WSI Traditions Review Committee Manual

This manual outlines the purpose, responsibilities, methods, and overall operating procedures of the WSI Traditions Review Committee. The manual is updated as needed to keep the information current and is intended to serve as a reference tool for committee and subcommittee members, as well as for anyone in FA interested in understanding the work of the WSI standing committees.

Traditions Review Committee (TRC)

A. Charge

The TRC has been charged by the WSI to review and discuss how the Twelve Traditions might guide the consideration of specific issues and concerns raised by individuals, meetings, intergroups, chapters, local service groups, or the WSB. The TRC will share its thoughts with those who have sent inquiries and with the general fellowship when appropriate.

B. Committee Make-up & Selection Process 

1. The TRC consists of a chair elected by the conference, plus a TRC secretary and members-at-large appointed by the chair according to our selection and application process (see TRC Appendix A). The bylaws chair serves as an ex-officio member by virtue of her/his office and has a voice on the committee.
2. In accordance with Article IX, Section 9, Item (B) of the WSI bylaws, all members of the TRC must have a minimum of five years of current, continuous FA abstinence and completion of one FA AWOL (as defined in Article II, Section 2 of the bylaws), and knowledge of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of FA.   It is desirable that committee members would have service experience outside of the meeting level.
3. The TRC consists of eight to twelve members excluding the chair.
4. Quorum consists of the majority of the members (excluding the chair).
5. The TRC has two subcommittees:  the Website Content/Education Subcommittee and the eForum Subcommittee.
6. In keeping with the Spirit of Rotation, TRC members will serve a term no longer than 10 years, beginning with those members appointed  to the committee after June 2020.  Members with tenure longer than ten years (as of June 2022, should voluntarily retire within the next 2-5 years).

C. Chair Responsibilities

1. The TRC chair coordinates the review and discussion of Traditions questions received via email from the worldwide FA fellowship.
2. The chair sets the agenda, facilitates meetings, selects members for the TRC, acts as an information resource, prepares reports and serves as a member of the WSI board. 

D. Membership Responsibilities 

1. The TRC secretary takes minutes at every meeting and disseminates those minutes to committee members for approval at the next meeting. Minutes should be submitted within a week of the TRC meeting. Final, approved minutes are sent to the TRC chair for incorporation into reports for the WSB. The TRC secretary maintains a directory with names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and dates of appointment for all current members of the committee. The directory is shared with committee members and the WSI secretary. The TRC secretary (or the chair’s designee) also compiles and maintains an index of all Traditions issues and committee responses.  The position of secretary, appointed by the TRC chair, does not have a voice and a vote on the committee.
2. The TRC meets bi-monthly, unless there is no business to discuss. In order to provide continuity to discussions and to continue to develop clear thinking, all members are expected to attend every meeting, barring unexpected emergencies and major vacation time away. It is suggested that no member miss two consecutive meetings.  A member who, without good cause and prior notice to the chair, fails to attend two consecutive meetings, or who fails to respond to two written communications of the TRC regarding a request for action, may be removed by the committee chair.
3. Members operate in two writing team:  The writing teams are selected by the TRC chair.  Each team should reflect a balance of experience of TRC members. When an inquiry has been discussed, the response will be assigned to a member of a team. After the TRC member has written a response, it should be sent to other team members for edits and suggestions.  When the response is in its final form, the response is sent to the TRC chair. After the chair reviews the response, the team member will receive the contact information of the inquirer.  The team member is responsible for contacting the inquirer in a timely manner.  The writing teams will alternate responding to inquiries.  The exception to this is if a TRC member has a personal involvement or a particular interest in the inquiry. All TRC members are expected to take a turn writing responses and contacting the inquirer. 
4. The TRC has two subcommittees:  the Website Content/Education Subcommittee and the eForum Subcommittee.  The Website Content/Education Subcommittee is responsible for selecting and editing TRC responses for Document 8 and reviewing items prior to posting in the TRC Index. This committee is made up of four TRC members selected by and including the chair. The eForum Subcommittee plans eForums on a video platform for the fellowship to discuss a topic around a specific Tradition.  The eForum Subcommittee is made up of TRC members and fellows at large selected by the Subcommittee chair.
5. TRC deliberations are held in confidence by members of the committee.

E. Communication

1. Questions or issues presented to the TRC may be sent to the chair of the TRC via email to traditions@foodaddicts.org or submitted through the TRC index.  The chair responds to inquiries via email thanking the inquirer for their submission, informing the inquirer of the date of the next TRC meeting, and letting them know they will receive a timely response, usually within thirty days of the next regularly scheduled meeting.
2. Incoming inquiry calls regarding “Traditions Issues” are not preferred.  However, when calls do come in, the chair fields them in order to learn more about the inquiry.  Such phone calls often help clarify the inquiry.  Although these calls do not always generate “Traditions” issues to be reviewed by the TRC, they occasionally yield healthy conversations within the TRC.  If it is determined that the phone inquiry should be reviewed by the TRC, the chair will request the caller to email the inquiry, per above, which will then be discussed at the next TRC meeting.
3. The committee first determines whether the Traditions are relevant to the submitted inquiry.  If it is determined by the TRC that the inquiry is not a “Traditions” inquiry, the TRC chair will forward the inquiry to the relevant WSI committee chair, Inquiry Response Committee (IRC) chair, Meeting Effectiveness, Support & Assistance Subcommittee (MESA) chair, the Executive Committee, or, if applicable, point the member to the appropriate documentation on the FA website.
4. The TRC will determine the priority of the various inquiries received and will address them accordingly. If the issue has been addressed by the committee previously, the chair or chair’s designee will respond by providing the previous opinion(s) to the inquirer. Unless an urgent response is needed, the TRC chair will slate the issue on to the next TRC meeting agenda for discussion.
5. After an inquiry has been considered by the full TRC and a resolution or response determined, one of two writing teams will draft a response within three weeks of the discussion. The TRC chair or chair’s designee will then contact the person who sent the inquiry, by phone (or email if the situation warrants) and provide them with the feedback based on the TRC discussion within thirty days following the meeting. At its discretion, the TRC discusses responses with the WSB.
6. The TRC chair presents a semi-annual and annual report to the WSB detailing all responses to Traditions issues.

TRC Appendix A

Traditions Review Committee Application Process

We want to extend our very warm thanks to all who are interested in serving on the Traditions Review Committee.  Outlined below are the instructions for applying to the committee and how the application process will proceed.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding the committee or the application process, please do not hesitate to send an email to the email address below.

Thank you for your willingness to be of service.

Yours in service,

Traditions Chair
Email: traditions@foodaddicts.org 

Process:

1. The application form can be requested from the Traditions Chair by emailing traditions@foodaddicts.org.
2. Completed applications should be emailed to traditions@foodaddicts.org. 
3. All applications received will be held until committee positions become available. 
4. When TRC positions become available, all applications on file at that time will be considered.
5. The Traditions Chair will speak with all applicants by telephone prior to appointment to the committee.

Revised 2022 1027

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