NA Northern Australia Service Board Meeting minutes held on 29th July 2024

Location: Virtual Zoom
Meeting ID: 487 569 8440
Pass code 865364
Meeting Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86913016074?pwd=QjVpNFhXektBZUpiTXR3ajU5MFgwUT09
Date: 29th July 2024
Time: 7:00 pm
Facilitator: Jason
Minutes: John
Attendees: Jason, Brad, Michael, Krissy, Joymaree, John , Meredith
Apologies: Sami

1. OPEN
1.1. Chair’s welcome.
1.2. Service prayer:
God, grant us the knowledge that we may serve according to your divine precepts. Instil 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.

2. ITEMS
2.1. RCM
2.1.1.  Brad to attend Inner City GSF to discuss workings of NA Region.
2.1.2.  Brea will fill Regional Assistant Secretary position from November

2.2. Treasurer
2.2.1.Reports are posted on the web
2.2.2. Discussion of fund flow back to groups from Westpac Air payments – there is the option of
monthly payments coming from Michael. At the minute, there are only approx. 5 groups, so this
possible.

2.3. H & I Hub
2.3.1.  A July Report is attached
2.3.2.  Advertising in About Time
Proposal to be put to Michelle (Regional PR Chair) that Region fund the ongoing cost of
advertising in the prison paper. Meredith to write proposal and send in the next few weeks.

2.4. PR
2.4.1.  A July Report is attached
Convention report to follow, including thoughts from presenters/members, costs, external attendees,
interest from organisations, possible future improvements etc, pitfalls

2.5. Website
2.5.1. Nothing to report

2.6. Board enquiries and contacts – email/ mail / etc.
2.6.1.Emails: not discussed due to time constraints however a report has been attached.
2.6.2.Mail: * Not mentioned

2.7. New Items
2.7.1. Policy Group update
Joymaree, Krissy and Dave T are part of the group. All experienced policy people.
New Policies – Fellowship Development, Harassment and Bullying
Weekly meetings
Editing all policies
Joymaree is secretary
Treasury
Michael to address Logan GSF re cashless transactions and electronic banking
Inner Brisbane GSF
Requesting funding from Northern Australia for activities.
Board thought that the GSF could discuss funding activities further eg what are the benefits
and drawbacks of self-funding.
4
Brisbane North have self funded BBQ’s for the past 7- 8 years. All groups contribute with
groups finding it hard to participate financially, joining with other groups. Logan expressed the
same experience.
Positions vacant in Northern Australia
Secretary, RCM, alt RCM, H and I,
Role Descriptions developed by Policy Group.
Descriptions to be advertised to fellowship
LSC
Sunday 29th Sept
Business meeting – 10am – 2pm, hybrid meeting
Calling for interested people to fill positions
GSFs to present questions to Board and summaries of their area.
Social activity included? eg BBQ
Activities Coordinator
Discussion at next Board meeting
Congratulations to Chair of Convention
Jason was congratulated for his service to the Convention. Stella!

3. GSF FEEDBACK
3.1.
4. CONVENTION
4.1.   Final Reports from all committees should be submitted to Corinda and Jason. This would involve “any improvements” and “what didn’t work”

5. ACTION TABLE:

6. CLOSE
6.1. Next meeting: 26th August 2024 at 7pm
6.2. 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 difference.

REPORTS:

Treasurer:  https://www.na.org.au/multi/greaterqld/category/service-board/treasury/

H&I:https://www.na.org.au/multi/greaterqld/2024/08/02/northern-australia-service-area-hi-report-july-2024/

PR:

PR POST CONVENTION REPORT 2024 Northern Australia
Things done well
• All speakers were great – addict and non-addict.
Suggest a 2 year break for the non-addict speakers.
Suggest a high profile person to open – gives public credibility and approval to NA.
• Finger food and coffee was enjoyable
• The realisation that attendance won’t be completely known until the day
• The run sheet was practical (time for speakers, breaks well positioned, order of
speakers)
• Labels given to most attendees
• PR Panel Discussion before PR Forum
Improvements
• More people to contact institutions or interested groups
• Police can only be contacted through Police Link.
Police Link then choose which station to send our invitation to the PR forum.
This isn’t adequate.
What happened was that a member approached a police station and asked for an email
address which was forthcoming. We then sent the invitation.
This needs to be repeated for all police stations in Greater Brisbane.
More members would be helpful.
• Commitment from members to follow through with what they had promised.
• At the venue:
– We need someone to direct people to the entrance. The front door was not obvious.
– Members at the entrance need to record the visitor’s details when handing out sticky
labels

PR BUDGET – CONVENTION ( as at late July 2024)
Items                                                    Cost ($)
Finger Food                                           509.00
Venue                                                      700.00
Pamphlets                                                 90.15
Posters                                                    145.00
Drinks                                                       79.00
Food (PR group)                                     50.00
Food (PR group)                                     50.00
Total                                                     $1623.15

EMAILS: 

POLICY WORKING GROUP 

Northern Australia Service Area Policy Workgroup Report for LSB – 29 July 2024

Current Members: Krissy A (Coordinator); Daivid T.  Joy  Maree.

Update on workgroup:

Rouz has left the workgroup; his resignation was ambiguous, stating that he has temporarily withdrawn from the group. Rouz has stated that there was never a group decision for Krissy A to take on the Coordinator/Chairperson role, foreshadowing a robust discussion at the next LSC.

Conflict was experienced when Joy Maree joined the workgroup. Following that meeting Krissy A tethered her resignation in the Coordinator position, which was withdrawn at the following workgroup meeting.

The current members are carrying on the work to complete the project.

We welcome Joy Maree as an experienced NA trusted servant with experience in developing NA policy and guidelines.

The Project

The Group has compiled some additional policies to add to the guidelines:

Fellowship Development Policy: David T to task

Activities Workgroup Policy: Joy Maree to task

Theft of NA Funds – Policy and Process: Joy Maree to task

Harassment and Bullying Policy – draft passed onto Meredith for editing.

Coordination of meetings; Correspondence; Agendas; Meeting Minutes and Reports: Krissy A to task.

Ongoing Editing of document:  Krissy A; David T & Joy Maree.

Frequency of meetings;

Our most recent meeting was Saturday 27 July 2024. Meetings are held on Zoom; face to face and tele appointments.  The  workgroup meets on a weekly basis. There has been some time lost due to sickness and unable to meet, however, we have re-grouped and expect to have the project completed for the Local Service Board in 2 months, as planned.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 31 July.

In Loving Service

Krissy A. Coordinator.