bank statements and checks in order to make financial disbursements at Council meetings, and maintain financial records subject to inspection at all times. This is a check-signing position. The treasurer is responsible for receiving a monthly financial report from the host committee treasurer to be reported at our council meetings.

OUTREACH CHAIRPERSON: Responsibilities include maintaining contact with all Council members, asking all members of the Council, quarterly, in whatever means appropriate, for an informal outreach report, have a report at the camp-out and at the conference, and maintain the OYPAA mailing list. The Outreach Chairperson position is open to all Council members, regardless of length of time served on the Council. The position holds a one-year term. The Outreach Chairperson shall annually issue to all major Central Offices, Inter-groups, Districts, Area Assemblies, and all those who request it within the state of Ohio, an invitation to bid for the next OYPAA. Included in this should be Facts, Aims and Purposes, registration forms for the upcoming OYPAA, information as to where bids will be heard, and any other OYPAA information they see as beneficial. The outreach chairperson will work with host committee outreach and help them to contact other surrounding areas.

OUTREACH CO-CHAIRPERSON: Shall assist the Outreach Chairperson with any pertinent duties as delegated by the Outreach Chairperson and agreed upon by the Outreach Co-Chairperson. The duties of the Outreach Co-Chairperson shall be submitted in the Outreach Bi-Annual report.

CHIEF ARCHIVIST: The Chief archivist shall act as the holder of all factual material (documents, memorabilia, traveling showcases, etc.) in such a way that there can be no substantial distortion of our history. The archivist shall act as liaison between the GSO Archivist and the Advisory Council pertaining to all OYPAA archive issues, they shall follow, to the best of their ability, the Archive guidelines set forth by G.S.O. The archivist shall also act as liaison between the Council and the Conference host city Archives committee pertaining to all Archive matters. The Chief Archivist shall also be required to make a report each year to include: a written financial statement for the past year, projected budget for the coming year, and a report of current happenings.

When Council elections take place, a past Council member who fulfills the Chief Archivist position will be required to attend the election meeting as a nonvoting participant (in case they are re-elected), but will not participate in any of the other on-going Council business.

The Chief Archivist position may be fulfilled by a present or a past Council member, who fulfills these qualifications: (1) Upon being elected, shall serve for two years, after which they may be re-elected to any number of additional two year terms. (2) If the Chief Archivist is a past Council member, they will be required to attend each OYPAA to insure that the Archives will be at the Conference.

HOTEL LIASON: To act as a liaison between the host city’s hotel chair and advisory council. It is suggested that this person have some experience with hotel contracts. (No term of service has been determined for this position).

WEBSITE ADMINISTRATOR: Will update and maintain current OYPAA Advisory website, act as liaison to the hosting service, and assist the host city with their host committee website. The Website Administrator shall also be required to make a report each year to include a written financial statement for the past year, projected budget for the coming year, and a report of current happenings. The Website Administrator shall maintain a lead database management system and be a liaison with the host committee regarding the use of the system. This is a one-year position. The website administrator will work with the host committee to help them create the conference website, utilize ecommerce and registration tools for the conference, and offer guidance in the administration of online tools per the traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous.

MID-YEAR EVENT CHAIRPERSON: Chair is responsible for arranging and announcing the agenda for all mid-year event meetings, opening and maintaining such meetings in a reasonable order, recognizing all members entitled to the floor, stating and putting to a vote all motions properly made and seconded, announcing the result of all votes. The chairperson will work any members of Advisory that wishes to be on this committee. Chairperson will also bring any ideas for the event to the full committee for approval.

MID-YEAR EVENT CO-CHAIRPERSON: In the absence of the Chair, the Co-Chair shall assume the Chair’s full duties. Co-Chair will also keep notes on meeting to keep records of ideas and results of discussion.

AT-LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS: Council members are trusted servants of OYPAA and of Alcoholics Anonymous as a whole, whose job is to encourage OYPAA participation throughout the year. They are the trusted servants of the current conference committee and of the bidding committees. For the purposes of outreach, each member of advisory council will be assigned to a designated region within the state of Ohio.

ADVISORY COUNCIL FORMAT AND FUNCTIONING

The Council shall be foremost aware of the welfare of A.A. as a whole. The Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions and the Twelve Concepts for World Services of A.A. shall be the guiding principles of the advisory council. The Council shall act as a body and no individual shall act independently of the majority opinion. The P.O. Box, bank accounts, and other Council property shall not be used for anything other than Council business.

OPERATING COMMITTEE: The Council shall elect from its membership an operating committee consisting of a Chairperson, a Co-Chairperson, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. They shall not take actions, individually or collectively, on behalf of Council. Only the Chairperson and Treasurer must have served on Council for at least one year before being elected to the operating committee. Upon being elected, they shall serve for two years. Any member may serve on the operating committee for any length of time but may not hold the same position for more than one two year term. An Operating Committee member’s term may extend one year beyond that member’s term of service on Council.

NON-HOST ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS (NACMs): The purpose of NACMs is to augment the Advisory Council with members of the general OYPAA body who have significant service experience, through conferences, general service, or otherwise. In this way, the Advisory Council seeks to gain experience from attendees of OYPAA who may not have served on a host committee in the past, or may not have been elected to Advisory Council following their tenure on a host committee. NACMs serve a single three-year term, which cannot be extended, may not serve as OYPAA Host Committee members during their term on Council, and may not serve on the operating committee. They may not be a past OYPAA advisory council member, a current OYPAA Host committee member, or a current OYPAA bid committee member; though they may assist future OYPAA bid committees. There should be nine NACMs serving concurrently, with three rotating off and three new members elected at each conference. In the event that a NACM position is vacated early, the position will not be filled until their term expires. NACMs carry the same job responsibilities as the rest of the Council. NACMs will serve three-year terms, beginning after the site-selection process is complete, through the following three OYPAA conferences. Thus, NACMs will not have a vote in the site selection process on the day of their election.

ELECTIONS TO COUNCIL: Each Conference committee shall elect three people to serve on the Advisory Council. Those being selected should have served on the Conference committee continuously for six months prior to the actual Conference on which they served, and they should have at least two years of continuous sobriety. Those selected shall serve as voting members of Council beginning at the commencement of the conference at which they are elected, through four additional Conferences. An Advisory Council Committee member’s responsibilities will end at the close of their fifth conference. [1] Should Council not have full membership, those being dropped may be requested to serve until Council again reaches full membership. Directly prior to the Conference, representatives from the council shall conduct a meeting of the host committee for the purpose of electing three members to serve on Council. Election will be determined by Third Legacy voting. In addition to the three elected members, a first, second and third alternate shall also be elected in the event that one or more of the three elected members are unable to fulfill their full term of service.

ELECTION OF NON-HOST ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS (NACM): OYPAA elects three Advisory Council members each year at this meeting to serve a term of three years each, commencing immediately after the site-selection vote. These advisory council members are elected in addition to the traditionally elected members from the OYPAA Host Committees. The rules of the election are as follows:

Every registered attendee of OYPAA who is in this room during the election meeting has a vote.
Voting is conducted by third legacy procedure.
Current and past Advisory Council members may vote, provided they are registered for the current OYPAA.

RESIGNATIONS FROM COUNCIL: Drinking alcoholic beverages shall be considered as resignation. Vacant Council seats shall be filled sequentially by previously designated first and second and third alternates (if applicable). The alternate must be from the Conference committee that the vacant seat represents. If a committee member misses two successive meetings, (s)he loses their ability to vote in quorum. (S)he regains quorum once (s)he has attended two successive meetings. If quorum is not regained by the OYPAA conference, then the member loses their position on the Council. Each council member must attend both the mid-year Host Committee/Advisory Council event and the OYPAA conference.

MID-YEAR EVENT: Both Council and Host committee shall host an event together during the conference year. Invitation should be extended to all bid committees, potential bids, prospected bids, and other Ohio YPAA groups. The purpose of the event is to build the relationship between Council and Conference Committee as well as help develop state-wide unity. The event, which may differ year-to-year, will be chosen and primarily organized by Council, taking into consideration geographical location of the Conference. This event will be its’ own event independent from any conference or A.A. event. Host will be notified of chosen mid-year event at their Conference Host Committee Elections. Attendance is required by Host and Council, barring a documented excuse (wedding, funeral, etc.).

QUORUM: The Chairperson shall call for and arrange the meeting place for all Council meetings. A quorum (which consists of at least 2/3rd of the members of Council) must exist for the Council to be able to take any official actions on behalf of the Council. Motions and resolutions shall require a simple majority of those in attendance. Conference site approval shall require “third legacy” procedure (found in the A.A. Service Manual) by those in attendance. All Council members have one vote and will vote on all matters. Abstentions are not permitted. A 2/3rd vote of all those in attendance is necessary to change By-laws or operating rules.

SITE: The Council and its meeting shall have the sole authority in choosing the Conference site. In the event that no bids are presented, an emergency meeting of the Council shall be called without delay. All past and present Council members will be invited in order to find a suitable location for the Conference or to determine if the Conference should be suspended. And, if so, what the subsequent fate of the Council and its functions will be.

DISSOLUTION OF COUNCIL: In the event that the Conference fails to retrieve bids and the council decides by 2/3 majority vote to dissolve, the bank account shall be closed and liquidated of all funds, and all funds shall be disbursed to GSO.

P.O. BOX & COUNCIL MATERIALS: The Council shall maintain a P.O. Box for all correspondence. The Co-Chairperson shall furnish GSO with our current mailing address and a current Council address and telephone list. The Secretary shall make sure that all rents are paid on the P.O. Box. The Council shall establish a letterhead for use by all Council members for all Council business. All materials of the Council shall be deemed property of the Council and passed on to our successors. All documents and revisions existing and produced shall have current date affixed as part of those documents. When using Electronic Mail the Council shall communicate freely and openly between them, but will communicate conservatively and responsibly with other groups and A.A. as a whole.

WEBSITE/FACEBOOK PAGE: There shall be no links to entities outside of AA from the OYPAA website or the facebook page. No advisory council minutes shall be available on the internet. The website and facebook page shall also follow the GSO website guidelines. The facebook page shall maintain privacy settings which don’t allow nonmembers of said page to view its membership, in order to maintain anonymity.

COUNCIL FINANCES: All Council financial transactions shall be made through its bank accounts. No member of Council shall incur expenses on behalf of the Council, other than telephone or postage, without 2/3 majority prior approval. The operating committee shall submit for approval distributions for the coming year. The Council should strive to maintain an annual operating budget of $100.00 and a prudent reserve equal of $1000. It shall allocate each year $500.00 to the chosen bid city, and disperse remaining funds so as not to cause unnecessary delay and confusion. The Conference and reserve funds are arbitrary figures based on current economic conditions and can be altered by a simple majority vote. Any monies left over after operation expenses and prudent reserve are replenished are disbursed to G.S.O., but the Council will consider other suggestions of alternate disbursements of excess funds by the Conference committee. For all OYPAA checks written, there will be a total of three signatures possible, and two required.

BY-LAW CHANGES: Any Council member proposing any change in the By-laws or other Council documents shall distribute copies of those proposals at least 3 days prior to the meeting to give other Council members a chance to revise them. Any emergency proposals may be added to the agenda by a 2/3rd majority vote.

VOTING PROCEDURE: The Advisory council uses Third Legacy voting procedure in voting to award the conference to a Host city.

BID BOOK EVALUATION: It is suggested that each Bidding City submit a Bid Book that meets OYPAA's Bidding Requirements. While the Bidding Requirements are important to the Site Selection Process, we do not consider them the sole criteria for site selection. We do not eliminate any Bidding Cities for errors or omissions in their Bid Books. During this evaluation, all questions and concerns about hotel contracts, logistics, etc. are to be discussed.
SHARING SESSION: Council shall hold a sharing session (as described in the AA Service Manual). Each council member shall speak for up to 2 minutes about what he or she believes is important to consider for Site Selection. Some of the criteria that may be considered include hotel experience, spirit/enthusiasm/unity of the committee, bid book/requirements, relationship with local AA service entities, and the best interest of OYPAA.
THIRD LEGACY VOTE: Without any further discussion, the council shall take a 5 minute break to privately review and consider the qualities of each bid vis-à-vis the discussed criteria. During the Third Legacy voting procedure (as described in the AA Service Manual), there shall be no additional discussion.

THE CONFERENCE HOST COMMITTEE

All OYPAAs are to be designated as such, and be designated with a number so as to preserve autonomy and character. They shall not be held in conjunction with, or in conflict with, any other major function in that city, A.A. or otherwise.

CONFERENCE FINANCES: All conference committees are responsible to pay their own expenses and cannot expect the Council to assume any financial obligations which they may incur. However, any material and financial assistance given, including, but not limited to, the $500 seed money, shall be returned to the Council at the completion of the conference. In addition, before or shortly after the close of the conference, the Advisory Council Treasurer shall provide the host committee with the Council's budget for the upcoming year. Any profits made from the conference shall be used to replenish the Council's prudent reserve (if necessary) and operating expenses for the following year. The conference committee has sixty days after the conference closes to forward a written financial statement and payment to the Advisory Council Treasurer for the amount requested. All profits over and above this amount shall be disbursed by the outgoing host committee in accordance with AA guidelines.

P.O. BOX: The conference committee shall maintain a permanent mailing address until such a time after the conference that all conference business has been completed.

AUTONOMY: The conference planning committee should be offered all prior conference material, together with whatever individual or collective information the Council and its members possess which may be of assistance. Once chosen, the conference committee should be given autonomy from the Council. They are a distinct committee chosen by the Council and should function free of Council domination, but with the knowledge that the Council stands ready to assist whenever they are requested to do so. If the conference committee appears to be in difficulty, the Council should stand ready to assist in any way necessary. Salvaging the conference committee should always be the main objective.

INSURANCE POLICY: A $1,000,000 insurance policy must be obtained and secured at least 10 days prior to the conference naming the Host Committee as “insured” and the Eastern Area Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous as “additional insured.” Proof of said policy must be presented to the Advisory Council Chair at least 10 days before the conference. Policy must be active through the entire conference.

MAILING LIST: The registration chair of the conference committee should maintain a database of all registered conference attendees. This database shall be forwarded to the Advisory Council secretary within 60 days of the conference’s close. The database is confidential and should be treated as such.

[1] This new term-of-service ensures that from the close of every conference (when three members rotate off) to the commencement of the next conference, the Advisory Council will be comprised of only 12 members: and that from the commencement of every conference (when three new people are elected to advisory council) to the close of that conference the Advisory Council will be comprised of 15 members (not including NACMs)