BY LAWS OF OAHU INTERGROUP OF HAWAI`I, Inc.
Amended & Amended: October 12th, 2016
Amended: June 12, 2019
PREAMBLE
In all its proceedings, INTERGROUP shall observe the spirit of A.A. tradition, taking great care: that it never becomes the seat of perilous wealth or power; that sufficient operating funds, plus ample reserve, be its prudent financial principle; that none of its members shall ever be placed in a position of unqualified authority over any of the others; that all important decisions be reached by discussion, vote, and whenever possible by substantial unanimity; that no committee action ever be personally punitive, or an incitement to public controversy; that though it may act for the service of Alcoholics Anonymous groups on the Island of Oahu, it shall never perform any acts of government; and that, like the society of Alcoholics Anonymous, it will always remain democratic in thought and action.
(The above is adapted from the Third Legacy Manual of A.A. World Services and co-founder Bill W’s Twelve Concepts of World Service as adopted by the General Service Conference on April 26, 1962.)
I. NAME AND PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
The name shall be Oahu INTERGROUP OF HAWAI`I, Inc. and for convenience will be referred to as “INTERGROUP”.
- The purpose of INTERGROUP shall be the administration and coordination of A.A. activities common to the various groups comprising its membership. The activities include:
A. Furthering the A.A. program in accordance with the Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous.
B. Maintaining a Central Office for A.A. on the Island of Oahu.
Specifically excluded from the objectives of INTERGROUP are the operations of any club, clubhouse, or drying-out place, and the endorsement of any public or private projects on alcoholism as outlined in Tradition Six.
II. MEMBERSHIP
The membership of INTERGROUP shall consist of a representative or an alternate representative from each A.A. group, provided that such group shall have been registered with the Central Office for thirty days prior to the date of the initial meeting to which the representative is sent. Group representatives shall serve until replaced by their groups, and shall be entitled to one vote in the meetings of INTERGROUP and shall vote their group’s conscience.
- The current Delegate and Area Chair, or their alternate, shall also be voting members of INTERGROUP.
- Each district committee on Oahu and the Hawaii Area Assembly may appoint a representative with a vote to INTERGROUP, who shall serve until replaced by that district committee.
III. STEERING COMMITTEE/BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The officers of INTERGROUP shall be referred to as the “Steering Committee” and shall be a Chair/President, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Volunteer Coordinator. The Central Office Manager, though not an officer, shall also be a member of the Steering Committee.
- Each member of the Steering Committee shall be entitled to one vote in the meetings of INTERGROUP. In the context of these By-Laws, “Steering Committee” shall mean Steering Committee/Board of Directors, “Chair” shall mean Chair/President, and “Vice-Chair” shall mean Vice-Chair/Vice President.
- The basic duties and authority of the Steering Committee shall be as follow:
A. The Chair shall be the Executive Officer of INTERGROUP, and shall preside at all meetings.
B. The Vice-Chair shall assist the Chair in all matters where practical, and shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the Chair. In the event the Chair fails to fulfill the elected term of office, the Vice-Chair shall assume the office of Chair. The Vice-Chair shall serve as Chair of the Intergroup Activities Committee.
C. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings, and keep the records of INTERGROUP in good order at all times.
D. The Treasurer shall monitor all funds of INTERGROUP and shall maintain adequate financial records and furnish monthly reports to INTERGROUP. The Intergroup Treasurer shall serve also as Treasurer of all Intergroup Activities, and shall be a permanent member of the Intergroup Activities Committee.
E. Volunteer Coordinator shall assist with the recruitment, orientation, and training of new Oahu Central Office and After-Hour Phone Angel volunteers. In addition, they will assist with creating the volunteer calendar and the monthly volunteer meeting.
F. The Central Office Manager, though not an officer, shall also be a member of the Steering Committee. The Central Office Manager will run the day-to-day operations of the Oahu Central Office.
G. The Steering Committee may authorize the hiring of special workers as it may find necessary.
The Steering Committee officers shall serve for two years, or until their successors are duly elected. No officer shall be eligible for re-election for two consecutive full terms in the same position. Any member of A.A. may stand for office provided that the nominee shall have at least two years of continuous sobriety in A.A. at the time of the election. Broken sobriety during tenure of office will automatically disqualify any officer for continued service in the elected position.
Election of officers shall be held every even year in the month of November, and the elected officers shall take office on January 1st of the following year.
- The election of INTERGROUP Steering Committee officers shall be by way of Third Legacy, as (detailed in The AA General Service Manual). The Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Volunteer Coordinator are all elected by this procedure. Selection of the Oahu Central Office Manager shall be by the Steering Committee officers from applications submitted by qualified applicants. In the event that any Steering Committee member, other than the Chair, resigns during their term, the Steering Committee as a whole shall appoint a temporary replacement to serve until such time as election or selection of a successor can be made.
IV. MEETINGS
INTERGROUP shall meet the second Wednesday of each month at such time and place as shall be designated by the Chair at the preceding meeting. Matters which relate to policy affecting groups or A.A. as a whole shall automatically be tabled for thirty days by the Chair and referred for group conscience.
V. CENTRAL OFFICE
The Steering Committee assumes overall responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the Oahu Central Office. The Steering Committee may adopt such methods of operation and operational procedures required for the efficient and responsible function of the Oahu Central Office provided they are in the spirit of the Twelve Traditions of A.A. In the event a major decision must be made before an INTERGROUP meeting may be convened, a substantial unanimity of the Steering Committee is required, and such action must be reported at the next INTERGROUP meeting.
The Oahu Central Office Manager shall come under the supervision of the Steering Committee officers as described in the Oahu Central Office Managers job description. For administrative purposes, the Oahu Central Office Manager coordinates with a designated INTERGROUP Steering Committee officer.
VI. FINANCE
INTERGROUP may accept donations from A.A. members conforming with the Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous and consistent with GSO Guidelines. INTERGROUP shall not accept responsibility of, trusteeship for, or enter into the distribution or allocation of any funds set up outside INTERGROUP.
VII. PRUDENT RESERVE
Oahu INTERGROUP shall keep a prudent reserve of 3 months operating expenses in addition to the cash on hand for the current month’s expenses. If the prudent reserve is and has been less than 75% of the targeted reserve level for three consecutive years, the Board of Directors, in absence of any extraordinary circumstances, shall adopt an operational budget that includes a projected surplus sufficient to rebuild the prudent reserves over the following three years back to its targeted reserve level. The dollar amount for one month of expenses will be calculated based on an average of the last three years’ operating costs.
This Association is organized exclusively for purposes within the meaning of section 505(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Articles, the corporation shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) or (b) by a corporation contributions to which are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code 1954 (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law.)Upon the winding up and dissolution of this corporation, after paying or adequately providing for the debts and obligations of the corporation, the remaining assets shall be distributed to a nonprofit fund, foundation, or corporation which is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious and/or scientific purposes and which has established its tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
VIII. INTERGROUP
These By Laws may be amended at any time by a two-thirds majority vote of the group representatives present at any regular meeting of Intergroup, provided a copy of the proposed amendment has been submitted to each group at least thirty days before the meeting at which action is to be taken on the amendment.
