Positions / Qualifications
The officers of MDKIG are as follow:
Chair: Presides over Intergroup and Board meetings, sets the agendas, appoints standing and special committees, serves as World Service Delegate and Regional Representative, and other duties. One year abstinence requirement.
Vice-Chair: Assumes responsibilities of Chair in case of absence or vacancy, Chairs registration, assuring all local groups are registered and that registration information is updated with the World Service Office, and other duties. One year abstinence requirement.
Treasurer: Pays Intergroup bills as authorized, mails contributions to Region 8 and World Service, maintains MDKIG’s books, prepares written reports of contributions and expenditures, reports on MDKIG’s financial standing, and other duties. One year abstinence requirement.
Secretary: Keeps minutes and updated documents, duplicates copies of and emails minutes, sends notices, maintains the roll, conducts MDIG’s correspondence and other duties.
One year abstinence requirement.
NOTE: Past Chair is a voting member.
Board Officer Qualifications: To be eligible for office, a member should …
- Have good judgement, experience, stability, willingness, and a faithful adherence to the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of OA;
- Have been a regular attendee and active member of a registered group for at least one year
- Have served in Intergroup sometime during the year prior to election;
- Have attended at least four Intergroup meetings within the year prior to election;
- Submit a written consent to serve form to the chair or recording secretary prior to the election;
- Meet any specific MDKIG, World Service and Region 8 guidelines for recovery; and
- Generally one year of abstinence/recovery
Note On Abstinence Guidelines:
If you have any interest in running for any of these officer position but do not meet the suggested abstinence requirements, please talk to the current Chair about possibly serving in an interim or adjunct capacity.
Voting for Board Officers:
- Elections are in January and officers assume their positions immediately after the elections. Any member can speak at a Miami-Dade Intergroup meeting.
- To vote, a member must be a Committee Chair or Intergroup Representative.
World Service Questionnaire:
By the month following elections, Intergroup Officers must respond to the World Service Business Questionnaire. This provides the agenda for what will be discussed and voted on at the year’s World Service Business Conference.
Region 8 Representatives and World Service Delegates:
- Region 8 Representatives act as our liaison at Region 8 Assemblies and business meetings.
- Six months of abstinence + active in recovery suggested by Region 8.
- World Service Delegates are our liaison with World Service as whole and serve a term of two years. Suggested by World Service that a delate be a current or past regional (Region 8) representative + 2 years of abstinence + 2 years of service beyond the group level.
Committees:
Committee Chairs are appointed by the Intergroup Chair – if you are interested, let the acting Chair know. Terms begin at the end of the January meeting. There are no abstinence requirements in the bylaws to chair a committee. Some Committee Chair positions may require special skills or experience.
You do not need to be abstinent or have specific experience to be work on a committee – just a willingness to serve! Working on a committee is a great way to become involved in recovery and get to know other OA members.
- Audit Committee: audits our financial books
- Budget Committee: (Treasurer is Chair) develops proposed annual budget
- Convention Committee: plans and coordinates the annual MDKIG OA convention
- Group Outreach Committee: reminds voting members about MDKIG meetings, welcomes newcomers, and explains how MDKIG works new voting members
- Hotline Committee: make sure update information is on our hotline
- Publications: needs a Chair and Vice Chair, compiles, prints and delivers the newsletter to MDKIG meeting; maintains and updates the website; the Chair teaches the Vice Chair how to do this so they can rotate into service.
- Public Information Committee: makes public aware of OA through the media, participation in health fairs, and other means and also brings the message to healthcare professionals, hospitals, military and other institutions
- Registration Committee (chair by the Vice Chair): maintains up to date meeting lists and contacts
- Special Events Committee: plans and coordinates recovery workshops and special functions
- Traveling Committee: takes meetings to shut-ins
- Twelfth Step Within Committee: reaches out to members in relapse or not attending meetings
- Unity Within Diversity Committee: builds inclusiveness for minorities and others; this is not a standing committee at the moment (does not vote)
- Ways and Means Committee: responsible for fundraising activities
- Young People’s Committee: organizes meetings and activities for young people
Intergroup Representatives, Alternate Representatives:
- A group may have its own requirements, but generally there are no abstinence or other requirements to represent your group at Intergroup if your group wants you to. Acts as the liaison between his or her group and Intergroup, delivers newsletters to the group, obtains monthly donation and literature money and hands it in to Intergroup, pays the group’s rent.
- Responds to the Word Service Questionnaire (by the month following elections) to set the agenda for the topics to be discussed and voted on at the World Service Business Conference.
MDKIG Bylaws suggest that individual be willing to serve on a Committee.