The following Description of Duties, taken from the NETA Handbook, give information for both the Chairperson and the Alternate.

Chairperson

Summary: The Area Chairperson is responsible for the smooth running of area assemblies and committee meetings. He/she consults with the committee before setting the date and times, making sure that all groups are notified, consulting with area Officers and committee members on the program and chairs the assembly and committee meetings. The Area Chairperson, more than any other officer, keeps the Delegate informed about what is going on in the area and makes sure that committee members are aware of what goes on in world services.

Qualifications: should have a solid period of sobriety (5 years) and prior service experience in group, Central Office, institutional, district and/or area affairs and have a sound understanding of the Traditions and Concepts, along with a good fund of experience gained through applying them. Communication and leadership skills and sensitivity to the wishes of the area are important along with the ability accept criticism in good faith. The Area Chairperson should have the ability to plan and organize area activities that are large and complex and have a working knowledge of policies, procedures and advisory actions of NETA.

Duties: Much depends on the Area Chairperson’s ability to conduct a smoothly functioning area committee meeting and assembly:

  1. Schedule Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter area committee meetings and assemblies. Prepare two area assemblies’ agendas in advance for area committee approval and work closely with the Area Delegate in developing the agenda for the Delegate’s reporting time.
  2. Submit digital bi-lingual copies of the assembly and committee meeting agendas to the area Secretary and Newsletter Editor for distribution in the area mail-out and upload the digital files to the NETA website. Prepare copies of agendas to hand out at the assemblies and committee meetings.
  3. Call additional meetings of the area if necessary.
  4. Chair the committee meetings and assemblies. Conduct meetings and assemblies with decorum. Ask an attendee to read “Why Do We Need a Conference?” Appoint a time-keeper to conduct activities and discussions within the time limit set. Co-chair the area inventory of the NETA panel and committee. Ensure that all attendees are aware of current area policies and procedures. Meetings may be fairly informal, but the attention of the entire meeting should be on one subject at a time, without the disruptive influence of private conversations. Keep the issues clear. If a motion is offered, be sure it is stated clearly and distinctly so that all know what they are voting for or against.
  5. Adhere to Third Legacy Procedure for elections. On very simple housekeeping matters, a majority vote is enough – even a “sense of the meeting” can take the place of a vote at times. In such a case, the Area Chairperson asks: “Is it the sense of the meeting that …?” If there are no “nays” it is apparent that there is accord. Ensure that voting at the assemblies and area committee meetings is limited to attendees authorized by the approved Area Policies and Procedures document.
  6. Assist in scheduling and conducting workshops at area assemblies, designing them based on the Conference theme utilizing DCMs, past Delegates and other assembly attendees.
  7. Attend as many district meetings and combined district meetings in the area as possible to observe unless invited to share.
  8. Attend the Southwest Regional Forum and Southwest Region AA Service Assembly (SWRAASA).
  9. Work with the incoming Area Chairperson to appoint standing committee Chairs who will be presented to the Area Assembly for disapproval only.
  10. The Chair, along with the Secretary and Treasurer, will ensure the timely filing of all federal and state corporate forms (i.e., Registered Agent, etc.) The Area Chair serves as the “President” of the NETA non-profit corporation.
  11. Appoint ad hoc committees when necessary to explore issues pertinent to the Area.

Area-Specific Duties of the Alternate Chair:

  1. Schedule, organize and conduct workshops and present written report at assemblies and committee meetings. The Alternate Chair is responsible for inviting Area trusted servants who are familiar with the three Legacies of AA to perform these workshops. He/she is not responsible for actively participating in the actual event. Coordinate dates with the requesting group or district and ensure that the request is being made per group conscience decision. Gather feedback on how the workshops were received and what could be done to improve the process.
  2. Assist in presiding at area assemblies for GSR and DCM matters.
  3. Maintain a calendar of area Workshops on the area web site NETA65.org.
  4. Give presentations on how to present a workshop and assist in orienting officers who are new to presenting workshops.