[Businessmtg] Founders

[Jerry]

Biz-Pals,

I want to join with Steve in noting that, while he and I may see some things from different positions, we are not, as our "banter" may lead some to believe, opponents. Matter of fact we have some similar interests outside Al-Anon and were we geographically closer we might bump into each other once in a while, perhaps on purpose :-).

In these Business Meetings we get to air our thoughts openly as part of our discussion process - most would say we have an obligation to speak up. My appreciation for Steve's past work runs deep as does my gratitude for knowing that each Al-Anon member's voice is an important part of uncovering our group's Group Conscience.

Everyone have a good August. See you in September,
Jerry
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On July 31, 2021, at 2:16 PM, Steve Rankin <steve at serenitysys.com> wrote:

Hi folks,

Another opportunity to continue the banter with Jerry. . .  For those of you
who don't know it, Jerry and I have known each other for many years.  While
we have never met face-to-face, we have spent many hours on the phone
together talking about ASP, service in Al-Anon, as well as our personal
interests.  For the most part, we agree, but occasionally we see things
through slightly different lenses just as engineers and artists tend to do.

A.  Yes, our Founding Policy does include 2 general members on the Steering
Committee, and it is true that it requires a 75% affirmative vote of the
entire membership of ASP to change our Founding Policy.  When we reach the
point that all of the actual working positions are filled and we have
qualified members available to fill those two general "At Large" positions,
then it will make sense to do so.  Until, then it doesn't make much, if any
sense spend the effort to fill positions that don't serve any purpose beyond
adding voices to the Steering Committee.  Except for one brief period in
ASP's history that we have never filled those positions.  It may be worth
noting that (a) that period immediately preceded the start of your tour as
List Administrator, and the start of our inability to fill the Secretary
position, and (b) that half of the members that applied for those positions
were not qualified, and (c) that one of the three elected resigned after
only a few weeks.  Frankly, this clause is one of the very few that I'd
change if was starting ASP again, but as they say, it is what it is.  The
bottom line is that until ASP is able to consistently fill the working
positions on the Steering Committee, I see significant problems with trying
to fill the At Large positions on the SC.

B.  It's no longer completely accurate to say that the Steering Committee
determines the agenda of the Business Meeting.  Since I resumed the duties
of List Administrator, I brought the agenda item of transparency regarding
the Business Meeting to the BM.  The result was a successful motion
requiring a web page where requests for Business Meeting agenda items are
posted.  The motion requires that the date, requestor and description of the
request be posted on the website.  Unfortunately, the web page is incomplete
and not up to date.  Now, having said that, I will note that while the SC
does discuss the priorities of agenda items for the upcoming meeting, the
final agenda is determined by the Chair of the Business Meeting.  So, while
it is the Secretary that Chairs the Business Meeting, and therefore
determines the final agenda, ALL members of ASP have access to the list of
agenda topics are have been requested. That provides the members of the BM
the information needed to question the Chair about agenda choices during the
Staff Reports during the first week of the BM.

I don't believe that anyone said "that our elected trusted servants can only
follow one way of completing their assigned tasks".  Each of the trusted
servants on the Steering Committee has assigned tasks, the authority to
perform their responsibilities, as well as limitations or boundaries on what
they can or can't do. 
Take the Greeter Chair, for example.  She is expected to work with a cadre
of Greeters to efficiently process the flow of new members.  The SC does
determine the text used in our Greeter letters and the web-based Greeter
form, however we don't dictate how many Greeters there are, nor do we
dictate whether they divide the work alphabetically or by day of the week.
Nor do we dictate what is acceptable behavior for a Greeter, or how to deal
with behavior issues.  We leave all of those issues to the Greeter Chair.  
Now, take an example from the past.  We had a List Administrator that had a
different vision for ASP and unknown to the Steering Committee or Business
Meeting, she & the Web Master worked behind the scenes to change the
website.  They went so far as to alter the wording of the Founding Policy.
The result was ugly and ASP's service structure hasn't fully recovered yet.
Going back to our Group Consciences, specifically Motion #4 where it clearly
states that the SC is responsible for "Implementation of ASP policy &
practices".  This tells us that the members of the SC are responsible for
carrying on the practices of ASP just as much as the formal policies.  None
of us have the right or authority to change ASP.  You're welcome to change
how you get there, but not in a way that affects ASP.  
For example, my home f2f group has had coffee, tea and hot chocolate at the
meeting for decades.  Post-COVID, we are looking at moving to a new facility
which might make it slightly convenient to do that.  Not impossible, not
even difficult, in fact no different than what it was a year ago, BUT some
members were talking about discontinuing doing that without a discussion.
That's the practice of the meeting and the person opening the room doesn't
have the to change it.  
Ditto for lots of things here at ASP.   

One of the things that I learned in Al-Anon was that I was enabling my
alcoholic when I continued to provide various services to cover for her
failures.  I had to learn that I needed to allow the alcoholic to experience
the natural consequences of her actions.  The natural consequences, not
artificial consequences such is imposed punishment, etc.  Duh.  
Then, in Al-Anon service I learned that the Group is responsible for the
Group.  When the Group fails to take care of itself, the Group needs to
experience the natural consequences of its actions.  One of the more common
failures in Al-Anon Groups is the failure to elect new trusted servants.
Most of the time, the positions are inconsequential, so the issue is easy to
avoid.  Until it is the member that opens the door to the meeting.
Sometimes, that member does that job for years and years and . . . which is
a disservice to the group.  Not something to be grateful for, at least not
on principle.  Sometimes the member with the key is unsuccessful at getting
someone else to step up and take the job, so the member with the key
eventually leaves the key on the table and leaves the meeting and doesn't
come back.  
Another point.  When we elect a trusted servant to a particular position, we
are in essence creating a contract between the Group and the Trusted
Servant. We expect them to serve by performing the duties of the job AS THE
GROUP UNDERSTANDS THOSE DUTIES and we expect them to do so for the term of
office.  Likewise, the Trusted Servant has a right to expect that the Group
will allow them to perform those duties without getting a load of crap about
it, and that at the end of the term they are relieved of those duties.
Along with those duties, come certain rights.  For instance, one of the
right of serving on the SC is the right to participate in SC discussions and
the right to vote in the SC.  So, when the term is over, that 'contract'
with the Group expires, and that member no longer has the right to serve in
that position, nor do they have the right to vote.  
When the trusted servant continues to serve beyond their term, that service
position is not truly vacant - someone is serving in the position and acting
as if they were still elected to the position.  And continuing to do so,
allows the Group to avoid the natural consequences of the Groups failure to
elect a new person to the position.  

Hugs,
Steve



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