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WSLD Guidelines
WSLD has been a loosely organized group of
service enthusiasts from some of the participating regions. At the
WSPILD Committee meeting in Salt Lake City in 1993, it was decided that
we would like to continue in this informal manner, but there are several
things we wanted documented so that this convention can continue to be a
success for as long as there is interest. In 2003 at Phoenix it was
agreed that the event had grown to the point that the guidelines needed
to be modified to create more definite points of accountability in the
procedures for the event.
1. WSLD is comprised of those interested in
Public Information, Phonelines and Hospital and Institutions service
from the regions and areas in the 13 western United States, western
Canada, and Mexico. WSLD is comprised of members from the regions and
areas in the 13 western United States, western Canada, and Mexico who
are active in Narcotics Anonymous services that interface with the
public the professional community and addicts whose access to meetings
is limited.
2. WSLD’s purpose is to share information
about what works and does not work in being of service carrying the
message of Narcotics Anonymous and effectively informing the public
about our fellowship.
3. Two committee meetings will be held on the
Friday of and on the Sunday of the event. All interested attendees are
welcome to participate. Decisions affecting WSLD including acceptance of
the next bid will be made at this meeting. The opening business meeting
on will be on Friday to give regional and area representatives the
opportunity to seek guidance from the service body sending them on
issues to be voted on. Bids for hosting the event in two years will be
accepted at this meeting. Other motions for guideline changes and any
business relevant to the upcoming events may be made during this
meeting.
4. The closing meeting will be held after the
Sunday morning main meeting. At this meeting hosting bids will be voted
on. Work groups and task groups may also be appointed at this time. A
brief inventory of the event will also be completed at this meeting.
5. The Committee is comprised of one or more
members from each of the interested regions and former hosting areas.
6. The Chairperson of WSLD is elected by the
hosting region or area and serves from the end of the previous
convention through the end of the convention their region/area is
hosting. The outgoing chair will act in an advisory capacity for the
upcoming event taking care to consider differences in the current
hosting body from the previous hosting body.
7. The Committee has no other officers, but
includes past chairs as advisors and the future chair from the region
hosting the event next year. WSLD shall have a steering committee that
includes past chairs, current chair and up to 5 elected members who have
attended at least 3 WSLD events in the last 5 years. All past chairs and
elected members shall have a single vote at the WSLD business meetings.
Each region attending WSLD shall have a single vote at the business
meeting. The regions will be responsible for determining who will be
given the vote of confidence to carry their conscience. Areas or regions
that have hosted WSLD will also have a vote. Those areas or regions will
be responsible for determining who will be given the vote of confidence
to carry their conscience.
8. There is presently $1,000 seed money for
the event that travels with the event. Each event will send $500 seed
money to the next event and $500 seed money to the event following in 2
years. Additional seed money and all fundraising are in the
responsibility of the hosting region/area.
9. The hosting region/area should have
financial accountability procedures for money handling and fund flow
donations contained in the event guidelines passed by their service
area.
10. The event shall be hosted in rotating
regions/areas within the six week period of three weeks prior to the
last weekend of October and the third weekend in November.
11. The event shall cover three days (Friday,
Saturday and Sunday), be located near a major airport with shuttle
service to the facility. It is up to the hosting committee to judge the
diversity of workshops needed and reflect it in their programming
choices. These will include workshops with a primary focus on PI,
Phonelines, Internet, H&I, Outreach, and other current NA services or
recovery oriented material.
12. The hosting committee will contact all the
participating regions at least six months in advance to encourage them
to submit a written bid, for the event two years away, at the upcoming
event. The contact will be made to the Regional and Area Chairs in
writing by US Mail or e-Mail with return receipt. All areas and regions
contacted must be registered with NAWS.
13. This event is not affiliated with the WSC,
WSO, or NAWS but attempts will be made to invite and include
participation from them. Although this event is not affiliated with NA
World Services requests for participation from NAWS will be completed by
the programming body at least 9 months before the event. A minimum of
two workshops will be offered to NAWS for the purpose of informing the
fellowship of current methods or trends in service.
14. At the WSPILD Committee meeting in San
Diego in 1991, it was decided to use a two-year bid process. A
region/area that would like to host the event should bring a region/area
approved bid to the event two years prior to the one they would like to
host.
15. Any region/area in the geographic area
listed in item #1 may present a bid for the event. The bid must be in
writing and should include:
a. Permission from region/area to host the
event, including the promise of seed money
b. The date proposed for the event
c. The host city
d. Potential hotel and approximate costs
e. Any other information about the workshops or event that might be
helpful
16. Should no regionally or area approved bid
be brought to the committee meeting the following procedure will be
followed:
a. Bids will be solicited from the regions
and areas in attendance at the Friday business meeting.
b. If an area or region puts in a bid the area/regional chair must
be contacted by telephone before the close of the voting on the bid
to confirm whether it is acceptable to that area/region to submit a
bid with later approval by the area/regional service committee.
c. The outgoing and event chair will contact the area/regional chair
to explain the challenges and ramifications of hosting the event.
d. The committee will vote whether to accept the bid contingent that
the bidding service body sends a written bid letter to the outgoing
chair within 60 days of the bid meeting.
e. The bidding area/region will include a commitment to adhere to
these guidelines over the coming two years.
17. The committee will discuss bids and make a
decision by consensus. Should a vote be necessary each region
participating shall have a vote.
18. These guidelines were first adopted in
Portland in 1994. The WSLD Chair for the next year’s event is
responsible for updating the history section and amending the WSLD
Guidelines to implement any changes voted on at the WSLD Sunday business
meeting. If amended, changes will be reviewed and confirmed by two
current or past WSLD chairs that were present at the business meeting so
that the changes reflect the group conscience at the business meeting.
19. A copy of these guidelines will be sent to
each region as defined in item 1 with pre-registration flyers each year
and also have copies of the guidelines available at the upcoming
business meeting.
20. Banners for previous event travel with the
event at the discretion of the area/region owning the banners. Banners
should be taken home at the end of the event by the next hosting
area/region.
21. Past hosting areas are included as voting
members of the committee.
22. WSLD is to have a web site www.wsld.org
that the two hosting regions (Next year and 2 years away) of the event
are responsible for providing content to the body maintaining the site.
The body responsible for maintaining the web site will handle technical
issues and posting the page. The registration flyer, participation
applications, chair and other event officer e-mails will be set up on
the web site with forwarding to those trusted servants’ personal
e-mails, and other information relevant to the event will be posted on
the web site.
23. A workshop topic list is to be published
and made available by the host committee at least 60 days prior to the
event. The topic list shall also be posted at www.wsld.org 60 days prior
to the event.
24. The following years WSLD committee shall
bring 500 copies or registration flyers to the WSLD event for
distribution.
25. Archival information may be posted on the
web site for the benefit of future events. This will include host body
guidelines, budgets, topic lists, flyers, merchandise designs, event
logos, and any other relevant information.
26. Should there be a conflict between these
guidelines and the host guidelines these guidelines will take
precedence.
It is the hope that these simple guidelines
can be used to keep this loosely affiliated group of service enthusiasts
able to perpetuate WSLD.
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