MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING
6TH ANNUAL GREAT LAKES G.A. CONCLAVE
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
October 21 & 22, 1971

Bill B., Chairman, called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M.

Trustee (T), Alternate (A), Alternate Acting Trustee (AT).
Present were: So. Calif., Sid L. (T); Ill., Jake P. (T), Bob K. (A); Mich. and Canada, Ted G. (T), Sam K. (A) who arrived at 2:40 P.M. Friday; Ohio, Ky., and West Pa., Elmer M. (T), Bill G. (T) and Co- Chairman, Jake G. (A), Jim B. (A); New Jersey, Pat. P (T), George W. (A); New York, Conn. and Great Britain, Bill B. (T) and Chairman, Carl M. (T), Bill B. (T), Joe C. (AT), Irving L. (A) who arrived 1:30 P.M. Friday; Pennsylvania, Chris C. (T) and Jim C. (A). (Eleven (11) votes on issue).

1. Trustee meeting to be taped. Accepted 11-0.
a. Passed. For: 8, Against: 2, Abstained: 1.
b. Passed. For: 8, Against: 0, Abstained: 3.
c. Jim Z., National Executive Secretary, to proceed with obtaining copy-right and trademark for G.A. approved literature.

2. Cutoff date for mail meetings. No less than four (4) weeks and not more than six (6) weeks.

3. Jim Z. is to write and invite the National Executive Secretary of Great Britain to the next conclave-New Jersey-Atlantic City; with room and board furnished. Motion made by Sid L. and seconded by Pat P. Carried.
For: 8, Against: 3.

4. Public Relations Agency. Questions for decision did not pass. For: 4, Against: 6, Abstained: 1.

5. Voting for B.O.R. members. Notify all groups if their ballots were rejected, not counted; giving reason why. Send an advance ballot with full explanation of what is expected -- for more participation and so that all ballots may be properly filled out.

6. What does the Trustee vote represent. Five (5) Trustees stated that their votes were their own opinions; four (4) stated that they were the opinions of another person or persons; two (2) stated that they were the result of a discussion held with the Intergroup.

7. Definition of gambling – is it complete? Motion to table made by Carl. M. and seconded by Elmer M. Tabled until next physical meeting. Submit suggestions with specific wording, etc.

8. Letter from Bill M., B.O.R. Chairman to Bill B., B.O.T. Chairman and vice versa. Explanation by Jim Z., National Executive Secretary, on B.O.R. thinking. B.O.T. asking for consideration to Guidance Code. National Executive Secretary, so to speak, to the B.O.T, representative at B.O.R. meeting as he was B.O.R. representative at B.O.T. physical meeting.

9. International G.A. Conference. Chicago Groups made bid for 1977 International Conference. The presented letters from the officers of the Governor, Mayor, Safety Council, Hotel and Motel Association, Chicago Convention Center – all welcoming the G.A. International Conference. Each area, Western, Eastern, and Great Lakes, to be given ample time to accept the fact that there will be no area conclaves or conferences in 1977. Any area may make a bid for hosting the International Conference. Site is to be selected at the Great Lakes Conclave in 1972. For: 7, Against: 0 Abstained: 4.

10. Three (3) Trustees have missed three (3) meetings in a row. The Baltimore area and the state of Washington area affected. Chairman of B.O.T is to notify area and Trustees to elect a new Trustee or Alternate Trustee.

11. Pins. Motion made by Bill., Chairman of B.O.T., and seconded by Carl M. and suggested by B.O.T. that pins or any other suitable form of acknowledgement be given for abstinence from gambling and for regular attendance at G.A. meetings. Passed unanimously. Motion made by Bill G. and seconded by Bill B. suggesting that this be printed in the National Bulletin three for four times a year. Passed unanimously.

12. No report from the B.O.T. Charter Committee.

13. Report from Don P. on the N.Y. Charter for Compulsive Gamblers. All questions on charter, write to B.O.T. Charter Committee, Bill B. of Brentwood, Chairman, P.O. Box 7, N.Y., N.Y. 10001. B.O.T. Charter Committee stated that they could not improve upon or come up with a charter that would work within the framework of Gamblers Anonymous. The B.O.T. has decided to call and see if we can suggest to the N.Y. Charter Committee, through the B.O.T. Charter Committee, how to improve or correct suggestions on workability of the proposed charter submitted by the N.Y. Charter Committee as of form and meeting of October 13, 1971. This is a separate entity to be considered apart from G.A., by necessity composed of members of Gamblers Anonymous and the compulsive gambler who has abstained from gambling.

14. On a national level, if a group is not using approved G.A. literature and displaying approved G.A. literature, they should be sent a letter from the Chairman of the B.O.R. and the National Executive Secretary advising them of the feeling that G.A. approved literature should be a available for any G.A. member or anyone coming in and seeking help from G.A. With failure of that group to display, distribute and utilize G.A. approved literature, they should be dropped from the mailing list of the N.S.O. and the International Meeting Directory. Motion made to that effect by Bill B., Chairman of B.O.T. and seconded by Bill B. of Brentwood. Passed. For: 10, Abstained: 1

15. Motion was made by Bill B., Brentwood and seconded by Carl M. adopting Page 2, paragraph 5 of the Pressure Group Meeting Handbook. Suggested to have a second Pressure Group Meeting after six weeks follow-up and six months follow-up. Accepted unanimously..

16. Census form to go out to all groups and to be filled out and returned to the N.S.O., P.O. Box 17173, Los Angeles, Ca. 90017, by December 21, 1971. The National Executive Secretary is to collate and mail to all Trustees and Alternate Trustees by January 10, 1972. Use the maps passed out by Bill G. in conjunction with the National Directory. Two areas to consider, G.A. population, number of members, G.A. geographical area, the area a Trustee has to represent and the number of members he has to represent. This truly can come about by the survey as submitted.

Guidance Code, Article XXII, Section 1 be extended to April 27, 1972. Motion by Bill B., Chairman of the B.O.T. and seconded by Bill B. of Brentwood. Passed. For: 9 Against: 0

17. Revoting on issues. Agreed that after two mail meetings, it be put on agenda of the next physical meeting. 18. Proposed By-Laws passed out to B.O.T. for study and to be on agenda of next physical meeting, April 27, 1972.

19. Tabled until next meeting. Games Compulsive Gamblers, Wives and Families Play. Any new literature that is coming up for approval must first be sent to each Trustee and Alternate Trustee (one copy each) 30 days in advance for study before being put on agenda.

COLLECTION: $15.00

Respectfully submitted,

Jim Z.
National Executive Secretary and
Acting Recording Secretary of
B.O.T. Physical Meeting
October 21 and 22, 1971