Responsibilities of Delegates

In preparation for a full year-long commitment with World Services

Each District elects two Delegates and an Alternate Delegate. The term of office for Delegates is one year, and they may serve up to two consecutive terms. Delegates and Alternates should be elected at least 60 days prior to the first Conference session using the Third Legacy Procedure. Delegates attend all sessions of the MA World Service Conference and serve as Voting Members in the 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation of Marijuana Anonymous World Services, Inc. Delegates thus participate in decisions that are necessary for carrying out the business and legal affairs of MA World Services.

Delegates represent their District during their service as liaison to MA World Services. All members of the District are eligible to be elected as Delegate, as long as they meet the World Services required minimum one-year sobriety requirement. Sobriety for this trusted servant position is defined as abstinence from marijuana, alcohol, and all other mind-altering substances (unless those other substances are taken as prescribed by a healthcare provider).

For the Service Structure to work in a unified manner, the communication must continue to flow between Districts and World Services, through the representation of their elected Delegate(s) as liaisons. This vital work begins at the first session of the Conference in May and continues throughout the year. When you join the Conference Body as a Delegate, you become an important part of the Society of MA’s mission to fulfill our primary purpose of carrying the message of recovery to addicts worldwide.

The Alternate Delegate becomes an official Voting Member if one of their District’s Delegates is unable to perform their duties. As such, Alternates should be prepared in the same way as the other District’s Delegates. It is helpful if Alternate Delegates attend the Conference in its entirety so they may be fully informed of how the Conference has proceeded. 

Should a Delegate be elected as a Trustee during the first Conference session, they are no longer eligible to represent their District as a Voting Member. Rule 4 of the Standing Rules states, “Each Member has only one vote, no matter how many positions they may hold. “ At this point, the Alternate would be assigned the role of Delegate or the District would elect another Delegate.

Delegates should strive to place principles before personalities, adhering to the 12 Traditions and 12 Concepts for Service. MA operates using the “Standing Rules” which are an abbreviated and modified set of rules based on Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised. Delegates should read and understand these Standing Rules. We will help prepare you to follow them. The Standing Rules will be discussed in brief during the Conference training sessions. Feel free to ask any questions during the training and the Conference. If you have any direct questions about these Rules email [email protected]

Preparing for the Conference

The Conference Agenda Committee hopes that this suggested guide will be helpful to ensure all tasks are achievable and can be done with ease.

~ 60 Days Prior:

• District holds Delegate Elections
  • Once elected, Delegates register for the Conference and begin to familiarize themselves with this packet
• Delegates and Service Sponsors meet to:
  • Discuss the Delegate District Report, respond to requested questions, and take note of any matters that need to be brought to the attention of the District.
  • Share the Agenda Packet for District meetings to gather group conscience on Agenda Items.
• Sign-up for Carry the Message to receive announcements: MA12.org/CTM 

~ 45 Days Prior:

• Each meeting within the District can use the Agenda Packet to read each agenda item, discuss, and vote. 
  • Depending on the number of Agenda Items, reviewing them may take more than one session. We suggest reviewing 2-3 Items per week. We also suggest that prior to Session I the Agenda Items for both Sessions be reviewed, in case any Agenda Items scheduled for Session II are moved up to Session I.

~ 30 Days Prior:

• Present the Delegate District Report at the DSC for approval
  • Once prepared please email it to: [email protected]
• All Conference registrants are required to attend a Conference training session, unless they have previous experience attending the Conference virtually. (Training date(s) will be selected during registration.)
• Complete the Attendee “Getting to Know You” survey 
  • Optional, yet very helpful to reference during the Third Legacy Procedure 
  • Any active campaigning will be removed at the discretion of the Conference Agenda Committee. 

Advice for During the Conference

Delegates should be prepared to work in a cooperative and helpful manner. District Delegates and Alternate are encouraged to communicate as a team throughout the year. During the Conference, keep each other informed of any times someone may not be able to attend. This helps the Alternate be prepared to step into the role of Voting Member, as needed. 

Participants are encouraged to listen carefully and respectfully to differing opinions, and tolerate fairness of debate. For a group conscience to be fully informed, voting Members should review all the pertinent information and hear all viewpoints with a willing and open mind, listening to minority opinions, or why any members disagree with the motion. Only then should the trusted servant(s) vote to determine the majority opinion (also known as the group conscience) on the subject.

Delegates are entrusted to participate in discussions, sharing the thought processes and group conscience of their District, and to then vote utilizing their own independent judgment. This means, your understanding of the issue, and even the final motion language, may change as new information comes to light during the Conference, such as any explanation, discussion, debate, and/or amendments. Delegates are empowered to vote in the best interest of the District and MA as a whole (which may include voting differently than your District’s initial group conscience). An informed group conscience is obtained by combining the knowledge gained during the Conference with information obtained during the District’s gathering of its group conscience. 

Our corporate Bylaws require that Trustees have a minimum of two years of sobriety, Sobriety is defined as abstinence from marijuana, alcohol, and all other mind-altering substances (unless those other substances are taken as prescribed by a healthcare provider). The Third Legacy Procedure is designed to remove issues of politics and prestige from the process of selecting persons to serve in service positions such as Trustee or Delegate. Those who are eligible and willing to participate in the Third Legacy Trustee Election will introduce themselves and, if time allows, provide a brief verbal summary of their service history. All members grow through service and should not be concerned by the amount of experience that they have in the MA Service Structure, or compare themselves to the experience of others. 

After the Conference and Throughout the Year

“…if there is no service, there is no program… It is our responsibility to do what we can to make sure that MA continues to be there for us, for the marijuana addict who still suffers, and for the addict who is not yet born.”  – Step Twelve, Life with Hope

In order to ensure members are kept informed, Delegates should prepare a summary report on the Conference after it is completed to present at the DSC, which the District should make available to all members through their GSRs.

Being a Delegate is a year-long service commitment, vital to ensuring communication between MA World Services, Districts, and members. As liaison between MA World Services and the District, throughout the remainder of their one-year term Delegates are expected to:

• Participate regularly in at least one World Services Committee(s)
  • Learn more about the Committees, including current projects
• Act as an ambassador for service marijuana-anonymous.org/service/ambassadors/ 
  • Join the Service Ambassadors WhatsApp chat to collaborate with other members in service and discuss any successes & challenges in their District MA12.org/ambassadors/whatsapp 
  • Encourage others to participate: Marijuana-Anonymous.org/Service
• Attend the District Service Committee meetings and report on the following (all of which Carry the Message and the Service Ambassador WhatsApp):
  • Summarize the Trustee Board Meeting Minutes 
    • Share the World Services quarterly financial report
  • Announce Events, workshops, and the annual Convention marijuana-anonymous.org/events

• Announce service opportunities & open Special Worker positions

• Keep World Services informed and up to date:
  • Ensure the MA Meeting Finder has accurate listings for all District Meetings
  • Maintain contact information for District officers and committee chairs using the spreadsheet MA12.org/DSCmembers
• Should questions or concerns arise, email [email protected] or contact the appropriate Trustee.

Delegate District Reports

Each District is to prepare and submit a written report in advance of the Conference. Delegates may find it helpful to review the District Reports from prior years. Reading reports from the various Districts will provide ideas about what you may want to include. 

Reports should include responses to the census type questions provided in the linked form, and with that a review of the preceding year’s efforts to carry the MA message, challenges, opportunities, and whatever else the members of the District feel that they want to share with the worldwide Fellowship. 

Please submit reports prior to the Conference, ideally by May 20th, at the latest submit by the end of Session I. Email questions to: [email protected]

To submit your Delegate Report, please use the form found on this page

Those who have previously attended the Conference are strongly encouraged to act as Service Sponsors to incoming Delegates, and as ambassadors for service to their District bringing awareness to opportunities at MA World Services.