[Businessmtg] Fwd: Service

[List Administrator]

Biz-Pals, 

Sarah's email arrived at 10:26 pm local time, just an hour and a half
short of the close of the Business Meeting. I first saw it only when I
signed in to announce the meeting's closing at midnight. I am not
prepared to pen a comprehensive response which may be of some aid to
future business meetings. I am a notoriously slow writer who chooses my
words and phrasing carefully so there just isn't enough time at this
point. 

Quick responses her questions below: 

1. If we choose to no longer be self-supporting? 

     It should be clear to any Al-Anon with service and recovery
histories that Tradition Seven goes much deeper than mere financial
responsibility. For any number of reasons groups which do not fill their
service positions are much more likely to accrue the difficulties which
bring groups to ruin. Among these are resentments, overloading of a few
with the chores of many, general dissatisfaction, and others which
culminate in personalities overtaking principles. Mettings which
continue in this fashion usually die off or stop being good examples and
sources of Al-Anon recovery. 

     With the wonderful recovery experience available to those who seek
it here at ASP, I find it amazing that all could be lost or severely
harmed because so few are willing to join in the chores necessary to
keep the business of ASP running smoothly. 

2. If we change the policies regarding service? 

     To me it is self-evident that shortening the prior ASP service
requirements - particularly for the service positions which result in
service on ASP's Steering Committee - clearly could and likely would
eventually result in the degrading of ASP as a whole. This
internet/email medium we exist in is full of pitfalls and opportunities
for not just chaos, but for real harm to the group - and for Al-Anon and
A.A. as a whole. Experienced trusted servants (minimum one year of prior
ASP service) have been to some degree exposed to the potential for harm
that exists and have come to understand the differences between good old
face-to-face Al-Anon with friendly folks sitting around the tables, and
electronic meetings such as ours which can be (and have been) rendered
ineffective by bickering and the ill effects of this disease of ours. 

That's all I've got for now... 

In service, 

Jerry 

- 

-------- Original Message -------- 

 		SUBJECT:
 		[Businessmtg] Service

 		DATE:
 		2019-05-31 19:26

 		FROM:
 		Sarah <skb16321 at gmail.com>

 		TO:
 		la at asp-afg.org

 		CC:
 		ASP Business <businessmtg at asp-afg.org>

Thank you Jerry for providing the link to ASP policies.

For clarification, what will happen to the suggestions the Steering
Committee collects from the BM?

Also, Jerry wrote: "We now seem to be in a position where we must
either lower our guidelines or fail to be self-supporting in service.
Either has grave risks for ASP's future and thus the recovery so many of
us find here."

Jerry, it might help me better offer suggestions if you could please
explain what risks the Steering Committee foresees if these are the
options?  1. If we choose to no longer be self-supporting? 2. If we
change
the policies regarding service?

Hugs,
Sarah

_______________________________________________
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For assistance with other ASP issues, contact Jerry the List
Administrator, at  la at asp-afg.org

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