Adopted by the LifeRing Constitutional Congress February 17,2001, at Brooksville, Florida; as amended by the Second Annual Congress March 17, 2002 at Berkeley, California; by the Third Annual Congress March 2, 2003 at Brooksville, Florida; by the Fourth Annual Congress March 28, 2004 at Berkeley, California; by the Sixth Annual Congress March 28, 2006 at Berkeley, California, and by the Tenth Annual Congress, June 6, 2010.
Preamble
We the members of LifeRing Secular Recovery, in order to establish
a freestanding, democratic recovery support network based on
abstinence, secularity and self-help, adopt the following Bylaws:
Article 1. Purposes
LifeRing is chartered as a nonprofit corporation (LifeRing Inc.) to
serve recovering alcoholics and addicts, and persons involved in
relationships with them, and the general public, by holding meetings
and public forums and similar activities, and by publishing and disseminating
educational materials relative to alcoholism, addiction
and recovery therefrom, and by engaging in all other activities incidental
or appropriate thereto, all based on the principles of abstinence,
secularity and self-help.
Article 2. Name
The meetings, public forums and similar activities dedicated to the
aforesaid purpose shall have the name “LifeRing Secular Recovery.”
Article 3. Membership
The only requirement for membership in LifeRing Secular Recovery meetings is a desire to abstain from the use of alcohol and illicit or non-medically indicated drugs.
Article 4. Meetings
4.1. Two or more persons who come together for the purpose of
abstinence, secularity and self-help using the LifeRing name constitute
a meeting of LifeRing Secular Recovery.
4.2. A meeting may come together either face-to-face or via electronic
communication, except as otherwise provided in sections 5.1
and 6.7 below.
4.3. Each LifeRing Secular Recovery meeting shall be bound by the
LifeRing Meeting Charter contained in Article 11 of these Bylaws.
4.4. Meetings of LifeRing Secular Recovery are self- supporting,
and are autonomous and independent except insofar as their activity
affects other LifeRing Secular Recovery meetings or the LifeRing
organization as a whole.
Article 5. Annual LifeRing Congress
5.1. The meetings of LifeRing Secular Recovery, through their
delegates, shall assemble face-to-face on a regular annual basis as
the LifeRing Congress.
5.2. Each public LifeRing Secular Recovery meeting may select
one delegate to the Congress.
5.2.1. A meeting is public for the purposes of these Bylaws if it
convenes in a location accessible to the public and if its location,
day and time are posted in a manner likely to give public notice.
The term “location” shall also include Internet address.
5.2.2. The date that a meeting must be in place in order to be eligible
to send a delegate to the annual Congress shall be forty-five (45)
days before the Congress. [Added 3/17/02]
5.3. Each member of a LifeRing Secular Recovery meeting may
cast one vote for a Congress delegate and, in case of membership
in more than one meeting, may select the meeting in which to cast
that vote.
5.4. Procedures for electing meeting delegates shall be consistent
with generally accepted principles of democracy and fairness, striving
for simplicity and consensus. At meetings at in-patient facilities
and at halfway houses and similar institutions with highly transient
populations the convenor shall be recognized as the delegate.
[Second sentence added 3/17/02]
5.5. Each delegate may cast one vote at the Congress.
5.6. Current members of the Board of Directors, officers, and current
Regional Representatives shall be delegates to the Congress. [Amended
2010]
5.7. The LifeRing Congress is the supreme deliberative and legislative
body of the organization.
5.8. The two-thirds majority of the Congress is binding on the Board
of Directors and on the officers and operational entities.
5.9. The Congress may not abrogate or substantially amend the fundamental
purposes for which LifeRing is chartered.
5.10. Robert’s Rules of Order shall apply to the procedures of the
Congress to the extent they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws
or with procedural rules the Congress may adopt.
Article 6. Board of Directors
6.1. LifeRing Inc. shall have a Board of Directors consisting of nine
members. [Amended 2006]
6.2. Board members shall serve three-year terms.
6.3. Three members of the Board shall be elected at each Congress.
[Amended 2006]
6.4. The Board of Directors shall have the following powers and
duties:
6.4.1. The Board shall control the budgets and audit the
finances of the operating entities in such a way as to
implement the consensus of the Congress and to safeguard the
financial integrity of the organization.
6.4.2. In order to protect the good name of the LifeRing
organization, the Board shall have the power, subject to
ratification at the next following Congress, to suspend or
revoke any charter, or to refuse to issue a charter, in cases
where a group persistently and substantially violates a
fundamental principle of LifeRing Inc. as to abstinence,
secularity or self-help. [Amended 2004]
6.4.3. The Board shall supervise, appoint, and remove the
officers defined in Article 7 and the coordinators of the
operating entities defined in Article 8.
6.4.4. The Board shall have the power to form temporary
working committees, advisory bodies, and task forces as may
be required.
6.4.5. The Board shall make an annual written report on its
activities and its financial stewardship to the Congress.
6.4.6. The Board shall set the time and place of the next
Congress.
6.4.7. The Board shall comply with all provisions of the law
applicable to nonprofit charitable corporations.
6.4.8. The Board shall have the power to grant a charter to one
not-for-profit organization in each geographical jurisdiction,
empowering that organization to issue and to suspend or
revoke meeting charters within that geographical jurisdiction,
on terms consistent with these Bylaws. [Added 2004]
6.4.9. The Board shall have the power to appoint and remove
Regional Representatives. Such Regional Representatives
shall provide support to existing meetings and encouragement for
the formation of new meetings within a region specified by the Board,
including one or more on-line regions. The responsibilities of the
Regional Representatives shall be specified by the Board. [added
2010]
6.4.9.1 The Board shall conform, if practicable, the boundaries of
the Regional Representatives to the boundaries of any not-for-
profit organizations established under Article 6.4.8 [added 2010]
6.4.9.2 Regional Representatives may appoint Area Representatives
within a portion of their Region to assist them. [added 2010]
6.5. A Board member shall be a person in recovery from a substance
addiction, a member of LifeRing Secular Recovery, at least 21 years
old, and shall have abstained from alcohol and illicit or nonmedically
indicated drugs continuously for at least two years prior
to commencing service.
6.6. A Board member who knowingly consumes alcohol or illicit or
nonmedically indicated drugs shall be deemed to have resigned effective
immediately.
6.7. Annual meeting. The Board shall meet face-to-face each year at
the conclusion of each annual Congress, if feasible; and newly
elected directors will begin their service at the commencement of
that meeting. [Amended 3/2/03]
6.8. Special meetings. The Board may also meet at such other times
and places as may be appropriate. Except at the Annual Meeting
described in paragraph 6.7 any mode of electronic communication
which permits all directors to communicate in real time with all
others shall be lawful for purposes of a Board meeting under these
Bylaws.
6.9. Any director may convene a Board meeting by giving written
notice at least seven days in advance to all other Board members
stating the time, place and proposed business of the meeting. Any
notice, consent or waiver that must be given in writing under these
Bylaws may be given via email.
6.10. Four directors shall constitute a quorum for a meeting of the
Board. [Amended 3/2/03]
6.11. The Board may take action without a meeting, or may meet on
shortened notice, provided all directors consent to the action and/or
waive notice in writing. These consents and/or waivers shall be
made part of the minutes.
6.12. If a Board member is absent without medical necessity from
the Annual Meeting or from two successive special meetings, or
persistently and substantially acts in a way that injures the good
name of the organization, the remaining directors, upon giving at
least thirty days written notice and opportunity to be heard, by their
unanimous vote may remove that director from the Board.
6.13. In case of a premature vacancy on the Board, the remaining
Board members shall elect a replacement to serve until the next
Congress, at which time a special election shall be held to fill any
unexpired term.
6.14. Board members may serve successive terms without limitation.
6.15. No Board member or officer shall have the power to bind the
corporation to any contract or to pledge its credit or incur any other
liability or obligation without prior authorization by the Board.
6.16. Board members shall serve without compensation. No Board
member shall receive reimbursement for expenses incurred in connection
with service to LifeRing Inc. or its entities.
6.17 The Board, at the first meeting after the conclusion of the Annual
LifeRing Congress shall elect a Chairman of the Board for the following
year. The Chairman shall serve at the pleasure of the Board as a whole.
Actions to elect or remove the Chairman shall require an absolute majority
of the Board (five votes). The Chairman shall be empowered to represent
the actions of the Board to outside agencies and shall take on other
responsibilities as the Board shall assign. [Added 2010]
Article 7. Officers
7.1. LifeRing Inc. shall have the officers required by law, namely an
Executive Director, a Treasurer, and a Secretary. In addition, the Board
may appoint one or more Coordinators to serve under the direction
of the Executive Director. Said Coordinators shall have such
responsibilities as the Board may delegate. [amended 2010]
7.1.1 The Executive Director shall serve as the organization’s chief
executive officer, shall comply with the duties required by the law for
such an officer, and shall have such other responsibilities as the
Board may delegate. [amended 2010]
7.1.2. The Treasurer shall comply with the duties
required by the law, shall keep the books and render financial
reports, and shall have such other responsibilities as the Board
may delegate. [amended 2010]
7.1.3. The Secretary shall comply with the duties required by
the law, shall keep minutes of Board meetings, and shall have
such other responsibilities as the Board may delegate.
7.2. The officers shall be appointed by and shall serve at the pleasure
of the Board of Directors.
7.3. An officer shall be a person in recovery from a substance addiction,
a member of LifeRing Secular Recovery, at least 21 years old,
and shall have abstained from alcohol and illicit or non-medically
indicated drugs continuously for at least one year prior to commencing
service.
7.4. An officer who knowingly consumes alcohol or illicit or nonmedically
indicated drugs shall be deemed to have resigned effective
immediately.
7.5. Officers shall serve without compensation.
Article 8. Operational Entities
8.1. LifeRing shall maintain a Service Center and a Press and such
other operational entities as the Board may establish subject to ratification
by the next following Congress.
8.2. Service Center
8.2.1. This entity shall be known as the LifeRing Secular
Recovery Service Center.
8.2.2. The purpose of the Service Center shall be to serve the
meetings. Toward that end, it shall:
8.2.2.1. Publish and maintain an online list of both face-toface
and electronic LifeRing Secular Recovery meetings.
8.2.2.2. Act as a reference for meeting space providers and
supply them with required documentation concerning the
status of LifeRing Inc. and of the particular meeting.
8.2.2.3. Maintain an Internet presence for LifeRing Secular
Recovery.
8.2.2.4. Operate as an information and referral service for
the meetings using all appropriate media.
8.2.2.5. Operate a speakers’ bureau.
8.2.2.6. Conduct workshops and similar educational events
for convenors and other members and the general public.
8.2.2.7. Provide a source of supplies for meetings.
8.2.2.8. Receive and account for financial contributions
from the meetings.
8.2.2.9. Do all other things necessary and appropriate for
the creation of new meetings and the support of existing
ones.
8.3. Press
8.3.1. This entity shall be known as LifeRing Press.
8.3.2. LifeRing Press shall publish and distribute pamphlets,
books, and other-media publications for the purpose of
educating members and the general public about the purpose
and methods of LifeRing Secular Recovery
8.4. Professional Advisory Board. The Board of Directors shall
establish the LifeRing Professional Advisory Board, consisting of
professionals in the chemical dependency treatment field and in
related areas who are sympathetic to the aims of LifeRing Secular
Recovery and are in a position to assist with the progress of the
LifeRing organization. The powers of the LifeRing Professional
Advisory Board shall be advisory only. [Added 2006].
Article 9. Principal Office
The principal office of the corporation for the transaction of business
is located in Alameda County, California. The corporation may
establish additional offices as may be lawful and appropriate.
Article 10. Amendments
The Congress may amend these Bylaws by a two-thirds majority,
except that the Congress shall have no power to amend the Articles
of Incorporation of LifeRing Inc. or any statement in these Bylaws
that appears in the Articles of Incorporation.
Article 11. LifeRing Meeting Charter
LifeRing, Inc. hereby grants
the_________________________________________ (location or
Internet address) meeting this charter to display the LifeRing logo
and to use the name, “LifeRing Secular Recovery” and any short
forms thereof, to promote abstinence, secularity and self-help. This
charter is valid so long as the Meeting remains actively dedicated to
these goals. For the duration of this charter, LifeRing Secular Recovery
Service Center promises to list the Meeting on the LifeRing
meeting list, to notify the Meeting of any publications or events that
may affect it, to include the Meeting in the democratic internal decision-
making process of LifeRing Inc. pursuant to the LifeRing Bylaws,
and to serve the Meeting’s needs to the best of its ability. In
turn, the Meeting promises to keep the LSR Service Center informed
of the current name, address, phone number, and, if applicable,
email address, of at least one contact person for the Meeting, to
notify the Center promptly of any change in its meeting time, place,
Internet address if applicable, or description, and to support LifeRing
Inc. financially to the extent the Meeting sees fit. LifeRing, Inc.,
owner of the LifeRing logo and of the service mark “LifeRing Secular
Recovery,” is chartered as a nonprofit corporation to serve recovering
alcoholics and addicts, and the general public, by organizing
meetings dedicated to sobriety, secularity and self-help, and by
providing educational information toward that end. By “sobriety”
LifeRing means complete abstinence from alcohol and illicit or nonmedically
indicated drugs.
[Signatures on behalf of LifeRing Inc. and of Meeting]
[End]
