[Businessmtg] Item #2

[logmark at comcast.net]

Biz-Pals,

I want to be very clear about a few not-so simple points.

Foremost, my experience with ASP began with a visit to
al-anon.alateen.org. It was there that A Serenity Place was
listed and how I found ASP's electronic doors. It would
surprise me if this weren't also the case for the vast majority
of past, current, and future members. To say that the WSO
does nothing for ASP is shortsighted. The WSO is an essential
element in ASP's success. After all - no members, no group.

Second, I believe it is important to recognize that it is we who
have chosen to belong to an electronic meeting - a very small
part of Al-Anon as a whole - and it is therefore we who will be
most affected by the slow process of Al-Anon coming to grips
with the electronic age. Because it is we who are pushing the
envelope does not mean that we can expect the other 99.999%
of Al-Anon to quickly change old and proven ways. Does it
seem that we are ignored/segregated/overlooked, etc.? Well,
I suppose it does. We see ourselves as a group on equal terms
with f2f groups. We recover together as do f2f group members.
We even have become self-supporting and structured - as much
as possible - as are f2f groups. We are not, however, a group as
groups have been defined within Al-Anon since its beginning. We
are a horse of a different color as it were. This change will take time
for the Al-Anon structure to mature and for us to find our place
in the Al-Anon Family.

I have stated before that we could call ourselves something other
than Al-Anon, but would then suffer some natural consequences.
What exactly does it mean to choose to call ourselves an Al-Anon
meeting? Sprinkled throughout CAL are suggestions that by calling
ourselves Al-Anon we agree to abide by Al-Anon principles. Al-Anon
doesn't have many principles just yet pertaining to electronic meetings.
That doesn't give us permission to start breaking with the traditions
Al-Anon does have.

Outside entities are outside entities. Our traditions preclude sending
group monies to support them. "OLA-IS" (or "OLA") has until recently
been clearly an outside entity. Indeed even now it is unclear what OLA-OC's
role is within the Al-Anon community. We are told that they have been asked
and have agreed to act as Al-Anon's Online Outreach Committee. All well and
good. It looks like working through OLA-OC is the avenue to becoming better
recognized and served by the WSO. A big "HOWEVER" arises, though, because
Al-Anon does not accept donations stipulated for specific service arms - it only accepts
donations to the general fund. [I have had this confirmed by the WSO directly.]
So it looks like the OLA-OC is either an outside entity, or a service arm of Al-Anon.
I've got to admit that it's been confusing. In either case an Al-Anon group can not donate
directly to them for either one reason or the other. Confusion aside, we seemed to be locked
into donating to the WSO or not at all.

Another principle Al-Anon groups agree to abide by is that a group will live within
the funds provided by its members. [12&12, Trad 2 Story.] If this group decides
to become more active in moving the online Al-Anon agenda along, the group would have to
agree to fund the increased expenses. Just now we run in the neighborhood of $100.00
USD or less per quarter year in funds over our expenses+prudent reserve. That isn't going
to get a lot done. We could easily decide to use all funds over our prudent reserve toward
this effort. We could check in with the group as a whole to see if they would support
additional efforts.

We could arrange meetings at AFG Headquarters with WSO staff and send representatives
to further online support. Certainly we can communicate with OLA-OC in its current position
as an Al-Anon committee. If there is sufficient reason to believe that our representation at any convention or committee meeting would significantly benefit the group, then that could be done.
We could identify areas of the world where groups are forming or struggling to survive and help
them directly with literature or encouragement. Because we are online, we may be perfectly
equiped to open up communications and be of assistance.

My first thoughts regarding our money isn't how much we can donate, though that is important,
but are we fully supporting our members? Hosting the meetings is enough, but are there other
things we could be offering which could help members? We get many, many newcomers each
year. Could we fund newcomer packets or at least a few designated pieces of CAL for those
who would like some? Having served as a Literature Chairperson in f2f groups I know how new
folks are helped by having CAL readily available through the groups. Why should ASP be any different?

Heck, I don't know what all we could do, but of one thing I am certain:
whining and stamping our feet about the past and politics won't  make one whit of a difference.
Either we come up with proposals and convince the group to increase their support to fund them,
or we sit back and be satisfied with being a successful and self-supporting online group that
focuses on the day to day of personal recovery.

Before we go off and rail about what others don't do for us, I'd suggest that we take a look
at what we could be doing for ourselves. Who knows, maybe if we look to serving our
membership beyond our current level, there wouldn't be much money left over to fret about.

Jerry in Michigan