(Click here to see the currently elected officers)

Article 1 Organization Name: Citylights New York, Citylightsnyc.org

 

Article 2 Organizational purpose

Section 1: Non-profit purpose

This organization is organized exclusively for educational and spiritual purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

Section 2: Purpose

Citylights is a

1. Local SLAA fellowship based in NYC
2. With coed, open meetings.
3. Meetings focus on both reading and topic study related to SLAA
4. As well as sharing and getting current.
5. Meetings are safe, sober and beginner-friendly.
6. Meetings are held in modern, bright and handicapped-accessible spaces
7. Meetings also have a complete array of subsidized literature
8. Meetings adhere to the slaa 12 steps, traditions and concepts

 

Article 3 Membership

As a part of SLAA, there is no separate membership for attending Citylights meetings.  As it states in our Third Tradition, “the only requirement for SLAA membership is a desire to stop living out a pattern of sex and love addiction.”

 

Article 4 Meetings

Section 1: Affiliation

1. For a meeting to be affiliated with Citylights it must adhere to the bylaws and script
2. To end affiliation status with Citylights a meeting must announce at at least 3 meetings the motion to end affiliation, have that motion be announced at at least one bi-monthly citylights business meeting, and that motion must pass with ¾ of those voting at a particular meeting after being announced at a Citylights business meeting.
3. To end affiliation, a meeting also has to return the banners or reimburse Citylights for the banners; see article 10, item 7
4. New meetings must be registered with Citylights in adherence with article 10

Section 2: Business meetings

1. Business meetings will be held at the largest Citylights regular available space
2. Business meetings are held every 2 months
3. Business meetings elect officers according to article 6
4. Business meetings approve script changes
5. Script changes beyond the first script, which is automatically approved with the initial bylaws ratification, require ¾ of those voting at a business meeting. Script changes must follow the markup method described under “script chair”
6. Business meetings must adhere to all articles of the bylaws
7. To vote at a business meeting, a person must have attended at least one Citylights meeting

Section 3: Capacity

All Citylights meetings will find out in advance the stated meeting capacities and adhere to those capacities at all times.

 

Article 5 Bylaws amendments

1. A ¾ vote of those present at a business meeting are required for a Bylaws to be amended
2. A seconded motion for a bylaw amendment needs to be announced for the meetings between 2 business meetings before it can be debated
3. A seconded motion for a bylaw change can be an item for discussion at the meeting there is an initial motion for it

 

Article 6 Officers

Section 1

1. Bylaws based officer terms begin at the end of the business meeting September 8, 2018
2. 51% approval voting business meeting attendees are required to fill officer position
3. If a position is not filled,
   1. it is announced at the relevant meeting during the announcement section,
   2. and an officer can be elected at that meeting.
   3. However, officer positions that apply to all of Citylights are announced at the announcement section,
   4. but only can be filled at the business meeting.
   5. Until the all meeting officer position is filled, the secretary fills that position, excluding co-chair positions and particular meeting positions.

Section 2 Specific officer positions and responsibilities

1. Co-chairs (6)
   1. At least one Sunday co-chair must have finished step 9 with a sponsor
   2. Can only co-chair one Manhattan meeting during a given term
   3. Rotation of co-chairs is strongly encouraged.
   4. Co-chairs cover and/or delegate duties specifically for the meetings they chair if positions are unfilled
   5. Term: 4 months
   6. Must be known to the group
   7. Studies and implements traditions 2, 5, 12, & concepts 3, 4, 5, and 12
2. Business meeting chair
   1. Can not serve more than 1 consecutive term at a time unless no one else willing to be business chair
   2. Must follow Robert’s Rules of Order and
   3. Must adhere to the SLAA traditions and the concepts in the application of Robert’s Rules of Order
   4. Must gain, before first business meeting, familiarity with Robert’s Rules of Order, the SLAA traditions and the SLAA concepts
   5. When letting members speak on a topic or motion, must let everyone be given an opportunity to speak once before speaking again
   6. In a contentious matter, must let at least 2 people speak for a matter then 2 people against
   7. All complicated matters and motions need to be written down and passed around to those voting before a vote occurs
   8. Must make proper agenda timing the highest priority
   9. Should write down agenda, including dynamic agenda on a whiteboard or other visual
   10. Must give minority opinions due consideration
   11. Must allow those to appeal, including immediately after a vote
   12. Must strive for substantial unanimity in all matters
   13. Term: 4 months
   14. Must be known to the group
   15. Studies and implements tradition 2 & concepts 3, 4, 5, and 12
3. Outreach chair
   1. Handles and decides matters of outreach such as outreach booths
   2. Term: 1 year
   3. Must be known to the group
   4. Must have completed the 8th step with a sponsor in this program
   5. Must have at least 2 months continuous sobriety
   6. Sobriety requirement for this position can only be changed by amending the by laws
   7. All key outreach decisions must be made with the outreach co-chair
   8. Both outreach officers must have 2 months sobriety and completed the 8th step at the time of those decisions
   9. Studies and implements step 12 & traditions 5, 11 and 12
4. Outreach co-chair
   1. Same sobriety and step requirements as outreach chair
   2. Supports outreach chair in all key outreach decisions
   3. All key outreach decisions require both outreach officers to agree on those decisions
5. Co-chairs to handle committee that creates new meetings (2)
   1. Breather chair will automatically be one of the co-chairs,
   2. together they establish new meetings,
   3. And submit their approved meetings to the business meeting
   4. Term: 1 year
   5. Must be known to the group
   6. Must have completed step 8 with a sponsor
   7. 2 founding members can veto selection of these co chairs
6. Workshop and Reading Agenda Chair
   1. Sets workshop and reading agenda
   2. Term: 1 year
   3. Must be known to the group
   4. Must have completed step 9 with a sponsor
7. Script chair
   1. Makes proposals for script revisions at business meeting
   2. Term: 1 year
   3. Must be known to the group
   4. Maintain two versions of the script, one with the markups, showing strikethroughs for deletions from the previous version and underlining and italicizing additions. The script version number will be updated when approved in the business meeting see article 4 section 2
8. Business meeting agenda chair
   1. Submits new agenda items for the business meeting
   2. Term: 6 months
   3. Must be known to the group
9. Website manager
   1. Website matters not requiring review such as technical problems, spelling, grammar, or incorrect data are handled directly by the website manager
   2. Website matters requiring review are handled by substantial unanimity of the of the website matters committee
   3. Handle matters of website, coordinating with the relevant officers:
   4. posting what the reading and workshop topics will be in advance
   5. and the first name of co chairs
   6. and the title of the weekly prayer.
   7. Term: 1 year
   8. Must be known to the group
   9. Studies and implements step 12 & traditions 11 and 12
10. Website matters committee member
    1. Participates in all serious website content matters
    2. Must have completed at least step 9 with a sponsor
11. Substitute chair scheduler (1 – 3)
    1. When a chair can’t chair, finds substitute
    2. Term: 6 months
    3. Must be known to the group
12. Breather relations chair (1 – 2)
    1. Deals with all Breather issues as a liaison between Breather and the co-chairs
    2. Term: 1 year
    3. Must be known to the group
13. Intergroup (the business meeting for all the NYC groups) Representative (3)
    1. Act as liaison, go between, for specific meetings and intergroup
    2. Work on intergroup committees as necessary
    3. Participate in some intergroup emails
    4. Present agenda of upcoming intergroup meetings at the Citylights business meeting for input from Citylights on what proposals to take to intergroup on behalf of Citylights
    5. Since the NY Intergroup meets every month and the Citylights business meetings are every two months, consult the co-chairs of Citylights meeting(s) on what issues to take to Intergroup
14. Secretary
    1. Handle Breather reservations with Treasurer starting in January 2020
    2. Keep time at business meeting
    3. Keep track of meeting agenda, with business chair
    4. Take typed notes for business meeting
    5. Term: 6 months
    6. Keeps track of officer names and term limits; gets this listed on the website
    7. Must be known to the group
    8. Covers or delegates vacant Citylights-wide duties if those positions are unfilled
15. Treasurers (3)
    1. Keep track of  meeting’s intake of monies
    2. Keep track of meeting’s expenses
    3. Keep track of pro-rated suggested meeting contributions towards website expenses, based on a proportion that is derived from the capacity for that particular meeting
    4. Announce at each meeting suggested contribution for each member based on capacity
    5. Starting January 2020, for Breather based meetings, to reimburse secretary or whoever handles the Breather RSVP with monies from meeting intake
    6. Give report of finances at the business meeting
    7. Term: 6 months
    8. See Breather issues for financial targets for Breather based meetings.
    9. Must be known to the group
    10. Studies and implements the 7th tradition
16. Literature chair (3)
    1. Handles literature matters
    2. Term: 4 months
    3. Must be known to the group
    4. Interface with local intergroup literature person
    5. Or obtain from choices bookstore
    6. Or fellowship wide services
17. Bottom line pamphlet nudger (1 – 3)
    1. Announces importance of bottom lines
    2. and informs newcomers of bottom line pamphlet options
    3. Term: 1 year
    4. Must be known to the group
18. Creative concierge
    1. Term: 4 months
    2. Known to the group
    3. Takes note of the small things (example: crystals) that make Citylights special, and maintains an image checklist
    4. Changes to the image checklist need to be approved by 75% vote at the business meeting, and do not need to be announced in advance
19. Male and female (other genders welcome beyond 2) newcomer greeters (2 for each meeting) (6 total)
    1. Term: 1 year
    2. Greet newcomer members of their gender after each meeting,
    3. exchanging numbers
    4. and emailing bottom lines pamphlet if non available
    5. Must be known to the group
    6. Studies and implements step 12 and tradition 5
20. Opening prayer finder
    1. Finds weekly prayer
    2. Term: 2 months
    3. Must be known to the group
21. Meeting Screen Poster (4)
    1. Responsible for posting website to screens during meetings (if a screen is available)
    2. Term: 4 months
    3. Must be known to the group
22. Capacity Matters person (4)
    1. When applicable, posts and creates the signs about capacity on the door found in the script
    2. Informs those who come in above capacity about capacity
    3. Not all meetings will require signs; see script and chair
23. Banner matters person (3)
    1. Stores banners
    2. Puts up and takes down banners
24. Printing person (3)
    1. Prints out reading and or workshop items based on the capacity of each meeting. Directs any questions to the workshop and agenda chair, article 6, 19

 

Article 7 Breather matters

1. Breather is a convenient uber of space rentals that some Citylights meetings use for space needs.
2. Starting January 1, 2020, Breather reservations need to be in the name of the Treasurer or the Secretary, and a reserve of one week needs to be in the treasury for the cost of that meeting. We strive for a balanced financial contribution starting January 1, 2020,  with the contribution for meeting reservation to spread relatively evenly across attendees. Treasurers will start announcing in June 2019 that we are seeking to meet this target.
3. Meeting chairs must follow Breather maximum stated capacity at all times
4. Meetings will only allow a limit of those able to sit around the main tables of meeting spaces, as opposed to including seating for side spaces
5. Reimbursement from treasury: the Treasurer can reimburse up to 1 hour per non- business meeting and for the total length of business meetings, providing the funds are available.

 

Article 8 Workshop and reading meetings

Section 1: Workshop meetings

1. The co-chair leading 10-minute workshop topics such as “resentment inventory”, “fear inventory”, etc. must have completed the given topic 3 times prior to leading the workshop. If that is not the case at the time of the meeting, the co-chair must: 
   1. hand over the 10-minute workshop portion to someone who has.
   2. Only if no one can be found to do “a” above, that workshop is replaced by a 10 minute longer share-time period.
   3. No exceptions or excuses can be made on this matter.
2. Workshop and meeting agendas are set by the Workshop and Reading Agenda Chair; however, the co-chair leading a particular workshop meeting can choose their own topic 50% of the time.
3. Workshop and reading agenda posted to the website in advance of the meeting

Section 2: Reading meetings

1. Chair of reading meetings must use readings scheduled by Workshop and Reading Agenda Chair.
2. Reading content will be provided to the meeting chair by the Workshop and Reading Agenda Chair

 

Article 9 Prayer and Prayer Finder

During the introduction a prayer is read by the chair. That prayer will be selected by the Prayer Finder. If no prayer is found for that week by the Prayer Finder, the meeting reverts to the Serenity Prayer. The weekly prayer is posted to the website.

 

Article 10 Specific Citylights meetings and meeting registration

1. New meetings must register, and bylaws must be amended to include them at the next business meeting
2. New meeting co-chairs must unanimously agree to the desire to be affiliated with Citylights prior to business meeting registration
3. Citylights current meetings (as of this writing, 2018-08-30) are Fridays at 9 PM, Saturdays at 6:30 PM, and Sundays at 5 PM.
4. Friday 9 PM meetings alternate between reading and workshop meetings.
5. Saturday 6:30 PM meeting is a reading meeting
6. Sunday meeting is a workshop meeting
7. Approved meetings will receive the characteristics and steps banners, costing Citylights $200 (printed by Vistaprint), and delivered within 3 business days
8. All current Citylights meetings are 1 hour in length

 

Article 11 Member financial contributions

While there is no limit on contributions a meeting attendee can make to Citylights, we ask that all members and officers attempt to balance contribution to Citylights, especially according to article 7, item 2 and Tradition 7, on meetings being fully self-supporting and Concept 12.a: “that it never becomes the seat of perilous wealth”

Article 12 Website Matters Committee

The website matters committee consists of the Citylights founding member Dan M and the other member, and the website manager. The committee handles all serious content matters. The website owner, Dan M, can veto all decisions. Also see article 6 item 11.

Article 13 left blank for good luck

 

Article 14 matters related to all meetings

All meetings need to adhere to the given script.

In the event of a meeting that focuses exclusively on shares, the script will be adapted and the new meeting registration process described above will be followed.

Double-dipping and timing of shares: the chair, with the timekeeper, can adjust the timing of shares according to the guidelines in the current script. However, double-dipping can only occur after the reading and/or Workshop portion of the script has finished; it cannot occur in place of reading and/or Workshop items.