Mission, Officers & Policies


Organizational Charter

The purpose of this charter is to provide Guidance for administrative and operational procedures of the ACA MN Intergroup (#56).

Mission of the ACA Minnesota Intergroup

Our mission is to support ACA groups and the recovery of individuals who suffer from the effects of growing up in alcoholic or dysfunctional environments by helping members build relationships within the ACA recovery community and encouraging the significance of play and fun in everyone’s life.

Intergroup is a service body only and may perform the following services:

  1. Assisting new ACA groups in establishing themselves in the area covered by MN ACA Intergroup.
  2. Maintaining an email distribution list and website and with Minnesota area ACA events, ACA resources, and meeting information.
  3. Maintaining and distributing a list of current meeting times and locations in Minnesota. 
  4. Maintaining a telephone helpline to serve newcomers and answer ACA MN related questions.
  5. Sponsoring workshops, special events, and workbook groups. 
  6. Purchasing books in bulk and selling them to groups. 
  7. Disseminating communication to the local ACA membership from the World Service Office. 
  8. Handling other inter-meeting communication, such as a local Intergroup e-newsletter.  
  9. Sponsoring an Intergroup Service Representative (ISR) to the Annual Business Conference. 
  10. Fielding inquiries about ACA from the public and professional community. 
  11. Donate, as able, books and literature to libraries, hospitals, correctional facilities, and the professional community. 

Membership

  1. The Minnesota ACA Intergroup will consist of one–and no more than two–Intergroup Service Representative(s) (IGR) from each meeting in Minnesota. Each IGR will be allowed one vote. In the event an IGR is absent, a representative from that meeting may vote.
  2. Intergroup Representatives must be active members of the group they represent. It is suggested that each IGR has at least 6 months of membership in ACA.
  3. Representatives may be requested to serve on committees or as a chairperson of committees by the Intergroup.

Officers & Representatives: Qualifications, Process, Terms & Duties

General Qualifications: Must be active members of the group they represent and commit to attending monthly intergroup meetings. It is suggested that officers have served as an IGR for at least 6 months and have 1 year of membership in ACA. See role descriptions for additional qualifications.

Terms

  • Intergroup Chairperson: Two year term: No limit to re-election. 
  • Vice Chairperson: One year term. First year no responsibility except to learn and then become Chairperson.
  • Recording Secretary: One year term. No limit to re-election.
  • Treasurer: One year Term. No limit to re-election.
  • ACA Intergroup Reps (IGR): One to two reps from each meeting. No time limit to participation as long as IGR is an active member of the group they represent. Each rep gets one vote on voting issues. 
  • Communications: One year term. No limit to re-election.

Election Process

Intergroup will elect officers annually during its December meeting. Official duties begin at the following January meeting. Any member of any ACA Group in Minnesota may be nominated for these offices.

Roles

Intergroup Chairperson

It is strongly suggested that any candidate for the Intergroup Chairperson have at least one year of regular ACA meeting attendance and have been involved in previous ACA service work at some level.

  1. BE ELECTED FOR A TWO YEAR TERM at the regular meeting of Intergroup in December of each year and shall assume office at the January Meeting. 
  2. PRESIDE OVER regular and special Intergroup Business Meetings. The Chairperson is responsible for keeping the meetings conversations on track and providing a suggested agenda. In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson or Recording Secretary or other officially elected officer shall preside.
  3. BE AUTHORIZED to sign checks in cooperation with the Vice Chairperson and Treasurer.
  4. BE EMPOWERED TO CALL SPECIAL MEETINGS for urgent reasons and shall notify all Intergroup Reps (3) days prior to the meeting.
  5. Monitor and respond to emails to the intergroup address.
Vice Chairperson
  1. BE ELECTED FOR ONE  (1) YEAR TERM. May be re-elected.
  2. MAY but is NOT REQUIRED TO ASSUME THE OFFICE OF CHAIRPERSON the following year.  In consideration of this, the chairperson will have minimal duties other than #3. 
  3. SHALL SHADOW the CHAIRPERSON at all intergroup meetings to understand the CHAIRPERSON role, and ACT AS CHAIRPERSON, in the absence of the chairperson, at all regular and special intergroup meetings.
Recording Secretary
  1. BE ELECTED FOR A ONE (1) YEAR TERM. May be re-elected.
  2. KEEP ACCURATE AND COMPLETE records (minutes) of Intergroup business meetings.
  3. REPRODUCE THE MINUTES within 10 days of the Intergroup business meetings and distribute them to the Communications Officer: 
    1. To be posted on the intergroup website
    2. Copy to be kept in Google Drive archive
Treasurer

Treasurer

  1. BE ELECTED FOR A ONE (1) YEAR TERM. May be re-elected.
  2. BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FUNDS belonging to the Intergroup and ensure timely deposits of money for and on behalf of the Intergroup in a bank or banks designated by the intergroup members.
  3.  MAKE A MONTHLY financial report to the Minnesota ACA Intergroup and present a statement for publication annually to be posted prominently on the ACA Minnesota Website.
  4. PAY AUTHORIZED operational expenses.
  5. SET UP AND MAINTAIN CHECKING ACCOUNT under the name ACA Minnesota.
  6. SIGNATORS FOR CHECKS  may come from Chair, Vice-Chair and Treasurer.
Communications
  1. BE ELECTED FOR A ONE (1) YEAR TERM. May be re-elected.
  2. BE RESPONSIBLE for maintaining the intergroup website.
  3. BE RESPONSIBLE for sending e-mail communications at the request of the intergroup.
  4. Check and respond to e-mails to the intergroup in cooperation with the Chair.
  5. Maintain social media accounts as necessary updating with relevant intergroup information.
Intergroup Representative
  1. Attends and participates in Intergroup monthly meetings.
  2. Communicates information and activity announcements from the Intergroup and WSO to his or her meeting. This information is usually communicated weekly.
  3. Makes concerns and questions of local meetings known to ACA Minnesota Intergroup. Also reports back to local meetings with answers to local meeting concerns or suggested policies from the Intergroup. 
  4. Representatives may be requested to serve on committees or as a chairperson of committees by the Intergroup.

Administrative Policies

EMail

Intergroup will strive to send out no more than 2 emails per month to the distribution list, when reasonable, to reduce inbox clutter for subscribers. Any actively-attending and elected member of the intergroup or an intergroup subcommittee may request a message be sent out. Members of the intergroup wishing to send a message to the distribution list should provide a complete draft via email with all pertinent information (such as location, time, etc.) and the draft should be proofed (spell-check and details confirmed)  by at least 2 other IG members before being sent out. Please CC both IG Chair and Communications Officer with the final version of the e-mail requested with TO WHICH distribution the message should be sent (e.g. ALL on IG list, only meeting reps, etc.)

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