[Businessmtg] Newcomer's Packets

[Steve Rankin]

Hi folks,

Here's my thoughts on ASP offering Newcomer Packets:

As I mentioned previously, almost everyone joins ASP after finding our web
site & practically no one finds ASP via WSO.  When someone finds the ASP web
site, they are given some background info on the meeting to read before
sending a note to the greeters.  The greeters respond to inquiries with a
standardized letter that covers the steps of joining ASP.  Once the person
has joined ASP, the greeter sends them another letter with more information.
At the same time, the server sends the new member another letter from the
List Administrator.  So, we're already sending new members a lot of
information about Al-Anon in general and ASP in particular.  

However, an emailed letter doesn't have the same personal connection that a
pamphlet in your hands has, just like the ((((me)))) around your name don't
feel the same as a real hug at a f2f meeting.

1.  ASP has always tried to be as much like a f2f meeting as possible.  F2F
meetings generally give newcomers a Newcomer's Packet, so it follows that
it's the next logical step for ASP in our quest to be as much like f2f
meetings as possible.  As much as it would be helpful to be able to email
our online newcomers a packet, there is no way that WSO will let go of that
revenue stream for the benefit of the online meetings.  

2.  As Tara pointed out, only a few of the people that contact ASP actually
join the meeting, and only a portion of those are newcomers to Al-Anon.
About 10-15 per month.  My wild-assed guess is that half of the actual
newcomers would like to have a Newcomer Packet snail mailed to them.  

3.  If we use Emee's cost figures--thank you Emee!--it might cost us about
$3/newcomer to buy and mail them a Newcomer's Packet.  That adds up to about
$30-45/month to send Newcomer Packets.  FYI, my calculations for US postage
are $0.75, not $0.92.

Since spending money on Newcomer Packets is in fact a revenue stream for
WSO, it's almost like donating money to WSO, only indirectly.  

The big difference is that this is something we can do for our members that
no one else will.

I've always said that f2f meetings are better than online meetings, and what
better way to say that than to send a Newcomer Packet to the newcomer.  And
what better way to communicate to the f2f Al-Anon membership that our online
meeting is a real Al-Anon meeting than when a newcomer goes to their first
f2f meeting and tells them that their online meeting already gave them a
Newcomer's Packet and suggested they attend f2f meetings, too.

Jerry's idea of sending a different selection of pamphlets to save money
seems to have merit at first, but it's not the same as a Newcomer's Packet.
The Newcomer's Packet is an excellent selection of pamphlets that I doubt we
could come close to duplicating the intrinsic value of while saving any real
amount of money.  I'm reminded of the old saying I've heard around the
program for many years "Half measures availed us nothing."

In summary, I believe that offering Newcomer Packets to new members of ASP
that are also brand new to Al-Anon is definitely appropriate and a
worthwhile expenditure of ASP funds.  One of our members made themselves
available handle this project so we've got that covered, too.

Love and SERENITY,
Steve