NAIGSO-AA’s Online Advisory
Council
History and Purpose
Two years ago it was suggested that if NAIGSO-AA’s
vision of service to Native American alcoholics was to become complete and be
in keeping with the spirit of Alcoholics Anonymous’ Twelve Traditions and
Twelve Concepts the voice of our Fellowship needed to be heard.
The Online Advisory Council was created to act as
that voice. The General Manager sent out invitations by email to ask for
volunteers to serve on the Council. As of today, there are more than twenty
members from all over North America who have become the active voice of our
Fellowship as a whole. In keeping with Native American culture and traditions
these trusted servants have not been “elected” but have volunteered to
represent the people.
This council is a living and growing entity-serving
NAIGSO-AA. Many issues facing the NAIGSO-AA Board of Directors and the General
Manager are regularly presented to the Council for discussion and vote. The
council has become a vital, dynamic “AA Group Conscience.”
Advisory Council Operating
Procedures
1. All council members should setup an
"Advisory Council" email group in their computer and forward all
"Advisory Council" correspondence to the
members of the council. In this way everyone shares in the discussion of
issues at hand.
2. All correspondence addressed to the
Advisory Council should be treated as a voting matter. Council members
should be given ample time to respond, two weeks should be sufficient. Though
at times it may be more a matter of allowing group conscience to develop,
than to vote and proceed.
3. In keeping with AA's Twelve Concepts for
World Service there will occasionally be situations in which the GM must take
immediate action. In these situations, the GM should inform the Advisory
Council of the action taken. The Council will have the right to appeal any
action of this type and have full power to terminate the GM if necessary.
However, ordinarily most issues should and
will be taken through the Advisory Council process and all council members
given an opportunity to voice their thoughts and their vote.
4. There should always be a two-thirds
majority on all matters, especially finance, but in the event only a few votes
are cast then a clearly majority will be sufficient.
5. The Advisory Council shall have full
power to terminate any NAIGSO Board members it feels is not acting in the
Fellowship's best interest. This type of action would require a two-thirds
majority of all voting members of the Council.
6. If we lose contact with any member of the
Advisory Council they should be retired by the General Manager after a six
month waiting period and all efforts to contact them have failed including
informing other Council members about the loss of contact.
This would not apply to any member who is in
regular contact but has reason to be out of contact for various periods of
time. However in this event, the Council should be free to take whatever
actions may be necessary such as a vote to remove the GM or NAIGSO Board members.
7. These procedures should be amendable now
and at any time in the future by a two-thirds vote of the Council.