[Businessmtg] Changes in ASP Intro, etc.

[Jerry]

Biz-Pals, 
  
I hope no one minds me kicking off this discussion. The two items up for consideration have been a part of Al-Anon for some time and it's good that we're looking into including them in our operating principles. 
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1. [Change](i)n paragraph 6, first sentence of ASP's format, remove "Al-Anon is an anonymous fellowship" and put in "Anonymity is an important principle of the Al-Anon/Alateen program". 
  
Some time ago (15-20 years?) Al-Anon's W.S.C. (World Service Conference) approved this change to the language of our Suggested Meeting Format. I recall that the primary reason for the change was to counteract the perception by potential members that Al-Anon was a secret society (with a dash of cult tossed in.) Membership across the board was slipping and it was thought that this change would ease this problem. The language was changed in Al-Anon's Service Manual and is currently in use in the vast majority of face-to-face meetings. 
  
While the original text still rings in my memory (10 or more meetings a week will do that to you :-) I understand the reasoning behind this change and agree that ASP should adopt it in our literature in the spirit of Unity (Tradition 1) as have virtually all other Al-Anon meetings. 
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2. Add the following to the end of the meeting welcome message: "We ask members of other anonymous fellowships to remain anonymous and focus on the Al-Anon program." 
  
For me this is a no-brainer. The language is straight out of the Service Manual where it is offered as a suggested solution for groups which have had the experience of members of AA or other outside organizations (such as ACA/ACOA, OA, CODA, and etc.) diluting (intentionally or innocently) the Al-Anon message with non-Al-Anon content or confusing newer members. 
  
A good deal of this goes on here at ASP. I'm certain that no individual does this to purposefully damage the group or its members' recoveries. Never-the-less to uninformed newcomers the added confusion of blended messages from multiple self-help sources slows down their recovery process. Some over-eaters ARE also affected by someone else's drinking, but not all of us are over-eaters. Some codependents ARE also affected by others' drinking, but not all of us are codependent. Same with having alcoholic parents; some, not all. These other outside organizations are potential resources for individuals, but regularly raising membership in them or mentioning them as if they are a part of Al-Anon misrepresents Al-Anon's sole purpose: to help friends and families of alcoholics. As I recall, our Service Manual covers this under Outside Organizations, Anonymity, and/or Dilution.  
  
It's fair to mention here that Al-Anon DOES recognize each group's ability to register itself (designate itself) as for more specific categories (Al-Anon Adult Child, Parents, Men or Women's, Gay, etc.) This is not to be confused with the mentioning of outside organizations within our meetings. We, by Tradition, are asked to have no opinions on outside issues. 
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Question: Are we going to consider/discuss/vote on these two items as a pair, or individually? 
  
In service, 
Jerry 
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