PAIA Bylaws March 2021 Revision
March 2021 Revision 1
Bylaws
Peoria Area Intergroup Association
(Revised and adopted March 2021)
Modifications:
• March 18, 2021 Added Content to ARTICLE IX COMMITTEES
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PREAMBLE
In solemn affirmation of the letter and the spirit of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions and placing all our activities under the guidance of a Higher Power, the various groups of Alcoholics Anonymous hereby establish an Intergroup Association.
The purposes of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association are:
a. To perform those functions which are common to the aims of all groups of Alcoholics Anonymous.
b. To assist in the education of the general public concerning the disease of alcoholism and the role of Alcoholic Anonymous in combating that disease.
c. To assist alcoholics and their families.
d. To maintain a conveniently located office in which paid workers and volunteers are available to carry the Alcoholic Anonymous message.
e. To act as a clearing house for the circulation and exchange of information among all the Alcoholic Anonymous groups of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association.
f. To receive inquiries from those seeking help and refer them to the
appropriate group, where sponsorship can be arranged or to other
appropriate organizations and agencies.
g. To publish and distribute, at regular intervals, up-to-date lists of meetings and other information about local Alcoholic Anonymous services.
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ARTICLE I: NAME
The Association shall be known as the Peoria Area Intergroup Association and shall be not-for-profit.
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ARTICLE II: PEORIA AREA INTERGROUP ASSOCIATION
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: Full or associate membership in the Peoria Area Intergroup Association may be obtained by any Alcoholic Anonymous group within a fifty-mile radius of the city of Peoria.
Section 2: Full membership may be obtained by any group which:
a. Has been registered with the General Services Office for three
(3) months.
b. Has at least three (3) scheduled closed meetings per week.
c. Is willing to accept Twelfth Step calls.
d. Participates in the Peoria Area Intergroup Association phone
service.
e. Provides financial support to the Peoria Area Intergroup
Association, when possible.
f. Can elect up to three (3) members to the Peoria Area Intergroup
Association Steering Committee.
g. Informs the Peoria Area Intergroup Association office of the
location, dates, and times of their group meetings.
Section 3: Associate membership may be obtained by any group which:
a. Has been registered with the General Services Office for three (3)
months.
b. Is willing to accept Twelfth Step calls.
c. Provides financial support to the Peoria Area Intergroup
Association, when possible.
d. Elects one (1) member to the Peoria Area Intergroup Association
Steering Committee.
e. Informs the Peoria Area Intergroup Association office of the
location, dates, and times of their group meetings.
Section 4: Membership application may be presented to the Steering Committee at a regular or special meeting. Membership will be conferred by a majority vote of those present and voting.
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Section 5: Should a full member group of the Peoria Area Intergroup
Association become unable or unwilling to meet the requirements of full membership (as stated in Section 2 above), it may request a change to associate membership or have its membership status changed to associate member by the Steering Committee upon recommendation of the Board of Directors. An associate member group may apply for full membership at any time.
Section 6: Should a member group exhibit a pattern of activity which is deemed detrimental to the welfare of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association or in conflict with the purposes of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association,
the Steering Committee may place the member group on probation. If the problem has not been resolved within six (6) months, the Steering Committee, upon recommendation of the Board of Directors, and by two thirds (2/3) vote of those present and voting, may revoke that group’s membership in the Peoria Area Intergroup Association.
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ARTICLE III: STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: Each member of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association Steering Committee shall meet the following qualifications:
a. At least one (1) year’s sobriety.
b. Membership in the group represented.
c. Elected by the group represented, according to a procedure
established by that group.
Section 2: A member may represent only one group.
Section 3: Members of the Steering Committee shall be elected by member groups for a term of at least one (1) year. Newly elected members shall begin service at the annual meeting of the Steering Committee. Each member group shall notify the Peoria Area Intergroup Association office of its delegates, their addresses, and phone numbers at least three days prior to the annual Peoria Area Intergroup Association meeting.
Section 4: The duties of the members of the Steering Committee shall be:
a. Faithfully reflect the Group Conscience of the group represented.
b. Act as liaison between their groups and the Peoria Area Intergroup Association.
c. Conscientiously attempt to attend all meetings of the Steering
Committee.
d. Communicate to their groups the activities, growth, and current
problems of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association.
e. Recruit volunteers from their groups for Twelfth step and other
Peoria Area Intergroup Association work.
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ARTICLE IV: STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Section 1: The annual meeting of the Steering Committee shall be held in the third week of October for the purpose of electing Peoria Area Intergroup Association Officers and Directors-at-Large and for the transaction of such other business as may come before the Steering Committee. If, for any reason, the election of Officers and Directors-at-Large cannot be held on the designated day above, the Board of Directors shall call a special meeting for that purpose as soon thereafter as feasible.
Section 2: The Steering Committee shall meet regularly on the third
Thursday of January, March, May, July, September, and November.
Section 3: The Board of Directors may designate any place within a fifty (50) mile radius of the city of Peoria as the place of meeting for regular and special meetings of the Steering Committee.
Section 4: The Office Manager of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association shall attend regular and special meetings of the Steering Committee unless otherwise notified by the Chairperson or by the Board of Directors. The Office Manager may not be an elected member of the Steering Committee but shall have one vote at regular and special meetings on all issues except the election of Officers and Directors-at-Large and any issues relating to the
wages, hours, reimbursements, or any other terms or conditions of
employment of said Office Manager.
Section 5: Written notice stating the place, date, and hour of regular
meetings and in the case of special meetings, the purpose or purposes for which the special meeting is called shall be mailed or emailed to all Steering Committee members not later than ten (10) days prior to the date of the meeting.
Section 6: Each Steering Committee member shall be entitled to one (1) vote on any matter. Proxy voting shall not be allowed.
Section 7: The general rules of conduct for meetings of the Steering
Committee are:
a. At all meetings, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors shall
preside as the Chairperson and the Secretary of the Board of Directors shall act as the Recording Secretary.
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b. At any meeting, a quorum for conducting the business shall consist of attendance of at least four (4) members of the Steering Committee and at least three (3) members of the Board of Direction.
c. In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson of the
Board of Directors shall preside.
d. The Chairperson shall have the right to debate the merits of a
motion before calling for a vote.
e. The order of business at regular meetings of the Steering
Committee shall be:
1. Call to order.
2. Roll call.
3. Reading and approval of the minutes of the previous meeting.
4. Treasurer’s Report.
5. Board of Directors’ Report.
6. Office Manager’s Report.
7. Standing Committees’ Reports.
8. Special Committees’ Reports.
9. Communications.
10. Unfinished Business.
11. New Business.
12. Announcements.
13. Adjournment.
This order may be changed or waived by a majority of the members
present and voting.
f. Items of business are declared approved on the majority vote of the number of persons voting on any item. An abstention is a non-counted vote.
g. The order of business at special meetings shall be restricted to those items stated in the written notice of the meeting.
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ARTICLE V: BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: The business and affairs of the Peoria Area Intergroup
Association shall be managed by its Board of Directors, which shall
implement the policies approved by the Steering Committee. All policy matters shall be approved by the Steering Committee before
implementation.
Section 2: The Board of Directors shall consist of nine members.
a. Four Officers: A Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson, a Secretary,
and a Treasurer.
b. Five Directors-at-large.
Section 3: Members of the Board of Directors are normally elected at the annual meeting of the Steering Committee by and from the members of the Steering Committee. All members of the Steering Committee, including retiring or retired Officers and Directors-at-Large, are eligible for election or re-election to membership on the Board of Directors.
Section 4: Members of Board of Directors are normally elected of the Steering Committee. All Steering Committee members, as described in Articles II and III of the Bylaws of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association are eligible to vote in the election. Members with one (1) full year of service, including retiring or retired officers and Directors-at-Large, are eligible for election or reelection to membership on the Board of Directors. Elections are to be held by secret ballot. A simple majority of votes cast is needed to win an election. In the events of an election where no candidate receives a simple majority, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated and a runoff election is held with the remaining candidates. This
procedure is repeated until one (1) candidate receives a simple
majority. Directors-at-Large elected at the annual meeting shall be elected to two-year (2) terms, unless elected to fill an unexpired term. Terms of office of Directors-at-Large shall be staggered. The Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson and two (2) Directors-at-Large will be elected to two (2) year terms in even numbered years. The Treasurer, the Secretary and the other Three (3) Directors-at-Large will be elected in odd numbered years.
Section 5: If a continuing Director-at-Large resigns his office at the annual meeting, the Directorship shall be declared vacant and shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by election in the usual manner.
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Section 6: If an Office be declared vacant by the Board of Directors at a time other than the annual meeting, the Board of Directors shall appoint from its membership an acting Officer to fill the office until the next meeting of the Steering Committee, at which meeting an election may be held to fill the unexpired term.
Section 7: If a Directorship be declared vacant by the Board of Directors, the Steering Committee may elect a Director-at-Large at the next meeting to fill the unexpired term.
Section 8: Any Officer or Director-at-Large may be recalled by a majority vote of the Steering Committee but notice of the motion to recall must be mailed or emailed to all members of the Steering Committee no later than ten (10) days prior to the meeting at which the recall motion will be presented.
Section 9: After three (3) consecutive meetings from which an Officer or Director-at-Large is absent without having notified the Board of Directors of the absent member’s inability to attend, that Officer or Director-at -Large shall be deemed to have resigned from the Board of Directors and the Board of Directors may declare the Office or Directorship vacant.
Section 10: The Officers, Directors-at-Large, and members of the Steering Committee of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association shall serve without compensation for services. Compensation for costs approved by the Board of Directors or by the Steering Committee may be made to members incurring such costs.
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ARTICLE VI: BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS
Section 1: Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held once every other month, opposite the months Steering Committee meets, at a date and time determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 2: Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Chairperson or by any of the remaining eight (8) members of the Board of Directors. Notice of a special meeting, stating the place, date, and time of the meeting and the purpose or purposes for the meeting shall be mailed or emailed to each Board of Directors members at least three (3) days prior to the meeting.
Section 3: A quorum for transacting any business of the Board of Directors shall be five (5) members. The Office Manager shall attend regular and special meetings of the Board of Directors, unless otherwise notified by the chairperson or by the Board of Directors and shall have those voting rights specified in Article IV, Section 4 above.
Section 4: A majority vote of the members present and voting at any
meeting of the Board of Directors shall be the act of the Board of
Directors. A member shall have the right to enter a statement of dissent in the minutes of the meeting, provided that the members either voted with the minority or had notified the Board of Directors prior to the meeting of the member’s inability to attend.
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ARTICLE VII: OFFICERS
Section 1: Chairperson: The Chairperson shall be the principal executive Officer of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association and, subject to the control of the Board of Directors and the Steering Committee, shall, in general, supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association. The Chairperson may sign, with the Secretary or any other proper Officer of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association so authorized by the Board of Directors, contracts or other legal documents or
instruments which the Board of Directors and Steering Committee have authorized to be signed or executed, except in cases where signing and execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors and Steering Committee, or by these Bylaws, to some other Officer or agent of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association, or shall be required by law to be otherwise signed or executed; and in general, shall perform all duties incident to the office of Chairperson and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors or Steering Committee from time to time.
Section 2: Vice Chairperson: The Vice Chairperson, in the absence of the Chairperson, shall perform the duties of the Chairperson and, when so acting, shall have all the powers and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Chairperson. The Vice Chairperson shall perform other such duties as from time to time may be assigned to the Vice Chairperson by the Chairperson or by the Board of Directors or Steering Committee.
Section 3: Secretary: The duties of the Secretary are:
a. To keep the minutes of the proceedings of the Steering Committee
and the Board of Directors meetings.
b. To see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws.
c. To be the custodian of the records, documents, and instruments of
the Peoria Area Intergroup Association and if the Peoria Area
Intergroup Association has an Association seal, be custodian of the
seal.
d. Keep a register of the phone numbers and mailing addresses of
each member of the Steering Committee.
e. To perform generally all duties incident to the office of Secretary and as from time to time may be assigned by the Chairperson, the Board of Directors, or the Steering Committee.
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Section 4: Treasurer: The duties of the Treasurer shall be:
a. To manage all funds of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association.
b. To receive and give receipts for monies due and payable to the
Peoria Area Intergroup Association or paid to the Peoria Area
Intergroup Association from any source whatsoever and deposit such
monies in the name of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association in such banks, trust companies, or other depositories as shall be selected in accordance with the Bylaws.
c. To be responsible for the prompt filing of all reports, statements,
instruments, or documents required to be filed by the State of Illinois, the United States, or any properly designated branch thereof, particularly in respect to the maintaining of such tax exempt status as the Peoria Area Intergroup Association shall from time to time acquire and attain.
d. To perform generally all the duties as from time to time may be
assigned by the Chairperson, the Board of Directors, or Steering
Committee. If required by the Board of Directors and the Steering
Committee, the Treasurer shall secure a bond for the faithful
performance of duty in such sum and with such surety as the Board of Directors and the Steering Committee shall determine.
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ARTICLE VIII: CONTRACT AND LOANS
Section 1: Contracts: The Board of Directors, with the approval and
ratification of the Steering Committee, may authorize any Officer or
Officers, agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.
Section 2: Loans: No loans shall be contracted on behalf of the Peoria Area Intergroup Association and no evidences of indebtedness shall be issued in its name unless authorized by resolution of the Board of Directors and
approved and ratified by the Steering Committee. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.
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ARTICLE IX: COMMITTEES
Section 1: Committees – Composition and Duties
Peoria Area Intergroup Committees are established on recommendation of the Intergroup Chair and confirmed by motion of the Steering Committee.
The Committee types are: Standing Committees, Ad Hoc Committees, and
Special Committees. Standing Committees are provided Annual Budgets.
Ad Hoc and Special Committees are reserved for short-term duties, and may be budgeted through Miscellaneous, or with a specific budget.
Standing Committee Chairs are appointed by the Intergroup Chair and serve a term coincident with the Intergroup Chair. Committee Chairs are also appointed for Ad Hoc or Special Committees by the Intergroup Chair and serve for the life of the Committee, or resignation. The Secretary shall keep a list of current Committees, Type and the Committee Chair.
Committee responsibilities will encompass the Committee Purpose as outlined in Committee Authorization motion approved by the Steering Committee. The responsibilities for the Committee Chair noted below are guides to assist with structure, reporting and coordination by the Committee.
The duties of the Committee Chair include, but may not be limited to:
1. Selecting committee members, establishing subcommittees and chairs and conducting Committee meetings as necessary to accomplish the Committee Purpose.
2. Attending and participating in the Intergroup Board and Steering
Committee meetings as necessary to complete the Committees’ duties.
3. Managing the Committee budget, in consultation with the Intergroup Treasurer
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ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS
Section 1: These Bylaws may be amended at a regular meeting of the
Steering Committee or at a special meeting called for the stated purpose of amendment.
Section 2: An amendment shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those members present and voting.
Section 3: No amendment may be voted upon unless the amendment was proposed at the regular meeting preceding the meeting at which a vote will be taken or the content of the amendment was distributed to all members of the Steering Committee in writing at least fifteen (15) days prior to the
meeting at which the vote will be taken.
Section 4: A special meeting convened for the stated purpose of amending these Bylaws may not take place sooner than fourteen (14) days after the last regular or special meeting.
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Attachment 1: Search and Selection Procedures for Peoria Area
Intergroup Office Manager Purpose: This document provides the guidelines to identify, screen, and select the Peoria Area Intergroup Office Manager.
Objective: Our aim is to fill the Office Manager position with someone from one of the area Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) fellowships and living in the Peoria area.
Process: When the Office Manager’s position becomes open, a Search Committee consisting of the Chairperson and Officers will begin the search and selection process. Typically, the Search Committee will:
1. Prepare a Notice of Opening with position selection criteria and
timelines.
2. Post the Notice of Opening on the Intergroup Website and transmit electronic copies to all Steering Committee Members.
3. Review and Screen eligible candidates.
4. Select 1 to 3 Candidates for Personal Interview.
5. Recommend Qualified Candidate to Board for hiring approval.
The screening process should take no longer than 60 days.
Candidates shall address resumes to:
Chairperson, Peoria Area Intergroup Association
329 East Lake Street
Peoria, Illinois 61614
Candidates should have the following capabilities:
1. A valid Illinois driver’s license without restrictions.
2. A dependable personal vehicle that the candidate will use to conduct Intergroup business.
3. The ability to lift 30-pound boxes and move within the box storage area.
4. A minimum of five (5) years sobriety.
5. The ability to interact positively in person and on the telephone with the membership of AA.
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6. The ability to recruit, organize and lead volunteers in assisting with office staffing.
The following experience is desired:
1. Five (5) years or more within an office or administrative setting.
2. Experience with personal computers in business applications including accounts receivable and accounts payable software, use of spreadsheets, word processing, and desktop publishing software.
3. Experience with developing and maintaining files and records.