The SMR Proposal Process
March 2024
Overview
At the January 2024 monthly business meeting of the Strengthening My Recovery (SMR) ACA group, a motion was passed to utilize online polling as a way to determine the group conscience around a business proposal. The goal was to offer an opportunity to participate to a larger portion of the meeting membership.
Conducting Business for a Worldwide Online ACA Meeting
This proposal process could work for the SMR Group given our resources. First, we have an informed and involved membership. We also have dedicated members who are willing to do service. And we have a website, a newsletter and a mailing list. This is our test drive of a new online group conscience survey.
INSPIRATION
A proposal for change, for innovation or for something new would begin with inspiration:
– An SMR Member may have an idea to improve our meeting or enrich the fellowship.
– An SMR Committee, in the course of their work may be inspired to suggest some change.
– At an SMR Business Meeting, a motion may arise requiring deeper consideration.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION (submit the idea to our website)
The first step is to convey the proposal in a submission form, found on our website. This will be received by either a Business Cochair or designee. The form will ask for:
Name / Contact
Issue, in 1 or 2 sentences; in the form of a motion
Background, which may touch on:
– The current situation
– How the situation would improve / remedied
– Perhaps offering examples
Optional
– How this might be implemented
– References – where to go for more information
The information will be cut and pasted into a standardized digital survey/poll and published to our website. (perhaps Latest News and/or a dedicated Proposal page)
SMR MEMBER COMMENT PERIOD
The survey will ask two things to begin the process:
– Is there someone to second the motion?
– Would you like to comment on the motion?
The comment period will last for 3 weeks. Comments would be available to be read from the start of the comment period. Here are the commenting guidelines:
– Members may offer multiple comments.
– Members may refer to or comment on the ideas others have posted.
– Members are asked to refrain from overly repeating themselves or the ideas of others.
– Comments may be removed for unacceptable content.
– The comments will comprise the Minority Opinion, thus heard before voting.
SMR MEMBER VOTING
Polling on the motion will begin when the comment period ends. The voting will take place over a 2-week period. The poll will ask whether the member Agrees or Disagrees or has No Opinion with the motion as presented.
Our voting tabulation method is the same as used by the ACA World Service Organization that determines the acceptance of fellowship proposals for the Annual Business Conference agenda. Of the total number of Agree plus Disagree votes (No Opinion votes are not counted):
– If the Agree amount is 67% or more, the motion passes.
– If the Agree amount is less than 67% the motion is not passed.
NOTE: If the proposal is not passed, the person or group offering the proposal may find opinions and suggestions within the comments that could help refine their original proposal. After 6 months, a revised proposal may be resubmitted.
The results of the voting will be published on our website. The results and/or polling updates will also be announced at the next monthly business meeting.
OPTIONAL TOWN HALL DISCUSSION
Members will also be asked, “If the motion does not pass, would you like to have a Town Hall discussion of the issue?” A simple majority vote of 50%+1 of ‘Yes’ votes would initiate an opportunity for a Town Hall discussion.
A Town Hall for an individual issue would be scheduled for a weekend day within 3 weeks of the poll closing.
The presentation and discussion would take place on the SMR Zoom account, for up to 60 minutes. The Town Hall would be conducted by the submitter of the Proposal and/or any associates.
After a Town Hall discussion, the Issue could be republished for a 2-week voting period. The republished Ballot would omit questions about further development and offering another Town Hall. After a Town Hall resubmission, the results of an Agree/Disagrees/No Opinion vote would be final.
In Conclusion
This process is part of a solution to enhance inclusion and participation.
A worldwide online meeting faces challenges of representation and decision making. In some ways we at SMR mirror the membership and participation of the ACA World Service Organization. And if you look closely at this proposed process, you will see reflected some of the practices of the WSO Annual Business Conference which has become a virtual experience complete with online voting.
Motion 24 – 1: Changing the Business Meeting from Mondays to Sundays