BYLAWS of
the
SACRAMENTO
VALLEY INTERGROUP OF
OVEREATERS
ANONYMOUS
The name of this organization shall be Overeaters
Anonymous of Sacramento, Inc., a California Corporation, doing business as
(DBA) Sacramento Valley Intergroup of Overeaters Anonymous, hereinafter known
as Intergroup (or SVIOA).
A. The primary purpose of this organization is to aid those with the
problem of compulsive eating through the Twelve Steps of Overeaters Anonymous;
to serve and represent the OA groups from which the Intergroup is formed; to
encourage unity between member groups; and to create a spirit of Fellowship
among compulsive eaters as a vehicle for recovery.
B. This Intergroup is in compliance with and qualifies as an exempt
organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or
the corresponding section of any future United States Internal Revenue
Law).
C. The corporation is registered with the State of California, Secretary
of State, identification number D-0716122, Tax No. 942225631.
The Twelve Steps are
suggested for recovery in the Fellowship of Overeaters Anonymous. The Twelve
Steps are:
1) We admitted we were powerless over food -- that our lives had
become unmanageable.
2) Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore
us to sanity.
3) Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of
God as we understood Him.
4) Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5) Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact
nature of our wrongs.
6) Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of
character.
7) Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8) Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to
make amends to them all.
9) Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when
to do so would injure them or others.
10) Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong,
promptly admitted it.
11) Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious
contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will
for us and the power to carry that out.
12) Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we
tried to carry this message to compulsive overeaters and to practice these
principles in all our affairs.
The Twelve Traditions of
Overeaters Anonymous are:
1) Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends
upon OA unity.
2) For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority - a
loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are
but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3) The only requirement for OA membership is a desire to stop eating
compulsively.
4) Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other
groups or OA as a whole.
5) Each group has but one primary purpose - to carry its message to
the compulsive overeater who still suffers.
6) An OA group ought never endorse, finance or lend the Overeaters Anonymous
name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money,
property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7) Every OA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining
outside contributions.
8) Overeaters Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but
our service centers may employ special workers.
9) OA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service
boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10) Overeaters Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence, the
Overeaters Anonymous name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11) Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than
promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press,
radio, films, television and other public media of communication.
12) Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all these Traditions,
ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.
The Twelve Concepts of
OA Service are:
1) The ultimate responsibility and authority for OA world services
reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship.
2) The OA groups have delegated to World Service Business Conference
the active maintenance of our world services; thus, World Service Business
Conference is the voice, authority and effective conscience of OA as a whole.
3) The right of decision, based on trust, makes effective leadership
possible.
4) The right of participation ensures equality of opportunity for all
in the decision-making process.
5) Individuals have the right of appeal and petition in order to
ensure that their opinions and personal grievances will be carefully
considered.
6) The World Service Business Conference has entrusted the Board of
Trustees with the primary responsibility for the administration of Overeaters
Anonymous.
7) The Board of Trustees has legal rights and responsibilities
accorded to them by OA Bylaws, Subpart A; the rights and responsibilities of
the World Service Business Conference are accorded to it by Tradition and by OA
Bylaws, Subpart B.
8) The Board of Trustees has delegated to its Executive Committee the
responsibility to administer the OA World Service Office.
9) Able, trusted servants, together with sound and appropriate
methods of choosing them, are indispensable for effective functioning at all
service levels.
10) Service responsibility is balanced by carefully defined service
authority; therefore, duplication of efforts is avoided.
11) Trustee administration of the World Service Office should always
be assisted by the best standing committees, executives, staffs and
consultants.
12) The spiritual foundation for OA service ensures that:
a) no OA committee or service body shall ever become the seat of
perilous wealth or power:
b) sufficient operating funds, plus an ample reserve, shall be OA's
prudent financial principle;
c) no OA member shall ever be placed in a position of unqualified
authority;
d) all important decisions shall be reached by discussion, vote and
whenever possible, by substantial unanimity;
e) no service action shall ever be personally punitive or an
incitement to public controversy; and
f)
no OA service committee
or service board shall ever perform any acts of government, and each shall
always remain democratic in thought and action.
A. Attendance at Intergroup meetings is open to all OA members.
B. Membership of the Intergroup shall consist of the following:
1) The Intergroup Board.
2) Intergroup Representatives (”IRs” or “delegates”), which shall
consist of at least one member(s) from each group within the geographic area.
The geographic area shall be defined as Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, El Dorado,
Amador, Nevada, Yuba, Sutter, Butte and Colusa counties.
3) Group members not acting as IRs but elected or appointed to carry
out specific duties, e.g., committee chairperson.
4) Visitors are welcome and are encouraged to participate in the
discussion.
Qualifications of
eligibility for membership in the Intergroup
A.
Those groups within the
region or the geographic definition of Intergroup that have formally registered
with World Service Office and indicated their intention to belong to Intergroup
may be considered members. An OA group is defined as the following:
1)
As a group, they meet
together to practice the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of OA.
2)
All who have a desire to
stop eating compulsively are welcome in the group.
3)
No member is required to
practice any actions in order to remain a member or to have a voice (share at a
meeting).
4)
As a group, they have no
affiliation other than OA.
B.
Each group shall be
entitled to one vote(s) through its elected IR(s) on any motion before the
SVIOA, except that for elections of officers, each member may have one vote for
each group that they attend and vote.
C.
No group may be
registered with another Intergroup.
A. Intergroup representatives shall be selected by the group
conscience of the group they represent. Each IR shall be selected by any method
deemed appropriate by their group. These IRs shall serve for a period
designated by their group, always subject to recall by the group they
represent. Each group shall be free to designate an alternate delegate when the
necessity arises.
B. IRs should be selected for willingness to serve, commitment to the
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of OA, length of time in program and length
of service.
C. The primary responsibility of the IR, or alternate, is to
represent their group at all meetings of the Intergroup, to act as a liaison
between this Intergroup and their group, to see that all communications
pertaining to Intergroup are made available and, where requested, read aloud to
the group.
IRs are encouraged to notify the Intergroup Chairperson or Secretary if they will be absent and may make arrangements for obtaining materials from the Intergroup meeting as may be mutually convenient.
A. Any employee.
B. Any member of the Fellowship who is not a duly elected
representative or alternate.
A. The Board shall consist of the following elected officers:
chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary, treasurer and Webmaster.
B. The immediate past chairperson shall not serve as an ex-officio
member of the Intergroup Board for one year.
C. The Intergroup Board may also include other elected positions such
as the World Service Business Conference delegate(s), and regional
representative(s). Their duties shall be set by policy adopted by the
Intergroup and contained in the Intergroup Policy and Procedure Manual as it
shall be amended from time to time.
D. The Intergroup Board shall serve as the executive board. In the
event the chairperson of the Board should be unable to attend any meeting of
the board, the next highest ranking executive officer in attendance shall serve
as chair for that meeting. The ranking of these officers shall serve as
follows:
1) Vice Chairperson
2) Treasurer
3) Secretary
Nominations to the board may be made from the floor at the time of election. A nominating committee may also be formed, at the discretion of the Intergroup.
A. Active membership in OA for at least one year, with the exception
of Secretary who must be an active member for at least six (6) months.
B. Familiarity with the Twelve Traditions of OA.
C. Familiarity with the Twelve Concepts of OA Service.
D. Regular attendee of an active group for a period of one year and
to have been an IR one year.
E. The World Service Business Conference Delegate/alternate (whether
or not a member of the Intergroup Board) shall have at least one (1) year of
current abstinence and at least two (2) years of service above the group level
and such qualifications as required for election to the Intergroup Board by
Article IV, Section 4, of these bylaws.
Permission for any exception in qualifications for valid
reasons, if deemed credible by the trustees, may be received by application to
the World Service Office, except that the trustees can not grant exceptions to
those qualifications required solely for election to the Intergroup board.
F. The regional representative/alternate (whether or not a member of
the Intergroup Board) shall meet qualifications and requirements as outlined
and defined in the Region # 2 Bylaws, and as required for election to the board
by Article IV, Section 4, of these bylaws.
A. Elections shall be held annually at a meeting specified for that
purpose.
B. To be eligible for election to the board, a nominee must:
1) Meet all qualifications as defined in Article IV, Section 3.
2) Understand responsibilities of the position as defined in Article
IV, Section 6, and as defined in the Intergroup Policy and Procedure Manual.
C. In order to be elected to membership on the Intergroup Board, a
nominee must accept nomination or be a write-in candidate and must receive a
majority vote of the groups voting by the submission of a ballot to Intergroup.
A. Board members shall be elected to serve for a period of one
calendar year. The exceptions are the WSBC Delegates and Region 2
Representatives, who may be elected for a two year terms, as follows:
1)
On even-numbered years,
a WSBC Delegate and a Region 2 Representative shall be elected.
On odd-numbered years, a WSBC Delegate and a Region 2 Representative shall be
elected.
2) Newly elected officers shall begin service at the Intergroup
meeting following their election.
B. Board members shall serve no more than two consecutive terms in
the same office.
C. After an interval of at least one year, a member may again be
eligible for election to their prior office.
D. Upon election to the board, members shall cease to be a
representative of their group and that group shall elect a new Intergroup
representative.
A. Chairperson:
1) Shall preside at all regular and special meetings of this
Intergroup and Intergroup Board.
2) Shall be responsible for establishing the agenda for all
Intergroup meetings.
3) May cast the deciding vote to make or break a tie.
4) May attend all standing committee meetings.
5) Shall ensure that the general account of the Intergroup be audited
annually.
6) Shall be designated as the official responsible for receipt of
service of process as required by California law.
7) Shall be the official keeper of record for any official records of
the SVIOA. Record keeping may be
delegated to the Secretary for meeting minutes and to the Treasurer for any
required financial or tax documents, including permits for resale.
B. Vice Chairperson:
1) Shall serve in the absence of the chairperson.
2) Shall perform all other duties as prescribed in the Intergroup
Policy and Procedure Manual.
C. Secretary:
1) Shall see that minutes are kept of all Intergroup and Intergroup Board
meetings and that a copy of the Intergroup minutes is printed and made
available each Intergroup representative at a regularly scheduled Intergroup
meeting and posted on the Intergroup Web site. As a cooperative gesture, a copy
of the minutes may be sent to the regional trustee.
2) Shall maintain a file of all minutes of past meetings for at least
the last twelve months.
3) Shall perform all other duties as prescribed in the Intergroup
Policy and Procedure Manual.
D. Treasurer:
1) Shall maintain a checking and savings account, if necessary, for
dispersal of Intergroup funds.
2) Shall submit financial reports each month at the Intergroup
meetings.
3) Shall be listed as a cosignatory with at least one other board
members or an appointee of the board on the checking/savings account(s).
4) Shall perform all other duties as prescribed in the Intergroup
Policy and Procedure Manual
E. The Intergroup Board shall provide a means of conducting the
Intergroup business in the case of emergencies and/or between meetings of the
Intergroup. The Board may meet in
person, by telephone or by use of electronic means, including “email”.
F. Other board positions include the chairperson of standing
committees.
A.
If a member of the
Intergroup Board fails to attend two (2) consecutive meetings without prior
notice, his/her office may be declared vacant by a majority of those members
present and voting.
B.
Any board member may
resign at any time for any reason by giving the chairman of the Intergroup
written notice.
C.
Any board member of this
Intergroup may be removed from office for due cause by a majority vote of the
IRs at a special meeting announced for that purpose. The special meeting may follow a regularly scheduled meeting.
A. Vacancies shall be filled by a majority vote at that meeting in
which the vacancy occurred, or at the next meeting or special meeting of the
Intergroup. Such persons chosen to fill said vacancies shall serve for the
remainder of the un-expired term.
B. A person chosen to fill any vacancy on the board shall meet the
qualifications as defined in Article IV, Section 3, and be aware of all
responsibilities of that position as described and defined in Article IV.
The Intergroup shall
meet at least monthly at a time and place designated by a majority of the
voting members or as published in The Valley Voice, the official
publication of SVIOA.
A special meeting may be
called at any time by at least three (3) elected members of the Intergroup
Board, or by petition of not less than one-third (1/3) Intergroup members, by giving one (1) week’s notice to Board
members and committee chairpersons.
Notification of all meetings
shall consist of an announcement in the Intergroup newsletter, if any. Notification of a special meeting may be
made at the prior Intergroup meeting, by telephone or electronic mail
notification.
Those voting members present
at any meeting of this Intergroup shall constitute a quorum for all proceedings
of the Intergroup.
B.
Business
motions will be decided by group conscience, which is the majority of the
voting members in attendance, unless a greater percentage is specifically
required by the Bylaws.
C.
Any
single business motion to expend over 25% of total Intergroup funds, to
dissolve the SVIOA, to approve Bylaw changes, or to remove Board or committee
members requires approval by a two-thirds (2/3) vote.
D.
No
individual may have more than one (1) vote.
The following standing
committees may be established as required to carry out the purposes of
Intergroup in the most effective and efficient manner. Standing committees may
include but not be limited to:
A. Answer Phone
B. Bylaws
C. Events
D. Literature
E. Newsletter
F. OA HOW
The board shall designate such special committees as are deemed necessary for the welfare and operation of the Intergroup.
The chairman shall appoint a committee chairman from those IRs present who meet IR qualifications. A board member or any OA member present meeting IR qualifications may be appointed to chair a standing or special committee with approval of the majority of the members present and voting.
Each standing or special committee shall be responsible for calling and holding meetings, and establishing its method of procedures, subject to the approval of the Intergroup Board and the guidelines of the Twelve Traditions of OA.
Any committee decision and/or vote which establishes or changes a policy, sets a procedural plan for a special event, or expends funds in excess of the approved budget, shall require approval by the Intergroup prior to implementation. Each standing committee chairman shall verbally report or may submit a written report to the Intergroup at a regular meeting prior to an event, but at least by the regular meeting following the event and at the end of any specific event coordinated by that committee. If any monies are expended from an approved budget, a detailed and itemized report shall be included with the committee report.
The Intergroup may have
a nominating committee to recommend persons to serve as officers, RRs, and WSBC
delegates and persons to fill vacancies and to serve on the next nominating
committee.
The number of members on the committee should be three to five.
The chairperson of the
Intergroup shall not serve on the committee, but may provide background information
and input as requested by the committee.
A. Past committee chairpersons may serve in an ex-officio capacity in
their respective committees.
B. The Intergroup chairman is an ex-officio member of all committees
except the nominating committee.
A. If it is deemed necessary by the board that a committee shall open
a bank account, the following procedure shall be followed:
1) The committee chairperson and the treasurer of the Intergroup
shall be cosigners on the account. Two signatures shall be required on all
checks.
2) The committee chairman shall keep all financial records and shall
present a detailed, itemized report of transactions to the Intergroup following
any event for which monies were expended or received.
3) The committee chairman shall arrange for an audit of the committee
account during the final month of each year. The audit shall take place at the
same time as the audit for the general account of the Intergroup.
Should a vacancy, resignation, or removal of a committee chairman occur, all pertinent information shall be turned over to the Intergroup chairman. The chairman shall then appoint a new committee chairman to serve the remainder of the term.
A committee chairman may be removed from office by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Intergroup Board. Removal is based on unworthy conduct, return to compulsive overeating, non-attendance, failure to carry out committee responsibilities or such other actions or inactions as are appropriate.
A. Voluntary contributions of the member groups shall be the primary
source of funds.
B. Secondary source of income may be such occasional projects or
activities as may be authorized by the Intergroup according to Tradition Six.
C. The Intergroup may accept donations from OA members, conforming to
the general practice of OA.
D. The maximum allowable annual donation to the Intergroup by OA
members is to be limited to an amount set by vote of the Intergroup and listed
in the Intergroup policy manual. (Note: The limit for WSO is currently five
thousand dollars ($5,000), subject to change by the Board of Trustees.)
E. The acceptance of bequests or donations from any outside source is
prohibited.
F. The maximum allowable bequest to the Intergroup by OA members is
to be limited to an amount set by vote of the Intergroup and listed in the
Intergroup Policy Manual. (Note: The bequest limit for WSO is currently one
hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), subject to change by the Board of
Trustees.)
G. The Intergroup shall not accept the responsibility for trusteeship
over, or enter into the distribution or allocation of, funds set up outside of
Overeaters Anonymous.
There shall be no accumulation of funds beyond current necessities, with retention of only a prudent reserve for contingencies. Funds in excess shall be donated to Region #2 and the World Service Office annually as budgeted and directed by the Intergroup.
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern this Intergroup in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws, the Overeaters Anonymous, Inc. Bylaws, Subpart B or any special rules of order this Intergroup may adopt.
A. Matters that affect this Intergroup and/or groups within its
service area shall be referred to the board of this Intergroup.
B. Matters, which relate to Overeaters Anonymous as a whole, which
affect Subpart A of the Bylaws of Overeaters Anonymous, Inc., shall be referred
to the Board of Trustees.
C. Matters which affect Subpart B of the Bylaws of Overeaters
Anonymous, Inc., or which relate to the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions and
Twelve Concepts shall be referred to the World Service Business Conference.
Upon the dissolution of this association, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the association, the remaining assets shall be distributed according to Tradition Six, which guides us to disperse funds only to other OA service bodies. Such distribution shall be made to the World Service Office of Overeaters Anonymous, and/or Region #2, and/or another registered OA service body. If no registered OA service body exists to which the assets can be transferred, distribution shall be made to a non-profit fund, association, foundation or corporation, which is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, education, religious and/or scientific purposes and which complies with applicable laws. For example, such organizations or entities within the USA must comply with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
No part of the net
earnings of this association shall ever inure to or be used for the benefit of,
or be distributed to, its members, trustees, officers or other private persons,
except that the association shall be empowered to pay reasonable compensation
for services rendered and to make payment and distribution in furtherance of
the express purposes for which it is formed.