[Businessmtg] **** Motion #4 Update Topic - Opening Part 2

[Susan Metcalf]

Thank you!

On Wed, Jul 7, 2021 at 3:16 AM Steve Rankin <steve at serenitysys.com> wrote:

> The background on Motion #4. . . aka Part 2 of the opening of this topic.
>
>
>
> After ten years of running ASP as the List Owner, I decided to turn the
> operation and management of ASP over to the members of ASP.  We held an
> extended Business Meeting from November 2005 through May 2006 for the
> purpose letting the members of ASP make their own decisions about how ASP
> would be structured and operate.
>
>
>
> Perhaps the most significant of those decisions was Motion #4.  After
> months
> of listening to the members share their ideas about what they wanted the
> service structure of ASP to be, I posted a synopsis of what I had heard on
> the original ASP web site hosted by me.  After discussion, the membership
> voted unanimously to pass Motion #4.
>
>
>
> NOTE. The text of Motion #4 can be found here
> http://asp-afg.org/members/group-conscience/ along with all of the other
> ASP
> Group Consciences.  The meat of Motion #4 is contained in the web page
> posted on the original ASP website here
> http://www.serenitysys.com/A_Serenity_Place/Business/nbm/structure.htm
>
>
>
> What is Motion #4:
>
>
>
> *             Defines the relationship of the Business Meeting and Steering
>
> Committee by defining the authorities and responsibilities of each.
>
> *             Defines the authorities and responsibilities of the
> individual
>
> ELECTED officers.
>
>
>
> Over the years, some of us on the Steering Committee have had casual
> discussions regarding possible changes to Motion #4 to address issues that
> we have seen arise.  The current Steering Committee has taken a fresh look
> at Motion #4 states and what ASP's actual needs are, discussed the issues
> both in Steering Committee Zoom meetings and via email.  The result is an
> updated version of Motion #4 with some significant changes, as well as some
> housekeeping changes.
>
>
>
> Please understand that the recommendations have been agreed to unanimously
> in the Steering Committee, with one exception - the addition of the
> brand-new Group Representative position.  We didn't get a chance to discuss
> or agree to that because it is so new that WSO hasn't released any details
> yet other than it has been approved by the World Service Conference.
>
>
>
> Next, I'll describe each of the recommended changes to the original Motion
> #4.
>
>
>
> 1.            Changes the wording of the duties of the Secretary relative
> to
> the
>
> Business Meeting to comply with changes made later in the Secretary & Web
> Master job descriptions.  In other words, this particular change is a house
> keeping change following the significant change noted later.
>
> 2.            OLA-IS Rep.  OLA-IS is the "Online Al-Anon Information
> Service" that
>
> has been instrumental in both assisting people find online Al-Anon meetings
> and assisting online meetings by providing a communication venue much like
> the Information Services in face-to-face Al-Anon provide to both
> prospective
> members and to groups.  This may sound a lot like a District, but there are
> a couple of significant differences. First, an Information Service often
> covers a larger geographic area than a District; typically, several
> Districts. Second, an Information Service often serves as a Literature
> Depot
> and a physical office with live people that a single District cannot
> afford.
>
> OLA-IS has been in existence since I can remember - around the same time
> that ASP started.  OLA-IS was THE primary source of information for people
> looking for online Al-Anon for many years and continues to be a significant
> source of new members at ASP.  However, around the same time that WSO
> established its own website, WSO determined that there is no such thing as
> an online Information Service and wrote OLA-IS telling them to desist, but
> specifically allowed OLA-IS to continue their excellent website.  Only in
> recent years, has WSO provided information to the public on the WSO website
> regarding online meetings.
>
>
>
> Most of the time, OLA-IS is very quiet, however there are times such as
> recently when a number of online groups hosted by Yahoo lost their "homes"
>
> when Yahoo shut down Yahoo Groups.  OLA-IS served as a valuable line of
> communication for some of those groups to find new "homes".  While I have
> monitored and occasionally participated in discussions at OLA-IS, ASP
> hasn't
> had an official OLA-IS Rep for many years, and with the advent of being a
> real Group with real access to a new Virtual Area and its soon to be
> developed service structure, the OLA-IS Rep position can be archived.
>
>
>
> 3.            References to Panel A, Panel B and Panel C have been removed.
> The
>
> original plan was that the officers on the Steering Committee would rotate
> on a staggered basis, much like 1/3 of the Delegates rotate each year.
> This
> hasn't worked out at all, so we are abandoning that idea.
>
> 4.            List Administrator.  A single word change to the duties of
> the
> List
>
> Administrator is being suggested.  The List Administrator is authorized to
> make autonomous decisions.  The problem is that some List Administrators
> have interpreted this to mean they could do what they wanted without
> consulting with the other members on the Steering Committee, or even inform
> them after the fact. We are trying to continue the authority, but
> strengthen
> the idea that this autonomous authority is granted ONLY when NECESSARY.
> The
> List Administrator is still responsible for keeping the others informed.
>
> 5.            Secretary.  The gist of this section is that the Secretary
> assumes
>
> the duties of the Web Master.  Currently, the Secretary has 2 duties.
> Chair
> the Business Meeting and oversee the Daily Chairperson in the recovery
> meeting.  Chairing the BM takes some level of daily attention, but only
> every other month.  Overseeing the Daily Chairs is pretty much a
> once-every-six-months job.  Most changes to the website tend to be (a)
> small
> and simple and (b) to occur during the off months, so the additional duty
> is
> minor.  However, our recommendation is to allow the Secretary to appoint an
> assistant that will do the actual work on the website.  We are calling the
> assistant the Recording Secretary as that better describes the job.
>
> 6.            Greeter Chairperson.  No changes.
>
> 7.            Web Master.  We are recommending that this position be
> deleted.  As
>
> I mentioned above, the work load is extremely light and only occasional,
> hence the decision to roll the duties into the Secretary position.
>
> 8.            Treasurer.  No changes.
>
> 9.            OLA-IS Rep.  As I already mentioned above, we are
> recommending
> this
>
> position be deleted.
>
> 10.         Group Representative.  This is a brand-new position for ASP
> that
>
> came up just a few days ago, after the discussions in the Steering
> Committee.  Since I have done service in face-to-face Al-Anon as an
> Intergroup Rep, Group Rep, District Rep, and Area Officer, I am familiar
> with the structure of face-to-face Al-Anon and the gist of the various
> service positions within an Area.  Rather than attempt to define specific
> duties of an ASP Group Rep, I am suggesting describing the job in very
> broad
> terms, which include the reality that the Group Rep will become eligible to
> serve in other positions, both elected and appointed, within the new Area.
>
> 11.         Founders.  Our Founding Statement states "two 'founders' (the
>
> original founders of A Serenity Place or those most nearly so)" serve on
> the
> Steering Committee where they have both voice and vote.  Historically, the
> primary role of the Founders has been the stability they help bring
> stability to ASP by reminding - and annoying - newer members and trusted
> servants about ASP's group consciences and ways of doing things that none
> of
> us have the right to change on our own.  The recommended changed don't
> assign duties or responsibilities to the Founders, but the change does
> acknowledge that the Founder's will provide the interpretation of
> established policy and group consciences when controversy arises regarding
> what a policy or group consciences actually means, or how it applies in
> practice.  The concept is similar to having a parliamentarian that serves
> as
> the resident specialist on procedure.  Another issue this section addresses
> are those situations when a service position is vacant - a Founder can be
> tapped to serve in any position BY REQUEST of the Steering Committee.
> There
> is nothing here that opens the door for a Founder to step in and take over
> a
> service position without being asked by the elected members of the Steering
> Committee.
>
>
>
> Hugs,
>
> Steve
>
>
>
>
>
> ____________________________
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> The ASP web site with all kinds of info for ASP members is
> http://asp-afg.org/members/
> For assistance with other ASP issues, contact Steve the Founder of ASP, at
> steve at serenitysys.com
>