Clutterers Anonymous World Service Organization, Inc. (CLA WSO) is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation. The purpose of the bylaws is to define CLA WSO’s name, objective, members, officers, meetings, committees and intergroups, Parliamentary authority, and amendment. The bylaws committee drafts, revises, and files the corporate bylaws. CLA WSO membership reviews, recommends any revisions, and approves them. Current and prior versions are linked below.
CLA WSO Bylaws (Issued 2018) Amended 5/31/25
Previous Versions of CLA WSO Bylaws
Open Letter Inviting Participation in Updating CLA WSO Bylaws
As we begin the next phase of updating our bylaws, your participation is requested to support this important aspect of CLA WSO’s governance responsibilities. Our objective is to ensure that our governing documents are clear, current, and aligned with the way CLA WSO operates today.
Our first meeting, as previously announced, was held on June 25th and was attended by 5 of us. The order of business included electing a chair, deciding the committee meeting structure, and establishing voting eligibility. We also reviewed which Articles required the most attention and made preliminary work assignments.
For those who would like to participate beginning with our next work session meeting on July 9th, please prepare by reviewing the latest version of the bylaws (5/31/2025) and the accompanying amendments beforehand. You may find it helpful to cross-reference the amendments with the motions list to confirm when each was officially adopted at a general meeting. Please also review the PowerPoint presentation “What’s in a Name?” on the CLA WSO page so that we begin our discussions with a common understanding of some of the major issues before us.
We encourage participants to bring specific issues, proposed language, and constructive solutions so that our discussions can be productive and focused on improving the documents for the benefit of the fellowship as a whole. To help us use our work session time effectively, please send me, at least 4 hours before the meeting, a list of:
- • Sections (by Article and Section number) you believe require revision
• Sections (by Article and Section number) you would be willing to help draft
• Any new sections you believe should be researched or developed (for example, provisions addressing online meetings and voting)
I will use this information to prioritize topics and develop the agenda. To ensure that all topics receive adequate consideration, discussion time will be offered first to those who submit their comments in advance.
As many of you know, questions have been raised regarding whether certain current practices align with our bylaws. Some of those concerns stem from procedural changes that evolved during and after the COVID period and were never fully reflected in the governing documents.
This committee’s purpose is to focus on solutions: our goal is to identify areas where the bylaws no longer accurately reflect our operating practices or that need clarification, revision, or expansion and to develop thoughtful recommendations for consideration through the appropriate approval process. To that end all viewpoints are welcome, particularly from those who have identified concerns. While historical context may occasionally be relevant, the purpose of this effort is not to revisit past decisions or assign responsibility for how we arrived at the current situation.
We plan to meet biweekly and hope to have several sections ready for submission to CLA WSO for consideration by the fall. The remaining more complex sections and any new provisions are expected to be completed by year-end so the reissue of the bylaws can be completed by then and submitted to CLA WSO delegates by early spring.
If you have questions, please let me know.
Marge
Bylaws Chair
CLA WSO
