Since the Conference was announced, several questions have come up that we would like to answer here.  Many of these will be addressed in the CMA Service Manual, which should be ready for presentation at the Conference.  In the interim, here are the answers to some of the most common questions being asked.

Where is the event being held? The 2010 CMA General Service Conference is being held in a facility at: The Center 208 W 13th St, New York, NY 10011. The main event will begin at 11am Thursday morning March 4th, 2010. and is scheduled to be completed by 3pm on Sunday March 7th, 2010.

What is the Agenda? A draft version of the agenda is now available HERE. All events are open to all registered attendees. Nothing is for delegates only.

What is the difference between the “World Conference” and the General Services Conference?

The World Conference is an event where all members of CMA are invited to come together to meet and fellowship with other members from across the country – maybe the world.  The main event at the World Conference is the General Services Conference, where elected delegates and other individuals meet to discuss specific issues of importance to the future of CMA.  The General Services Conference consists of the conference committee meetings and the conference assembly.  While all members of CMA are encouraged to attend these sessions, only certain individuals will be allowed to cast a vote.

Who gets to vote at the Conference? At present, Area delegates, members of the Board of Trustees, and members of the subcommittees of the General Services Committee all carry a vote.  This current representation is based on the Charter of the General Services Conference (approved at the 2008 World Conference), Concept IV, and tradition from the 1^st World Conference.  The Service Manual will address this issue more fully, possibly with some changes based on the actions of the Conference.

Why does every state only get one delegate? Our state has a lot more groups than most of the others!

When we speak of “representation,”  many of us automatically think of our governmental system.  In these systems, whether local, state, or federal, there is great emphasis placed on “one man, one vote,” but that is not applicable to CMA.

First, the Conference is not a governmental body.  Its purpose is not to tell everyone in CMA what to do.  Instead, it provides a forum for the exchange of ideas, where actions can be taken that support the work of the groups in carrying the message.

Second, and perhaps most importantly, the elected delegates do not vote at the direction of their constituent groups.  It is important that they gather as many ideas and opinions from their area as possible so that the voice of the fellowship is heard at the Conference, but once there, each delegate must listen to the discussion being held and cast their vote based on their conscience for the good of CMA as a whole.

This point cannot be emphasized enough.  The purpose of the discussions is to reach consensus on issues, not to simply cast up-or-down votes.  Clearly, this process can take a long time, sometimes spanning more than one Conference, but more often than not it is the discussion that is important – not the vote.

Having said that, it is very important that the delegate be able to reach each of the groups (or districts) in his or her area to collect the voice of the fellowship.  In large areas with many groups, this may be difficult or impossible, so the Charter allows for states to have multiple areas.  Such a “split”  would require action of the Conference to amend the Service Manual, so a proposal to divide a state into more than one area should be presented as an agenda item to the Conference, usually by the area in question.

Lastly, it is important to remember that CMA is relatively young.  While some states have many more groups than others, the rapid growth of our fellowship suggests that other states are not far behind.  We are designing a service structure for the future of our fellowship, and to some degree we expect to “grow into it.” Therefore, we need to carefully consider the future implications of our present actions and not take drastic measures because of temporary imbalances.

Why can’t we have the Conference somewhere cheaper? The World Conference Committee considered several bids before selecting the current site.  CMA has decided to move it around to allow members of the fellowship from each region to attend, which also has the effect of spreading the financial burden for the Conference more evenly around the fellowship.  As a result, each year the Conference is more expensive for some but cheaper for others.  However, if is expensive for you this year, it should be cheaper in 2011 – and vice-versa.

Who has to pay the extra $75 fee, and why do they have to pay it? Only elected Area delegates pay the extra $75 fee. This helps covers the costs associated with the General Services Conference that are in addition to the World Conference activities.  Because Areas are expected to assist in funding delegates’ travel to the Conference, putting this fee on only these individuals helps spread the financial burden to the fellowship and off of individuals that may want to attend.