[Businessmtg] Newcomers Packets

Sun Mar 9 12:24:53 PDT 2008

Hello Everyone,

Here is my input into the discussion regarding Newcomers Packets, along with a little background info to go with it:

  1.. Our format to join, which you have all undergone, involves the individual contacting our greeters.  From there they are sent a Letter of Inquiry that includes instructions as to what we need to consider you for membership for our closed meeting.  Once that is received, the greeters send me a note asking me to add the new person.  Immediately after they are added to our server they receive a Welcome Letter from me generated by the server.  The greeter also sends them out a Welcome Letter.  All the instructions about how to share at ASP, find the business page, and other info about ASP is in it, also included are the guidelines for our meeting.  It is a simple and painless process.  

When we get an inquiry to join they range from a simple request to a novel sized email, as do their replies to our Letter One.  From that information we are able to discern who is brand new to Al-Anon and we would be able to offer those individuals a newcomer's packet.

We average about 5 new inquires a day.February if my numbers are correct we received 90 requests (down from the average).  Of those requests we get about 1 a day that follows through the process.  Of those 30 new members we average a month about 10 to 15 are brand new to Al-Anon.  Also of those 30 new members only half again stick with us.  Our membership at this time is right around 330 members.  

  2.. Someone had mentioned that we do this on a trial basis and I have read one year and 3 months as a number for trial basis.  Consistently WSO has done things on a 3 year trial basis and then gone from there.  On line meetings were give a 3 year trial basis and that 3 year trial was and has been extended at least twice for 3 additional years each time.  I believe we are in our fourth cycle of a 3 year trial basis with WSO.  Given that fact, it is my opinion that we do this for a minimum trial of one year from the date that the motion passes (if there is one) rather than a calendar year so that we can see how many packets we do indeed send out and what the yearly cost is.

  3.. At present, our Prudent Reserve is to be one year's expenses.  The cost of purchasing and mailing newcomers packets becomes part of our expenses and our Prudent Reserve will need to increase by that amount to cover that expense.  Just as it would if we had to add other costs such as banking into the expenses.  Right now we do not pay a monthly banking fee for our business account - I believe Jerry can confirm that fact for me.  By adding the cost to our Prudent Reserve we remove the "if we can afford it" factor from this discussion.

  4.. By sending new members to Al-Anon we are continuing our tradition of being as much like a face to face meeting that ASP has always striven to be.  Many, but not all, face to face meetings offer their members the opportunity to receive literature at their meeting.some is free such as pamphlets and newcomer packets and other things like books are for sale.  This does not make that meeting a Literature Distribution Centre any more than it would make ASP a Literature Distribution Centre for providing a service to our membership.we would simply be doing it a little differently than it happens in a face to face meeting.

  5.. My vision for distribution of a newcomer's packet looks something like this.  First it would fall under the Greeter Committee umbrella and into the lap of the Greeter Chair.  The Treasurer will purchase the newcomers packets and have them shipped to the address of the individual who takes on the responsibility of mailing the packets out.  The Greeter Chair would forward names and addresses to the Literature person.  They would work closely together to provide this service. The Literature person, we do have a volunteer for this position, would then snail mail the newcomer packet.  

  6.. WSO has a great newcomers packet and it is worth the expense of purchasing it intact and sending it out to the new person.  It has a wealth of information in it that covers many aspects of Al-Anon and the principles of the program.  There are also six different newcomer's packets.  They are:

    1.. Al-Anon Newcomer Packet - A basic introduction to Al-Anon. Includes P-7, P-13, P-14, P-48, P-53, P-67, S-4 and M-12. Cost - $1.40
    2.. Parents Newcomer Packet - For those whose child has a drinking problem. Includes P-7, P-13, P-14, P16, P-48, P-53, P-67, S-4, and M-12.  Cost - $2.00
    3.. Al-Anon Adult Children of Alcoholics Newcomer Packet - For those who have grown up with parental alcoholism, includes P-47, P-48, P-53, S-4, S-25, S-69, and M-12.  Cost - $2.00
    4.. Men's Newcomer Packet - Lets men know that they are welcome. Includes P-1, P-7, P-13, P-14, P-48, P-53, P-62, P-67, S-4, and M-12.  Cost - $2.00
    5.. Alateen Newcomer Packet - Ready to give to a new Alateen member. Includes P-21, P-22, P-41, P-67, S-4, S-20, M-9, M-13, M-18 and a sample issue of Alateen Talk.  Cost - $1.40
    6.. Professional Packet - Helpful leaflets for professionals who help families and friends of alcoholics. Includes P-41, P-48, S-4, S-17, S-20, S-25, S-29, S-37, and M-46.  Cost - $1.25

As you can see they contain similar pamphlets, with the different ones being focused on that particular group of people.  Also the cost goes up from the basic to the specialized packets.  It is my opinion that we cannot put together a better packet than the basic newcomer packet that WSO already has put together.  I have lived in an area that chose to bypass the expense of the newcomers and put together their own package.it was a nightmare to please all those in the district that had input into deciding what pieces should go into it, what to charge and so on.  When I became the chairperson of the Information Centre for our District the Info Centre Committee and I had lengthy discussions about purchasing the newcomers packets for groups to buy vs. the homemade packet.  Few people had even seen the newcomer packet put out by WSO.  I brought in my packets (I have one of each in my library) to show them what they looked like.  We decided as a committee to purchase the WSO packets and took it to the District so they could have input into it before we made the purchase.  The GR's were thrilled with the Newcomers Packets and they gave their unanimous approval for us to go ahead with our decision to purchase them.  They flew off the shelves.  We had 9 groups in that District; the average group size was 10 people (with one that was much larger and most smaller).  All of the small groups purchase and gave to newcomers the WSO newcomers packets.  The very large meeting continued to use the homemade one because they were giving out 10 to 15 newcomers packets per meeting and it was very cost ineffective to do the WSO one, but they did purchase them on occasion.  We had a hard time keeping them stocked on the shelves.  

My purpose in sharing this information is because it is my experience in dealing with the nightmare of who decides what goes in a homemade packet of info and in keeping it true to Al-Anon.  Included in that homemade packet were a couple of pieces of Non-CAL literature that someone put together and it was misleading.  It, thankfully did not stick around when a new committee came in and started looking at the principles and Traditions of the program and so on.  I for one do not want to be involved in a process of selecting which info needs to be in a newcomer's packet.why re-invent the wheel.  It is already done, and well done in my opinion.

  7.. The links to WSO are already on our home page.  Anyone who finds our homepage can click on the links that we offer to them there.  There is no need to start adding them to other areas of our information or website.

  8.. There has been mention of polling the recovery meeting regarding what would they like.  I will say it again, "Business discussions are for the Business Meeting!  We do not discuss business in the recovery meeting."  Every member of ASP is given the opportunity to join the Business Meeting.  Approximately one week prior to the Business Meeting I send out a notice to the Recovery Meeting that the Business Meeting will be starting (and I give a date) and I let them know that those who are interested in joining the business meeting can drop me a note and I will add them.  We had one ASP member send me a request to join the Business Meeting prior to the start of this month's meeting after I sent out my email to the recovery meeting.  Those who are interested in the business of ASP join us, those who are not don't.  

When I do a housecleaning it is a month long process to hear back from members who want to remain on the list, and all they have to do is click reply.  I cannot imagine the horrendous amount of work it would be to get an answer from everyone in the recovery meeting on anything.which is why we have a Business Meeting.coupled with the amount of work of compiling everyone's response and suggestions.  

  9.. Someone has also mentioned "should we be lobbying WSO to have the newcomers packets/or pamphlets in general available as e-cal.  If you want to do that as a member of an online group.go for it.  In my dealings with WSO regarding on line meetings I have had very little success in getting a response to any of my requests, let alone asking them to give up a revenue generating service such as literature available on line that is 'free".  Literature sales are a huge income generator for WSO and they won't give that up lightly.  BTW - you can go and check out the income that WSO generates in both Canada and the USA on the WSO members site and click on "Inside the World Service Office" and then clicking on "Financial Information".  I found it really interesting to see how much money WSO takes in every year.  WSO member's web address is:  http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/members/index.html  You can use ASerenityPlaceafg as the password, if you don't know how to access that feature of the WSO website.

  10.. And lastly it has been asked at least once, "when will there be sufficient discussion to make a motion," if you will go back and read the information that you were sent on the Business Meeting and the KBDM process #8 specifically addresses this issue.  If you have deleted that email you can find the information on our website at:  http://www.asp-afg.org/ASP/nbm/index.htm  

It is my opinion that ASP should purchase and send out newcomers packets to those who are new to Al-Anon.  It is a great feature that we can offer and what a great thing to receive in the mail..my very own link to Al-Anon that I can touch, see and smell.and how awesome if it encourages them to seek out a face to face meeting sooner rather than later and how amazing for the face to face world to hear that this persons first link to Al-Anon was an online meeting and that they were sent literature which helped them to find the courage to walk into the doors of a meeting.  As I keep saying, we are writing history here and it is an honor for me to be part of this!

Love and Serenity,

Dawn