WHAT IS A BUSINESS MEETING? 

If a member wants to see a change in their CoDA meeting, they can ask for the change and if their request is seconded, the group discusses and votes on their idea. 

Sometimes this is done through a monthly business or group conscience meeting. Sometimes it is done as-needed or in a more casual way. Every meeting is self-governing and can use various structures. 

Regardless, it is important for safety that each member knows they have a right to be heard and is free to understand how the process works in their group.

WHAT ARE MOTIONS?

Many groups ask members to make a motion to share their idea. One can make a motion by writing down “I motion for blank to happen” and giving the motion to the secretary so it can be discussed and voted on at a business/ group conscience meeting. 

Another option might be to share the motion with the group during the announcements section of the meeting and the group can have a group conscience meeting in two weeks. Ask how your group does it.

It can be important for the motions to be read aloud during the regular meeting for a couple of weeks so members have time to hear them and check in with their Higher Power.

Motions are usually written in a way that the group can vote yes or no in response, but it is okay to ask for a discussion of an topic. A few examples of motion topics: 

• altering the definition of crosstalk

• changing the literature readings

• moving the time of the meeting

• editing the script

• having a discussion on safety

• initiating a group inventory

The group conscience process is used to decide the group's voting structure and used to vote on the motions.

WHAT IS THE GROUP CONSCIENCE PROCESS? 

This process varies as well. Often it looks like the group discussing the motion at a group conscience meeting, sharing all points of view, even if they differ from others, listening, letting in one’s Higher Power and voting honestly. A majority vote is a group conscience (GC). 

More casual, quick GCs can also happen during a regular meeting, for small in-the-moment decisions like turning up the heat. More info: Group Conscience Process

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH A SPIRITUAL PROGRAM? 

Group consciences can bring spirituality into the decision-making process. They can can equalize our voices and help Higher Power be the authority and not someone trying to control the group. 

They can be a practice of honoring oneself and holding on to the truth of one's Higher Power. This may range from not being swayed by others, to voting against one's own motion.

Tradition 2 says, “For our group purpose, there is but one ultimate authority, a loving Higher Power as expressed to our group conscience. Our leaders do not govern, they are but trusted servants.”

HOW CAN BUSINESS MEETINGS BE BENEFICIAL TO RECOVERY?

Being part of a CoDA meeting where we have the option to make motions and vote can contribute to our safety in the meeting. 

The ability to make motions and vote, in every level of CoDA, means we have a voice. Even if we don’t get what we want, we are allowed to ask for it and be heard. Listening can be a way to connect to oneself and a Higher Power. Speaking can be a way to accept or not abandon oneself. Without these options, we are left with controlling or being controlled, which is unsafe.

Group consciences can give us practice with all parts of the Serenity prayer. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change..." Sometimes, the acceptance in the first part of the prayer can refer to acceptance of others we can't control and sometimes it can start as self-acceptance, i.e. listening to our own needs and wants. 

Speaking our wants and needs aloud can be having "the courage to change the things we can,” in the second part of the prayer. To practice acceptance of the group's response to our motion, we must speak first. 

Letting in Higher Power, walking into the unknown with the group, and discovering what surfaces through the group conscience process can give us "the wisdom to know the difference." 

CoDA’s 12 Service Concepts say that “Every CoDA member has a voice and is encouraged to use it.” Our vote is our voice and it reinforces the equality in Promise 6 (I learn to see myself as equal to others...) Business meetings can be a space where we share our voices so that the practice extends to our lives outside of meetings.

Making business meeting motions and voting can be a practice that uses recovery tools, some of which may include: 

• equality

• worthiness

• being clear and direct

• asking

• clarity about our wants and needs 

• sharing feelings

• having the "courage to change the things we can" 

• feeling safe being a dissenting voice 

• trust

• motion = movement = action = can be a form of contrary action

• finding connection with a loving Higher Power through the group conscience process

BUSINESS MEETING SCRIPT

Tradition 9 says "CoDA... ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve."

One way to interpret Tradition 9 is that it can be healthy to have the least amount of organization as possible, only enough to complete a task. Some meetings have informal business meetings without a script, others use one. 

Scripts can provide a structure that brings safety and can help newer members feel more comfortable taking the service position of leading the business meeting. A script may not be needed for groups that understand the process and remember to keep things equal. It's up to each group to decide if they want a script. 

A script can be written from scratch or there are example formats below to use or edit to a group's liking. 

Sample Group Conscience Logs

NOTE

Business meetings also happen at the local, regional and international levels of CoDA. The local monthly one is called the intergroup meeting, hosted by Los Angeles CoDA (LA CoDA). The regional quarterly one is held by Southern California CoDA (SoCal CoDA). And the international annual business meeting is the CoDA Service Conference (CSC), hosted by World CoDA. For more details, visit Service.