[Businessmtg] FW: Procedure

[Steve Rankin]

Kristen,

The group conscience of ASP as stated in Motion #4 makes it clear that the Steering Committee is responsible for implementation of ASP policy and practices. The "practices" of an Al-Anon meeting, sometimes known as "the small-T traditions" are just as important to the harmony of the meeting as the formal policies. 

ASP has a long established practice of allowing a substantial period of time in our Business Meeting for the members to ask questions of the candidate. The period of time needs to be long enough for every member of the Business Meeting to study the resume, collect their thoughts about it and perhaps do some research, and ask their questions. ASP has recognized that it often takes considerable time for our members to access ASP and reach an informed opinion which is crucial to an informed group conscience. This is clearly demonstrated in our Founding Policies as well as our KBDM process. 

Sometimes, these questions merely clarify something for the member, other times the question/answer is critically enlightening to the members. As you know, we have had candidates that were not qualified for the position, failed to completely answer the questions on the resume form, had a history of not fulfilling their duties or completing their term, already holding a service position, etc. 

We know that ASP policy is very explicit about the time we spend after announcing a vacancy, the time the polls are open, etc. Seven (7) days. The Chair does not have the authority to hold up the Business Meeting past 7 days, much less hold it up for 15 days. This issue surfaced quickly after your announcement that you'd received Anne's resume. As was mentioned earlier in this meeting, the agenda should have moved on to the next topic a week before, and then IF a resume was received later, we could restart that process with restarting the resume process. 

Unfortunately, the Business Meeting only had a very brief Q&A period before that discussion was aborted as a point of order. 

 
Kristen said:

" Every member of the Steering Committee was informed that we had a hold up of the business meeting because ASP remains without its webmaster. Thus, without a webmaster and no one having instructions to create Polls, placing ASP and its Business Meeting in the balance when wanting to elect trusted servants."

I disagree. 

>From where I sit, the hold up of the Business Meeting had little if anything to do with ASP not having a Web Master. The Business Meeting was past the end of the resume period (the 21st) when you asked the SC if anyone BESIDES Steve knew how to set up a poll. Why besides me? 

As for no one having instructions on how to create a poll, no one bothered to ask me. The SC was well aware of the fact that I know how, yet no one asked me for help. 


Kristen said:
"Steve as webmaster:
It is in direct violation of ASP policy to elect a trusted servant to serve simultaneously in more than one trusted servant position."


As usual, the Devil is in the details.

First, I am not an elected trusted servant.  

Second, every other member of the Steering Committee that you did ask to set up a poll is already serving in another service position.

Third, Jerry is our elected List Administrator and he is performing the duties of the Greeter Chair while that position is vacant. Sure looks like he is serving in that position as well as the List Administrator position. Just sayin'. 

Fourth, it occurs to me that asking the member that is a candidate for the position to set up a poll to elect themselves to a service position has the appearance of being highly inappropriate. The rule of thumb is usually "does this have the APPEARANCE of impropriety". Would we ask the candidate of an election to count the ballots? Of course not. But that is what is happening now. 


Please understand that this is not about Anne. It's not possible for me to say more here without appearing to endorse Anne, or to challenge her. 

So, please just take it at face value that my issues here are not about Anne. 

Hugs,
Steve