[Businessmtg] Newcomer packets

[Susie Q]

Laura,

I understand that you are allowed to request a straw poll prior to a
motion.  What I object to is the idea that comments sent to you privately
are considered the same as comments made during the meeting.

Sure sounds like back office politics to me.

You said "I have never seen anything on the website that
said I needed to make a report to the business meeting and was unable to
find any reference to it on there.

The ASP website says the Steering Committee will report to the Business
Meeting monthly.  It's part of that Motion #4 that defines the duties of
the trusted servants that you said you couldn't find. Should it bother me
that the Chair of the business meeting can't find the page that describes
the duties of the trusted servants? I think so.

Susie

On Tue, May 16, 2017 at 6:03 AM, ASP Secretary <asp_secretary at asp-afg.org>
wrote:

> In response to Susie:
>
> I am allowed to solicit comments as part of a straw poll; this was decided
> on in a past business meeting in the last year. I could have easily asked
> the webmaster to stand up another formal poll on the website to do this -
> and then everyone's opinions would have been secret except to the webmaster
> and myself. I chose not to take that course because we currently have
> another poll going on and I felt it would be confusing. So my soliciting
> comments that may be private are perfectly within the bounds of my duties
> as Secretary. *We are not voting on this issue.* I am merely trying to see
> if there is a majority opinion that we can work with.
>
> Further, I have been part of this business meeting for 5+ years, and I have
> never seen a trusted servant make a report to the business meeting. The
> reports are out on the website. Given past precedent, I didn't see a need
> to put a treasurer report on the agenda, and the treasurer did not request
> that it be put on there - nor anyone else. Since the report was submitted
> to the business meeting, and there was a question, I will give a 48 hour
> comment window once we are done talking about the issue at hand; I feel
> that this is sufficient given that the treasurer's report wasn't on the
> agenda.
>
> The agenda is sent to the members of the recovery meeting so that they know
> what the business meeting will be addressing. It is again sent to the
> business meeting at the start of the meeting so that they know they will be
> addressing. Adding additional items after the fact both places an
> unexpected duty on the business meeting as well as possibly leaving someone
> out who wants to address that issue. Anyone can request an item be put on
> the business meeting. We don't ever want to be in a position as a business
> meeting that we address something "in secret" - because after the business
> meeting starts, no one else can join.
>
> Susie, I am sorry that you feel the Steering Committee is hiding things
> from the business meeting. I have never seen anything on the website that
> said I needed to make a report to the business meeting and was unable to
> find any reference to it on there. There are many people on the Steering
> Committee, and while we do not agree on everything, the number of people on
> there would prevent any hidden issues or agendas. Our trusted servants have
> a lot of Al-anon experience behind them, and do not hesitate to speak up.
>
> If anyone in this group feels that the Steering Committee is hiding things,
> I would suggest that the best way to monitor the Steering Committee is to
> be on it, and would encourage any member of the business meeting to
> consider becoming a trusted servant. It is a great way to give service and
> I can add my ESH: it definitely had me practicing my program.
>
>
> Laura
>
> On Mon, May 15, 2017 at 8:56 PM, Susie Q <susie.q.dilly at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Hi Apryl,
> >
> > When everyone discusses the issue in the meeting, then everyone gets to
> see
> > what's going on. No secrets and that's healthy.  Secrets are not healthy.
> >
> > But, when the chair solicits private comments for consideration, those
> > comments are 'secret'. The process is no longer transparent and healthy.
> > Since the the chair asked for private comments, it just seems to me that
> > she could be attempting to control the outcome.
> >
> > The website says the Steering Committee is supposed to report to the
> > Business Meeting. I mentioned that earlier and some others have also
> > commented on it, yet it's not on the agenda. But no response from the
> > Steering Committee about my request for a report. Makes me wonder what's
> > going on.
> >
> > Susie
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon, May 15, 2017 at 5:28 PM, Apryl Schneider <aprylkae at hotmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Hi Susie. Why do you believe the chair is attempting to decide the
> > > direction of the topic? I think there may have been a miscommunication
> > :).
> > >
> > > Thanks!
> > > Apryl
> > >
> > > > On May 15, 2017, at 3:33 PM, Susie Q <susie.q.dilly at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I'd like to see this be tabled, but available to the Newcomer
> committee
> > > for
> > > > future recommendation(s).
> > > >
> > > > But, I have to question why the Chair would solicit private responses
> > to
> > > > this. That sounds horribly inappropriate for the Chair to decide the
> > > > direction of a topic bases on private (secret) discussions.
> > > >
> > > > Susie
> > > > _______________________________________________
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