Wednesday, April 16, 2008

CLA Meeting Service Positions

General requirements for CLA Service:

CLA MEETING SERVICE POSITIONS

SECRETARY -- Requirement is consistent attendance for the previous 2 months. The Secretary's responsibility is to assure that the meeting takes place every week by:
  • Arriving early, before the meeting, to see that the room is set up.
  • Bringing the meeting format and timer each week (if not left in a safe fashion, at the site).
  • Getting someone to lead the meeting (for those formats that change, and allow for different readings, speakers, literature, and/or Courage to Change, etc.)
  • Making announcements, like providing reports, CLA News, upcoming events, business meetings, etc.
  • Being responsible for gently monitoring that all other service position responsibilities are being attended to. When someone needs to be replaced...see below!
  • Calling for, and conducting periodic Business Meetings, as needed.
  • If the Secretary is unable to be at a meeting, it is his or her responsibility to find someone that will fill in as a temporary replacement Secretary for that week, so that the meeting continues to function.
  • Note: this officer's position can be shared amongst 2 people, to make sure that the post is covered!
  • Offering a friendly reminder to keep the sharing on track and on purpose, limiting to 3 minutes (or whatever has been agreed upon, lengthwise), etc. As a friendly reminder, no outside-of-our CLA Program material, literature, workshops, books, tapes, etc. can be talked about during our CLA meeting.
  • Secretary is responsible for upholding the safety, integrity, and anonymity during the shares and meeting duration, responding to and handling interruptions, emergencies, unforseen events to enable the meeting to continue
TREASURER -- Requirement is consistent attendance for the previous 6 months. They must also not have any money, tax or debt problems.
The Treasurer handles all of the money that is collected by:
  • Passing the basket for the 7th tradition, for WSO.
  • Collecting any money that is donated for literature.
  • Keeping a written record of any and all money that is collected and/or spent.
  • Keeping a Prudent Reserve of at least a 3-month site rental fee in the Treasury at all times.
  • Paying the rent. Note: this includes maintaining communication with the location organization, keeping paperwork and receipts of payment.
  • Providing money to the Literature person, to replace it, when needed.
  • Sending donations that are left over, after the Prudent Reserve, to WSO.
  • 7th Tradition: This is whatever donations are left over, after the Prudent Reserve, which might be 3 months rental fees. These contributions are sent to WSO, POB 91413, LA, CA, 90009. These contributions keep CLA in operation and pay for the website, webmaster, phone service, printing literature, meeting lists, postage, producing events and paying rents.
  • Giving a Treasurer's report to the group at Business meetings or regularly. This consists of in/out/balance. Keep it simple and easy.
  • Suggested columns: Meeting Date, # attendees, 7th Tradition Income, Literature Income, Expense, Balance Forward.
LITERATURE -- Requirement is consistent attendance for the previous 1 month. The Literature person serves by:
  • Arriving before the meeting to put out the literature on the counter. Note: In keeping with the 6th Tradition, only CLA WSO-approved literature is displayed.
  • Putting the literature donation basket on the counter. This person gives the money (25 cents/pamphlet) that is collected to the Treasurer, and it must be recorded as incomel.
  • Keeping inventory of the literature, and purchasing it from WSO when necessary. Get the money needed from the Treasurer. Filling out the literature inventory form, and sending it to the WSO with postage.
  • Getting and filing updates from WSO, i.e. meeting notes/minutes, etc. with the literature notebook. Keeping one copy of all pamphlets and flyers as needed.
  • Maintaining a library of CLA approved/AA literature including big book, 12 and 12, etc.

WSO DELEGATE --
Requirement is a willingness to serve, and to give back for benefits gotten from CLA attendance, working the program, using the Steps and Tools, etc. The WSO Delegate serves as a liaison between the local group and CLA World Service Organization by :
  • Attending WSO meetings, held monthly, on the telephone. They are held on the last (4th or 5th) Saturday of the month, and anyone can attend, speak/participate, or not. No one knows whether or not you are on the line unless you choose to join in with the discussion! Meetings run from 10 AM - 12 PM Pacific Time.
  • Representing the local group by giving an informal status report to the WSO of their activity, such as attendance, business, problems/successes, etc. It is in this manner that all voices and ideas can be heard, both up, and down, the grapevine!
  • Distributing any of the other paperwork that is produced, such as any Newsletters, Treasurer's reports, minutes, agenda topics, discussions, notes, etc.
  • Reporting back to the local group any news from the WSO meeting.
NEWCOMER CONTACT -- Requirement is a willingness to serve. The Newcomer Contact serves by:
  • Identifying him or her self by name during Meeting Announcements.
  • Being available for questions about CLA after the meeting. Don't worry about the details, as any "old-timers" will lend a hand, if asked!
  • Making sure that each newcomer gets a packet of all of our literature and newcomer brochure (which has the meeting list and web information). There may be as many Newcomer Contacts as there are people willing to serve, as decided by a group conscience.
____________________________________________________________
Service terms are for a suggested period of 6 months, and can run from 1/1-6/30 and 7/1-12/31 of each year. If a position is vacated in mid-term, the replacements serve and complete just the current term, and not a full additional 6-month term of office. The requirements for positions and the length of time served were determined by a group conscience at a Business Meeting at a local CLA group meeting held September 8, 1997. The WSO Board has since expanded upon them in 2006.

All service providers agree to uphold the 12 Traditions as follows:

The Twelve Traditions of Clutterers Anonymous

  1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon Clutterers Anonymous unity.
  2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority -- a loving God as expressed through our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
  3. The only requirement for Clutterers Anonymous membership is a desire to eliminate clutter and bring order into our lives.
  4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or Clutterers Anonymous as a whole.
  5. Each group has but one primary purpose -- to carry its message to the person who still suffers.
  6. A Clutterers Anonymous group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the Clutterers Anonymous name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, or prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
  7. Every Clutterers Anonymous group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
  8. Clutterers Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
  9. Clutterers Anonymous, as such, ought never be organized, but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
  10. Clutterers Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the Clutterers Anonymous name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
  11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, or films.
  12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

Four ways to contact CLA WSO:
1. mail: CLA WSO / POB 91413 / LA, CA 90009
2. phone: 310-281-6064
3. Web: http://www.clutterersanonymous.net
4. Email: clawso@hotmail.com

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Berkeley Clutterers Anonymous

You are cordially invited to join us in person!
North Berkeley Clutterers Anonymous Meeting

Monday evening 7:15-8:30 PM

Tuesday morning
10:00 AM sharp until 11:15 AM

Epworth United Methodist Church
1953 Hopkins Street
Berkeley, Ca 94707

Directions to Epworth:
Epworth United Methodist Church is located at 1953 Hopkins Street at Napa Avenue, near the south portal of the Solano Avenue tunnel.

By Public Transit:

AC Transit local routes 43, 9, and 7 stop at the corner of Hopkins and Sutter (Shattuck Avenue), near the south portal of the Solano Avenue tunnel. (Route FS provides TransBay service, weekday commute hours only.)

From there, it's a one-block downhill walk to the church. Route
15 stops at the corner of Hopkins and The Alameda (MLK Jr. Way), near the North Berkeley Branch Library. Walk uphill on Hopkins past Milvia - the church will be on your left.

Transfer to the 43, 9, and 7 buses at the Berkeley BART station. (Route 9 no longer stops at North Berkeley BART.)

On Your Bike:

The northern end of the Milvia Street Bicycle Boulevard intersects Hopkins Street, just a block from the church.

From Major Highways:

From the Eastshore Freeway (I-80) take the Gilman Street exit and continue eastward until Gilman intersects with Hopkins. Turn left and proceed uphill on Hopkins. You'll pass Monterey Foods, MLK Middle School, and the North Berkeley Branch Library on the way.

From Highway 24, take the Tunnel Road exit, and proceed west on Ashby Avenue to Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Turn right on MLK, drive north for about two miles, then right again on Hopkins.

First Tuesday of the Month: Business Meeting
Second Tuesday: Speaker Meeting
Third, Fourth, Fifth Tuesdays:
CLA Literature

Our blog at http://berkcla.blogspot.com/ exists to achieve the goal of the 5th Traditon: "Each group has but one primary purpose; to carry its message to the person who still suffers."

We have a Google Group for email discussions!
Group email

Google Group
http://groups.google.com/group/berkeley-clutterers-anonymous

Isolation and shame are two major factors from which many clutterers suffer. Sometimes it takes a long time to really see improvements in our physical clutter and our thinking. We welcome you! You are taking a bold step forward and you are not alone! Remember: Progress, not perfection! The information posted here, the tools, readings, phone meetings and resources support us all in our process to recovering from cluttering.