NA Northern Australia Service Board Meeting minutes held on 30th October 2023

NA Northern Australia Service Board Meeting minutes

Location:  Virtual Zoom
Meeting ID: 487 569 8440
Pass code 865364
Meeting Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86913016074?pwd=QjVpNFhXektBZUpiTXR3ajU5MFgwUT09
Date:  30/10/2023
Time:  7:00 pm
Facilitator:  Meredith C;
Minutes: Rouz
Attendees: Brad N; Brea, Alan P, Nina, Jason T, John C, Michael B
Apologies: Nathan; Sami

1. OPEN
1.1. Chair’s welcome.
1.2. Service prayer:
God, grant us the knowledge that we may act according to your divine precepts. Instill in us a sense of your purpose, make us servants of your will and grant us a bond of selflessness that this may truly be your work, not ours, so that no addict, anywhere, need die from the horrors of addiction.
1.3. Acknowledgement of Country
Today we stand in footsteps millennia old. May we acknowledge the traditional owners whose cultures and customs have nurtured, and continue to nurture, this land, since men and women awoke from the great dream. We honour the presence of these ancestors who reside in the imagination of this land and whose irrepressible spirituality flows through all creation.
1.4. ID of those present
1.5. Apologies.

2. ITEMS
2.1. RCM
2.1.1. PR Chair nominations occurring in December.
2.1.2. Regional meeting is set for December, the reports are due 2 weeks prior to the meeting.
2.1.3. The regional meeting occurrence has changed from 4 to 3 annual meetings face to face. Funding would be required for the RCM to attend each meeting.

2.2. Treasurer
2.2.1. Reports are posted at the beginning of the month. August had an increase in funding after a few soft months, The collection in June was $200, July $100, August $1100 and September $450. Bills are being paid.
2.2.2. Comprehensive reports issued, with the two main accounts, and 7th tradition find flow.
2.2.3. John querying about a sub account, and transparency behind the BPAY. Michael to set up a new date to open a new sub account.
2.2.4. The NANASA account privacy and security policies have been updated based on the banks’ change in policy. 4 new sub-accounts have been opened. If there is any meeting that would like to move to the new system, the Board can facilitate. Up to 20 subaccounts have been created.
2.2.5. Outstanding invoice for $104.80 pertaining to FSO. Cameron to issue the invoice to Michael and the Board for payment.
2.2.6. Brisbane Inner City GSF bank account set up.
2.2.7. The Unity Day expenditure was through the Rainbow bank accounts. Still waiting for a couple of invoices from Venue Hire.

2.3. H & I Hub
2.3.1. Quite a strong roster for women’s prions with 7 women on the roster. Meetings are facilitated on monthly basis however a change to fortnightly occurrence is anticipated. Up to 15 women’ participating at each meeting.
2.3.2. Southern roster, only one-woman present with sporadic attendance. Meredith received a call from Queensland Ombudsman pertaining to the services provided at the facility. Meredith will have a meeting this week this week to discuss engagement of correctional staff and processes of engagement. AA has the same issues at the administrative level, with a fortnightly roster.
2.3.3. Go to Helena Jones fortnightly, 4-5 women, strongly engaged.
2.3.4. Men’s Prions, Arthur Gorrie with 4 men on that roster. At times the meetings are cancelled due to the unavailability of correctional staff on Sundays. ( Contact from QCS regarding online correctional service. They have nominated a project in Baralina, and sitting with them to go ahead. )
2.3.5. Moonyah roster, has been running a lot smoother after a rough patch. A lot of members were cancelling on the day. Last month was successful with attendance. Haven’t got a report in relation to attendance. Male and Female roster is beneficial.
2.3.6. HADS going well.
2.3.7. Mental Health Unit – Lives Live Well is managed by Alan. The roster has been updated for the next few months. It’s going well with some interest showing at each meeting.
2.3.8. Chermside facility – Prince Charles is doing well, the coordinator has changed. QH has had a few changes of coordinates. One rehabilitee in regular contact with members with the hope that the rehabilitee might create interest in others. Basic Text and literature required for that facility. Meredith will coordinate literature drop off.
2.3.9. Logan House (Lives Lived Well): Meredith hasn’t been able to get in touch with the NA coordinator of the roster but believes it is going well
2.3.10. Caboolture Mental Health Facility: John will ring the coordinator to try and get meetings recommenced;
2.3.11. Lives Lived Well (Caboolture): Alan P. is in the process of doing a new roster; going well;
2.3.12. Southern Queensland Correctional Centre (Gatton): fortnightly meeting; very difficult to get the women engaged there possibly because the facility is hap hazard with regards to scheduling it; Meredith is happy if there is only one woman;
2.3.13. Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre: 8 women on the roster; monthly meetings but may be moving to fortnightly soon; hoping to go back to weekly eventually;
2.3.14. Helana Jones Correctional Centre: fortnightly meeting; good attendance and a strong meeting;
2.3.15. Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre: monthly meetings but two meetings have been unable to go ahead due to staff shortages on the day; looking for more men to go onto the roster; only have 4 men at the moment;
2.3.16. Online correctional zoom meetings: Townsville was approached but declined as they don’t have the capacity; QCS have put it out to other facilities and waiting to hear back; Meredith is very keen to start a conversation with QCS about NA becoming
2.3.17. Online (National): nothing to report
2.3.18. Online H&I (Monday night Qld and NT rehabs): going well with a great roster;
2.3.19. John suggested that we raise awareness about these rosters at the end of any meetings we attend; John and Meredith suggested we give out their phone numbers to anyone interested in H&I; alternatively they can fill out the expression of interest form on the website;

2.4. Unity Day Committee
2.4.1. Inner City GSF, maintaining an atmosphere of recovery and unity was carried out successfully.
2.4.2. Brea provided with the summary of the workshop, please refer to attachment.
2.4.3. One of the findings was that the inner city GSF can be Bottom heavy at times. A card on how to deal with aggressive matters to be laminated for meetings to use. In case an OCM is not available at a meeting, this card can provide guidance for members.
2.4.4. Other findings include facilitating a second Unity Day, drawing on spiritual principles, living by spiritual principles.
A regular monthly workshop covering concepts. There seems to be a gap and lack of understanding pertaining to principles, concept s and guidelines. Brea suggested an ongoing concept workshop, creating guidelines and utilizing literature. Developing Concepts and bring a plate in a park and have an ongoing concepts meeting. Inviting people along to discuss concepts, and have fun. To be placed on the events page. North side has done a BBQ monthly but to discuss matters outside NA, not to charge and each group being responsible to bring something. The Norths experience was shared. For a while there was a tradition workshop in the northside, which eventually died. Some suggestions included having one group responsible each month and one speaker that comes each month, rotates to every group, so it’s not falling on one group. It was suggested that the idea to be developed further before the next Board meeting and have the Board support where we can and progress the idea.

2.4.5. Overall successful workshop, and progression towards a Northern Qld convention in 2024.
2.4.6. Great result with this workshop, suggestion to provide resources, posted online. The process behind the format for disruptive behaviour online, creation and developing of some resources, further unity day. Workshops with GSFs, and convention in 2024.
2.4.7. John C noted with the smaller GSFs information can be passed on to groups faster, we have learnt from situations in the North side.
2.4.8. How to deal with aggressive behaviour preamble card can be developed at the GSF level and reviewed at the Board. The outcome is presented, not necessary for the approval of the Board. Groups to decide if they like to adopt it and read out. Nina to send the preamble to the Board before it goes online.

2.5. PR
2.5.1. Analysis back from rail campaign, 6 hits on the QR code from all our posters. 4 carriages per train and 4 posters on both doors. 1,180,000 single journeys over 12 weeks. Some other information about the effectiveness of the campaign. Change the posters to include the indigenous poster. The census notes that the Indigenous population is representative of %5 in Qld. The price was very good. Posters, Business cards and stickers available, speak to John c and provide an address. 3 new meeting started on (lowwood), Brea/Cam to pass on John C number.
2.5.2. Get the committee up and running about convention 2024. Group and the people from regions to be announced. Kick off convention meeting 2024, express interested. 12th of November 2.30pm at New Farm.

2.6. Board enquiries and contacts – email/ mail / etc.
2.6.1. Emails: 01/08 to 25/09

2.6.2. Mail: 4 letters from prisoners which have been forwarded to Nathan and Sami;

2.7. New Items
2.7.1. Brisbane Inner City GSF request for funding for Unity Day: Brisbane Inner City having difficulties with disruptive behaviour; they had a discussion at their GSF about how to handle this and decided that a workshop addressing this wrapped in a Unity Day with a BBQ; they would like support from the board with funding as well as attendance; the idea is to provide members who are dealing with this tools to handle it; they are requesting $600 to cover the cost of hiring a venue, food, workshop materials; any funds raised by 7th tradition will go to the board; Jason suggested that a new sub-account be created for Brisbane Inner City GSF and the $600 be placed in that account with Jason and Tim being signatories; John will get in touch with Michael about getting this done; if this is not possible then Jason suggested that the Sunday Spiritual Concepts sub-account be used; Brea suggested that they use the Friday night sub-account as both signatories are in the country;
2.7.2. Next meeting for the NANA 2024
2.7.3. Brisbane Convention, do we need to raise the idea of a Brisbane Convention at the LSC before bringing it to the board; the question is “who wants to put on a convention?” Brea suggested that it be taken back to each Brisbane group asking who is interested in putting on a convention and go from there; there are members with experience who are available to support people; Meredith suggested that we need a set of questions to be taken back to the groups with the answers being presented to the board at the November meeting; Need to ask for expression of interest to be part of the committee, what theme, what approximate date (eg May/June 2024)
2.7.4. The board would like to pass on their gratitude on behalf of all members for the service given by Peter T. May our fellowship draw strength from his selfless service. Peace at last for a good man.

3. ACTION TABLE:

4. CLOSE
4.1. Next meeting Monday 30th October 2023 at 7pm
4.2. Serenity prayer in the plural:
God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change. The courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the d