[Businessmtg] Business Committee

[Jerry H.]

Asking Steering Committee members (the majority of the members on the defunct committee as I recall) to take on the bulk of this effort would be inappropriate on at least two levels:


First, having current SC officers fill service seats which other ASP members could fill would limit service opportunities available to other members and not be healthy for the group.


Then, applying Tradition 7, the group is responsible for supporting itself. Bumping additional duties, however beneficial, over to the already-serving SC members would be the opposite of being self-supporting.


Think also of the Business Meeting. If the BM charges itself with doing this, what of the other topics the BM is supposed to be addressing? What is the primary purpose of the BM? Following the Traditions, creating a service board for a particular purpose [essentially what the BM did in forming this Newcomer Committee in the first place] seems to me a solution which fits clearly within Al-Anon principles, allowing the BM to focus on the agenda items on its plate while only interested parties would work on newcomer ideas.....and, by the way, who cares if this committee brainstorms on and on and on as long as it is looking for possible improvements?


Still, if this is the only way we can find a consensus on this, we could give it a try - take 4 or 5 days out of every BM for continuing discussions (which would limit discussions of other topics, especially when polling is going on, etc.) Me, I prefer a separate Newcomer Committee with volunteers putting their heads together and working on solutions.


Ideas I really like so far:


~ Single page on the website with essential newcomer info


~ Either changing one of the three Open Topic meetings a week to a 1st Step meeting, or having a separate newcomer page on the website with a selection of 1st Step stories from members. [Could do both.]


Not so much:


~ Phone list. Too many liabilities.


Not at all:


~ Volunteer sponsor list. The probability of phishing for sponsees creeps me out.


Hugs,


Jerry


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