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REGION REGISTRATION

The following information is taken from the ACA WSO Operating Policy and Procedures Manual (OPPM) September 24, 2022

  1. Requirements to Establish and Certify an ACA Region

As written in the Big Red Book, “A Regional Service Committee serves as a coordinating point for several Intergroups in a geographical area.”  NOTE: The OPPM uses the preferred term “Region(s)” in place of “Regional Service Committee.”

Regions may also be formed by other common features, not just geographic areas, i.e., Virtual, language, etc. 

Regions are part of the service network between the world service organization and the fellowship. They provide information and support, connecting ACA members, meetings and Intergroups to help encourage participation as trusted servants and to grow meetings full of experience strength and hope throughout the world. 

Local or shared needs will best determine how intergroups come together to organically form Regions. These Regions may change over time.  These changes will be driven by the growth of ACA and the need to support more groups and membership services. 

The Big Red Book section titled How to Start an ACA Intergroup or Regional Service Committee (pg. 603) lays out the first steps to take to form a Region (or Intergroup - note: Intergroups currently do not have a certification process – they can be registered directly on adultchildren.org). 

The additional steps below are provided to help a Region become formally recognized by ACA WSO. 

  1. Notify the Regions Subcommittee ([email protected]) of your intent to become certified as a region.
  2. Document the following to the Regions Subcommittee for certification:
    a) The trusted servants giving service to the Region (Officers, etc.)
    b) The current level of participation of Meetings and Intergroups throughout the proposed Region.
    c) A service plan that meaningfully improves recovery throughout the Region.
    d) Describe the geographic area, or common feature such as language that the new Region serves and how this supports intergroups.
    e) Minutes and/or other documentation that reflects organizational information. 
  3. Consider sending a representative to the Regions Subcommittee of MSC (Member Services Committee).

    Upon completion of these steps, the Regions Subcommittee will review everything and provide feedback, if necessary. When all information is in order, they will recommend the Region to the Board for certification. 
    Once certified, a Region may submit a candidate to the Nominating Committee if they would like representation on the Board. Regional Trustees must meet the same eligibility requirements as all other Board Trustees (see OPPM Section III. WSO BOARD OF TRUSTEES).

Additional Expectations:

While regions generally are autonomous in their decision-making, they are expected to adhere to the Traditions and Concepts of Service. This includes:

  1. Transparency and accountability to the fellowship they serve.
  2. A process that ensures regular rotation of trusted servants.
  3. Documentation of a bank account and institution (such as a bank).
  4. A designated member of the region’s current officers, such as a treasurer, who will administer any treasury or financial reserve and provide regular reports to the regional membership.

 Recertification

  1. Because certified regions have a distinct formal role within the ACA World Service Organization, including the opportunity to submit a nominee for the Board of Trustees, they must accept a requirement to periodically verify that they are meeting WSO certification requirements.
  2. Each registered region must provide current information regarding certification requirements annually by February 1. Once that information is received, the region is presumed recertified for the following year, unless the Board of Trustees questions the certification information within two months of receipt.

If participating groups or intergroups believe a region is not complying with certification requirements, the process is to notify the Regions Subcommittee ([email protected]). Such complaints will be referred to the Board’s Executive Committee, and the Board may choose to examine the issues raised. The primary goal will be to correct any violations, but in the event of severe or repeated violations, the Board may withdraw or modify a region’s certification.

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