[Businessmtg] Show of hands

[Sandy]

Apryl - thank you. 

This email clarifies the point being discussed for me, and should we be able to move to a closing point on this, I feel more equipped to have voice now. I participated in the first agenda item; offered one opinion on this item; and actually have been waiting for the discussion to start re: the volume of email as a new member. 

This next part of my email is a bit off topic from the whole voting thing, but as a new member I want to share how this discussion has impacted me. 


This is my very first ASP Business Meeting and there are points this week that I have been adding "and also my last" to that sentence.

I have to be honest - I have felt the desire to withdraw not just from this business meeting but from ASP as a whole several times as a result of participating in this meeting. I feel the discussion has been so challenging, not always respectful, and not at all what I am used to in my F2F group. This in itself has helped me to grow a bit in recovery. I have had to look at why I am (1) reacting to strong voices in this discussion and (2) why it is making me want to simply throw in the towel and leave the meeting/avoid this discussion. I understand now from sitting with these questions and praying about whether to continue in this meeting that it is because this replicates my situation with the alcoholic in my life, and my usual response is to just give in and stop trying to be heard. So this exercise has been helpful to my recovery. Thank you.

It also led me back to the ASP website to become familiar with the ASP process for a business meeting which was helpful and probably something I should have done before participating. My program teaches me that I should think, wait and gather facts before making a decision. 

I now understand that the chair participates fully, and I appreciate that she stated her bias prior to posting the requested summary. I believe her comments were fair as a full participant in the meeting. In hindsight it may have been more favourably received to post one email with the summary and no editorial comments in her role as chair, and then to post her input to the discussion in her role as full participant. However, because she opened with the disclaimer that she is close to the discussion and biased, I was able to separate the two for myself in reading her email with no problem at all. So both ways would work. One just required some compassion and good "listening" on our part which is a good growth tool as well! ❤️

So all that said, and like so much in a situation impacted by the family disease of alcoholism, I found myself drowning in a sea of distraction and COMPLETELY unclear on the original point we were discussing!!!! Your clarification here helps me with that Apryl, and I now feel ready to move on to pulling this part of the Business Meeting to a close. 

I am grateful for ASP as a meeting in my phone tool, and am grateful for our trusted servants. Being an online community brings special challenges with it that I believe require even more rigorous honesty and compassion, and detachment with love.

Thanks.
Sandy




23.09.16 11:02 AM, Apryl Schneider  <aprylkae at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Just so I'm clear and since no one in opposition has been able to put together a simple list:
> 
> Those who are for the show of hands seem to be relatively split on whether it should be done in straw poll fashion versus a website poll. The general reason for the poll is to assist the chair in determining whether a consensus has been reached. Since the goal of the BM is to reach substantial unanimity this is one approach to simplifying the meetings' ability to see when such has been reached. 
> 
> Those against the idea of a show of hands are against it for a variety of reasons ranging from objecting to the poll essentially being a secret ballot to practically forecasting the destruction of ASP and its policies. There is concern that offering up an internet poll is tantamount to asking for a preemptive vote and that the results would not be kept as the next poll would override the previous. 
> 
> I'm still unclear on whether we are in the fact finding portion or opinion portion as there has been a monster amount of opinion bandied about. In order to have a healthy meeting, regardless of the subject matter, everyone must be able to speak honestly. That becomes incredibly difficult when one's opinions are attacked. There is a marked difference between debating points and counterpoints and accusations. We've seen a TON of destructive dialogue this meeting and frankly, it's been difficult to pick through to to find the facts. I asked for a point and counterpoint list for the ease of the rest of the participants in casting their votes. Sadly, this is a fairly small agenda item and it's become something of an albatross. 
> 
> To those BM participants from whom we've not heard, please please please do NOT let the tone of this meeting stop you from participating. Your voice counts as well. 
> 
> Apryl 
> _______________________________________________
> The ASP Instruction page is http://asp-afg.org/members/asp-instructions/
> 
> The ASP web site for ASP members is http://www.asp-afg.org/Members/
> 
> For assistance with other ASP issues, contact the List Administrator, at list_administrator at asp-afg.org
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Businessmtg mailing list
> Businessmtg at asp-afg.org
> http://www.asp-afg.org/mailman/listinfo/businessmtg
>