The totality of Area 73 policies and procedures for the H& I committee is published below. They were created September 22, 2013, approved by the committee November 27, 2013 and revised November 3, 2024.
Election Cycle
Elections for Area Chair, Area Co-Chair, Treasurer, Website Chair, Literature Chair, and Recording Secretary will be held every two years in January.
Elections for Volunteer Coordinator, General Service Liaison, Intergroup Liaison, Birthday Speaker Meeting Liaison, and Coffee Person will be held every year in January.
All terms will begin in February. Serving nine consecutive months in one position shall be considered a full year of service in that position.
Reasons for Dismissal
If any member of this committee chooses to do research in the field of drinking alcohol, or conducts themselves in a manner detrimental to the best interest of the committee and the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous as a whole, they shall automatically resign, and will be appointed only when minimum sobriety requirements are met. It is suggested that if a Facility Coordinator fails to make 3 business meetings in a row without just cause at the discretion of the Area Chair they may be replaced.
Positions:
Area Chair
Appointment: The Area Chair is elected by the area membership every two years.
Term: Two years, may succeed themselves once.
Qualifications: It is suggested that the Area Chair have three years of current and continuous sobriety, and at least one year of active committee participation and have firsthand knowledge of the Facility Coordinator’s responsibilities.
Responsibilities:
- Coordinates all H&I activities in the area.
- Serves as a filter for local issues.
- Engages in limited public relations within the area.
- Conducts regularly scheduled area business meetings.
- Responsible for selecting Facility Coordinators and insuring that they are performing their duties per H&I Policy and Procedures.
- Is the main point of contact for all county jail facilities, submits clearance applications, and monitors the clearance process for all jail volunteers.
- At least once a year, submits a Form 2 report listing all meetings in the area to the General Chair.
- Maintains effective communication and relations with other Ninth Tradition committees in the area.
Area Co-Chair
Appointment: The Area Co-Chairperson is elected by the area membership every two years.
Term: Two years, may succeed themselves once, (followed by the step-up process to Area Chair).
- The Area Co-Chair is intended to be a step-up commitment selected by the Area 73 membership. In the event that the Area Chair has to step down before the end of their term, the Co-Chair will step-up into the Area Chair position. If the Co-Chair has to step-up while the Area Chair has served more than 365 days of their term, the Area Co-Chair will be allowed to complete the Area Chair’s remaining term and be qualified for re-election for two full terms. If, however, the Area Chair steps down before 365 days of their term is completed it is assumed that the Co-Chair has completed their allowed first term and will only be allowed to complete one more term as Area Chair. Furthermore while it is assumed that the Area Co-Chair will be elected to replace the Area Chair, they still must be voted in by the local area membership, during the normal election cycle.
Qualifications: It is suggested that the Area Co-Chair have two years of current and continuous sobriety, including one year of active committee participation.
Responsibilities:
- Assists the Area Chair with the coordinating of H&I activities in the area.
- Attends monthly business meeting and assist Chair where needed.
- Updates facility report, help wanted flyer, and weekly meeting schedule on Google Drive on a monthly basis and in time for the monthly business meeting.
- Makes copies of agenda, minutes, facility report, help wanted flyer, and weekly meeting schedule for monthly business meeting and submits receipts to Area Treasurer for reimbursement.
Treasurer
Appointment: The Area Treasurer is elected by the area membership every two years.
Term: Two years, may succeed themselves once.
Qualifications: It is suggested that the Treasurer have five years of current and continuous sobriety, including two years active committee participation.
Responsibilities:
- Collects and maintains a running balance sheet of all contributions received from Area 73 that are turned in at the monthly area business meeting and mailed to the P.O. Box.
- Mails all contributions in bank account, minus prudent reserve and clearance reserve, to Northern California H & I on a quarterly basis (January, April, July, October).
- Pays the rent and other local expenses.
- Attends and provides an account of financial activity at the monthly area business meeting.
- Provides copies of all reports to Area Chair and Co-Chair.
Recording Secretary
Appointment: The Recording Secretary is elected by the area membership every two years.
Term: Two years, may succeed themselves once.
Qualifications: It is suggested that the Recording Secretary have one year of current and continuous sobriety.
Responsibilities:
- Records minutes at the monthly business meeting.
- Makes copies of all minutes accessible to the Area Co-Chair on Google Drive.
Literature Chair
Appointment: The Literature Chair is elected by the area membership every two years.
Term: Two years, may succeed themselves once.
Qualifications: It is suggested that the Literature Chair have two years of current and continuous sobriety, including one year active facility and committee participation.
Responsibilities:
- Maintains supply of all books, pamphlets, signs, holders, tapes, DVD’s, pink cans, etc.; per Northern California H&I Policy and Procedures.
- Attends monthly area business meetings.
- Delivers literature to County Jail facility when requested.
- Brings supply of literature to monthly business meeting for Facility Coordinators and/or Meeting Secretaries to take to their facilities.
Website Coordinator
Appointment: The Website Chair is elected by the area membership every two years.
Term: Two years, may succeed themselves once.
Qualifications: It is suggested that the Website Chair have three years of current and continuous sobriety, including one year active facility and committee participation, and a wide-ranging experience in all phases of Hospital and Institution Committee service. In addition, the Website Chair must have a working knowledge of electronic communications, website building and maintenance and internet publishing.
Responsibilities:
- Monitors and maintains the website, ensuring its availability and security.
- Updates content in a timely manner.
- Recommends and adds new content as appropriate.
- Ensures the website is viewable via computer or mobile device.
- Ensures proper backups and proper disaster recovery methods.
Volunteer Coordinator
Appointment: The Volunteer Coordinator is elected by the area membership every one year.
Term: One year, may succeed themselves once.
Qualifications: It is suggested that the Volunteer Coordinator have two years of current and continuous sobriety and six months involvement with H & I at any level.
Responsibilities:
- Coordinates volunteers for H & I Secretary positions within Area #73 to ensure onboarding is supported and goes smoothly. This involves inbound volunteer requests and keeping new volunteer interest lists organized and updated.
- Once an inbound volunteer request is received and recorded, the coordinator is responsible for initially qualifying, guiding, and supporting the volunteer through any clearance process and selection of an open H & I meeting.
- Attends monthly area business meeting and provides status of inbound volunteers to the committee.
- Will coordinate approved outreach and attraction activities for finding and onboarding new volunteers.
General Service Liaison
Appointment: The General Service Liaison is elected by the area membership every one year.
Term: One year, may succeed themselves once.
Qualifications: It is suggested that the General Service Liaison have six months of current and continuous sobriety.
Responsibilities:
- Attends monthly area H & I business meeting and monthly district General Service business meeting.
- Communicates current topics of discussion and information from H & I to General Service and vice versa.
Intergroup Liaison
Appointment: The Intergroup Liaison is elected by the area membership every one year.
Term: One year, may succeed themselves once.
Qualifications: It is suggested that the Intergroup Liaison have six months of current and continuous sobriety.
Responsibilities:
- Attends monthly area H & I business meeting and monthly area Intergroup Council meeting.
- Communicates current topics of discussion and information from H & I to Intergroup and vice versa.
Birthday Speaker Meeting Liaison
Appointment: The Birthday Speaker Meeting Liaison is elected by the area membership every one year.
Term: One year, may succeed themselves once.
Qualifications: It is suggested that the Birthday Speaker Meeting Liaison have six months of current and continuous sobriety.
Responsibilities:
- Attends monthly Birthday Speaker meeting and monthly area H & I business meeting.
- Hosts the H & I table at the monthly Birthday Speaker meeting and provide H & I volunteer sign up list to attendees.
- Collects pink can donations at the monthly Birthday Speaker meeting and submit to Area H & I Treasurer at monthly area H & I business meeting.
- Submits H & I volunteer sign up list to Area Chair at monthly H & I business meeting.
Greeter
Appointment: The Greeter is elected by the area membership every six months.
Term: Six months, may succeed themselves once.
Qualifications: There is no sobriety requirement for the Greeter position.
Responsibilities:
- Arrives 30 minutes before the start of the monthly business meeting and posts the H & I signs, so that all attendees are aware of the meeting location.
- Greets members as they arrive.
Coffee Person
Appointment: The Coffee Person is elected by the area membership every six months.
Term: Six months, may succeed themselves once.
Qualifications: It is suggested that the Coffee Person have six months of current and continuous sobriety.
Responsibilities:
- Arrives 30 minutes before the start of the monthly business meeting and unlocks the door.
- Makes coffee, heats water for tea, and puts out coffee and tea supplies.
- Cleans up coffee, tea, and supplies after the business meeting is over.
- Replenishes supplies when low and submits receipts to Area Treasurer for reimbursement.
Facility Coordinator
Appointment: The Facility Coordinator is appointed by the Area Chair with the advice of the membership.
Term: No specific time limit.
Qualifications: It is suggested that the Facility Coordinator have three years of current and continuous sobriety, including one year active facility and committee participation.
Responsibilities:
- Insures that meetings are properly and adequately covered and where/when necessary conducts individual orientations to train new volunteers to fill open positions.
- Maintains a current facility schedule/roster on Google Drive for all meetings and fills open Secretary positions and replaces volunteers as needed.
- Informs Area Co-Chair of any openings that should be listed on the Help Wanted Flyer.
- Serves as the main point of contact with facility staff members and maintains a point of contact at the facility.
- Checks in with point of contact at facility on a monthly basis for a facility status and safety check.
- For correctional and other applicable facilities, orchestrates clearances for volunteers, providing clearance procedures and forms as required, and resolving difficulties.
- Reports to the Area Chair any problems, real, imagined, or potential, in order that the Area Chair will be continually aware of developments in the particular facility.
- Attends the area business meeting so they can provide a report on their facility to the Area Chair and general membership. If unable to attend, they may send a representative.
- Ensures that adequate H&I literature is available for all meetings.
- Will not replace themselves, but may suggest a replacement to the Area Chair for their consideration.
Meeting Secretary
Appointment: The Meeting Secretary is appointed by the Facility Coordinator.
Term: No specific time limit.
Qualifications: Requirements are determined by the facility or the H & I Committee.
Responsibilities:
- Conducts the A.A. meeting in their appointed facility, at an appointed date and time. In most cases, the Secretary will be responsible for finding speakers for their meeting.
- Notifies the Facility Coordinator in the event that they are unable to attend their scheduled meeting.
- Has a full working knowledge of the rules governing the specific facility regarding visitors and should be thoroughly familiar with the guidelines of this committee. Thoroughly informs guest speakers and visitors of such and will not hesitate to inquire if there is any reason why a particular person should not enter the facility.
- Ensures that adequate H&I literature is available for the meeting.
- Does not replace him/herself, but may suggest a replacement to the Facility Coordinator.
Reimbursement Policy
Out of pocket expenses must be approved by the Committee before time of purchase. To receive reimbursement, receipt must be submitted to the Area Treasurer within six months of purchase.