Western States Zonal Forum

Guidelines

Adopted by consensus 8/3/02

Purpose;

Zonal Forums

The Western States Zonal Forum is a service–oriented sharing session that provides the means by which NA communities in the Western United States can communicate, cooperate, and grow with one another. Although not a part of NA’s formal decision–making system, WSZF interacts with world services in many ways. We provide a biannual report on the floor of the World Service Conference and, when requested by the conference, may also answer specific questions or address the body. In order to improve communications, we are provided with conference participant mailings and send each meeting record to world services. In order to more effectively serve the fellowship, world services and WSZF maintain an ongoing partnership in order to plan and conduct the worldwide workshop system in those years when it is held in our zone, and may assist each other in the coordination of a variety of service efforts such as professional events and fellowship development activities.

Member Regions

Membership in the Western States Zonal Forum includes, but is not limited to, the following regions. Any region which considers itself appropriate for membership in the WSZF is invited to participate in any and all of our meetings.

· Arizona	· California Inland	· California Midstate
· Central California	· Northern California	· Pacific Cascade
· Rio Grande	· San Diego/Imperial	· Sierra Sage
· Southern California	· Southern Idaho	· Region 51
· Washington /N. Idaho

Functions

· We meet at the biennial World Service Conference, and each year at a summer meeting generally held in August.

· The WSC meeting is held at an assigned time during the week at the WSC. In addition to a sharing session and any other discussion topics or agenda items agreed upon at the time by the participants, the following should occur:

1) The meeting is facilitated by the RD of the region that will host that summer’s meeting.

2) Topics for discussion at the summer meeting are submitted and tentatively prioritized. Topics for the summer meeting, in years when no WSC occurs, are submitted to the hosting Region 60 days prior to the meeting.

· The summer meeting is hosted by the region selected through the previous year’s selection process. The following guidelines apply to this meeting:

1) The site for the following year’s meeting is selected by the site selection process described below.

2) The host region is responsible for facilitating the meeting and producing and distributing a written summary of the meeting’s discussions, called the “Meeting Record.”

3) A. Friday evening of the summer meeting the list of topics that were selected and prioritized in advance of the meeting will be displayed. Any new suggestions for topics will be added. Any consensus on combining any of the topics will be gathered by the facilitator. The topics will then be reprioritized for Saturday morning.

B. During the discussion of topics at the summer meeting there will be a 3 minute limit per person and a 1 hour limit per topic.

4) In the year prior to a WSC meeting, the WSZF selects a member who will prepare and present the next report the WSC.

5) The summer meeting will include written Regional reports.

· Site Selection and Hosting Process

1) Regions wishing to host the forum should bring a request from their region to the summer meeting.

2) The forum requires a hotel close to a major airport, with meeting room for Friday night 6pm-Sunday 12pm.

3) The next year’s hosting region is selected by consensus of the forum at the summer meeting.

4) The selected host site sends a flier with all pertinent hotel information to everyone on the WSZF contact list at least 9 months in advance of the event.

5) Not more than 30 days after the event, the hosting region prepares and sends the meeting record to everyone on the WSZF contact list, and the World Service Office.

6) The hosting Region will request NAWS participation as soon as site selection is finalized.