The service entity now known as the S-Anon Board of Trustees was formerly called the S-Anon International Committee (SIC).
1987
The idea of an S-Anon International Committee (SIC) was adopted by attendees at the first S-Anon International Conference Business Meeting in Bozeman, MT, in July 1987. The SIC was the precursor to the service arm now known as the S-Anon Board of Trustees.
1988
The Twelve Traditions of S-Anon were adopted by the Conference Business Meeting.
1989
The Business Meeting at Salt Lake City, UT, in January 1989 appointed a Selection Committee to search for volunteers to serve on the SIC. Those four Selection Committee members eventually volunteered to serve as the first SIC Representatives. Two additional representatives volunteered in July 1989, the term of office was set at two years, and the concept of a regional representation structure for S-Anon was proposed and approved. The SIC was empowered to make recommendations that were brought to the fellowship for approval via the Conference Business Meetings.
1991
In January 1991, the composition of the regions as part of the S-Anon Service Structure was proposed and approved.
2001
As S-Anon grew, we were ready for a more formal process to ensure all groups had the opportunity to participate in, and be represented during decision making that would affect S-Anon as a whole.
July
At a historic meeting of the SIC in Nashville, TN, in July 2001, far-reaching structural changes were approved.
• The Twelve Concepts of Service of Al-Anon were adapted and adopted for use by S-Anon.
• Bylaws of the S-Anon Board of Trustees, which govern the BOT, were proposed and approved.
• The Bylaws changed the name of the S-Anon International Committee to the S-Anon International Family Groups, Inc. Board of Trustees (BOT).
• The Regional Representatives to the SIC at that time were given the new title of “Regional Trustee.”
• A number of formal standing committees were created, and some terminology related to the service structure was changed.
August
• The Al-Anon service structure was adapted for S-Anon and the Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual and the Al-Anon book, Paths to Recovery were used as models for forming the new S-Anon service structure.
• The new Board of Trustees (BOT) formally approved a motion to conduct a World Service Conference (WSC), where the issues and policies affecting S-Anon as a whole could be discussed with representatives of all members of the fellowship in North America.
• The World Service Conference Committee (WSCC) was created.
2002
On July 13, 2002, at the Business Meeting at the Portland, OR, International Convention, the WSCC presented a motion to the BOT to begin holding an annual World Service Conference and discontinue the Business Meetings. The motion carried, and the planning for the first WSC began.
Prior to 2004, “Conference Business Meetings” were held in conjunction with the semi-annual SA and S-Anon conventions (then called “conferences”). Recommendations were presented by trusted servants serving on the S-Anon International Committee (SIC) and voted upon by all members in attendance at those Conference Business Meetings. When the S-Anon fellowship was very young, this method of “conference approval” was the best that could be devised, given the financial resources and level of organization that then existed.
2004
San Diego, CA was the venue for the first S-Anon World Service Conference. A number of motions were proposed, and the following motions passed:
• The Twelve Concepts of Service were formally adopted by the WSC.
• Eight BOT Standing Committees were created.
• The S-Anon World Service Conference Charter, which is the basic agreement between the World Service Conference, the Board of Trustees, and the World Service Office, was presented to and approved by three-quarters of the WSC members in attendance on January 9, 2004.
2009
The BOT created a Policy and Service Communications Committee to add to the original eight BOT Committees as shown in the S-Anon Service Structure graphic.
Updated November 2018
