[Businessmtg] Show Of Hands

[List Administrator]

Secret polls are held all of the time in Al-Anon. I doubt that I have ever been to a election in Al-Anon where balloting was not done secretly. In every 
Assembly  I have attended in three different areas all balloting was done secretly. 

Hugs
Sandie

Sent from my iPad

> On Sep 20, 2016, at 8:56 PM, Steve Rankin <steve at serenitysys.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi folks,
> 
> Some thoughts on the show of hands issue, specifically.
> 
> I'll describe the way I did it for 10 years.
> 
> 1. We know who is in the Business Meeting. We send out a list of everyone in
> the BM at the start of the meeting, so making a list of who's here is a done
> deal.
> 
> 2. As members of the BM share on the issue, I'd have at least a clue about
> how they felt on the issue. Put a "+" next to the name of someone for and
> issue, a "-" next to the name of someone against the issue.  If/when someone
> changes their tune, I change the mark next to their name. 
> 
> 3. Anyone that hasn't shared during the meeting is obvious because there is
> no mark next to their name. 
> 
> 4. Ask for members that have not spoken, or who have changed their minds on
> the issue to speak up. So simple and so efficient. No need to craft the
> wording of a poll, no need to post a poll on the website, no need to put the
> meeting on hold while members go to the poll, no need to tally, etc. 
> 
> 5. What if someone doesn't speak up, or changes their mind later? Obviously,
> I have no clue what the silent folks are thinking, but usually I can tell if
> there's a swing in thinking when someone bring up a new facet to the issue.
> Frankly, this is not a problem IF the consensus building is done well. See,
> an Al-Anon consensus is usually unanimous or very nearly so. If we haven't
> reached that SUBSTANTIAL UNANIMITY, then we aren't done with the consensus
> building. 
> 
> 6. As the meeting went on, I'd also write notes about the suggestions. As I
> started to think we were getting close to a consensus, I'd assemble those
> notes into a list of points that needed to be part of a motion that
> represented the consensus. 
> 
> 7. If I think we have reached a consensus on Part A of an issue, but not
> Part B, then I'd post a note saying I think we have a consensus on Part A,
> so let's just talk about Part B. Maybe A & B can be separated, but I'm loath
> to do that as sometimes we discover something during the discussion of Part
> B that changes what we thought about Part A. 
> 
> 8. Now, when we get to the point where I think we have a consensus on the
> issue, I post a message that lists ALL of the points that are part of the
> consensus, and ask for a motion that covers ALL of those points. If the
> motion leaves out any points, or is somehow contrary to what I believe is
> the consensus, then that motion is null and void and I ask for a new motion.
> 
> 
> 9. Then we create the poll and vote.
> 
> 10. During the entire discussion and deliberation, as the Chair it is
> important I remain as neutral as possible. My job as the Chair is to guide
> the group to a consensus that represents the group. It is not my job to
> influence the group to take a preferred course of action. 
> 
> So, that's the way I did it. Frankly, I think it worked quite well and I
> don't see any good reason to formalize polling the members. For one thing,
> it creates a situation where meaningful discussions can easily be
> short-circuited in favor of "efficiency" - or to further an agenda. Also,
> I've heard way too much side talk in the recent months about how such'n'such
> is good because X number of members had sent private notes supporting it,
> and formalizing a polling process further supports this kind of behavior. 
> 
> As for a secret polling of the members? I find that particularly offensive
> in any setting, much less an Al-Anon meeting. 
> 
> Hugs,
> Steve
> 
> 
> 
> 
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