The Virginia State Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous

VSCYPAA Advisory Council By-laws

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I.        Preamble:

We the members of the Virginia State Council of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous, set forth this day to establish and preserve, by the following principles, the experience of our predecessors. In 1996, the Virginia State Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous (VSCYPAA) was founded for the purpose of furthering the principles of AA among young people in the State of Virginia. The first VSCYPAA committee set out and defined the mission of the conference "To unite AA members in the State of Virginia, and to help young people stay sober and have fun." In 1997, after the first conference at Virginia Beach, VA, a permanent committee was established for the preservation of the experience and material. We do think it beneficial to establish a custodian to preserve the efforts and experience, lest they be lost. Being aware that not all young people find our conference, convention or committee meetings necessary, we do not propose to be a universal answer or governing body for young people. We believe it beneficial to share our experience with all who have requested our help, for it is through our sharing that we have learned to function within the framework of the AA traditions.

II.      Purpose:

The Advisory Council of The Virginia State Conference of Young People in AA is formed for the express purpose of furthering the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous through its annual conference, year round activities and meetings, its post office box and its Internet web site. The Council is the custodian of the conference experience.  It shall offer, to anyone who requests it, information regarding young people and young people groups as pertaining to recovery on the AA program. It shall make its knowledge and experience available to the Virginia Area Committee and AA General Service Office on a regular basis for use through AA.

III.    Structure:

A.      Each annual conference committee shall elect three people from its committee to serve on the Advisory Council. Council members shall be elected through third legacy procedure as stated in the AA Service Manual and the host committee will decide who is eligible to vote. Those being selected must have served on the conference committee continuously for six months prior to the actual conference on which they served.  Those selected shall serve as voting members on the Council for the conference and through five following conferences.

B.      Council members must have at least two years of continuous sobriety upon election.  The host committee may nominate a member from its committee who has less than two years; however it requires a 2/3rds vote of the Advisory Council to approve this nomination.

C.      Council members shall have reached their eighteenth birthday upon election.  The host committee may nominate a member from its committee who is seventeen; however it requires a 2/3rds vote of the advisory council to approve this nomination.

D.      If any Council member misses 2 out of 4 consecutive quarterly meetings without informing the Council, or misses 2 of 5 annual meetings that they be asked to resign if time does not permit him or her to carry out the responsibilities of the position.

E.      Drinking alcoholic beverages shall be considered a resignation.

F.      Council will maintain membership of 12 to 15 members.  If membership drops below 12, vacant Council seats will be filled in this order: 1) Previously designated alternate from vacant year; 2) Any willing previously designated alternate (in descending order); 3) Any previous Council member (in descending order).

IV.    Operating Committee:

A.      The council shall elect from its membership an operation committee consisting of, but not limited to, a Chairperson, Co-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Archivist and Outreach Coordinator. They shall not take any actions individually or collectively without the consent of the Council. Operating committee members must be Council members. They must serve on the Council for one year before being elected to the committee. Upon election, they shall serve for two years and may be elected or reelected to one additional term. Council members shall use the election guidelines found in the AA Service Manual.

B.      Council members may be elected to the operating committee in their last year on Council, which extend their term on Council for a total of 6 years. No Council members shall be eligible to stand for a position on the operating committee after their original term on Council has expired.

1. Chairperson:  Shall arrange for and announce the agenda for all Council meeting. Shall open Council meetings and maintain meetings in a reasonable order. Shall recognize members entitled to the floor. State and put to a vote all motions properly made and seconded. Announce the result of all votes. Affix his/her signature to all Council actions. Be one of the three signatures on all bank accounts. Act as advisor to the chairperson of the annual host committee and ensure that all host committee and advisory committee obligations are being met.

2. Co-Chairperson:  In the Chairperson’s absence, shall accept the full duties of the Chairperson. Shall carry out the various duties assigned by the committee. Act as liaison between the Council and the General Service Office. Be one of three signatures on all bank accounts. Act as advisor to the co-chairperson of the annual host committee and ensure that all host committee and advisory committee obligations are being met.

3. Treasurer:  Keep accurate financial records of all Council Transactions. Give financial reports at Council meetings. Submit a quarterly financial statement to all advisory council members. Have in his or her possession at Council meetings all bank statements, deposits and checkbooks, in order to be prepared to make deposits and disbursements at Council meetings. Maintain all accounts to be subject to inspection at any time. Be one of three signatures on all bank accounts. Act as advisor to the treasurer of the annual host committee.  Assist the advisory committee and host committee activities chairperson with financial and activity planning to ensure that conference maintains its financial obligations.

4.  Secretary: Act as custodian of all Council materials. Keep minutes of all Council meetings. Furnish information from our records to anyone who requests it. Answer all correspondence promptly and to the will of the majority of the Council members. Furnish minutes of the Council meetings to Council members. Furnish copies of all correspondence to all Council members on all matters affecting the Council or young people in AA.  Advise and maintain communications with the host committee secretary.  Ensure that all documentation and other communications media maintain the integrity and language as described in this document.  The Secretary shall issue to all who request it the following information: an invitation to participate in bidding to host the next conference; information regarding the election of the host committee; information on how to get involved with a current host or bid committee; the current conference flyer, if it is available.  Annually, the following are to get the above information: all intergroups, District Committee Members, and registered young people’s groups in the Virginia Area.

5. Archivist: Act as the holder of all factual material (Documents, memorabilia, showcases, etc.) in such a way there can be no substantial distortion of the material. Be the liaison between the G.S.O. Archivist and the Advisory Council pertaining to all VSCYPAA archives issues.  Follow, to the best of his or her ability, the Archives Guidelines set forth by G.S.O.  Act as liaison between the Advisory Council and the conference host committees’ archives committee pertaining to all archive matters (displays for the conference, material to be collected before, during and after the conference).  Have on display the Advisory Council Minutes.  The Archivist must fit these qualifications:

a)       If the Archivist does not attend, suitable arrangements must be made for the transportation and display of archive materials at the conference and for submission of an annual report.

b)       The Archivist shall at all times act in accordance with the 12 Traditions, being especially concerned with protecting members’ anonymity, and in accordance with the Twelve Concepts for World Service, exercising appropriate authority while always remaining accountable to the guidance of the Advisory Council.

c)       The Archivist must submit a written report at the annual Council meetings detailing all activities of the proceeding year, with a description of all expenses associated with fulfilling their duties, and a projected budget for the coming year.

6. Outreach Coordinator:  Act as the custodian of the mailing list database.  Shall work closely with each host committee to ensure that outreach for each annual conference is taking place.

C.      The term for all operating committee positions is two years.  If for any reason an operating committee position is vacated and filled mid-term, the newly elected councel member will only fill this position for the duration of the original two year term.  The council member may be re-elected into the position.

D.      The Operating Committee positions will be elected in alternating years: During even numbered years, Chairperson, Co-Chairperson and Archivist will be elected; During odd numbered years, Treasurer, Secretary and Outreach Coordinator will be elected.

V.      Other Council Elected Positions:

A.      The Advisory Committee may, with a 2/3rds vote, establish other councils and elected positions, as needed to meet challenges that face the Advisory Council, for the duration of these challenges.

VI.    Procedures:

A.      The Council shall maintain a post office box for all correspondence. The Secretary shall be responsible for retrieving and distributing all correspondence.  The Co-Chairperson shall furnish the General Service Office with our current mailing address and a list of all officers and their addresses. The Treasurer shall make sure that all rents are paid on the post office box.  The Secretary and Chairperson shall hold keys to the post office box.

B.      The operating committee shall submit for approval the distribution of funds for the coming year. The Council shall endeavor to maintain a prudent reserve of $3000.00 should Council be called to assist or host the conference. The reserve fund is an arbitrary figure based on current economic conditions and can be altered by a simple majority vote.

C.      The Council should allocate $500.00 “seed money” for the bid committee that is awarded the conference, and disburse these funds promptly, so as not to cause unnecessary delay and confusion. It is designated that the $500.00 awarded to the host city must be returned to the Advisory Council Treasurer no later than June 1^st of the host year, or one month prior to the annual conference, whichever is first. The reserve fund is an arbitrary figure based on current economic conditions and can be altered by a simple majority vote.

D.      The Council shall maintain an Internet web site and electronic mail address for VSCYPAA. The Co-Chairperson shall make sure that this site maintains only the official documentation of VSCYPAA, and information on how to contact the current host committee. The Treasurer shall make sure that any fees associated with the establishment of the web site and electronic mail address are paid. The Secretary will be responsible for receiving any correspondence obtained from the web site or electronic mail.

E.      The Council shall establish a letterhead for use by all council members for Council business.

F.      The Advisory Council has sole responsibility for maintaining and updating the "VSCYPAA Facts, Aims & Purpose", the “VSCYPAA Info Packet", the “Advisory Council By-law's” and the VSCYPAA web site.  The operating committee should bring to the Council for approval any suggestions for the updating of these documents.  The Advisory Council has sole responsibility for any language, logos, titles or other physical or intellectual tools developed for use by VSCYPAA.

G.     The Council financial transactions shall be made through its bank accounts.

H.      No member of Council shall incur expenses in the Council name other than minor telephone copying or postage expenses, without first receiving 2/3rds-majority approval of the Council.

I.         The Council shall be foremost aware of the welfare of AA as a whole. The Twelve Traditions of AA will be strictly adhered to.

J.       The Council shall act as a body and no individual shall act independent of the majority opinion.

K.      The post office box, web site, bank accounts and Council material should not be used for anything other than Council business. These materials should not be used in group or area business.

L.       Any Council member proposing a change to the "VSCYPAA Facts, Aims & Purpose", the “VSCYPAA Info Packet", the “Advisory Council By-law's” and the VSCYPAA web site should distribute copies of those proposals prior to Friday of the conference for evaluation by other Council members. Any emergency proposals may be added to the agenda by a 2/3rds-majority vote.

M.     All materials of the Council shall be deemed property of the Council and passed on to our successors.

N.      All documents and revisions existing and produced will have current date affixed as a part of those documents.

VII.  Advisory Council Meetings:

A.      The Chairperson shall call for and arrange a meeting place and agenda for all council meetings. A quorum shall consist of 2/3rds of the Council members at any of the Council meetings. Motions and resolutions shall require a simple majority vote of the quorum. All Council members have one vote and will vote on all matters. Absentia voting is not permitted. A vote of 2/3rds of the quorum is necessary to change the By Laws or rescind operating rules.

B.      The Council shall have the sole authority in overseeing the bid session to determine who to award the next annual conference. In the event that no bid is placed, Council determines that no bid committee is capable of successfully hold the conference, or it appears that [at any time after the conferences is awarded] the host committee will not meet its minimum financial responsibilities to Council or any vendors, an emergency meeting of the Council shall be called without delay. All past and present Council members will be invited to attend in order to find a suitable site for the conference, determine if the conference should be suspended and the subsequent fate of the Council and its function.

VIII.            Guidelines for the Conference and Host Committee:

A.      During the conference weekend, the host committee will provide the following meeting space at the convention facility for the Advisory Council:

1. Advisory Council Meeting (Optional)               Fri        5pm-8pm           18 person

2. Bid Session                                                 Sat       8am-11am         100 persons

3. Advisory Council Meeting                              Sat       11am-2pm         18 persons

4. Meet w/ non-awarded and awarded bid citiesSat         10pm-2am         50 persons

B.      After the bid city is awarded the conference, they are responsible for returning to their home city and promptly (within one month) outreaching and establishing the time and location of the primary host committee elections. The primary host committee elections are to be observed by the Advisory Council and must follow 3^rd Legacy procedures as outlined in the AA Service Manual. The following mandatory positions are to be voted on: Chairperson; Co-chairperson; Treasurer (mandatory 2 years of continuous AA sobriety); Secretary; Outreach Chairperson. This core committee will determine where and when any other elections and meetings are to take place. For business reasons, the Chairperson, Co-Chairperson and Treasurer must be at least 18 years of age.

C.      All annual conferences shall be designated as such and be designated with a number so as to preserve its autonomy and character. They shall not be held in conjunction with or in conflict with any function, AA or otherwise.

D.      The host committee is responsible for returning the seed money provided them by the advisory council no later than June 1^st of the host year, or one month prior to the annual conference, whichever is first.  The host committee is under obligation to pay its own expenses.

E.      All material and financial assistance given along with the conference profit, after expenses shall be returned to the Council within 60 days following the end of the conference. The Advisory Council will distribute profits to the AA service structure and intergroups in the Virginia area, while maintaining a prudent reserve.

F.      The host committee must provide an accounting of funds taken and disbursed during the conference. The accounting for the funds collected must detail the nature of the receipt such as entrance fees, collection for T-shirts, etc. In order to comply with IRS regulations, the host committee shall provide, on a monthly basis, true and accurate financial accounting to the VSCYPAA Advisory Council.  The VSCYPAA Advisory Council Treasurer will in turn distribute these reports on a quarterly basis to all members of the VSCYPAA Advisory Council. Disbursements must include receipts for all approved expenditures detailed into categories.

G.     The host committee has sixty days after the conference dates to forward a financial statement and profits to the Advisory Council Treasurer. It shall be the responsibility of the newly elected Advisory Council members from the host committee to make sure the financial statement and profits are forwarded within the sixty-day period.  All bank accounts and other accounts with vendors must be closed within this timeframe.

H.      The conference may not be hosted more than once within the same AA District for at least five years, without the approval by two/thirds majority vote of the advisory council.

I.         No host committee member may hold a primary committee position for more than two years, whether the same position or different, whether consecutive years or not. This is to encourage the spirit of rotation, and discourage any individual or group from dominating the conference.

J.       Each host committee member elected to a primary committee position (one of the 5 described above) must agree to work closely with their appointed Advisory Council advisor to ensure that they fulfill their commitment to the conference by understanding and executing their appointed responsibilities thoroughly.

K.      No member may be elected to a primary committee position (one of the 5 described above) unless he/she is under the age of 40 at the time of the election, and has a minimum of two years of AA sobriety. Exceptions may be made with a 2/3rds vote of the attending Advisory Council members for all positions except Treasurer.

L.       The host committee shall maintain a permanent mailing address until such time after the conference that all conference business is completed.  The conference mailing address, email address, phone number, and any other methods of communication used by the committee must be closed and/or rerouted to the Advisory Council prior to sixty days following the conference.

M.     The host committee should be offered all prior conference material along with any individual or collective information the Council members possess. They are a distinct committee but should function within the guidelines of this document. The host committee should operate free of Council domination but with the knowledge that the Council stands ready to assist when requested or when the conference committee appears to be in difficulty. If the host committee has trouble, the Advisory Council will seek ways of salvaging the conference and the conference committee.

N.      In keeping with the 3^rd Tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous, “The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stay sober”, arrangements should be made to make all conference events handicap accessible.  Consider physically challenged and hearing-impaired attendees.  If it looks like a fair amount of any particular non-english speaking minority will be attending the conference, a translator should be recruited.

IX.    Suggestions for the Conference and the Host Committee:(Our Experience, Strength and Hope)

A collection of tips, hints, and advice that your VSCYPAA Host Committee may find helpful. If you choose not to use them, that’s okay. Take what works and leave the rest.

A.      General:

1. You are a child of the universe, no less than the stars and the trees. You have a right to be here.

2. Don’t drink, go to meetings, read the big book, call your sponsor and PRAY – especially when VSCYPAA makes you THINK you are too busy.

3. Remember your primary purpose: "to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety."

4. If you didn’t take a drink today, everything’s going just fine.

5. Avail yourself of meetings, your sponsor, regular, old AA meetings, and any other resources, spiritual or otherwise, that you use to keep yourself on an even keel. VSCYPAA is no good excuse to have a nervous breakdown.

6. H.A.L.T.

7. Call the Advisory Council members. They’re just drunks like you and they’ve been through what you going through, good and bad. They do nothing day and night besides for wait for your phone call. They’re like the Maytag man after their conference is over - nothing to do, nowhere to go, just waiting for you to call so they can help. Help them feel loved; they’re people too.

8. Get the AA Service Manual. Don’t attempt to read it cover to cover. Look for things in it that you are interested in like say - Third Legacy Procedure, for example, or the Twelve Concepts for World Service. That IS what you’re up to right now by hosting VSCYPAA.

9. Get a copy of the AA Conferences and Conventions brochure from GSO. Also get a copy of the AA and Al-Anon interaction brochure from GSO. Oh yeah, read them.

10. Use inventory as a healing tool. Use it on yourself. Make yourself available to listen to someone else’s if they should ask. Participate with group inventories your committee may have. Don’t forget to LISTEN.  LISTENING is the hardest thing you will do this year, and the most rewarding. Humans have a tendency to miss the opportunity to listen to other humans because they’re usually too busy thinking of the next thing THEY want to say, or listening to the committee in their heads. Try and have that epiphanic experience of LISTENING to someone 100%. You’ll feel great, they’ll feel great and you will both COMMUNICATE and that’s a major groovy experience.

11. In your committee meetings, if it’s been said before, you don’t need to say it again, even if you know you will reshape the original statement into the most beautiful work of rhetorical art and phraseology ever heard in a business meeting. If you spend everyone’s time repeating what’s been said, don’t complain to the Chairperson about meetings taking too long.

12. Stop and smell the roses. You’re having a time you’ll remember fondly for the rest of your life.

B.      Positions/Committees:        

Other than the main committee positions that were filled during the Primary Host Committee Elections, here are some other positions/committees that you may want to consider:

·         Hotel/Site Chairperson

·         Program Chairperson

·         Registration Chairperson

·         Hospitality Chairperson

·         Events Chairperson (events at conference, as well as fundraisers before)

·         Literature Chairperson

·         Media Chairperson (Logo, hats, shirts, etc.)

·         Archivist

·         Diversity Chairperson (help ensure adequate cross-section of AA’s in the VA area are represented)

·         Technology Chairperson (phone, web, e-mail, taping, etc.)

(Depending on the number of persons participating with the committee, you may want to consider having "co-" positions. This provides an opportunity for many to gain experience.)

1.       Hotel/Site Chairperson:

a)       When choosing a location to host the conference, remember your primary purpose: "to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety." Choose a location that can serve the AA members, especially young people, in the surrounding area. It is great to go to the beach or a ski resort, but if the area already has strong AA, and/or the cost becomes unattainable for most young people, are you really being of service?

b)       Work with your hotel/site reps to try and estimate together all possible costs for the conference before the conference actually happens. Try to stick to that plan. Make the hotel/site stick to the plan as well.

c)       Don’t assume anything that is not explicitly in your signed contract will be provided by the hotel/site, especially not for free.

d)       Look for the hidden costs like dance floor setup, electricity charges, labor rates for setup/breakdown, PA setup, loading dock labor, intra-hotel transport (often the hotel requires that their staff carry things, for insurance reasons), etc. If you find five, look for five more. If you find ten, find ten more. They’re there, so always ask your hotel reps every silly question that comes to mind that may involve some service or charge you haven’t explicitly covered in the contract yet. On this topic, there are no silly questions.

e)       Put everything, yes everything in the contract, even if the hotel/site reps tell you, "Oh, no problem."

f)         Consider affordability and transportation when selecting a hotel/site.

g)       Don’t assume you can bring anything into the hotel/site like PA systems, food, and goods for sale like T-shirts. Clear them with your hotel/site reps first.

h)       Have legal counsel review any hotel or service contracts before you sign them. You can almost always find a lawyer who is willing to provide Pro Bono (for free) services.

i)         Get a liability insurance policy to cover the conference and its attendees. The policy amount should be around _________. For a typical conference in a typical city this costs $________. It will indemnify you individually against any lawsuits that may arise from events that might transpire at your conference. Just because you’re getting a policy, don’t assume that it covers everything. Have the insurance agent and your legal counsel review the policy coverage and terms before you buy.

j)         Avoid Hold Harmless clauses in your contract with your hotel/site whenever possible.

k)       Location of overflow hotels in relation to main hotel/site should make sense for pedestrian attendees who may return to their rooms more than once a day.

l)         Inform the hotel/site and pre-establish a policy regarding "Hanging out", i.e. restricted areas, curfews, potential fire code violations, and provide direction to attendees in announcements.

2.       Treasury:

a)       Make a budget IMMEDIATELY. This can be a "living" budget: one that gets filled in more accurately as you progress towards your conference, but remember that a budget is an invaluable planning tool. Ask the last conference committee and/or previous conference committees for their budgets. Also ask for their registration, banquet, pre-conference event, breakfast, and recreation activity attendance so you can estimate "per head" costs. Don’t forget to ask for quantities of T-shirts, mugs, etc. bought for and sold at the last conference.

b)       Limit the number of people with authorized hotel charge signature to a minimum. Make clear who should be should be signing for what and what their spending limits should be for items like coffee. Each signatory should have a well-understood and bounded signature authority that corresponds with budget line items.

c)       Consider not accepting personal checks for pre-registration, on-site registration, or trinkets such as T-shirts, cups, etc. Consider accepting only cash or money orders.

d)       Call GSO, identify yourself as a VSCYPAA host committee member, and talk to someone these about the Seventh Tradition: what it means to you and LISTEN to what it means to them.

e)       Be conservative. We can always do with too little (a coffeepot and two drunks will do), but you have to pay for too much. Avoid financially overextending yourselves.

f)         Put cash in the bank immediately.

g)       Keep good records. Have frequent, regular Treasurer’s Reports.

h)       Only reimburse expenses for which a receipt is presented.

i)         Beware of lots off reimbursable expenses before your conference. They can eat up cash you will need right before your conference for prepayments and deposits. Establish your reimbursable expense policy early in your hosting efforts, in accordance with your budget.

j)         Use the "Just in Time" technique to meet your conference’s cash flow needs. When you place orders for things like programs, T-shirts, etc. try to minimize your up-front deposit, request delivery just before the conference, and ask for Net 30 Day terms from your vendors, where Net 30 Days is defined as 30 days after the conference. Most vendors, once you explain the nature of the conference, may be open to more flexible terms.

k)       Every attendee doesn’t need a T-shirt. Be conservative. "It’s not about T-shirts" (or any other trinket). They can’t keep you or anyone else sober. Buttons don’t sell well. Key chains sell only a little better.

3.       Program Chairperson:

a)       Allow for maximum participation by visitors.

b)       Start asking main meeting speakers for tapes NOW. It’s harder than you might think to get tapes. Set aside ample time and a place to listen to the tapes, and invite more than just the Program Committee members.

c)       Don’t overload the program with committee workers.

d)       Relationship/”13^th Step” meetings (if you choose to have them) always require more space.

e)       Don’t over schedule. Keep things simple especially during "Main Events".

f)         Use a meeting directory for your local area as a guide to the kinds of meetings that AA’s attend.

g)       VSCYPAA is an AA recovery conference, not a stage show. You don’t have to be extravagant. You don’t need three rings. In any empty room, sober alcoholics will enjoy each other’s company and sobriety, even without Tom Jones singing on a revolving stage.

4.       Registration Chairperson:

a)       Pay prompt attention to mailing conference fliers (at least eight months before the conference), information packets, etc.) The sooner they go out, the larger your early pre-registration and the better VSCYPAA’s message will be carried.

b)       Encourage as much pre-registration as possible.

c)       Over-schedule volunteers manning the registration desk at the conference. You can never have too much help.

d)       Find a nerd (this written by a nerd) and have him/her setup a computer-based system for your registration processing. Make sure you’ll have enough computers at the conference. You can rent them. Computers can help you deal with the registration load and are invaluable for " doing the 'stats' " like average age of attendees, find all the states and countries for the countdown, etc.

e)       Establish your registration workflow before the conference. Try dry runs and see how long it takes you to process a pre-registered attendee and an unregistered attendee. See if this rate of processing is going to make traffic in the Registration Area flow smoothly or is going to make it look like Tienanmen Square. Modify your procedure or get more processing resources accordingly.

f)         Everyone should do outreach, all the time. If you ever find yourself asking, "Who’s doing Outreach?" answer to yourself "I am responsible."

g)       Stuffing and licking envelopes is a worthy spiritual endeavor for even the haughtiest alcoholic.

5.       Health & Recreation:

a)       Determine interest for recreation activities in your pre-registration form.

b)       For any activities outside the site, be sure that any necessary City permits or insurance coverage have been obtained.

c)       Keep it simple.

6.       Hospitality Chairperson:

a)       Multilingual volunteers prove to be a valuable asset to the conference. (signers for the deaf are encouraged)

b)       Make committee members easily identifiable.

c)       Make sure you interact well with the hotel on your hospitality plans. If they have rules and regulations, respect them.

d)       Take those people who want to get involved right before the conference and help them become volunteers. Get some volunteer coordinators to help deploy them.

e)       Find the bid committees, wherever they may be (call Council, they can help), and find out what their needs at your conference will be. If there are costs associated with their bid displays, inform them as soon as possible.

C.      AA as a Whole:

1.       Encourage participation/speakers from AA proper, not just young people.

2.       Host City should encourage attendance at main meetings by AA members in your community.  Charging for main AA meetings is not in the tradition of VSCYPAA.  However, according to the 7^th tradition of AA, we are fully self-supporting through our own contributions.  At the end of each AA meeting, you may choose to “pass the hat”, depending on the financial soundness of the conference.  Have a nerd determine the cost of the meeting space, and what the average cost per person would be.  Request that all persons not registered for the conference donate this amount.

3.       Find a service sponsor, perhaps a GSR or DCM, if you don’t already have one. Now that you’re hosting VSCYPAA you’ll find such a sponsor invaluable. Talk to them about your VSCYPAA experiences, and LISTEN to what they have to say.

4.       Get involved with AA in your area. Let them know what you are involved with. Establish contacts with the Virginia Area, all the Intergroups in the area, and the AA General Service structure. They can be of invaluable assistance.