[Businessmtg] Dual Members

[Steve Rankin]

Hi ASPers,

 

I'll chip in with my interpretation on the issue of dual members serving as
officers of ASP.

 

 

1.  The Al-Anon policy that bars members of AA from serving in Al-Anon
leadership positions came about after Bill Wilson, the founder of AA, spoke
at an early Al-Anon World Service Conference and warned the Al-Anon
fellowship "don't let the alcoholics into your service structure, because if
you do they will take it over."

 

2.  I've known hundreds of AA members that have attended Al-Anon meetings.
I have yet to meet an AA member that was entirely successful at leaving
their AA affiliation out of the Al-Anon meeting.  Some make a sincere
effort, but even so they are unable to avoid mixing their AA program with
their Al-Anon program because AA is such an essential and central part of
their life.  Likewise, they are unable to separate their understanding of
how AA service works with how Al-Anon service works.  

 

3.  It is common for Al-Anon's that are also members of AA to have
difficulty regarding boundaries between the two fellowships.  For example,
members of AA will often announce AA events at Al-Anon meetings.  Members of
AA often have difficulty understanding the difference between an AA event
that is "open" to members of Al-Anon and an AA event that has legitimate
Al-Anon participation.

 

4.  Even though ASP meets the traditional definition of an Al-Anon Group,
ASP is not permitted to register as a "Group".

 

5.  Even though ASP is not permitted to register as an Al-Anon Group, we are
held to the same standards of adhering to the Al-Anon Traditions, Concepts
and policy as f2f Groups AND MORE.  

 

6.  Just like other 'underdog' organizations, we must not only adhere to the
letter of Al-Anon principles, we must adhere to the spirit of those
principles.  Anyone who has been around Al-Anon for a while knows that many
f2f Groups ignore Traditions, Concepts & AFG policy that they find
objectionable, yet there is ZERO repercussion from WSO.  Yet, the online
meetings have received letters from WSO criticizing them regarding some
things that have occurred in some online meetings.  In other words, the
online meetings like ASP are being held to a higher standard than f2f
meetings AND draw fire from WSO when rumor of some allegedly inappropriate
behavior is brought to WSO's attention.  Therefore, online meetings like ASP
need to go beyond following the letter of Al-Anon policy and strive to
adhere to the spirit of Al-Anon policy.

 

7.  If ASP allows members of AA to serve in leadership positions, then WSO
and the Al-Anon Fellowship as a whole will have cause to consider ASP a
'rogue' meeting.  One of the realities is that the WSO & f2f fellowship has
a certain level of fear & distrust of online meetings.  Allowing AA's into
our leadership structure adds fuel to that fear & distrust.

 

8.  The Fourth Tradition says that "Each group should be autonomous, EXCEPT
in matters affecting another group or Al-Anon or AA as a whole."   Since
this is clearly an issue that affects Al-Anon as whole, the autonomy granted
by the 4th Tradition does not apply.

 

9.  ASP resembles World Service Areas in many ways that Groups do not.  We
have officers with duties that more closely resemble the duties of Area
officers than of a Group's trusted servants, we enter into contracts, we
have a web site, we cover a broad geographic area, our meetings do not occur
in a single geographic location, our bank account moves to the geographic
area of the treasurer much like occurs in some Areas.  Members of AA are not
permitted to serve as Area Officers.

 

10. ASP officers are the leaders of ASP.  Each officer is responsible for
leading ASP in their functional area & is given considerable latitude to
make decisions independently.  Additionally, the officers serve together on
the Steering Committee which serves ASP just as the Board of Trustees serves
the greater Al-Anon fellowship.  The Steering Committee makes decisions
regarding the application of Al-Anon Traditions and Concepts as well as the
policies of ASP.  

 

11. The leadership responsibilities of ASP officers are significantly
greater than the leadership responsibilities of a f2f Group Rep.  For
example, a Group Rep has no functional responsibility to their f2f meeting
and therefore no authority to make any decisions on behalf of their group
other than voting at District meetings and Area Assemblies.  Yet, the Group
Rep position is barred to members of AA.

 

12. Leadership should not be confused with 'command' as some have implied.
Leadership in Al-Anon is much more like being the lead dog in a sled team.
The lead dog has ZERO command authority over the other dogs or the musher,
yet if the lead dog takes the wrong path the entire team is in peril.  The
same is true in Al-Anon.  Our leaders lead by example.  If our leaders are
also members of AA, then their leadership is going to have an AA flavor that
can affect the entire meeting.

 

 

The key reason that ASP has been so successful for the last 14 years is
because we set it up to resemble a regular face-to-face meeting as much as
possible AND that we strived to follow BOTH the letter and the spirit of
Al-Anon principles and policies as closely as possible.  Allowing members of
AA into our service structure, in particular the Steering Committee which is
the core of ASP service structure can easily lead to a dilution of the
Al-Anon message.

 

Thanks for listening.

 

Hugs,

Steve