- Please submit Agenda items by email: [email protected]
- Subject line: CONFERENCE AGENDA ITEM ATTACHED
- Attach the file in either Google Docs, MS Word, or Rich Text format
- Please do not type the item into the body of the email
- The deadline to submit Agenda items for the 2024 Conference was January 15, 2024.
- See how to submit a Motion from the Floor
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING A CONFERENCE AGENDA ITEM
Agenda items are submitted to the Ad Hoc Conference Agenda Committee for inclusion on the agenda for the Conference four months prior to the actual event. They should adhere to the following format and should provide enough information for the item to be understood. All submitted Agenda Items and Motions from the floor shall reference the specific section(s), chapter(s), and paragraph(s) indicating exactly where to add, change or delete language in the Service Manual, or anywhere else where changes are to be made, as applicable. Language to be removed shall be shown as strikeout: example. Language to be added shall be shown in brackets and bolded text in another color: [example]. The function of an agenda item is not to direct a particular MA World Services committee to take on any specified project. Instead, any member interested in forwarding any particular project is encouraged to participate actively in the relevant committee.
PARTS OF AN AGENDA ITEM:
TITLE: A brief title that sums up the intent of the Item.
SUBMITTED BY: This may be an individual (with or without a title, i.e. “Delegate”), a group, or even anonymous.
BACKGROUND/ORIGIN: A concise explanation of the rationale behind the motion, including such history as is necessary to explain what is proposed to be changed or added. If needed for clarification, citations to previous related Conference motions can be included. Then the proposed result of the motion should be explained.
MOTION: The actual language of the motion, which states that some action should be taken. This should be precise; the desired outcome should be stated by the motion, as in, “Amend the Service Manual, page ___, item ___, from (what it currently states), to read ____, etc.” Or, “Amend the Service Manual, page ___, to add the following language between items ___ and___: (language of new section).” An Agenda Item may contain multiple motions. ALSO NOTE: In order for any Work (defined as any artistic work or composition including, but not limited to, text, graphics, audio and/or video) to be considered for voting as Conference-approved, it must be presented in its entirety to the Conference. If further editing of the Work is deemed to be appropriate, the motion to seek Conference approval shall be either withdrawn of tabled until such time as the edits have been completed and the revised version of the Work becomes available in its entirety.
SAMPLE AGENDA ITEM (For demonstration purposes only):
TITLE: No Cell Phones At Conference General Session Already!
SUBMITTED BY: Mary J., A Member of District 420
BACKGROUND/ORIGIN: The General Session is already tedious enough. Trying to figure out what’s meant by voting on moving the Previous Question of an Amendment to an Amendment of a Motion takes a lot of concentration. When someone’s cell phone goes off, it can break the whole flow of the Conference. Sure, we can ask people to turn them off, or set them on vibrate, but then there is always that temptation to sneak out your phone under the table and send a text. The only thing that’s going to work is forbidding them completely. Also, people always plug their phones in at any outlet they can find in the room, they forget to put them on silent, and people using a laptop to take care of legitimate Conference business can’t keep their computers charged.
MOTION: At the General Session of the Conference, ALL cell phones must be turned off and surrendered to the quorum counter posted at the door.
MOTION: Any phones found alone and plugged into outlets around the room shall be confiscated and mailed back to the owner after the Conference if they can provide a complete and accurate description.
SAMPLE AGENDA ITEM WITH PROPOSED CHANGES (For demonstration purposes only):
TITLE: Amend Service Manual to suggest delegate elections be held at least 60 days prior to the Conference
SUBMITTED BY: Correspondence Trustee
BACKGROUND/ORIGIN: Currently, the Service Manual states that Conference Delegates “should be elected at least 90 days prior to a Conference to allow them sufficient time to familiarize themselves with the Conference Agenda.” Service Manual v7.1, p. 45. This provision should be rewritten for two reasons: (1) the language can be interpreted as a mandate rather than a suggestion; and (2) holding delegate election 90 days prior to a conference means that potential candidates will not have a chance to review the Conference Agenda prior to volunteering to serve, due to the requirement that the Agenda go out 90 days in advance of the conference.
This agenda item proposes to change the provision in the Service manual to suggest delegate elections be held at least 60 days prior to the Conference and to make it clear that the provision is only a suggestion, not a mandate.
There may have been more logic in suggesting that elections be held 90 days ahead of the Conference when Conferences were held in-person and travel arrangements had to be made. In this era of virtual Conferences, however, this is unnecessary. Once the Agenda Packet goes out, members can review it and get a more specific idea of what the Conference business will be which will, hopefully, motivate more members to volunteer to serve as Delegates. Changing the time frame from 90 days to 60 will give interested members time to review the Agenda Packet posted on the Conference website and, hopefully, become motivated to get involved.
There is no need for World Services to dictate to the districts the time frame of their delegate elections. Districts have varied practical circumstances and considerations and should be left with full discretion to decide what best works for them. For that reason, it is proposed that the word “should” be replaced with permissive language such as, “It is suggested that District/Regional representatives be elected 60 days in advance of the Conference, if possible, to give them sufficient time to familiarize themselves with the conference agenda and their District’s group conscience.”
MOTION:
That the following text be amended within Service Manual v7.1 page 45, Part IV, Chapter 17- Conference Delegates and Regional Representatives:
From:
“Delegates/regional representatives should be chosen at least 90 days prior to a conference to allow them sufficient time to become familiar with the conference agenda”
[It is suggested that District/Regional representatives be elected 60 days in advance of the Conference, if possible, to give them sufficient time to familiarize themselves with the conference agenda and their District’s group conscience.]
To:
It is suggested that District/Regional representatives be elected 60 days in advance of the Conference, if possible, to give them sufficient time to familiarize themselves with the conference agenda and their District’s group conscience.