Cape Atlantic Intergroup
BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of the Association is Cape/Atlantic Intergroup.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
Cape Atlantic Intergroup is a voluntary association of A.A. groups, which exists to serve those groups in their
common purpose to carry the A.A. message to the alcoholic that still suffers.

ARTICLE III: FUNCTIONS
These functions may include, but are not limited to:

A. A.A. INQUIRIES: By providing an A.A. listing in the local telephone directory, the intergroup office may
receive inquiries from those seeking help. They will refer the caller to the appropriate A.A. group or have one of
our many Twelfth Step volunteers contact them.
B. OFFICE FACILITIES: Maintain a conveniently located office central to all of the member groups in which paid
workers and/or volunteers are available to carry the message of A.A. to the alcoholic.
C. INFORMATION EXCHANGE: Serve as a clearinghouse for the circulation and exchange of information
among the A.A. groups in the counties (Atlantic, Cape May and parts of Ocean and Burlington).
1. May prepare publication for distribution to member groups.
2. Maintain and update a website specific to the Cape/Atlantic Intergroup.
D. LOCAL COMMITTEES ON PUBLIC INFORMATION AND COOPERATION WITH THE PROFESSIONAL
COMMUNITY:
1. Making arrangements for A.A. speakers at the request of non-alcoholic groups.
2. Assisting the press and other media in the development of articles and publicity about Alcoholics
Anonymous and A.A. groups, ever reminding them of our anonymity as individuals.
3. Cooperation with other community agencies, which deal with the alcoholic. We do not affiliate with
any of these agencies.
E. INSTITUTIONS: Maintain contact with correctional facilities and treatment centers; provide literature and
arrange for A.A. speakers as requested.
F. MEETING LISTS: At regular intervals, publish an up-to-date list of meetings and other A.A. services.
G. LOCAL A.A. EVENTS: Manage the details of the Unity Committee such as dinners, picnics, or any social
affair the member groups request.

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
Any A.A. group (as defined in the A.A. Group Pamphlet P-16) that elects to do so, may participate upon
registering the Group Representative and/or Alternate with Cape Atlantic Intergroup. This generally is done
through the Recording Secretary, but can also be done through the Chairperson or Corresponding Secretary.

ARTICLE V: INTERGROUP ACTION
A. Effective Intergroup action shall be instituted by representatives of member groups. Each member group will
choose one Representative and one Alternate to serve for them, the Alternate to function in the absence of the
Representative. Each group has only one (1) vote.
B. Groups can only speak through their representatives. All A.A. members are welcome to attend all Steering
Committee and Intergroup meetings. They are requested to refrain from speaking, unless, at the Chairperson’s
discretion, the topic is opened for their comments and opinions.
C. Representatives from at least ten (10) member groups shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of official
business. Official business is defined as any transaction that requires a vote. Should a quorum not exist, a
meeting will be held for informational purposes only (i.e.: committee reports and institutional commitments).
D. Official Business shall be conducted at a Business Meeting held on a monthly basis at 7:30 PM on the third
Wednesday of every month. The location of the Business Meeting should remain “fixed” and made known to the
Member Group Representatives. The Correspondence Secretary must notify the Member Groups in writing, at
least six (6) days prior, if a temporary change in the location of the Business Meeting is necessary. Any
permanent change in the location of the Business Meeting should be published in the Business Meeting Minutes
for three consecutive months prior to the change.
E. Special meetings, in case of important situations, may be called for at a regular Business Meeting with date,
time and place acceptable to a majority of the representatives present. If a special meeting between regular
monthly Business Meetings is called for, the Correspondence Secretary must notify the Member Groups in
writing at least six (6) days prior to the said meeting, giving the date, time and place of the meeting.

ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS
The Intergroup Representatives shall elect a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Recording Secretary,
Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer and such other officers deemed necessary. All officers
shall perform such duties as outlined in the A.A. guidelines and/or as authorized by the Intergroup
Representatives.
The Chairperson shall appoint committee chairpersons and may dismiss committee chairperson at their
discretion. Committee chairpersons are subject to rotation at the end of the appointing chairpersons term.
Officers will not serve as Group Representatives. Unlike officers, committee chairpersons may serve as their
Group Representative.

ARTICLE VII: STEERING COMMITTEE
The Steering Committee shall consist of officers and committee chairpersons with the Vice Chairperson
presiding over the Steering Committee meeting.
The Steering Committee handles the administrative activities of the Intergroup as described in “The A.A. Group”
pamphlet (P-16). The Steering Committee will meet at 7:30 p.m., on the second Wednesday of every month. If Steering Committee is unable to meet the second Wednesday of the month, we will meet the following Saturday at 1p.m. The meeting location to be determined by the Vice Chairperson and the Steering Committee. An officer must be present for the meeting to be held.
The agenda for the Steering Committee meeting should include, but is not limited to the following:
1. All officers and committee chairpersons will give reports.
2. To approve the purchase of office equipment and/or supplies. The amount is not to exceed $150.00.
3. To perform any tasks for the good of the Intergroup and the resolution of any issue that is of an
administrative nature in accordance to A.A. Guidelines and A.A. Traditions.
The minutes of the Steering Committee meeting are to be presented at the next business meeting. The minutes
are subject to approval by the body with a simple majority vote. The minutes for the Steering Committee are
usually the agenda for the next business meeting.
The Steering Committee cannot commit the Intergroup to any major obligation. The decision on a major
obligation may be determined by a majority vote at the next intergroup business meeting.

ARTICLE VIII: FINANCE
The activities of Cape Atlantic Intergroup will be financed primarily by voluntary contributions from the Member
Groups. Each group should determine the amount of its contributions. Additional financial support may be
obtained from various fund-raisers, individual member contributions, and literature sales as per the Seventh
Tradition.

ARTICLE IX: CHECKING ACCOUNTS
The checking accounts for both the operating account and the literature account shall be kept in an orderly
fashion so that all transactions may be readily identified.
All checks must include the payee (no pay to cash) and an amount before being signed.
Checks drawn on either the Operating or Literature account will require two (2) signatures. Only the Treasurer,
Assistant Treasurer, Secretary and Chairperson are authorized to be a designated signature.

ARTICLE X: REVENUES
All donations or bequests, that meet current GSO guidelines, are to be deposited in the Intergroup operating
account within 3 business days and recorded into the record. Any donation not meeting GSO guidelines is to be
returned to the sender.
Any monies collected from literature sales shall be deposited in the literature account within three (3) business days and recorded into the record.Where deemed necessary by the Steering Committee, and with approval of the Group Representatives, monies may be transferred from one account to the other. All monies in any account will be accounted for in the form of a Treasurer’s report at the regular Intergroup monthly meeting by the Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer for the operating account and by the Literature Chairperson, Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer for the literature account. No other accounts of any kind may be opened without the express consent of the Group Representatives.
The Intergroup will strive to have a prudent reserve of one (1) year’s operating expenses. Any interest that may
be accrued, throughout the year, is to be transferred to the operating account, provided the account funds have
exceeded the yearly budget. After the year-end closing of the accounting books, excess money in the literature account is to be transferred to the Operating account. The amount is to be determined by the Treasurer, Literature
Chairperson, and the Budget Committee.

ARTICLE XI: RECORDS
Full and complete minutes of the Intergroup Business meeting shall be mailed to all listed contacts for a group.
This mailing should include any reports given at the meeting. These reports MUST include the financial report of
the operating and literature accounts, inventory information and the sign in sheet.
All business records of the Intergroup, such as minutes of meetings, letters, bank statements, financial records,
etc., will be kept at the Intergroup office in a locked file cabinet. Any A.A. member belonging to an A.A. group
that is a member of the Cape/Atlantic Intergroup will be entitled to inspect these records. It is the intention of the
Intergroup that its business dealings be absolutely transparent to its member groups. However, in the interest of
security, inspection requests must adhere to the following procedure: The requester shall notify his or her home
group’s Intergroup Representative that he or she is requesting a record inspection. The Intergroup
representative shall satisfy himself or herself that the requester is known to the Intergroup Representative as a
member of A.A. as described above. Within five days, the Intergroup Representative shall forward the record
inspection request to the Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer, noting the requester’s name in the request. The
Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer shall then make the records available to the requester at a mutually convenient
time but no later than 25 days after the request is received.

ARTICLE XII: AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Chairperson shall appoint an Audit Committee semi-annually to audit the books and bank statements of the
regular operating account and the literature account.
The Committee shall consist of two (2) Group Representatives.
The Committee MAY obtain the services of a financial professional with the approval of the Steering Committee
(following existing financial guidelines).
The Committee shall give its report at the next regular intergroup meeting.
The Treasurer and/or the Assistant Treasurer shall cooperate with the Committee and assist the Committee in
performing their task.

ARTICLE XIII: ELECTIONS AND ELIGIBILITY – TERMS OF OFFICE
A. WHO CAN VOTE: Only Group Representatives or their Alternate may vote at elections.
B. ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible for election to office, a candidate must:
1. Have been sober continuously for a period of twelve (12) months and a member of a participating
group prior to the January meeting in even number years, and
2. Has been a Representative or Alternate, past or present, or an active officer of a Member Group or a
committee chairperson, past or present.
3. An eligible candidate must attend the business meeting in which the elections are held. There can be
no “proxy” nomination.
C. TERMS OF OFFICE: Terms of office for all officers shall be for two (2) years. The Chairperson shall not serve
more than one (1) term. ALL pro-tem officers may stand for re-election. Every officer can stand for re-election. In
keeping with “Tradition Two” the principle of rotation is suggested.
In the event the Chairperson is unable to serve, the Vice-Chairperson will become the Chairperson pro-tem.
1. At the next regular intergroup business meeting, the Chairperson Pro-tem will announce that the
previous Chairperson is unable to fulfill their commitment. As a result the position of Vice-Chair is
vacant.
2. A candidate will be elected under the eligibility requirements and election requirements of these
By-Laws and will begin serving immediately for the balance of the term, pro-tem.
In the event of the inability to serve by any other officer, the above procedure shall apply. The term of
office will begin at the next regular meeting of the Intergroup following the month of the elections.
The officers-elect will arrange with their outgoing counterpart to meet at a convenient time to both in
order to make a smooth and orderly transfer of office. The outgoing officer will turn over to the
officer-elect all records of their office prior to the month the officer elect takes office.
D. ELECTIONS:
Third Legacy Procedure, as described in “The A.A. Service Manual,” will be followed for elections at the regular
November meeting of Intergroup of odd number years. The elections will commence under new business, after
the Secretary has called the roll of the Representatives present, together with the name of their group.
E. REMOVAL FROM OFFICE:
All officers shall be subject to removal from office by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Member Groups’ Representative
that are eligible to vote. A motion must be made and seconded. This motion will automatically be tabled until the
next business meeting. The motion must be clearly stated in the minutes for that meeting. The motion will then
be brought under old business at the following business meeting.

ARTICLE XIV: DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON
Official attachments to these By-Laws are the “Job Description of Officers & Committee Chairpersons”.

ARTICLE XV: VOTING OTHER THAN ELECTIONS
Only Cape/Atlantic Intergroup Representatives may make a motion and/or second the motion. Preferably
motions should be in writing.
Only Cape/Atlantic Intergroup Representatives or their Alternates may vote.
In the event of a tie vote the Chairperson shall cast the deciding vote.
Committee chairpersons may vote only if they are their group’s Intergroup Representative or Alternate
Representative.

ARTICLE XVI: BY-LAWS COPIES
A copy of these By-Laws shall be available to all member groups through the Corresponding Secretary.

ARTICLE XVII: TRADITIONS
This Intergroup shall adhere to the “Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts” to the best of its ability.
To obtain this goal, workshops and Traditions meetings may be held regularly for the benefit of A.A. members.

ARTICLE XVIII: AMENDMENTS
These articles may be amended or revised by an affirmative vote of the Member Groups at any meeting. A
notification stating the original article, the proposed amendment or revision, and the reason for the proposed
amendment or revision shall be included in the minutes for two (2) consecutive months prior to voting on said
amendment/revision.

ARTICLE XIX: INCORPORATION
On April 29, 1989, the Cape/Atlantic Intergroup filed “Articles of Incorporation” with the state of New Jersey. A
copy of the “Articles of Incorporation” must be available at the office. The name “Alcoholics Anonymous” is to be
avoided in the title of the corporation. The corporate seal is to be secured at the Intergroup office.

ARTICLE XX: PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
Robert’s Rules shall be used as a guideline in all cases of parliamentary procedure, which are in doubt, other
than procedures clearly defined in these By-Laws. The Intergroup office shall have a copy of Robert’s Rules and
a copy of these By-Laws on hand at all business meetings.

Revised and adopted May 17, 2010