[Businessmtg] OT- My thoughts

[Bubbe Turner]

Thank you, Claudia, for the wise words and program view of this meeting.

BJ

On Sat, May 20, 2017 at 1:34 PM, Claudia G. <cbgomila at outlook.com> wrote:

> To the Business Meeting in general and the Steering Committee in
> particular:
>
>
> I have been a member of ASP since 2010.  This online meeting has been my
> lifeline when there were no evening meetings in my hometown.  Here I
> learned about the Al-Anon program and the 3 legacies.  It's here that I
> found my Sponsor of four years, who was my rock and my best teacher when I
> most needed it.  This fellowship was my essential source of support when I
> recently lost my daughter.  In fact, I spent this past Mother's Day with
> another ASP member who also lost a child to this disease.  Therefore, I am
> most grateful for all that A Serenity Place has given me.
>
>
> This also happens to be my first ASP Business Meeting and I would like to
> say that I am really discouraged and concerned about what I've witnessed so
> far.   I hope that the adversarial tone of this meeting is the exception
> rather than the norm....we all know what might happen if we continue doing
> what doesn't work.
>
>
> Now that we have taken a break, and had time to reflect on the issues at
> hand, as a concerned ASP member, I feel the need to share my thoughts in an
> effort to find common ground, and in hopes that, in the future, we will
> choose to communicate with each other in an Al-Anon-like manner:
>
>
> - Whenever too many participants repeat themselves, misunderstand the
> process, give the wrong answers or seem confused, I tend to conclude that
> either the instructions are not clear enough or that the process needs to
> be reviewed or perhaps simplified.   I am in no way new to the business
> world, having participated in several Board of Directors and business
> meetings for over 30 years.  However, I find the format of this meeting
> confusing and easily leading to misunderstandings and hurt feelings.
>
>
> - More importantly, what happened to all the principles we focus on during
> the daily recovery meetings?  Isn't this the best opportunity to put them
> into practice, as "in all our affairs"?  I can cut the newcomers much
> slack, but is it not up to us with years in the program to be role models?
>  If an outsider had witnessed our past interchanges, would they think
> Al-Anon works?  Shouldn't we be embarrassed?  Wasn't "courtesy" one of the
> recent meeting topics that received eloquent shares?
>
>
> - "...personal progress for the greatest number depends upon Unity".  To
> me this means that my personal agenda is set aside; that if I'm part of the
> minority opinion, while I have a right to express it, in the end majority
> rules.  It means that I must treat the majority and minority alike, with
> civility and respect.  The Golden Rule, first and foremost.
>
>
> - I remind myself often to let the God of my understanding be my guide,
> both personally and collectively.  After all, I can't rely on my best
> thinking, or let my character defects take control.
>
>
> - Every day I have the opportunity to start anew; this is not only my
> right but also my duty and responsibility.   Therefore, can we all come
> together and be part of the solution?  Can we please review our messages to
> make sure they pass the "T.H.I.N.K"  test before we hit "send"?  Can we
> treat our fellow members the way we would like to be treated?
>
>
> Thank you for listening; and, as usual, please take what you like and
> leave the rest.
>
>
> Respectfully,
>
>
> Claudia
>
>
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