[Businessmtg] ASP Service Difficulties

[logmark at comcast.net]

Evening all,

I put a note together at work which apparently didn't make the cyber cut.

Recomposing sucks, so the gist of the note was that I thought Dawn
penning a note to the group about the lack of folks stepping up to
the service plate and the likelihood of the group folding on account
of it would be too much of a broadside. Some would skip out on the
group unnecessarily and others would step up because of the
"encouragement" and not because of personal choice.

We'd probably get the wrong folks stepping up.

I propose - because the Treasurer's position is on the block - that I
knock out a letter to the group about service and its role in growth
and recovery. I can let folks know that I'm rotating out so I can
serve elsewhere and others will have the opportunity to serve ASP.
Since having the treasury secure is certainly seen as necessary
for the group maybe we can encourage a few prospects from the
reluctant.

I, like dawn, am of the opinion that groups must be self-sustaining.
If trusted servants can't be found the only options are 1) setting
up shop with perpetual leaders, or 2) closing up shop. Okay, maybe
a third - weathering this storm while learning the lessons it is teaching
us. Perhaps this is one of the potential failings of on-line groups. Is
there anything that can be done to turn this around? Are we willing
to see this through if the rotations can't happen in the time frames
we have come to expect in other areas of Al-Anon? What would
be the consequences? Etc., etc.

Here's a large part of my thinking about the problem:
~ Some of the service positions require more time than most are
   willing or able to give. ASP can get by with a very few servants
   if they are willing to give many, many hours. That doesn't sound
   very Al-Anon to me. Nobody should have to give more than 5-
   10 hours a month. If that's happening, then it's inevitable that
   replacement will be difficult if not impossible. Is it possible
   that our service structure needs reformatting?
~ Keeping this important discussion within the business meeting and
   steering committee does not permit a group conscience discussion
   and therefore keeps our Higher Power from participating fully.
   If we are at the point of talking "close the group" without having opened
   the doors to the entire group for solutions, then we are bypassing
   our Traditions wholesale. I say that before we threaten to shut our
   doors, we should invite this topic into the topic meeting and hash
   it out there. A steering or business committee shouldn't be making
   these kinds of decisions without full group participation.

Last questions: Are we panicking unnecessarily? Just because there have
been no resumes received for the treasurer's position in the few days
since the call was put out doesn't mean a week or two won't bring in
results. Are we posting the calls only to the business meeting members,
or to the group as a whole?

Someone once mentioned T.R.U.S.T. in our meeting: Try Really Using
the Second Step. That works for groups, too. It seems to me that we've
just opened the book on rotations so it's pretty early to be pulling out
the nuke solutions. I've found that open communications with all usually
brings about progress - not always what I had hoped for, but progress
just the same.
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An added Treasury thought:
I think it may be a good idea to have the Prudent Reserve moved from
the control of the treasurer. Our balances have been above the PR
for some time with the funds in excess of the PR large enough to
sustain the group for quite a number of months.

If the nightmare of an untrustworthy treasurer were to happen as we
are now set up we'd be in a real pickle. With the PR in the hands of
the LA or another Present or Past Trusted Servant and in a separate
account we'd be safer that we are now.

Okay, off to bed - thinking is becoming difficult
Jerry
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