NA Northern Australia Service Board Meeting minutes held on 3rd September, 2024

Location: Virtual Zoom
Meeting ID: 487 569 8440
Pass code 865364
Meeting Link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86913016074?pwd=QjVpNFhXektBZUpiTXR3ajU5MFgwUT09

Date: 3rd September 2024
Time: 7:00 – 8.30pm
Facilitator: Meredith
Minutes: Krissy and Sami
Attendees: 1.1. Brad; Joymarie; Jackie; Krissy A; John C; Michael
Apologies: 1.2. Jason T; David T;

7.00pm – 7.10pm
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. 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
1.6. Maintaining an Atmosphere of Recovery
To ensure we maintain an atmosphere of recovery, the Board asks that all participants share their views and speak respectfully to one another throughout this meeting.
If required, the Chairperson will pause the meeting to remind members of their responsibility to communicate respectfully.
1.7. Meeting Format
Meeting participants are asked to use the Raise Hand function to share their views or make comment.
To enable Board meetings to finish at 8.30pm each section of the agenda has been allocated a specific timeframe. Timekeeping will be managed by the Chairperson who will also ensure the final five minutes of each agenda section involving group discussion allows group consensus to be reached on the next steps and required action items (where necessary).
Discussion points not covered due to time constraints will be held over (where necessary) until the next Board meeting.
1.8. Acceptance of previous minutes
1.8.1. – Joymarie accepted the previous minutes

7.10pm – 7.30pm
2. ITEMS
2.1. Action Items (All reports)

3. REPORTS
3.1. RCM Report
3.1.1. The next ARSC is on the 9th to 10th November; Brad needs everyone’s reports by the end of October;

3.2. Treasurer Report (Treasurer report posted on NA website)
3.2.1. Convention funds sorted into proper accounts and outstanding bills have been paid;
3.2.2. Funds transferred back to groups from cashless contributions; email address for groups (that the funds go to) make it easier;
3.2.3. NA.org.au on NASA – bank statement online;
3.2.4. Taking care and being cautious about names appearing online

3.3. H&I Hub Report (H&I report posted on NA website)
3.3.1. Meredith attended PR with John C. was very successful;
3.3.2. People sharing whilst on maintenance is a group concious decision; this was discussed at region recently;
3.3.3. Jackie to send details of online meeting for people on maintenance programs;
3.3.4. Arthur Gorrie requests are being handled;
3.3.5. Met with Regional PI about the new prison newspaper that is distributed through prisons but not in Qld or NT yet; Money requested to promote this; Meredith to write a proposal to Regional for H&I workgroups

3.4. PR Report (PR report provided as an agenda attachment)
3.4.1. New A4 and A5 posters and cards are coming
3.4.2. Have LGBT posters not sure if official or unofficial;

3.5. Website Report (Website report provided as an agenda attachment)
3.5.1. A couple of tidying up but apart from that nothing to report

3.6. Board Communication (enquiries and contacts) Report (Board Communication report provided as an agenda attachment)

3.7. Policy Working Group Report (Provided as an agenda attachment)
3.7.1. Meredith thanked the policy working group for all their hard work;
3.7.2. Disruptive behaviour and DVPOs are an outside issue

3.8. Convention Report
3.8.1. It was noted all the hard work of the Vice Chairs;
3.8.2. Jackie to send some queries to the board for attention;

7.30pm – 7.40pm
4. GSF FEEDBACK

4.1. LSC
4.1.1. Policy documents are due to be reviewed by the board at the end of September; it was decided to postpone the LSC till November to give time to promote the policy documents;
4.1.2. The next LSC is to be held in Brisbane and possibly a hybrid meeting for those that don’t live in the Brisbane area; it was agreed that the LSC would be held in February, May, August and November going forward;
4.1.3. It was agreed to hold the next LSC on Sunday 24th November 2024 at 10am; Sami to schedule the zoom meeting; David to be asked about doing the hybrid part of the conference;
4.1.4. Jackie can help with media stuff; Michael will check the venue and advise in the WhatsApp group;
4.1.5. Michelle suggested we get platters from Woolworths or subway for catering; try for 30 people;
4.1.6. A discussion about how the LSC was going to run: someone to chair the conference or sharing the facilitation load? Krissy to ask Nathanael to facilitate elections; Krissy – policies; Michael – board reports; GSF discussion – John; wrap up and welcome – Meredith;

4.2. GSF Feedback from Board
4.2.1. Capricorn & Wide Bay – Michael will be there next week; will try to touch base with Hervey Bay; Joymarie asked if Capricorn have a working GSF and Michael advised that he was sure that they do; Most members there attend the Emu Park meeting; Michael is going to the Yepoon meeting next Monday night;
4.2.2. Cairns & Mackay – Sami advised no issues; Townsville – Sami advised that the Townsville fellowship is in difficulties; there are a couple of big personalities that are impacting; there are too many facebook group chats that muddy the waters; not enough members to do service work; carrying the mess not the message; Meredith, Krissy and Joymarie have offered to attend the GSF and see if they can help; Sami to arrange;
4.2.3. Brisbane North – Brad advised that there was nothing to report;
4.2.4. Inner City – Meredith asked if there were activity workgroup guidelines available
4.2.5. Logan – Krissy advised that there are 10 meeting a week; Christmas at DH; Park Ridge going for 5 years;

7.40pm – 8.00pm
5. CONVENTION
5.1. Jason has been approached by the convention venue about booking for next year; it was decided that this is something that should be decided at the LSC;

8.00pm – 8.20pm
6. POLICY WORKING GROUP

6.1.  Report is attached

7. New Items

7.1.

8.20pm – 8.30pm
8. CLOSE
8.1. Meeting feedback
8.2. Next meeting Monday 30TH September, 2024 from 7.00-8.30pm
8.3. 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:

Northern Australia Service Area Policy Workgroup Report
Report Date:  26 August 2024
Project: Policy Document
Policy Workgroup

Status Summary

Development and editing of the document is ongoing.
Still 3 active members: Krissy A; David T; and Joy Maree.
Krissy has not been well for nearly 2 months; Joy Maree was away on holidays for 10 days so everything was on hold. We reconnected 23 August and continued our work in a four (intense) hour meeting. We are still confident that the Policy Manual will be completed to the review stage by the end of September as previously decided.
We received responses for the H&I role description and have incorporated all the suggestions into the draft document.
We look forward to receiving the position descriptions, as previously requested to update in the manual. The role descriptions provided to the LSB members were taken from the existing Greater Qld Area Policies.
Our next Policy workgroup meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday 26 August 2024.

YILS
Krissy A.

EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE REPORT FOR AUGUST 2024