[Businessmtg] ASP Meeting Chair minimum requirements

[Anne O.]

Hi All,

Interesting to read all of the input so far on this topic.  I have lived
Jerry's pain when recruiting for volunteers.  It has been hit or miss over
the 3 yrs, that I have been greeter chair.  So in 2018, rotation was not
swift, yet in 2020 I had 4 volunteers step forward.  But, In 2019, it took
me two full months of recruiting efforts, it was frustrating and stressful
and the 2018 graciously stayed on for longer than planned.  In the end, I
only got two of the three minimum needed.  We filled the gap with a greeter
who stayed on for 2 years.  So grateful that she did but this is not a model
that is supported by Al-Anon principles but nevertheless, we allowed it.
This of course is not unique to ASP.  In the F2F world I have seen
volunteers stay in their positions far longer than the defined term due to
meeting members not stepping up.

So with all that said, I am hesitant to change the Meeting Chair criteria,
although next time I have to recruit I might feel differently!  I think 6
months is a good marker because as his been mentioned, there is a whole
dynamic to online meetings that is quite different from the F2F meeting.
Understanding how the meeting operates, the technical piece and the format
is important.  I believe it is the Secretary's job to  guide and support
each of the chairs through the process.  If we introduce the case by case to
Chair service requirement we set ourselves up for ill will when we allow one
to serve but not another.

So with all that said 6 months of ASP membership regardless of prior Al-Anon
experience seems appropriate to me.

Hugs,

Anne