Website Committee

Mission Statement

The purpose of the Area 11 Connecticut General Service Committee, Inc. website is to carry the message of Alcoholics Anonymous by providing a resource on the Internet where information can be obtained about Alcoholics Anonymous in general and in relation to Area 11, Connecticut.

Area 11 Website Committee Guidelines

Area 11 Connecticut General Service Committee, Inc. Website Committee (the “Committee”) maintains, operates and improves the ct-aa.org website (the “Website”).

The purpose of the Website is to carry the message of Alcoholics Anonymous by facilitating Service participation, fostering communication, simplifying the process of locating meetings and events, promoting collaboration of Service Committees, and providing a platform  to deliver current information, about Alcoholics Anonymous in general and in relation to Area 11, Connecticut.

• The Website’s emphasis is on information furnished by the Area standing committees and officers, as outlined in the current Area 11 Service Directory/Guidelines. We may also publish AA related information and events when requested by the web representative of a District, intergroup, Service Committee or Area 11 Event or District event, the district chairperson, the district registrar and/or Area 11 registered groups. North East Regional events may be included as well.
• In keeping with our 5th and 10th Traditions, the Website will only contain materials that discuss, explain, and relate to Alcoholics Anonymous.
• With respect to our 7th Tradition, the Area will be responsible for paying any fees associated with the Website within the Area Committee-approved budget.
• In keeping with our 11th and 12th Traditions, respecting anonymity at the public level, the Website will contain neither pictures, full names, nor telephone numbers of members of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Personally identifiable e-mails on event flyers are not permitted. Every effort is made to provide an anonymous email address for Area 11 standing committees, officers, and related others.
• The Committee is responsible for the e-mail domain and administration of Area officers and committees, including ad hoc committees.
• As discussed in the AA Service Manual, all quotes from copyrighted literature will be credited to AA World Services, Inc. or The Grapevine, Inc., as appropriate.  Wholesale reproduction of materials published by AA World Services, Inc, or Grapevine Inc. is discouraged, in favor of linking to the relevant source at the appropriate website.
• The Website may, at the Committee’s discretion, link to:
  • aa.org (AAWS) and aagrapevine.org (Grapevine)
  • content pertaining to AA, or alcoholism
  • payment gateway portals and hotel websites for on-line registration to events, and for on-line group and individual contributions, to other intergroups, and
  • event websites that are maintained by valid groups, associations or entities existing within the AA service structure.
• The Website will be maintained by the Committee including all content and links, as trusted servants, entrusted with the right of decision.  Any questions about the propriety of any content may be referred to the Area Service Committee for resolution.
• In keeping with the 1st Tradition, the Website shall not be a venue for controversy, and in all things the Committee will decide matters consistent with the ideal of unity.

Committee Positions:

• Chairperson
• Webmaster/Co-chair
• Recording Secretary
• Corresponding Secretary
• Events Chair
• Website Reviewer
• District Chairs (14) – District Chairs may also hold one of the positions listed above

Responsibilities of committee positions:

Chairperson:

• Schedules monthly Committee meetings and creates and distributes agendas for the meetings.
• Chairs monthly committee meetings and/or teleconferences.
• Attends Area 11 Service Committee meetings and reports on Committee’s activities to Area 11.
• Keeps Committee aware of information from Area 11 Service Committee meetings.
• Creates and maintains a budget for the Committee.
• Works with other special service committee chairs and Area 11 officers to obtain and distribute service material and maintain communication between the Committee and other service committees and area officers.
• Arranges for space at Area 11 events to disseminate information about the website and obtain feedback from CT AA members.
• Attends district meetings as needed and maintains communication with district service officers to ensure that all districts are represented on the Committee.
• Works with the Webmaster to maintain email addresses for Area 11 officers and special service committee chairs and to administer ct-aa.org.
• Act in the stead of the Webmaster in Webmaster’s absence.
• Ensures that the Committee performs its responsibilities according to Committee guidelines and to AA tradition.
• Maintains a backup of all tangible hard copy files of contact lists, user names and passwords for all account log-ins for the Website accounts.

Webmaster/Co-Chair:

• Maintains email addresses for Area 11 officers and special service committee chairs.
• Primary system administrator for ct-aa.org.
• Responsible for site design updates, site content (as listed below), and software updates as needed.
• Fills in for the Chairperson when necessary.
• Primary contact for professional IT Support, domain registration, hosting company, DR site hosting and any other third party. Maintains tangible hard copy files of contact lists, user name, and passwords for all account log-in for the Website accounts.

Recording Secretary:

• Takes minutes at website committee meetings and teleconferences.
• Distributes meeting minutes to the committee.

Corresponding Secretary:

• Answers emails that come through ct-aa.org, forwarding them to the appropriate service committees when necessary.
• Copies the Committee (or the Webmaster and the Chairperson ) on his/her responses to incoming emails.
• This position requires experience in AA service, an understanding of AA service structure, and an ability to communicate with potential newcomers and families of alcoholics.
• Emails that come through ct-aa.org need to be answered promptly.
• Maintains a current list of Committee members and their contact information.

Events Chair:

• Updates information on ct-aa.org that comes to [email protected].
• Communicates with individuals who send information about district and group AA events.
• Ensures that all events and fliers posted adhere to the Website Submission Guidelines.
• Responsible for site updates (as listed below).

Website Reviewer:

• Periodically reviews each section of the Website, checking for broken links, spelling and grammatical errors, and any information posted that may conflict with the Website Submission Guidelines.

District Chairs (14):

• Communicate information about the website and the website committee to districts at monthly district meetings.
• Bring any district concerns and feedback to the Committee.
• Encourage district members to submit events and district information to the District Pages.
• Maintain district pages for their respective districts if desired (In the event of vacancies the Events Chair and Webmaster will maintain these pages).

Chairs – Other:

• Any Area 11 Event Committee or other Area 11 Service Committee (or other valid groups, associations or entities existing within the AA service structure, at the discretion of the Committee subject to the 1st Tradition) may nominate a chair to the Committee, whose responsibility it will be to coordinate the placement and management of content pertaining to the nominating committee’s pages on the Website.

All Committee members are responsible for attending monthly website committee meetings and/or teleconferences.

Website Content Responsibilities (Primary responsibility rests with the position(s) listed, others may update the pages as needed.):

• Home/AA information pages – Webmaster.
• Answering Services & Meeting Lists – Webmaster (and Schedules Committee) and/or Chair –Other –as applicable.
• News & Events – Events Chair.
• District Pages – Events Chair and District Chairs.
• Service Committees and Area 11 Service Information Pages, Including Area Calendars, Alkilines, and Delegate’s Reports – Webmaster and/or Chair –Other –as applicable.

Registration / Online Payment Integration:

• Requires at least 3 months advance representation on Committee Prior to Event.
• Event committee should provide wire frame documents.
• Text and graphic content is the responsibility of Event committee.
• Event committee will need to establish and provide: venue coupon codes, PayPal (or current payment gateway provider) account mapping, export e-mail.
• One week prior to Event, the Committee will provide a database of all registered individuals (csv or excel).

Third Party IT Support

• Disaster Recovery of site
• Back up of all log-ins and admin functions
• Server patches and updates
• Site maintenance and updates, bug fixes
• Special projects as needed, as approved by Committee and Delegate.