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  • Meeting ID: 891 0285 9494
  • Passcode: 621853

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  • Meeting ID: 891 0285 9494
  • Passcode: 621853

At the February Group Conscience Meeting, elections will be held for Admin & In Person Meeting Positions

4th Concept Readings (Before Elections)

Fourth Concept

Effective leadership is highly valued in Narcotics Anonymous. Leadership qualities should be carefully considered when selecting trusted servants.

Effective leadership is highly valued in NA, and the Fourth Concept speaks of the qualities we should consider when selecting leaders for ourselves. However, we should remember that the fulfillment of many service responsibilities requires nothing more than the willingness to serve. Other responsibilities, while requiring certain specific skills, depend for their fulfillment far more heavily on the trusted servant’s spiritual maturity and personal integrity. Willingness, spiritual depth, and trustworthiness are strong demonstrations of the kind of leadership valued most highly in Narcotics Anonymous.

From the Service Pamphlet – Principles and Leadership in NA Service

On Selecting Trusted Servants

The task of selecting leaders in our service bodies can be difficult at times. It might seem unkind to subject a member to intense scrutiny simply because that member has expressed a willingness to serve. In keeping with our Twelfth Tradition, our Fourth Concept calls upon us to consider leadership qualities carefully even if it feels uncomfortable to do so. We need to keep in mind that we are not judging our fellow recovering addicts’ value as NA members or as people; we are simply evaluating their potential to be effective in a given trusted servant position. Many members in our fellowship are wonderful living examples of the principles of our program and have a variety of leadership qualities. If their particular skills and experience do not match those necessary for an open position, we should strive to help them find other ways to serve. To put a member in a position for which he or she is not well-suited does a disservice both to that member and to our service efforts.

To put principles before personalities, we match talent to task and leave our feelings out of it. That might mean making ourselves available for a position, even when we fear rejection. Or it could mean electing someone we don’t like because we know he or she can do the job well. Even more challenging for most of us, putting principles before personalities may mean not electing someone who is our friend because we know he or she is unsuited for a position. We practice anonymity by focusing solely on the job at hand and the qualifications of each candidate, and choosing the person who fits best to do the job. These sometimes-challenging acts of conscience by each of us as individuals are the very building blocks of true group conscience.

Elections

General Requirements (for all elected positions)

  1. Willingness, time and desire to serve.
  2. Familiar with the Twelve Steps and Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous.
  3. Active participation in the group they serve.
  4. Attends all group conscience meetings.
  5. Complete abstinence as defined by NA is a requirement. Anything other than complete abstinence constitutes an automatic resignation from any elected position.
  6. All reports are due no less than 48 hours in advance of any group conscience meeting.
  7. Further requirements are stipulated under each description.
  • Group Chairperson - vote of acclimation
    • Requirements:
      1. Fulfills all general requirements.
      2. Minimum of 2 years clean.
      3. Ability to effectively direct the group conscience meeting, keeping it focused and flowing.
    • Duties:
      1. Attends all group conscience meetings.
      2. Arranges the agenda for the group conscience meeting.
      3. Presides over monthly group conscience meetings.
      4. Addresses individual circumstances, which may affect the group as they arise.
      5. Acts as liaison to other group’s trusted servants. 
      6. Appoints an experienced member to cover secretaries should the group be unable to fill the position.
      7. Co-signer on LGHG bank account.
  • Vice Chairperson
    • Requirements:
      1. Fulfills all general requirements.
      2. Minimum of 1 year clean
      3. Ability to effectively perform orientation for secretaries after elections.
      4. Ability to effectively direct the group conscience meeting, keeping it focused and flowing.
    • Duties:
      1. Attends all group conscience meetings.
      2. Arranges and conducts new secretary orientations. (Orientations to follow group conscience meetings after any election.)
      3. Performs Group Chairperson duties in the absence of the Chairperson.
      4. Secretaries meetings should the group be unable to fill a position. 
      5. Prior to the group conscience meeting in January and in July, leads the audit of the treasury records and presents the audit reports to the respective group conscience meetings (see Financial Operations).
  • Treasurer - vote of acclimation
    • Requirements:
      1. Fulfills all general requirements.
      2. Minimum of 3 years clean.
      3. Ability to effectively manage the group’s funds.
      4. Ability to work in tandem with the Assistant Treasurer.
      5. Access to a computer in order to maintain and provide soft and hard copy records. 
      6. Proficient in spreadsheet software.
    • Duties:
      1. Provides the group with written financial reports, reconciled bank statements, and presents a treasury report at the group conscience meeting. Emails the recording secretary and Chair a copy of the treasurer’s report no less than 48 hours before the Group Conscience meeting so it can be sent to all trusted servants and kept for meeting records. Gives the GSR a copy for inclusion in the group information binder.
      2. Holds the group’s prudent reserve, and activities fund using the LGHG bank account.
      3. Pays all group bills.
      4. Provides checks to the Group Service Representatives each month for literature purchase and donation to the ASC.
      5. Collects all monies from meeting secretaries and balances the collected funds with Meeting Secretary Reports, and deposits all monies within 72 hours of the group conscience meeting.
      6. Co-signer on LGHG bank account.
      7. Maintains an archive of treasurer’s reports for three years.
      8. Prior to the group conscience meeting in January and in July, participate in the audit of the treasury records and be prepared to assist with answering questions from the group that arise from the presented audit reports (see Financial Operations).
    • See Appendix D – LGHG Meeting Secretary Report
  • Assistant Treasurer
    • Requirements:
      1. Fulfills all general requirements.
      2. Minimum of 2 years clean.
      3. Ability to effectively manage the group’s funds.
      4. Ability to work in tandem with the Treasurer.
      5. Access to a computer in order to maintain and provide soft and hard copy records. 
      6. Proficient in spreadsheet software.
    • Duties:
      1. Verifies the Meeting Secretary’s calculations on the Meeting Secretary Reports.
      2. Recounts money collected from the Meeting Secretaries at the group conscience meeting and maintains a duplicate record.
      3. Prior to the group conscience meeting in January and in July, participate in the audit of the treasury records and be prepared to assist with answering questions from the group that arise from the presented audit reports (see Financial Operations).
      4. Co-signer on LGHG bank account.
      5. In the absence of the Treasurer, performs the duties of the Treasurer.
    • See Appendix D – LGHG Meeting Secretary Report
  • Group Service Representative (GSR) - vote of acclimation
    • Requirements:
      1. Fulfills all general requirements
      2. Minimum of 1 year clean.
      3. Ability to effectively act as a liaison between the group and the ASC.
    • Duties:
      1. Attends all group conscience meetings.
      2. Attends the ASC on a monthly basis.
      3. Carries the group’s conscience to the ASC.
      4. Reports information collected at the monthly ASC to the monthly group conscience meeting.
      5. Turns in LGHG donation to the ASC Treasurer.
      6. Prior to the group conscience meeting in January and in July, will participate in the audit of the treasury records and will need to be prepared to assist with answering questions from the group that arise from the presented audit reports (see Financial Operations).
      7. Maintains the group information binder, which includes the GSR report, Treasurer’s report, group conscience meeting minutes, and event fliers.
      8. In the absence of the Alternate GSR, you will inventory the group’s literature and place the order for new literature at ASC.
    • See Appendix C - LGHG GSR Helpful Hints
  • Alternate GSR
    • Requirements:
      1. Fulfills all general requirements.
      2. Minimum of 6 months clean.
      3. Ability to effectively act as a liaison between the group and the ASC in the absence of the GSR.
    • Duties:
      1. Attends all group conscience meetings.
      2. Attends the ASC on a monthly basis.
      3. Acts as an apprentice to the GSR in order to learn the responsibilities of the GSR position.
      4. Inventories the group’s literature and places orders for new literature at the ASC.
      5. Performs all GSR duties in the absence of the GSR.
    • See Appendix C - LGHG GSR Helpful Hints
  • Recording Secretary
    • Requirements:
      1. Fulfills all general requirements.
      2. Minimum of 1 year clean.
      3. Access to a computer and internet in order to maintain and provide records. 
      4. Proficient in pertinent software (Google Drive and related apps).
    • Duties:
      1. Attends all group conscience meetings.
      2. Keeps accurate minutes of the group conscience meeting, takes attendance, and sends minutes out to the group’s trusted servants. 
      3. Maintains the Trusted Servants spreadsheet and Google Mail distribution list.
      4. Sends group emails at the request of the Chair, Vice Chair, or Facility Liaisons.
      5. Maintains and updates the LGHG guidelines if there were motions that were approved. Email the final version, including appendices, to the trusted servants list.
      6. Prepares for elections, confirms votes with Group Chairperson, records contact information for newly elected trusted servants, and provides copies of the secretary procedures.
      7. Maintains all LGHG archives and files on Google Drive, and performs correspondence duties.
      8. Electronically prepares the Bank Signatories Memo after the February group conscience election. 
    • See Appendix E – LGHG Recording Secretary Checklist
  • Assistant Recording Secretary
    • Requirements:
      1. Fulfills all general requirements.
      2. Minimum of 6 months clean.
      3. Access to a computer and internet in order to maintain and provide copy records. 
      4. Proficient in pertinent software (Google Drive and related apps).
    • Duties:
      1. Attends all group conscience meetings.
      2. Assists the Recording Secretary with tasks at their direction.
      3. Backs up the Recording Secretary when absent. 
      4. Prepares the group announcements.
      5. Ensures the Meeting Secretary materials (such as blank treasury reports, announcements, updated secretary procedures, and a trusted servant list) are available in the Google Drive.
    • See Appendix E – LGHG Assistant Recording Secretary Checklist
  • Supply Person
    • Requirements:
      1. Fulfills all general requirements.
      2. Minimum of 1 year clean.
      3. Ability to cover costs of supplies until reimbursed by the Treasurer. 
      4. Ability to transport supplies to the LGHG facility.
    • Duties:
      1. Keep inventory of all supplies
      2. Purchase supplies when inventory is running low.
  • Facility Liaisons (at least 2)
    • The LGHG recommends that there are at least two active facility liaisons during the given election period (March through February).
    • Requirements:
      1. Fulfills all general requirements.
      2. Minimum of 1 year clean.
      3. Ability to effectively communicate with the LGHG facility.
    • Duties:
      1. Acts as the liaison between LGHG and the facility management contact, effectively communicating concerns, wants or needs between the two bodies.
      2. Notifies the Group Chairperson in a timely fashion of any sensitive issues brought up by facility contact(s), LGHG members or the public.
      3. Obtains the rent invoice in advance of the group conscience meeting and ensures the rent is paid in a timely fashion.
      4. Maintains the group P.O. Box and pick up mail.
  • Phone List Coordinator
    • Requirements:
      1. Fulfills all general requirements.
      2. Minimum of 1 year clean.
      3. Access to a computer.
      4. Proficient in spreadsheet software. 
    • Duties:
      1. Updates phone list regularly.
      2. Contact all members on the phone list twice a year for accuracy of phone number and clean date (must have at least six months clean.)
      3. Keeps LGHG stocked with hard copy phone lists.
      4. Provides the recording secretary with a soft copy of the phone list for archives.
  • Web Servant
    • Requirements:
      1. Fulfills all general requirements.
      2. Minimum of 6 months clean.
      3. Access to and proficiency with a computer and website tools. 
    • Duties:
      1. Maintain http://lghg.org.
      2. Ensure the lghg.org domain is active.
      3. Update the website, secretary script and announcements within 48 hours of receiving the minutes from the LGHG group conscience meeting.
      4. Request reimbursement for costs associated with Zoom platform and the website.
  • In Person Meetings Days & Times:
    • Sunday, 6PM - Speaker
    • Monday, 6AM - JFT
    • Tuesday, 6AM - JFT
    • Tuesday, 6PM - Speaker
    • Wednesday, 6AM - JFT
    • Wednesday, 6PM - Popsicle Stick
    • Thursday, 6AM - JFT
    • Friday, 6AM - JFT
    • Saturday, 9AM - JFT/SPAD
  • Meeting Secretaries for In Person Meetings (9)
    • Requirements:
      1. Fulfills all general requirements.
      2. Minimum of 6 months clean.
      3. Ability to effectively facilitate the regular meetings.
    • Duties:
      1. Follows the LGHG Meeting Secretary Procedures for in-person and online meetings, and follows the secretary procedure at lghg.org for online meetings. 
      2. Maintains an atmosphere of recovery and order during the meeting, keeping it focused and flowing.
      3. Attends all group conscience meetings and arrives one half hour early in order to turn in 7th tradition and literature money to the treasurer. Trusted Servants are responsible for making arrangements to turn in the 7th tradition before the group conscience meeting.
      4. Takes direction from the group conscience meeting concerning changes to the regular meeting formats.
      5. Find chairpersons (when applicable) who carry a clear message of recovery in Narcotics Anonymous, preferably someone who does not regularly attend LGHG.
      6. Maintains the Group Treasurer’s Report.
    • See Appendix A – LGHG Meeting Secretary Procedures,
    • Appendix B - LGHG Meeting Format, and
    • Appendix D – LGHG Meeting Secretary Report