[Businessmtg] Business Meeting Agenda Item #2 - Budget and Prudent Reserve

[Dawn Werezak]

Hello Everyone,

I am very concerned that the discussion of our agenda has gone off on a tangent of a variety of subjects including but not limited to: free literature, protecting anonymity, scaring off new members, things I would have done if faced with this or that (the what if realm) rather than focusing on  the subject at hand.  There has been some very informative background information sent out to the business meeting and yet there has been no comment on it or any discussion or questions about that information.

We have on the table at this point the question:  "What do we do with money over and above the prudent reserve?"

We have had several suggestions:

1.  That newcomer packages be purchased by our group and sent to members who voluntarily are interested in receiving one.  No breach in anonymity since in Al-Anon we are not anonymous to each other....we are only anonymous at the level of press, radio, TV and films (see Tradition 11).  The logistics of how this will be done are to be worked out by the elected Trusted Servants of ASP.  

2.  Donating an amount of money to OLA-OC and/or WSO on a regular basis.

3.  Sending our Trusted Servants to the International Conference in Pittsburgh to represent the online meeting community.

Now I may have missed something in the mix of all of this but I would like to see us stay on track and not be drawn off onto subjects that distract us from our purpose in this business meeting.  

If we want to be considered more than just a meeting we have the opportunity through our actions to make a change in how we are viewed.  We have the opportunity to send our Trusted Servants to Al-Anon events that are appropriate for our fellowship.  The biggest event that is upcoming is the International Conference later this year in Pittsburgh.  What an amazing way to carry the message of online meetings and show all of Al-Anon that we are a valuable and intricate part of the healing and growth of many members of Al-Anon.

As for the newcomers packets, I think it is a good service that can be offered to those that are new to Al-Anon.  The logistics of doing this can be worked out by the Steering Committee, which is their job.  

And for monies over and above the prudent reserve.  I see that donating a fair portion of those monies to OLA-OC as a logical step in bringing on line meetings beyond just being a "listed meeting" with WSO.  They are the next step up in an as of yet, undefined service structure and would give on line meetings representation to WSO.  I have heard it said that sending money to WSO is what we should do, but there are no shoulds for on line meetings.  We at ASP choose to follow the Traditions, these traditions give us autonomy to do what is in the best interests of our meeting.  They also give us the right to think for ourselves and to serve the greater whole.  OLA-OC is trying to do just that and it is important to me to work with them rather than undermine them.

It is always hard to step outside of the box, to not "do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result."  Standing to one side and hoping that if we do what we have always done WSO will recognize us and give us the opportunity for fair representation with the AFG service structure, seems like insanity to me.  It's been 12 years and we are still in the trial phase....I wonder when and who gets to decide when that will change.  It does not appear that it will be the on line meeting!

Love and Serenity,
Dawn