[Businessmtg] And how's that working for us?

[logmark at comcast.net]

Biz-Pals,

[I caution my friends in the Biz meeting that my
words may seem confrontational to individuals.
Please accept that my opinions are mine and only
address our principles, not our personalities.]

So what I have heard so far is akin to "We've got
a problem. The solution is to keep things as they
are." And so my subject question, "How's that
working for us?"

We have a serious problem. A problem so big
that almost from the get-go we all see the meeting
folding as one possibile outcome. The elephant
is in the living room.

I say we'd better take a hard look at our firmly-
held positions and opinions lest the elephant
win out.

First on my list is the idea that addressing the
group's problems within the group - as a topic - 
is bad for the group.

Second on that list is the proposal that business
meetings are seperate meetings from topic meetings
everywhere in Al-Anon. Find that idea in the literature
for me, would you. Can meetings decide to function
that way? Yes. Must they? Heck no!

If getting our collective house in order isn't on the
agenda, top of the list, the group is in deep do-do.

Our meeting's standard practices were developed
when ASP was nothing but the wonderful idea
born of single person's recovery - why not do this
Al-Anon thing on the internet? Our meeting's
pratices were developed using the best thinking
available at the time at a time when there were no
thoughs let alone guidelines for the medium.

There are realities of online that needed faceing.
Someone had to "own" the site; someone had
to pay the bills; someone had to man the shop.
That had to happen and I'm greatful it did.

There are consequences of decisions made during
the early years which contribute to our current
dilemma. Thinking that the group needs to be
seperated from business may well be one. We are a
more mature group, and holding on to the concept
of all business getting done away from the meeting as
a whole is, I believe, hindering us now.

Personally, I believe that a group conscience
REQUIRES the input from all members, not
just the leaders. G-d participates through the
mouths of even the least experienced among us.
A lack of trust in the process that has kept
Al-Anon healthy for over fifty years is a real
problem for me.

The steering committee can do the footwork
and present its findings to the group for discussion
and/or approval, but the minute the steering
committee decides then implements, it is
governing. That's not Al-Anon. Was it once
necessary? Yes it was. No way Steve and the
founders of the group could have done this fine
thing without a very firm hand. Now? We are
operating much more in line with Service Manual
principles as they are applied in f2f meetings.

So, question? Are some of the policies and
operation practices of ASP now out-of-date
with the new realities of our meeting? Do we
open up our thinking to change or hold fast
to what clearly isn't currently working?

Here's what I think would help set us on a path
to renewing ASP's health:
~ Admit we have a serious problem
~ Explore, within the wide variety of Al-Anon
   options, alternative practices
~ Bring these alternatives and the reasons for
   them to the group as a whole
~ Take the best we hear from the membership
   and integrate it into a new business plan
~ Try this new plan for a trial period long enough
   to see if it helps
~ Admit to what improves and reject what doesn't
~ Make any changes to our Policies which we find
   appropriate

Please remember, while some of us are used to
one way of "doing" Al-Anon, there are others
among us from other Areas or countries who
have equal certainties that their way of "doing"
Al-Anon is the best way. To me the important
"way" for ASP is the way that will work today
and provide for the possibility of working for
quite a few tomorrows to come.

So what are the facts?
There is only a small core of experienced members
   who participate in our business (though there are
   quite a few more members with long experience.)
We hold to the Steering Committee format for
   exploring business options and in practice (since
   SC members are the influential and deciding portion
   of business discussions) the SC makes decisions
   for the group.
Business meetings are held seperate from the membership
   (except for the initial invitation to participate and occasional
   announcement that they could join if they wish.) The lack
   of participation is assumed to be lack of interest. There
   is little encouragement of newcomers to add to their
   recoveries through this service - why it helps us as
   recovering folks individually - that business is a necessary
   element of recovery.
The leadership may have the majority opinion that newcomers
   must take all steps alone - that doing for others is in all and every
   case a very bad thing. What then of sponsors calling sponsees?
   What of picking up a newcomer who doesn't have a ride to a
   meeting? There are a lot of hard-a**ed ideas out there that
   doing for someone attempting Al-Anon recovery is out of 
   bounds. Is this truly Al-Anon's foundational principle?
   If so, then we'd better stop recommending CAL and F2F
   meetings. Let them dig up their recovery from scratch.
   I think it's a crock.

More not-so-humble opinions :-)

We simply have to come up with a solution which keeps
   us from governing and rejecting the concept of a group
   conscience. Can the group decide afresh to reaccept
   our current policies after a full and open discussion? Yes!
   But holding on to old practices when the group has grown
   into its new era is rejecting G-d's participation at a time
   when His input is critical.
Holding firmly to past ideas that don't work as well as we'd
   like is diseased thinking.
Not admitting that current circumstances seem to be telling
   us that our house is not in the best running order is assuring
   that we will eventually suffer suffer some unpleasant
   consequences.
Taking the other side, insisting that everything we do is wrong
   is denying the work G-d has done in getting us to where we are.
F.E.A.R. may be guiding us.                           

More, but this is certainly enough...]

I have a deep and abiding trust that starting with all possibilities
on the table and all members participating we will discover our Higher
Power's Will for us as a group. I also know in my bones that
assuming that all of our current practices are necessary and
unchangeable will bring us again to the problems we currently
face.

So, going along with what I believe one SC member suggested,
why can't we take one meeting a week and make it something
like "The Importance of Service," or "Taking Care of Business - 
A Practical Application of Tradition Seven?" If we, as the SC,
bring to that table our situation, Al-Anon's Principles and Suggestions
as outlined on the Service Manual, and offer to the group a
recognition that Group Consciences are the core of group health
we will be demonstrating in practice what we all know by experience
and intuition: that Al-Anon's Principles - all of them - work in our
lives and our groups. That is leadership. We lead by example.
We do what works.

What I'm really fearful of is the line I'm sure each of you has heard
somewhere along the way in your recoveries:

"If you always do what you always did,
you'll always get what you always got."

Okay, a necessary admission: my thinking is limited by my inability
to know everything and express it perfectly. I ask that you Presume
Good Will. My mind and my ears are open...

Hugs,
Jerry
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