Concept Eight: The Trustees of the World Service Board act in two primary capacities:
(a) With respect to the larger matters of overall policy and finance, they are the principal planners and administrators. They and their primary committees directly manage these affairs.
(b) But with respect to our separately incorporated and constantly active services, the relation of the Trustees is mainly that of custodial oversight which they exercise through their ability to elect all Directors of these entities.
Cocaine Anonymous World Service Office Minutes, July 23, 2016, p. 9-10
From the World Service Manual, “the responsibility of this board is to deal with anything that affects CA as a whole, internally or externally. All things that may endanger the existence of our Fellowship or limit our growth are of concern to the WSBT.” This is a heavy obligation, and one that can only be done if the lessor, more mundane responsibilities of the General Service Board are carried out by separately incorporated entities, such as the World Service Office Board. The WSBT can then concentrate their efforts on policy, finance, group relations, public relations and leadership. This the WSBT does through the use of committees.
The committees of the World Service Board of Trustees (WSBT) are Finance, Legal, World Service Conference, Trustee Negotiating, Trustee Election, Long Term Planning, Orientation, NewsGram, Outreach and International Structure and Development. The members of these committees can be C.A. members, non‐members and professional people, as these members must, by the very nature of their responsibility, be familiar with the practices of law and accounting, as well as international affairs. It is the responsibility of the WSBT to “skillfully plan, manage and execute” these serious functions.
In order for them to do so, they must delegate executive functions to separately incorporated entities, in this case the World Service Office Board (WSOB). This board carries out the day to day business of Cocaine Anonymous, and does so at the direction of the WSBT and the World Service Conference. The WSOB consists of ten directors, who are also members of WSC committees. The WSOB is responsible for money coming in and going out of the Fellowship, the day to day operation of the Fellowship and operation of the World Service Conference Committee and the World Service Convention Committee.
With this structure, the function of the Trustees is custodial oversight, “which they exercise with their ability to elect all directors”, and through participation on the WSOB and WSC. Placing the handling of the Fellowships money in the hands of the WSOB helps keep any one entity from having too much power in the structure, and serves to mediate and temper their relationship. So this concept basically describes the responsibility of the World Service Board of Trustees as the principal planners and administrator of our over‐all policy and finance, long term growth and ability to carry the message to the still suffering addict. At the same time, they are charged with the oversight of WSOB and their administration of Cocaine Anonymous’ daily affairs.
Clarifying Questions and Answers:
Q: What is the difference in responsibilities between the WSBT and WSOB? A: The World Service Office Board (WSOB) carries out the day to day business of Cocaine Anonymous, and does so at the direction of the WSBT and the World Service Conference. The World Service Board of Trustees (WSBT) concentrates their efforts on policy, finance, group relations, public relations and leadership and does this through the use of committees.
Q: Who makes up these WSBT Committees? A: They can be C.A. members, non‐members and professional people, as these members must, by the very nature of their responsibility, be familiar with the practices of law and accounting, as well as international affairs.
Q: What does Trustee custodial oversight mean? A: The WSBT can elect all directors”, and through participation on the WSOB and WSC. The WSBT, as the principal planners and administrator of C.A.’s over‐all policy and finance, long term growth and ability to carry the message to the still suffering addict. At the same time, the WSBT are charged with the oversight of WSOB and their administration of Cocaine Anonymous’ daily affairs.
Q: What does this custodial oversight accomplish? A: This helps keep any one entity from having too much power in the structure, and serves to mediate and temper their relationship.