UCYPAA

Bylaws updated 8-21-2025

1.0 Purpose

The Utah Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous (UCYPAA) was formed for the purpose of carrying the message of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) through its planning and hosting an annual Conference for young people in AA. The Conference provides an opportunity for AA members, regardless of age, to come together and share their experience, strength and hope as members of AA. To bring young people into the mainstream of Alcoholics Anonymous through service to the conference committee. Our hope is that Conference attendees return to their home groups better prepared to welcome young people into their local AA community.

2.0 Committee Guidelines

1. Business Meetings – Should be held at least once a month. With additional meetings set by the Chairperson leading up to the conference.
2. Treasury – Bank account has three signers. Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary. Should be set up with:
   1. Separate Operating fund account with any funds in excess of prudent reserve.
      1. It is suggested to collect pre-registrations at the previous year’s conference to establish seed money for the following year’s operating fund.
   2. Prudent reserve account in amount of $1000.
   3. Monies collected over these amounts should be dispersed after the conference each year as follows:
      1. Area 69- 50%
      2. GSO: 50%
3. Facility Selection – Historically UCYPAA has been held as a campout, but is not required to remain so. Some considerations:  The venue should be priced fairly reasonably for young alcoholics to easily attend. The venue  should have amenities  to prepare and store food, separate rooms for activities, meetings, panels, and hospitality space. The venue  should have main meeting space available for 100+ attendees with chairs and tables to accommodate all attendees for meetings, outreach tables for other YPAA conferences, meals, registration, merch, badge decorating, and craft stations.The venue should also have backups for all the above activities in the case of weather.
4. Elections
   1. UCYPAA has based its permanent committee positions (Executive Committee) on a rotation basis. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chairperson, Treasurer, and Secretary. Qualifications for these members are outlined in the next section. The rotation basis is important because it helps to ensure that Executive Committee members have an introduction and some knowledge of the operations, procedures, and commitments it requires to plan and execute the convention. Elections should follow the Third Legacy Procedure, found in the A.A. Service Manual. Candidates for positions will be chosen by way of standing and presenting a service resume. The Chairperson should then read the duties and responsibilities of the position. Each candidate should be asked if they understand the duties and responsibilities and if they are willing and able to fulfill these requirements. Any questions shall be answered at that time. All candidates who answered both questions in the affirmative shall then be put to a vote in the Third Legacy Procedure. This initial executive committee election shall take place during the conference and remaining positions will be elected at future business meetings. Committee members should exercise extreme care when selecting a candidate for the Committee. Please refer to the spirit of Concept Nine which states “Good service leaders, together with sound and appropriate methods of choosing them, are at all levels indispensable for our future functioning and safety.” 
   2. In the case of an Executive Committee member being unable to fulfill their position’s term or responsibilities, careful selection by the Committee should be made for the candidate that best fills the suggested qualifications. Any Committee member holding a position may be relieved of duties by way of a motion and 2/3 majority vote. Election for the resulting vacant position is to be held immediately following removal or resignation. Cause for a member being removed from their position on UCYPAA includes the following and applies to all UCYPAA committee members:
      1. A break in continuous sobriety 
      2. Two consecutive absences from a regular UCYPAA business meeting without notice to the Executive Committee as outlined below
   3. Attendance Policy for all elected positions
      1. Two consecutive absences from a business meeting without extenuating circumstances will be considered an automatic resignation by the member and the position will be refilled as soon as possible.
      2. It is the responsibility of the committee member to communicate extenuating circumstances to an executive committee member
      3. The committee member should make every effort to send a report in the case of absence due to an extenuating circumstance.

Additional causes for a member being removed from their position may be determined at the discretion of the full committee on a case by case basis by group conscience. No member may be removed from their position in any case without a documented motion passed at a regular business meeting. The Executive Committee is responsible for notifying the member removed of any action taken regarding their position. 

4. In the event that an Executive Committee position vacancy occurs, rotation and/or election should be held to fill the position immediately. Example: If the Treasurer cannot rotate to the Chairperson position the Secretary should rotate to Chairperson and an election should be held to fill the resulting Secretary and Treasurer vacancies. 
5. Rotation for the Executive Committee is outlined as such:

1. Secretary – Elected using Third Legacy procedures on the final day of the current UCYPAA Conference
2. Treasurer – The previous year’s Secretary rotates into this position for the upcoming host year
3. Chair – The previous year’s Treasurer rotates into this position for the upcoming host year
   1. The previous year’s chair may stand for any non-executive position at a future business meeting

6. Suggested qualifications for Executive Committee Positions – It is strongly suggested that if possible, the new Executive Committee member have served on the Committee for the previous year’s convention. This is to ensure that the new Executive Committee member has an introduction to the knowledge of the procedures, planning processes and commitment it takes to put on the convention.
7. Election Eligibility – An individual must attend two business meetings to be eligible for election. At their second meeting, an individual may stand for election.
8. Voting Privileges – Anyone in attendance at a regular UCYPAA committee business meeting has the right to vote. All in attendance also have the right to abstain from voting for any reason. 
9. Social Media Policy
   1. Social Media Statement of Purpose: The purpose of any social media channel this Committee may employ shall be expressly for the purpose of outreaching the UCYPAA conference as well as to promote unity within the AA community while maintaining the spirit of Tradition Five. In accordance with the Tenth Tradition, we ask users of any social media channel to maintain a respectful environment, and to limit posts or comments to AA-related topics.

3.0 UCYPAA Committee Positions

1. Chair
2. Co-Chair
3. Outreach
4. Inreach
5. Inreach Co-Chair
6. Facilities
7. Programs
8. Programs Co-Chair
9. Volunteer Coordinator
10. Culinary Jedi
11. Culinary Padawan
12. Treasurer
13. Events
14. Events Co-Chair
15. Registration
16. Registration Co-Chair
17. Merchandise
18. Secretary
19. Graphics
20. Website Master
21. Unity
22. Tickets and Raffle
23. Third Legacy
24. Prayer

Chairperson

Service to the Committee in the previous conference year, suggested length of sobriety is two years.

Suggested to reside in the state of Utah.

1. Arrange for and announce the agenda of all UCYPAA Committee meetings via GroupMe at least one week prior to the next scheduled meeting.
2. Officiate all UCYPAA Committee meetings using Robert’s Rules of Order as guidelines.
3. Facilitate all business in accordance with the UCYPAA bylaws and maintain an in-depth understanding of the bylaws. 
4. Responsible for the contract with the facility being discussed and signed.
5. Ensure, in coordination with Third Legacy, that all committee position holders adhere to UCYPAA Bylaws, the 12 Concepts of World Service, and the 12 Traditions Alcoholics Anonymous.
6. Be a signatory on all bank accounts.
7. Chairperson is required to abstain from voting during regular business meetings, but is still encouraged to participate in discussion about group business. 

Co-Chair

One year suggested sobriety requirement.

i. Assist the Chair with all the above duties as needed.

ii. The Co-Chair is not responsible for becoming a signatory on all bank accounts.

iii. Fill in vacant positions until it can be filled.

Outreach Chairperson

Suggested sobriety requirement is one year.

Outreach is one of the single most important jobs of the Committee and is not only the responsibility of the Outreach Chairperson, this is the responsibility of the whole Committee as well. Outreach maintains a focus on connecting with communities and areas outside of Utah, particularly other YPAA/AA conferences/committees to spread the word about UCYPAA and co-host events or other opportunities. One of the ultimate goals of this position is to achieve participation at UCYPAA from other states and establish connections for future opportunities.

i. Establish and maintain communication about UCYPAA with communities outside the state of Utah. including other AA/YPAA groups/conferences, and minority groups within AA via announcements, flyers, and more at their discretion.

ii. Define and coordinate liaison positions to serve as points of contact for individual communities as needed.

iii. The Outreach Chairperson should do their best to discover any upcoming AA events and make sure that someone from the UCYPAA Committee does outreach at these events.

iv. Collaborate with Inreach on all the above duties as needed. 

v. Suggested to have reliable transportation and a valid Driver’s License. 

Inreach

Suggested sobriety requirement is one year.

Inreach is one of the single most important jobs of the Committee and is not only the responsibility of the Outreach Chairperson, this is the responsibility of the whole Committee as well. Inreach’s responsibilities are very similar to Outreach, but maintains a focus on YPAA/AA groups, rural communities, minority demographics, and events within the state of Utah. Inreach also serves as UCYPAA’s liaison to the general service structure within the state of Utah (Area 69). One of the ultimate goals of Inreach is to achieve participation at UCYPAA from new communities and demographics within the state of Utah and maintain a strong connection between UCYPAA and Utah’s General Service structure and Central Offices.  

i. Establish and maintain communication about UCYPAA to AA/YPAA groups within the state of Utah via announcements, flyers, meeting takeovers, and more at their discretion.

ii. Establish and maintain communication about UCYPAA to environments such as schools, treatment centers, rural communities, and minority groups within AA via announcements, flyers, meeting takeovers, and more at their discretion. 

iii. Establish and maintain communication about UCYPAA to Area 69 and all districts and central offices within the state of Utah via flyers, announcements at area and district gatherings, and more at their discretion. 

1. Proactively ensure the dates for UCYPAA do not conflict with any area or district events

iv. Define and coordinate liaison positions to serve as points of contact for individual communities as needed.

v. Collaborate with Outreach on all the duties above as needed. 

Inreach Co-Chair

No sobriety requirement.

The Inreach Co-Chair assists with all inreach-related duties while maintaining frequent communication and collaboration with the chair. Additional duties as determined by the Inreach Chair and the Host Committee.

Programs Chairperson

Suggested length of sobriety is 6 months.

The programs chairperson may call for a subcommittee at any time to receive assistance with their duties from other committee members. A subcommittee is recommended for selecting panel topics, activities, and speakers for the conference itself. It’s recommended to carefully choose speakers/panelists who effectively carry the message of AA and have relevant experience with the topic, and to choose speakers from a variety of backgrounds, genders, age, ect.  Consider including participation from groups such as alateen and al-anon within the program and events.

1. Organize meeting and activity structures at all UCYPAA events, including the Conference itself.
2. Find and arrange for main speakers and/or panelists for all UCYPAA events, including the Conference itself.
3. Ensure accessibility needs of conference attendees are met to the best of the committee’s ability. This may include audio/visual selection based on the facility location selected
4. Responsible for preparing a layout of the conference program 30 days in advance of the conference for the the committee to review and approve.
5. Responsible for creating and printing  reading handouts and meeting formats for all UCYPAA panels and main meetings.
6. Determine volunteers from the UCYPAA committee to chair panels, main meetings, sobriety countdowns, state roll calls, readings, and lead other special activities and events at the Conference. 
7. Collaborate with graphics chair to publish final UCYPAA program at least two weeks prior to the conference dates.
8. Collaborate with the Events chair on all duties above as needed. 

Programs Co-Chair

No sobriety requirement.

The Programs Co-Chair assists with all program-related duties while maintaining frequent communication and collaboration with the chair. Additional duties as determined by the Inreach Chair and the Host Committee.

Volunteer Committee Chairperson

Suggested length of sobriety is 3 months.

The Volunteer Committee Chairperson’s responsibilities apply at the conference itself as well as any UCYPAA events leading up to the conference. It should be noted that all of the duties listed below are not the sole responsibility of the Volunteer Chairperson and should be delegated to any and all volunteers. 

1. Responsible for getting volunteers to assist with duties such as coffee, meeting set-up, etc.
2. Responsible for making sure coffee pots are obtained and hauled to the conference if needed and ensures coffee is made all weekend.
3. Responsible for getting volunteers to help set up and clean up the meals
4. Responsible for getting volunteers to help set up and break down the speaker meetings.
5. Responsible for getting volunteers to help maintain the hospitality needs  at the conference. Coordinating with other YPAA committees to provide snacks/supplies is encouraged. 
6. Collaborate with the Events, Programs, and Facilities chairs on the above duties as needed.

Culinary Jedi

Suggested length of sobriety is 6 months.

Food/snacks and drinks may be needed for events leading up to UCYPAA, this is determined in coordination with the Events chairperson on a case-by-case basis. It’s recommended that UCYPAA provides dinner on Friday and Saturday of the conference, breakfast on Saturday and Sunday of the conference, and snacks/drinks are available throughout the entire weekend. Lunch is usually the responsibility of attendees but its recommended to have easy backup options so no one goes hungry at the conference. A large grocery trip is conducted a day or two before the conference. If we run out of food at the conference, the Culinary Jedi is responsible for finding a solution. 

1. Responsible for coming up with food/drink ideas and logistics for all UCYPAA events and the conference itself.
2. Responsible for setting a budget for approval by the full committee, buying all necessary food items for events and the conference itself. 
3. Responsible for collaborating with the Volunteer Coordinator to prepare food, drinks, and snacks for events and the conference itself.
4. Responsible for considering dietary requirements of attendees as feasible.

Culinary Padawan

No sobriety requirement.

The Culinary Padawan assists with all culinary-related duties while maintaining frequent communication and collaboration with the Jedi. Additional duties as determined by the Culinary Jedi and the Host Committee.

Treasurer

Suggested length of sobriety is three years. Service to the Committee in the previous conference year. Suggested to reside in the state of Utah.

Accurate and detailed records of all transactions, reimbursements, and expenses is vital for this position. Reimbursements to committee members or others can be made via cash, check, or venmo. It is recommended that this position has access to and is experienced with using Venmo, and if needed alternatives are acceptable. 

1. Keep accurate financial records of all UCYPAA transactions.
2. Submit a financial report at each UCYPAA  Committee meeting.
3. Have in their  possession at each UCYPAA  Committee meeting: all bank statements, deposits and checkbooks in order to be prepared to make deposits and disbursements. 
4. Maintain all bank accounts, which are subject to inspection at any time.
5. Be a signatory on all bank accounts.
6. Must be employed, have a bank account, and have a permanent address.
7. Maintain prudent reserve of $1000
8. Make contributions  to the appropriate service structure entities post-conference.
9. Works directly with the Registration Chairperson at the conference, and throughout the year to determine who has paid and not paid yet.
10. Prepares statement at the end of the conference year with expenses and income of the year-end
11. Prepares projected budget for the next conference to be submitted at the new conference Committee’s business meeting following the election meeting.

Events Chairperson

Suggested length of sobriety of one year and has served on the committee the previous year.

This is one of UCYPAA’s more time consuming positions, and is vital to the success of the conference. The ultimate goal of this position is to plan and execute profitable and well-attended events to raise money for the conference and create fellowship opportunities. It’s recommended to plan each event 2+ months in advance to ensure appropriate time to outreach and plan. This also helps prevent overlap with other 12 step events in Utah. It’s also recommended to utilize subcommittees as needed for planning event ideas in advance. 

1. Plan and present ideas for UCYPAA events leading up to the conference. 
2. Responsible for finding out when other AA/12 step events are taking place in order to assure that UCYPAA events do not conflict with anyone else’s.
3. Maintains an Events Calendar that includes upcoming AA events, conferences, and UCYPAA events, and provides Committee members with copies of said calendar via GroupMe.
4. Responsible for sourcing and securing a place to hold events as far in advance as possible.
5. Coordinate with volunteer chair

Events Co-Chair

No sobriety requirement.

The Events Co-Chair assists with all events-related duties while maintaining frequent communication and collaboration with the chair. Additional duties as determined by the Events Chair and the Host Committee.

Registration Chairperson

Suggested length of sobriety of one year and has served on the committee the previous year.

It’s recommended to have the next year’s registration form prepared at the current year’s conference to gather pre-registrations as soon as possible. An accurate list of registrants should be accessible to the committee at all times. 

1. Build registration form using google forms, microsoft forms, or other platform for review and approval by the full committee. 
2. Maintain accurate list of attendees  who have pre-registered and designating a cabin room to them as requested. 
3. Responsible for collecting registration materials (name badges, ribbons, stickers, etc.) before the conference at their discretion
4. Responsible for notifying the committee of and accommodating any accessibility or dietary requests submitted on a registration form
5. Has a meeting with Treasurer and other Committee members at least one week prior to the conference to formulate a registration plan for the conference
6. Emails to attendees in advance of conference with need to know information

Registration Co-Chair

No sobriety requirement.

The Registration Co-Chair assists with all registration-related duties while maintaining frequent communication and collaboration with the chair. Additional duties as determined by the Registration Chair and the Host Committee.

Merchandise Chairperson

Suggested length of sobriety of one year and has served on the committee the previous year.

1. Create unique and exciting recovery-based items for sale at events or the website such as clothing, playing cards, bandanas, coffee mugs, etc.
2. Maintains inventory for all UCYPAA merchandise and reports regularly to the committee.
3. Propose at least two options for approval for every item to be produced by UCYPAA 
4. Submits collected monies to the treasurer as soon as possible following receipt.

Secretary

Service to the Committee in the previous convention year. Suggested length of sobriety is two years. Suggested to reside in the state of Utah.

1. Act as a custodian of all UCYPAA materials.
2. Keep minutes of all UCYPAA Committee meetings (e.g. chronological list of motions passed, etc.) and make them available to all members via GroupMe and Google Drive.
3. Furnish information from our records to anyone who requests it. 
4. Maintain a phone list of committee members at business meetings/events.
5. Assists the Chairperson and Treasurer with registration at the conference. This is vital as the Secretary should become the next Treasurer and will be doing registration the next year.
6. Assists the Chairperson and Treasurer at any function or activity throughout the year between conferences.

Graphics Chairperson

No sobriety requirement.

1. Design and produce, digitally and in print, all event flyers and signage including the conference program in collaboration with the programs chair
2. At the request of the Merchandise chair,  may also provide graphics for reproduction.
3. All creative works must be original or derived from the public domain.

Website Master

No sobriety requirement

1. Maintain the official UCYPAA Group website with news, information, event calendar, event fliers, registration, and contact information.
2. Provides event flyers and conference flyer to Area 69, central offices, for publish on their site.

Unity Chairperson

No sobriety requirement.

i. Plan and organize group events for all UCYPAA members to promote unity within the committee.

Tickets and Raffle Chairperson

No sobriety requirement.

i. Maintain an inventory, set prices, and sell raffle tickets for opportunity drawings at planned UCYPAA events. 

ii. Gather past merchandise or prizes to be raffled off. 

Third Legacy Chairperson

Sobriety requirement of two years. Possess a working knowledge of the 12 Steps, 12 Traditions, and 12 Concepts per the most current version of the AA Service Manual.

i. Give or delegate a monthly presentation on the concept and tradition corresponding to the number of the month and facilitate discussion on this topic.

Prayer Chairperson

No sobriety requirement.

i. Open and close all UCYPAA meetings with a prayer of choice (ei. Serenity prayer, responsibility statement, etc.).

ii. Provide verbal reminders of the spiritual element of our service work during meetings as needed.

iii. In the event of conflict or tension, may stop meetings to pray or read spiritual material.

Facilities Chairperson

Suggested sobriety requirement of one year.

This position is responsible for ensuring every attendee has a safe and comfortable experience at UCYPAA and that our committee reflects the best possible example of alcoholics in recovery. Adherence to each rule by every attendee and committee member at UCYPAA’s chosen facility is extremely important. Some considerations include: proximity to outreach/inreach demographics, weather/temperature for the chosen date range (typically late May), parking availability, whether campers are allowed, pet/animal restrictions, weather backups for tent campers, and more. 

i. Plan and organize group events for all UCYPAA members to promote unity within the committee.

ii. Responsible for sourcing at least 3 options for a facility to host the next year’s UCYPAA at least 9 months in advance of the committee’s chosen date range. 

iii. Presents cost, location, restrictions, and dates available to the full committee for review and approval by the full committee

iv. Collaborate with Web Master to ensure a packing list and a facilities information/rules document is available on the website for attendees to access via ucypaa.org.

v. Collaborate with Volunteer Coordinator to ensure committee members are prepared to assist in set-up and tear down of the conference according to facility rules. 

4.0 Special Considerations for the Conference

1. Merchandise
   1. The conference Committee may use its discretion when ordering memorabilia to be sold at the conference. However, when setting prices the Committee should remember that UCYPAA is not in the business of making substantial profit. UCYPAA does not allow any outside vendors at the conference.
2. Speaker Selection
   1. It is suggested the speakers reflect the intent of hosting a young person’s conference. Speakers should, generally, reflect younger people in recovery. They should also reflect the diversity of a young person’s community.
3. Facility and Weather
   1. Given this is traditionally a campout, time of year and back-up facilities for inclement weather should be strongly considered by the committee.
   2. There are many AA events within the YPAA and Local AA community. Experience has shown it is prudent to consider Area Assemblies, ICYPAA, WACYPAA, and SWACYPAA conference dates when selecting a date and facility location.

5.0 Amendment Procedures

1. Any UCYPAA Service Group member may propose an amendment to the bylaws.
2. Approval of Bylaws amendments requires a 2/3 majority of the members present.
3. Any proposed amendment to this structure and guidelines shall be submitted in writing to the current Chairperson and Secretary.
4. The Chairperson shall include the proposed amendment on the agenda of the next UCYPAA Conference Committee Meeting.
5. If adopted, the Secretary will retype the page or pages in this structure and guidelines to reflect the adopted amendment, exactly as it was submitted and adopted.
6. Every five years, the Chair should appoint an ad hoc committee to review and update the guidelines and submit to the current year’s committee for approval.