[Businessmtg] Daily Chair Requirements

[Steve Rankin]

Hi ASPers,

 

Some of my thoughts. . . 

 

Several members have brought up their experience of responding to the
request for volunteers and finding the slots had already been filled.  OK, I
get that and I've seen it happen a number of times.  What I don't get is how
that somehow supports the idea of allowing the Secretary discretion when
that doesn't happen.  

 

Someone expressed some concern that with as many members as we have in ASP
that we only got 8 volunteers last time.  Personally, I think that's
perfect.  In the end, nobody got turned down and I only had to ask for
volunteers once. 

 

As much as I agree with Susie, Jerry & Linda on Susie's suggestion, I don't
agree with the additional requirements suggested by Jerry & Linda.

 

I don't believe that an Al-Anon group should try to micromanage their
trusted servants, and IMHO specifying hard dates for doing certain things is
micromanaging.  I'm much more into having BASIC guidelines that spell out
the BASIC & minimum requirements, but then let the trusted servants develop
their own way & timing as long as they are still providing the service that
the group wants vs. the service that they want to do.  I see no need to
specify the dates that the Secretary sends out notices for Daily Chair
volunteers.  FWIW, I sent out the last notice on May 24th for the July 1st
rotation.  It took a week to fill the 7 positions, so only one notice was
needed.  

 

As much as I believe that ASP is an Al-Anon group, and as much as I also
believe that ASP is bigger than any f2f Al-Anon group and in fact much more
like an Al-Anon Area, I do not believe that we, as a group, have the right
to impose restrictions on service to those that have face-to-face Al-Anon
experience.  That strikes me as being about the same thing as saying that
someone with face-to-face meeting experience has more recovery than someone
else, or saying that someone with face-to-face Al-Anon service has more
recovery than someone without.  As a good friend of mine says "the sickest
rise to the top".

 

Besides, the Business Meeting should remember that the Business Meeting
establishes policy in ASP while the Steering Committee handles the
administration of ASP.  IMHO, going into that level of detail goes beyond
policy and into managing.

 

Mona brought up being in another 12-Step program for years before coming to
ASP.  Please remember that participation & experience ALL other programs are
irrelevant in Al-Anon.  If that doesn't sound fair to you, try going to AA
and telling them you have years of experience in Al-Anon and you want to
serve in AA.  The point is that our Traditions tell us that we have no
opinion on outside issues, and that includes other 12-Step programs.  Or as
a sponsor of mine once said, you don't get Al-Anon credits from the AA
college.  

 

About the idea of having been in other meetings making a difference in how
qualified someone is in ASP.  Do I really care what other meetings a member
has gone to?  No. Should I care what other meetings a member has gone to?
Definitely not.  If someone goes to other meetings, that's certainly great
and I'm glad for it.  But, that doesn't make them any more qualified to hold
a service position in ASP than anyone else.  

 

For example, we had someone in ASP a few years ago that had been around
Al-Anon for about 20 years, and had done lots of service.  Yet, she believed
that the 4th Tradition did not apply to ASP and that we were doing stuff
wrong, and that she knew better.  Needless to say, it didn't work out well.


 

Love and SERENITY,

Steve