SLIDE 5 5
Reconsideration
- A motion to reconsider a vote may be made only by a
member who voted with the prevailing side, but it can be seconded by anyone seconded by anyone.
- Only a simple majority is required.
- If the majority votes to reconsider, full debate, pro and
con, is resumed. (Conference members are urged to limit discussion to new considerations of the question under discussion to new considerations of the question under debate.)
- No action may be reconsidered twice.
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Conference Quorum A Conference quorum – two thirds of all registered members is required to conduct Conference business Substantial Unanimity All matters of policy (Conference Advisory Actions) require substantial unanimity, that is, a two-thirds majority. Any actions, including amendments, that affect an Advisory Action or motions that might result in such an action, also require a two-thirds majority. Because the number of members present in the hall during the week of Conference varies from time to time, the phrase "two-thirds majority" is taken to mean two-thirds vote of the Conference members ti t th ti l th t t l t tit t C f voting at the time, as long as the total vote constitutes a Conference quorum.
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The Group Conscience: The District Meeting: The Area Assembly:
function to hear the business items from the standing committees or special purpose committees. These do not initiate business items Its members may initiate These do not initiate business items. Its members may initiate agenda items through the committees. But do not initiate when acting as a Group conscience, District meeting or an Area assembly. These do not do the exhaustive detail work on items of business. The Committees or special committees do that. This would just bog down the process. It is much more effective for two or three committees to be trusted with the details of important
- matters. These committees are members of A.A. and will have the
heart and best interest of A.A. These committees then present a consensus(recommendation) to the Group Conscience, District meeting, or Area assembly for oversight, discussion and vote.
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Every service responsibility should be matched by an equal service authority‐the scope of such authority to be always well defined whether by tradition, by resolution, by specific job description or by appropriate charter and bylaws.
Concept 10
In our structure we have tried to create accurate definitions of authority and
- responsibility. We have done this (a) by legal means,(b) by traditional means, and (c)
by principles under which doubtful and seemingly or really conflicting situations can be interpreted and readily resolved. Take the conference charter. It is not a legal instrument but practically speaking it is the substance of a contract between the A.A. groups and their
- Conference. The Charter makes clear in a general way that the A.A. groups have
delegated some of their ultimate authority and all the needed operational authority to the Conference, which includes the Trustees and the active services. It is further suggested, in these present articles, that each Conference member on a final vote be entitled to cast his ballot according to the dictates of his own conscience; that the entitled to cast his ballot according to the dictates of his own conscience; that the Conference itself also be granted, under the traditional “Right of Decision” the privilege of choosing which matters it will decide by itself and which it will refer back to the groups for their discussion, guidance or direction. These are the traditional definitions which can check the natural tendency of the groups to over instruct
- Delegates. This gives the Conference an authority equal to its real responsibility.
Page 43 A.A. Service Manual 2011‐2012
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