[Businessmtg] business meeting

[Kathy Frasier]

OK now.  I've kept quiet for some time now with the tone of the business meeting.  There is obviously some HUGE personalities before principles going on here. 
 
I will say that I interpreted Beth's share as extremely hostile and sarcastic with the 'trusted servant' and Dawn's 'rules' statements.  And the summer road trip statement...well, I just felt the tone of the email was very hurtful.
 
As someone who has worked behind the scenes in this ASP group, I am fully aware of the time and commitment that it takes to operate this meeting.  I have chaired a weekly meeting and served as a Greeter for almost 1 1/2 years and I certainly attest to the daily commitment involved.  As a List Administrator or a Greeter Chair, which are two positions I would be unable to serve at this point in my life, I can only imagine the amounts of time involved.  Add that to face to face meetings, sponsors, sponsees, family, full-time jobs, commuting, gardening, grocery shopping, running kids here and there to sports activities and school commitments, let alone some time for relaxation...MY GOD, there is hardly enough time in the day.  I know that if I was in the position of running the meeting, I would have to beg off for the next two months - I am already extremely booked up with school field trips, dance chaperoning, teacher appreciation week, and STAR Rewards Day.  I have three kids in school and I participate with all of them.  Add this to my fulltime job and throw in the hour commute each way, my garden, my Al-Anon meetings and participation in another 12 step group for support with my chemically dependent son, and I just don't see how I could do it. Maybe that's why the meeting time has been decreased...because people have lives.  Or maybe they get tired of continually getting beat up after all the effort they put into things and get reamed and it is implied that they all have their own agenda.  
 
I don't understand it all.  I have worked with both Dawn and Tara, among others, behind the scenes and I have never found either of them to be self-serving or domineering.  Running this meeting is far different than running a face to face meeting.  When I greet newcomers at our face to face meeting I'm able to give them a hug and hand them some brochures and give them my phone number and it ends.  That is not what happens here, trust me.  I had to maintain a spreadsheet to keep all the letters and responses coordinated and there are just all kinds of things that go on - you just don't know unless you do the job.  I suspect that is the case for other 'trusted servants' who handle much more responsibility and dedicate their time and energy to this group.  
 
Al-Anon is a lifelong solution.  I understand the statement "if its hysterical, its historical" and I've no doubt that my reaction to all of this is about me.   Attacking people or using sarcasm has never served me and in fact has landed me flat on my ass more times than I care to remember so perhaps this is simply a mirror for me.  We use the Golden Rule at our house.  Do unto others....and it doesn't get much simpler than that.
 
Kathy