Dear chosen family:
The first day of WSC has come & gone. Our first session yesterday morning was entitled, “First Things First”, which introduced all World Board members & gave us all an introductory look into what to expect this Conference. Next 90min session introduced our new electronic voting devices(!) & how to use them! That afternoon we gathered in small work groups to review the “Needs of NA” mind-map that was developed @ WSC2014, where we offered additions, omissions, & revisions to it. The rest of WSC will build upon the work from each prior session.
At 4pm we met back “in the risers” for the “Process for Business Sessions at WSC2016” w/ a focus on using electronic voting. We also reviewed the following:
Business sessions at WSC
There will be 3 motions on changing motions and proposals in 2016. They are designed to eliminate unlimited and allow diverse participation and discussion.
These were revised from very long motions.
Motion 15
To move forward if there is 80% support instead of continuing discussion of something that has such strong support only after 2 members from the opposition side speak to it, and a 2nd straw poll is done and there is still 80% support—
Motion 16
The facilitator has the ability to manage the discussions by using the following approaches:
The Facilitator may conduct intermediate straw polls to measure any change of support for the motion or proposal
The facilitator may declare that discussion is closed will end after a specific speaker, or the facilitator may close the queue.
There can be an objection and then another straw poll will be conducted
Motion 17
Straw poll terminology
Unanimous Support
Strong Support——2/3
Support——-simple majority
Lack of support——less than simple majority
Strong lack of support—less than 1/3 support
No Support
This is separate from motions
The Facilitators also will manage the queue and let those who have not spoken in the session go first to allow a broad range of participants to address the WSC. —we voted yes..98 yes 6 no 4 abstain 1 present not voting
That session ran long & we broke before voting on Motions 15-17. We will take them up this morning @ 9am during the start of Old Business Discussion.
After supper, we had the first ever Delegate prepared Delegate Sharing session where we broke into smaller groups and discussed various aspects of the spiritual principles entailed in WSC2016; namely: Honesty, Trust, & Goodwill, but Unity, Faith, and Compassion, to boot. Very intriguing.
Lastly, I attended Boyd & Chris’s EXCELLENT PowerPoint Presentation on the history of our Basic Text . It didn’t start until 9:45pm and went until 11:30. Am so psyched that these two will be bringing this great workshop & the Early History of NA to Clean & Free2017.
As stated earlier, OB Discussion starts in just over 8hrs. This will prove to be another l-o-o-o-n-g day “in the risers”…
Yours in loving service:
Bonner S, RD