GNOSB Meeting Minutes - July 2026
Service Board Meeting Minutes- Thursday July 30th, 2026
Next Service Board Meetings: Mon., August 31, 2026, | Tue., September 29, 2026, | Wed., October 28, 2026
aaneworleans.org | office@aaneworelans.org | Central Office, 638 Papworth Ave, Ste A, Metairie, LA 70005
Service Board Email: gnoserviceboard@gmail.com
Chairperson: Jim R. | Co-Chair: Carolyn H. | Treasure: Charles H. | Secretary: Rene’ M.
In Attendance: 4 Trustees; 3Committee Chair/Co-Chair; Central Office Manager; 2 DCM’s/District reps; 8 Group Service Board rep/GSR’s; 2Visitors; 1via Zoom
Welcome: Meeting called to order at 6:31p.m. by Jim R. (Chairperson) followed by the Serenity Prayer.
Officer Reports:
Secretary: Rene’ M: A request that the Bylaws verbiage of section VI be added to the GNOSB June 2026 meeting minutes after the notation of the point of order made by Carolyn H. Motion to accept the minute. Motion passed with substantial unanimity.
Treasurer: Charles H. At fiscal year-end, merchandise sales totaled $6,227.95, group contributions were $3,476.32, and individual contributions were $156.58. Monthly earnings were strong. Cash on hand includes $32,610.38 in BDS, $35,124.80 in the Prudent Reserve, and $13,075.27 in the operations account. The year closed with a $20,487.63 surplus, reflecting strong BDS performance and reduced salary expenses due to Central Office turnover. Motion to accept report. Motion passes with substantial unanimity.
Committee Reports:
Budget & Finance: Patrick was absent. His emailed report reflected the Treasurer’s report. The 2026–2027 budget is currently being prepared for presentation.
T&C: Anthony F. The Treatment Coordinator is contacting Odyssey House about its library and requesting guidelines from all facilities served, with the goal of posting them on the website under T&C resources. Corrections provided 10 books for inmate packets, and the Orleans Parish structure is being revisited. Avenues have reopened for meetings at 6 p.m.; Friday was the only night removed. Andrea is the D20 outreach chair. D21 provided feedback, and several members attended both the group and district meetings to clarify information. The committee voted to review correctional facility guidelines to ensure alignment. Minutes can be emailed for fellowship review.
Website: Jon G. was absent. Jim R. reported that the Jedi Pack is back on the website, and a list of additional resources still needs to be restored based on fellowship feedback.
Big Deep South: Scott B. The budget proposal has been sent for review. Meetings begin August 5, 2026, at Parkway Presbyterian, 6200 Camphor St., and will be held on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. The co-chair and treasurer positions have been filled. An email has been sent to the Central Office about restarting Zoom. Contract negotiations and the first payment are still pending.
Questions were raised about combining the GNOSB TNC subcommittee with the BDS TNC position, as discussed in prior meetings. Mary H. said she is still transferring last year’s information, and Scott will make the final decision.
DAAY in the Park: Russell M. reported that the committee reviewed possible new locations and narrowed the options to two available, moderately priced sites. They also reviewed a list of past resource contacts to ensure everyone is aligned. The budget is still being finalized, and more information is expected at the next meeting on August 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Office. Volunteers are needed; anyone interested is encouraged to attend the meeting. DAAY in the Park is scheduled for Saturday, October 31, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The date was selected because there is no LSU game and it allows enough time before evening activities. The committee hopes for strong participation from all districts. “Save the Date” flyer to come.
Hotline: Bailey K. was absent. Jim R. reported that the transition has gone smoothly, with no issues reported.
Unity & Service: Open PIPC: Open
District Reports:
D18: Russell M. reporting, Speak-n-Eat September 26th, @ St. Joseph Church, 610 6th St. Old Gretna. Food at 6pm, speaker at 7. Speaker is Brad W.
D19: Buddy B. reporting, Step 12 principal workshop on August 15th from 1pm-3pm at Parkway Presbyterian, 6200 Camphor St.
D20: Colyn N. reported that speaker meeting information is available on the website under Events. District 20 is preparing for elections in October, and anyone interested is encouraged to get involved. New positions begin in January, with newly elected members shadowing outgoing members to learn their roles.
D21: Will reporting, Neck Breakers having their 13th anniversary on August 29th, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 2624 Burgundy St. New Orleans. Food at 7pm speaker at 8pm. Speaker is David H.
D12: Absent | D17: Absent | D25: absent
Central Office Report: Colyn N. Volunteers are needed. Although the updated website may still be unclear, Central Office remains the main contact and can post items as needed. The TNC Jedi Pak is back online, printed meeting lists are being restored to newcomer packets, and packet prices will increase as pamphlet costs rise.
New Business:
● Budget: Charlie H. reported that the preliminary budget is still being developed from an initial outline. The committee is reviewing a few remaining items and expects to present the full proposal for questions and comments at the next meeting.
● Proposed Amendment:
Article XI. Prudent Reserve and Operating Fund
The Prudent Reserve is written as follows:
"The Service Board is responsible for maintaining a prudent reserve, which consists of 1/2 an annual operating expense (Total expenses for the previous fiscal year less expenses for the Big Deep south convention And Central Office Inventory purchases). It also maintains a separate operating fund, consisting of 1/4 of such annual operating expenses."
**It is proposed that the Prudent Reserve by law be amended to allow a prudent reserve from 6 to 9 months.
It would read as follows:
"The Service Board is responsible for maintaining a prudent reserve, which consists of six months to nine months annual operating expenses (Total expenses for the previous fiscal year less expenses for Big Deep south convention And Central Office Inventory purchase) It also maintains a separate operating fund consisting of 1/4 of such annual operating expenses."
**The purpose of this amendment is to allow a range of the prudent reserves between six months and nine months. The flexibility of a range for the prudent reserve allows the buildup of the fund when available and a use of the funds when not available thereby avoiding an operating deficit.
The profit from the Big Deep South convention is the primary mechanism through which any deficit is recouped in the fiscal year. However, whether the Big Deep South makes up any such deficit is not a given. The range of prudent reserves from 6 to 9 months allows the Service Board to maintain a Prudent Reserve that functions to protect the solvency of Central Office and the Service Board.
Note If you remember, the Big Deep South in the three previous years made a total of approximately $40,000. That’s about $13,000 a year. And 2025 we predicted a deficit for the fiscal year on the presumption that Big Deep South would make an amount similar to the previous years. It turned out Big Deep South made $22,000 thus alleviating, for the time being, the deficit concerns. However, there is no guarantee that 2026 will be duplicated in 2027. So, the change in the prudent reserve allows for potential future shortages.
The group discussed the flexibility and benefits of increasing the Prudent Reserve. Members are asked to take the proposed amendment back to their home groups for discussion.
● The Bylaw job descriptions and procedures have not been updated since 2021. A Structure and Procedures meeting may help revise these materials and reduce confusion during future handoffs for trustees and committee chairs.
Motion to form an Ad Hoc sub-committee focusing on Structure and Procedures for the GNOSB. Motion Passes with substantial unanimity
Motion to close 7:17 with the Responsibility statement