KEY INFORMATION

The Assembly will be start at 8am on Wednesday 30th of September, in order to feel refreshed we enourage members to arrive Tuesday 29th of September in the late afternoon or early evening. The assembly will finish around 4pm on Friday 2nd October 2026. Convention will then start on Friday 2nd October 2026 in the early evening and finish no later than 2pm on Sunday 4th October 2026.

Names, acronyms, and short forms have been removed or edited for consistency with OA Policy

INTRODUCTION
Region 9 is holding two assemblies per year.
The first assembly is the Annual Assembly, it is held in hybrid format, with face to face and virtual attendance and the second Assembly, the Spring Assembly is held virtually.

As Region 9 Representatives to assembly, you will be:

• Sharing ideas and solutions
• Reaching informed group conscience on issues
• Voicing your (and your Service bodies) opinions
• Choosing people who will become Region 9’s trusted servants
• Looking at finances and setting the budget
• Discussing and voting on motions
• Participating in workshops
• Helping set goals for Region 9 for the coming year
• Committing to service work for the coming year

Your ideas, questions and participation are vital to recovery in Region 9 whether you are an experienced representative or a new representative.

According to our Policies and Procedures Manual the voting members of our assemblies are:

• Representatives from each registered service body registered with the World Service Office and affiliated with Region 9
• Region 9 Board Members
• Region 9 Committee Chairs and
• Region 9 representatives from a Virtual Service body outside of Region 9 who may be granted a voice and vote by the assembly

And the non-voting members, that may have a voice but cannot engage in debate, are:

• the Region 9 Trustee Liaison
• the Region 9 Service Coordinators and
• the Visitors

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT INTERPRETATION
An interpretation application will be again used in order to enable members who do not feel confident with their English to listen or read along in real – time (captions) in their language by using their mobile phones.
You need to have your mobile phone and earphones with you regardless if you are attending in person or virtually and follow the instructions that our Digital experts will provide.

REGION 9 ASSEMBLY REPRESENTATIVES
Representatives should be duly elected by their service body. They should have a minimum of six months of current abstinence and one year of service beyond group level.
Service Bodies are encouraged to choose representatives for at least a two-year term.
Representatives are responsible to register for the assembly, read and discuss materials with the represented service body.
It is strongly suggested that they consider participating in one of the Region 9 committees at the Assembly and ongoing committee work throughout the year.
After the assembly they should report Assembly matters, workshops, ideas and goals to their service body. The format of the report is at the discretion of their representative and their service body.
They should also encourage their service body to choose the next representative a year before the term ends and encourage the successor to observe and assist during the transition year.

Each service body is entitled to send one representative to the Region 9 Assembly. If a service body represents more than ten groups, they will be entitled to two representatives and if a service body represents more than fifty groups, they are entitled to three representatives.

COMMITTEES:
Representatives, visitors and any Region 9 member, may serve on our Region 9 committees.

• Active Outreach Committee
  The purpose of this committee is to reach out to all groups and service bodies that are affiliated to our region, encourage them to participate in the Region’s activities and support them wherever they need.
• Bylaws Committee
  The purpose of this committee is to oversee the revision of our Bylaws and Policies and Procedures.
• Digital Committee
  The purpose of this committee is to work on the improvement of our Region 9 digital technologies including the website, Zoom account, Google Suite, and to investigate solutions in order to optimise our use of technology in order to improve communications.
• Service, Traditions and Concepts Committee
  The purpose of this committee is to educate members on the OA service structure, the Traditions and the Concepts of Service.
• Translations and Interpretations Committee
  The purpose of this committee is to investigate how Region 9 can support our membership with the translations and how we can collaborate with other Regions that have translations (Region 6, Region 8, Region 10 and the Virtual Region) in order to exchange experience, strength and hope to help our global OA community.

Τhis service work within Region 9 Committees depends on the interest and willingness of the Region 9 representatives and visitors. These are YOUR committees and your ideas about what goals we set for Region 9.

So, please bring your ideas for goals to Region 9 and volunteer to serve as a member of one of our committees.

SERVICE COORDINATORS:  

Along with the Region 9 Committees, we continue to use volunteers from Region 9 to cover needed service areas. Service Coordinators work under the Region 9 Board and/or our Region 9 Committees. 
These service positions are vital for our Region 9 structure in addressing goals and tasks to help Region 9 carry the message.
We currently have:

• A News and Announcements Coordinator
• A Welcome Letter Coordinator and
• Sponsors List Coordinators

This year we will be searching for:

• A News and Announcements Coordinator and
• A Sponsors List Coordinator

ELECTIONS:
This year, we will also hold elections for:

• Region 9 Secretary (2-year term)
• Region 9 Treasurer (2-year term)
• Region 9 Digital Officer (2-year term)
• Delegate(s) to the World Service Business Conference (1-year term *)

Please consider serving in one of the above service positions.

* If you wish to apply for the World Service Business Conference Delegate service position, you must complete and submit a written application by the end of the last business meeting on the 1st of October 2026.

Each candidate for the Region 9 Board shall have at least one year of current abstinence and at least two years of service beyond group level at the time of the election.

• During the elections we will be also endorsing a Trustee Nominee.

To be eligible for election members have to be present at the Assembly either face to face or virtual.

MOTIONS:

This year we will be considering 9 business motions and proposals.
Our Region 9 Trusted Servants, with the support of the Bylaws Committee, have worked diligently throughout the year to review and improve our Bylaws and Policies & Procedures, resulting in a number of important motions that will be presented to the Assembly.
The project to update our governing documents, which began last year, continues this year. As part of this effort, the Assembly will be asked to consider the adoption of a completely revised set of Policies & Procedures.
You can find the Motions in our Region 9 Assembly webpage. Here is a small summary:

Please contact the Chair if you have any questions.

WORKSHOPS:
We will hold several workshops this year covering topics including Service, Translations and more. The workshops will be listed in the agenda and Representatives are expected to participate in them. Visitors are welcome at those workshops.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Although the three days of the Assembly may feel full and demanding—whether you are participating in person or via Zoom—we hope you will find the experience both meaningful and rewarding.
Throughout the Assembly, there will be opportunities to connect with one another through fellowship and recovery meetings, allowing both in-person and virtual participants to share experience, strength, and hope as we serve together.
Green Dots: Green Dots are service body representatives attending the Region 9 Assembly for the first time. To help them feel welcome and supported, each Green Dot will be paired with an experienced representative who will serve as a mentor throughout the Assembly.
Additional information about the Green Dot Mentor Program will be sent by email before the Assembly.
Assembly Materials: All Assembly materials will be posted on the Region 9 website. We also hope to provide a single PDF containing all of the Assembly documents for your convenience. We have made every effort to include everything you will need, however, from time to time we do send corrections or additional information as it becomes available. Please check your email often to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.
Take your time but review all the material carefully before Assembly starts. Make notes where things are unclear or you have questions. If you are a green dot – talk to your mentor about it.
Business Discussions: We all care deeply about OA, and while we share a common purpose, we may not always share the same opinions or perspectives. As we seek the best decisions for Region 9, our discussions may at times become spirited.
The Region 9 Board and our Parliamentarian will do their best to answer questions, guide us through the agenda, and help our business proceed in a timely and orderly manner. If at any time the need is felt, any member may request that we pause to say the Serenity Prayer.
Above all, let us remember that everyone is doing their best to be of service and to carry out the will of the Assembly.
Motions: Please take time to review the Motions section carefully before the Assembly. This year we will be considering a significant number of motions, so we encourage everyone to come prepared.
As we do every year, we will hold a virtual orientation meeting, the date and time of which will be announced in advance.
We strongly encourage you to attend this meeting. We will review the motions together, provide background and explanations, and answer any questions to help everyone participate fully in the Assembly’s business.
OA Meetings: There will be OA meetings during the assembly days. Details will be given at the beginning of the assembly. Your recovery comes first here as always. Ask for help or support if you need it. Other Purposes of Assembly:

• To carry the OA message of recovery within Region 9.
• To reaffirm OA unity within Region 9.
• To report and discuss the different activities in the Region since the last assembly.
• To serve as a place where Region 9 fellows can get together to share their common experiences, problems, and solutions.
• To receive input from the Board of Trustees through the Trustee and receive more information and news about OA as a whole.

Assembly Evaluation: We welcome feedback and look for ways to improve the experience for all of us in Region 9.

Service Opportunities: Elections will be held for officer positions and for other Region 9 Service positions. Please consider how you may be of service to Region 9 this coming year. The assembly is only three days, but our efforts to carry the message of recovery in Region 9 continue throughout the year.

Bringing the Message Home: Keep in mind reporting back to your service body the activities, details of workshops, and business proceedings as you experience the assembly.

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES
PLACING PRINCIPLES BEFORE PERSONALITIES

Basic Principles Include:

• Only one motion or one issue may be considered at a time. A motion must be made by one member and seconded by another, unless it is presented by a committee, in which case no second is required. Once the Chair has stated the motion, it becomes the property of the Assembly and is open to discussion, debate, and amendment.
• No one can make a motion or speak in debate until they have been “recognized” by the Chair and given permission to speak.
• No member can speak a second time on the same question provided anyone desires to speak who has not spoken on that question.
• Remarks should not be addressed to another member; they must be addressed to the Chair.
• When a question is before the assembly it must be adopted or rejected by a vote, or disposed of in some other way before any other subject can be introduced (except for certain privileged motions).
• All members are equal. Every member has the same rights.
• A quorum (minimum number of members) must be present to transact business.
• Once a question is settled, it may not be presented again in the same form in the same session. The only way to bring it back in the same meeting is to move to reconsider (some motions may not be reconsidered).
• A majority vote decides a question except in cases where basic rights of members are involved.
• A two thirds vote is necessary for any motion that deprives a member of their rights – such as changing rules of debate, cutting off debate, closing nominations, closing polls, rescinding action without notice, etc.
• Silence gives consent. Those who do not vote when a vote is taken, by their silence, agree to go along with the decision of the majority.
• A motion is the means by which all business is introduced to an Assembly. There are six (6) steps necessary to putting a motion on the floor and disposing of it:
  1. Make the Motion (“I move that…”)
  2. Second the Motion (a seconder need not rise or address the chair)
  3. Chair states the motion
  4. Chair calls for debate and questions
  5. Chair puts the question to a vote
  6. The chair announces the results.

The ‘Rules’
Point of Privilege: Pertains to noise, personal comfort, etc. – may interrupt only if necessary!
Parliamentary Inquiry: Inquire as to the correct motion – to accomplish a desired result.
Request for Information: Ask a question. If the Chair feels that the question is actually debate (i.e. Asking “Is it not true…” followed by a statement is probably not a question), they may choose not to answer.
Orders of the Day (Agenda): A call to adhere to the agenda (a deviation from the agenda requires Suspending the Rules).
Point of Order: Infraction of the rules, or improper decorum in speaking. Must be raised immediately after the error is made.
Main Motion: Brings new business (the next item on the agenda) before the assembly.
Divide the Question: Divides a motion into two or more separate motions (each must be able to stand on their own).
Consider by Paragraph (’in Seriatim’): Adoption of multiple similar motions (or a single, highly complex motion) may be considered at the same time. Adoption is held until all parts of the motions are debated and amended.
Amend: Inserting or striking out words or paragraphs, or substituting whole paragraphs or resolutions.
Withdraw/Modify Motion: Applies only after question is stated; mover can accept an amendment without obtaining the floor.
Commit /Refer/Recommit to Committee: State the committee to receive the question or resolution; if no committee exists include size of committee desired and method of selecting the members (election or appointment).
Extend Debate: Applies only to the immediately pending question; extends until a certain time or for a certain period of time.
Limit Debate: Closing debate at a certain time, or limiting to a certain period of time.
Postpone to a Certain Time: State the time the motion or agenda item will be resumed.
Object to Consideration: Objection must be stated before discussion or another motion is stated.
Lay on the Table: Temporarily suspends further consideration/action on pending question; may be made after motion to close debate has carried or is pending.
Take from the Table: Resumes consideration of item previously “laid on the table.”
Reconsider: Can be made only by a member who voted on the prevailing side of a question who has changed position or view.
Postpone Indefinitely: Kills the question/resolution for this session – exception: the motion to reconsider can be made this session.
Previous Question: Closes debate if successful – may be moved to “Close Debate” if preferred.
Informal Consideration: When the assembly goes into a “Committee of the Whole,” a (possibly time-limited) discussion [chaired by someone other than the assembly Chair] is held. All votes if taken during an informal consideration are considered recommendations. NOTE: Robert’s Rules of Order prohibits straw polls calling them “meaningless and dilatory” as they neither adopt nor reject a measure (RONR 11th ed. p 429).
Appeal from the Decision of the Chair: Appeal for the assembly to decide – must be made before other business is resumed; NOT debatable if it relates to decorum, violation of rules or order of business.
Suspend the Rules: Allows a violation of the assembly’s own rules (except Bylaws); the object of the suspension must be specified.

Parliamentary ‘Tips,’ or What to Do & Why
The following summary will help determine when to use the actions described in Robert’s Rules.

• A main motion must be moved, seconded, and stated by the Chair before it can be discussed.
• If you want to move, second, or speak to a motion, stand and address the Chair.
• If you approve the motion as is, vote for it.
• If you disapprove of the motion, vote against it.
• If you approve the idea of the motion but want to change it, amend it or submit a substitute for it.
• If you want advice or information to help you make your decision, move to refer the motion to an appropriate group or committee with instructions to report back.
• If you feel they can handle it better than the assembly, move to refer the motion to a group or committee with power to act.
• If you feel that the pending question(s) should be delayed so more urgent business can be considered, move to lay the motion on the table.
• If you want time to think the motion over, move that consideration to a certain time.
• If you think that further discussion is unnecessary, move the previous question.
• If you think that the assembly should give further consideration to a motion referred to a committee, move the motion be recalled.
• If you think that the assembly should give further consideration to a matter already voted upon and you voted on the prevailing side, move that it be reconsidered.
• If you do not agree with a decision rendered by the Chair, appeal the decision to the assembly.
• If you think that a matter introduced is not germane [relevant and appropriate] to the matter at hand, raise a point of order.
• if you think that too much time is being consumed by speakers, you can move a time limit.
• If a motion has several parts, and you wish to vote differently on these parts, move to divide the
motion.
• If there are several motions that are similar, and you feel the outcome for all of them should be the same, move to consider by paragraph (or ‘in seriatim’).
• If you would like the Assembly to say the Serenity Prayer at any time, raise a point of privilege.

Bylaws / Policy / Parliamentary Procedure / Standing Rules
Bylaws, which include the 12 Steps, 12 Traditions and 12 Concepts, take precedence over all other rules of the assembly. They describe things such as who can vote at an Assembly and Roles (e.g. officers), how often meetings are held, etc.

Policy discusses how bylaws are to be implemented and practiced. They include things such as Officer Duties, financial practices, Committee responsibilities, etc.

Standing Rules limit the practice of Parliamentary Law with regards to the Assembly being held. They speak to items such as limiting debate, election procedures, etc.

Parliamentary Procedure provides the Assembly with rules so that the business of an Assembly can be processed effectively and efficiently and more than anything else, fairly.

Parliamentary information is based on the contents of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised (11th edition) [RONR] and Region 9 Bylaws, Policies & Procedures and Standing Rules.

Thank you for being at assembly, for giving service, and representing your service body. If you have questions or concerns prior to attending the assembly – please contact your assigned mentor or a Region 9 officer.

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve with you at the Region 9 Assembly. May we work together in a spirit of unity and respect, and may each of us leave the Assembly strengthened in our recovery.

Your Region 9 Chair
Loudovika P.