Bylaws or a summary/statement of purpose are part of the requirements to register with the World Service Office. Bylaws disclose a service body’s rules and principles that define its structure. They prevent conflict between groups and the group conscience of OA as a whole as determined by the World Service Business Conference.
Bylaws describe such topics as member categories, identification of the officers and their main duties, financial policies, etc. They also may show new service-position holders what their key responsibilities are. (More detailed job descriptions are described in a policies and procedures manual.)
As your service body grows, your bylaws will need to be changed to provide consistency over time.
Sources: Document Library on oa.org under the category “Bylaws”:
- Introduction to the Sample Intergroup/Service Board Bylaws template
- Sample Intergroup Bylaws template (DOCX file)
- Sample National Service Board Bylaws template (DOCX file)
- Sample Specific-Focus or Language Service Board Bylaws template (DOCX file)
- Sample Intergroup or National Service Board Summary of Purpose template (DOCX file)
- Sample Specific-Focus or Language Service Board Summary of Purpose template (DOCX file)
- Suggestions for Starting an Intergroup/Service Board