[Businessmtg] Steering Committee service positions
Jerry H.
logmark at comcast.net
Sat Jul 29 07:29:44 PDT 2017
In recent weeks a couple of grenades have been tossed at Steve. No reply would imply agreement. Thus my share.
Jerry
-
>
> On July 28, 2017 at 3:37 PM Kristen Z <asplove007 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I would like some direction about this: Why is this particular discussion a
> part of this business meeting?
> Thank you all,
> Kristen
>
> On Fri, Jul 28, 2017 at 1:03 PM List Administrator <
> list_administrator at asp-afg.org> wrote:
>
> > >
> > The Steering Committee approved the website in June of 2017.
> >
> > We have been over and over this..
> >
> > From my perspective only.
> >
> > Through the last many years I have "suggested" additions to the website
> > sent to all of the webmasters. I was told at different times that they
> > would be incorporated but they never were. It never occurred to me that
> > the Webmaster did not have the "authority" to change or add anything to the
> > website.
> >
> > Since Jane assumed the duties of webmaster we have seen a nice clean
> > website with most information easy to find. I was not on the Steering
> > Committee when the new website was approved. However at that time Jane
> > also introduced it to the recovery meeting and I took the time to go
> > through it. I also made some suggestions for "improvements" which were the
> > same ones I had sent to previous webmasters.
> >
> > My suggestions were to add links to the Al-Anon World Service Office
> > website and it add links to the newcomer/first steps podcasts and the
> > Sponsorship podcasts and also to CAL. All of these were due to the many
> > questions that I saw from newcomers and also from the questions that I
> > received as List Admin. From newcomers,. None of these are major changes..
> > the issue of the Sponsorship page was discussed in a Business Meeting and
> > the majority of the members wanted the page from a former member deleted..
> >
> > Sandie
> >
> > Please join us at Al-Anon's Sixth International Convention
> >
> > http://www.al-anoninternationalconvention.org/sixthInternational.html
> >
> > > > >
> > > On Jul 28, 2017, at 1:09 PM, Jane Anon <happynjoyousnfree at gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > I feel the need to respond to just a few things.
> > >
> > > Anne said that "although permission was granted to update the site to a
> > > newer version, there were decisions made by one or two people that were
> > > never discussed (to my knowledge) with the larger group."
> > >
> > > This is accurate.
> > >
> > > When I transferred the old member site to the new one, I reorganized
> > > things
> > > a bit to fit in smoothly with the Wordpress format. I also added some
> > > content. Anne said, "For example, decisions about nesting the acronym
> > > table
> > > behind a page that identified and defined acronyms should
> > > have been a project approved and reviewed by the business meeting."
> > >
> > > Sure. But here's the thing: I was BRAND NEW in my role as webmaster when
> > > I
> > > created the new website out of the old site. When I presented it to the
> > > Steering Committee, they had the opportunity to review it and let me know
> > > if they thought the changes I made (which I think are pretty obvious)
> > > should have been discussed, reviewed and ultimately created via group
> > > effort. NO ONE TOLD ME THIS AT THE TIME. NOT EVEN STEVE.
> > >
> > > Steve objected to the changes I made 2 years later. 2 years. At the time,
> > > he was very complimentary, both privately to me and in front of the
> > > Steering Committee.
> > >
> > > With respect to both Jerry and Anne, I don't feel that I "attacked"
> > > Steve.
> > > I shared my experience honestly. I was reluctant to put his name to it,
> > > but
> > > I concluded that it would be dishonest to do otherwise.
> > >
> > > Anne also said, "I suspect there are more big changes that should have
> > > been
> > > called out for review."
> > >
> > > I disagree, and Anne, you don't have to "suspect." I put everything--all
> > > changes and everything that stayed the same--into a document it took me
> > > many hours to complete. I presented it at the last business meeting. You
> > > and anyone else are welcome to review it:
> > >
> > > http://asp-afg.org/members/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Members-Only-Websites-Old-versus-New.pdf
> > >
> > > Copy and paste into your browser if it doesn't link.
> > >
> > > Jane
> > >
> > > "It is easier to put on slippers than to carpet the world." ~Stuart
> > > Smalley
> > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > On Fri, Jul 28, 2017 at 7:33 AM, Anne OHara <aohara77 at comcast.net>
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Good Morning,
> > > >
> > > > I'd like to piggy back on to some of the responses to bus meeting member
> > > > inquiries about the Steering Committee, the personal growth
> > > > opportunities
> > > > service brings, the open positions and the feedback from two current
> > > > members of the steering committee. It is a lot and I am not sure I
> > > > will be
> > > > able to articulate my observations and experiences clearly. This
> > > > medium is
> > > > VERY difficult to work in. You don't have inflection, facial
> > > > expressions
> > > > or
> > > > the ability to correct an impression or misunderstanding quickly.
> > > >
> > > > . I have been a member of ASP for a very long time, at least 15
> > > > years. During that time, I participated in the server move and
> > > > establishment of business meetings and the steering committee. I
> > > > served as
> > > > Webmaster from 2006 to 2011 and then Treasurer from 2011 to 2014. I
> > > > most
> > > > recently was voted in as Archivist in January. Moving the website from
> > > > Steve's ownership and location to its current home took the greatest
> > > > amount
> > > > of my time. But beyond that, the role of webmaster and treasurer are
> > > > truly
> > > > administrative. They require a few hours a month. The steering
> > > > committee
> > > > time commitment has been the same. At no time in those first 8 years
> > > > were
> > > > any of us trying to make big changes. All changes went through the
> > > > business
> > > > meeting and there was never more than one (sometimes 2) items on the
> > > > agenda.
> > > > The work was manageable. I learned a lot about patience, collaboration,
> > > > and
> > > > the application of the traditions and concepts. It forced me to step
> > > > outside of myself, so that I was thinking and working towards the good
> > > > of
> > > > the group. Bus meeting topics many times lasted for many months before
> > > > working their way through the KBDM process, the chair and the LA did not
> > > > try
> > > > to force solutions in those days.
> > > >
> > > > . The positions I have chosen in the past have not been time
> > > > consuming, I believe the LA and then the Secretary spend the most
> > > > amount of
> > > > their time, followed by the Greeter chair. I am always willing to step
> > > > forward for a new position, but I hope that others will do so too.
> > > >
> > > > . Fast forward to today. I stopped attending the bus meetings
> > > > soon
> > > > after a new rotation of Steering Committee members entered the picture
> > > > (2015). I couldn't keep up with the agenda topics, there were more than
> > > > one
> > > > on a regular basis and a need to come to a decision quickly. There was
> > > > a
> > > > lot of what seemed to be 'pressing' issues that in my opinion were
> > > > personal
> > > > preferences that weren't urgent.
> > > >
> > > > . With the current website it is a much cleaner and more modern
> > > > visual, however, all the rewriting of content and how nested some
> > > > important
> > > > info is, has become something of a problem too. The website is not a
> > > > blog,
> > > > and although permission was granted to update the site to a newer
> > > > version,
> > > > there were decisions made by one or two people that were never discussed
> > > > (to
> > > > my knowledge) with the larger group. For example, decisions about
> > > > nesting
> > > > the acronym table behind a page that identified and defined acronyms
> > > > should
> > > > have been a project approved and reviewed by the business meeting. No
> > > > one
> > > > person should decide which acronyms are worthy of display. I still
> > > > haven't
> > > > gone through the pages, because of time constraints and time commitments
> > > > but
> > > > I suspect there are more big changes that should have been called out
> > > > for
> > > > review.
> > > >
> > > > I have never been in favor of making big changes to ASP, I have a deep
> > > > respect for what has developed through the Al-Anon process and so when
> > > > I do
> > > > read resumes for the positions, I vote specifically with that in mind,
> > > > anyone that wants to change ASP is a red flag to me. The service
> > > > positions
> > > > are limited to 3 year rotations and so any quick changes can be
> > > > disastrous.
> > > > We are unique as an online meeting, we have an obligation to the meeting
> > > > members to keep things simple so that we can all work on our recovery.
> > > > Making change for the sake of change or because one person doesn't like
> > > > what
> > > > is in place makes no sense and threatens the health of the group. This
> > > > is
> > > > what I am seeing now and what I believe has created the internal
> > > > conflict.
> > > > I mean no disrespect to those who have felt attacked by Steve, I don't
> > > > know
> > > > how or when things started to sour between he and the LA, Secretary and
> > > > Webmaster, I have been told it has been going on for 2 years. There
> > > > was a
> > > > most recent push to ban him from ASP when I joined the SC in January,
> > > > that
> > > > failing, the next was to just ban him from SC and Bus Meeting
> > > > meetings. It
> > > > didn't happen but I do know that he was put on moderated status and
> > > > censored
> > > > for some period of time. I have seen Steve voice his concerns and
> > > > corrections over the years, I get that feedback from him now as the
> > > > facilitator of the Newcomers group, I don't always agree but I respect
> > > > what
> > > > he has to say and I take it into consideration. We should all be humble
> > > > enough to take direction as we learn. I know I had to! Email is harsh
> > > > because of what it is, I try hard not to take things personally and that
> > > > has
> > > > contributed to my growth.
> > > >
> > > > With that said, the roles of each SC position are posted on the
> > > > website, I
> > > > encourage you to apply, even in conflict we can learn a lot. This
> > > > conflict
> > > > will pass, there are opportunities for a fresh start and for healing.
> > > > The
> > > > concern as always is that we can't see each other and develop the
> > > > personal
> > > > relationship that can get us through some of the rough spots. The
> > > > month
> > > > is
> > > > coming to a close, but I do encourage you to reach out to the SC members
> > > > for
> > > > more info about the jobs and the principles and not about the
> > > > personalities.
> > > > With rotation, personalities come and go, the principles stand.
> > > >
> > > > Hugs, and if you read all of this, thanks!
> > > >
> > > > Anne
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > 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
> > > >
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> > > >
> > > > > > >
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> > >
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> > >
> > > > >
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> >
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> >
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> > --
> > " I choose to use my inherent power to heal myself, mend my broken dreams
> > and reweave the fabric of my life!"
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > 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/
>
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>
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