[Businessmtg] Newcomer Packets, Part 2

[Steve Rankin]

Hi folks,
I commend and thank Jerry and Tori for their generosity, and while I don't personally have a difficulty creating an additional "bank account" for the purpose of allocating funds for distributing CAL to newcomers, I do need to discuss the ramifications.
Let me start out by noting that there is no vehicle available for purchasing eBooklets in bulk.  Every purchase must be done individually, and which store the eBooklet is purchased from will vary depending on the type of device it is purchased for.  In researching this project idea, I have walked through the entire process step-by-step from WSO through each of the vendors that WSO has contracted with to provide Al-Anon eBooklets.  Until/unless WSO changes its policies and practices regarding eBooklets, this is the way it is.  Frankly, I don’t see that changing in the foreseeable future. 
For what it is worth, these services have often been provided by local Al-Anon service entities; Intergroups, Information Services and Literature Depots.  Many years ago, some Al-Anons gathered and formed a service entity called OLA-IS (Online Al-Anon Information Services) which provided the only for many years and continues to provide best source of information about electronic meetings, .  Unfortunately, WSO’s stance was worse than uncooperative.  ASP hasn’t done much better.  I was recently elected the Chair of OLA-IS and our goal is to do what OLA-IS wasn’t permitted 25 years ago – register with WSO as a service entity and continue to provide the best information and service for the same online Al-Anon community that OLA-IS has served historically.
A side comment.  Some have mentioned how a Newcomer packet is not only welcoming, but also explains what happens in the meeting, and how Al-Anon works.  Hmm.  I haven’t looked at a Newcomer packet in years, however I’m quite certain that it is not tailored to an electronic meeting.  Per the WSO website, K-10 includes: So You Love an Alcoholic (P-14),  What Do YOU Do about the Alcoholic's Drinking? (P-19),  Understanding Ourselves & Alcoholism (P-48),  Al-Anon Spoken Here (P-53), Al-Anon Welcomes Native Americans/Aboriginals (S-67), Information for the Newcomer (S-4), Just for Today, Al-Anon Bookmark (M-12), and Sponsorship Bookmark (M-78).  Newcomer eBooklet eK-10 is presumed to include the same material, although the bookmarks are questionable.
Next, I’ll address the Greeter Committee and their work load.  Jennifer is our new Greeter Chair and is responsible for appointing and overseeing the Greeter operation at ASP.  We currently have 3 Greeters.  The Greeters perform the tasks described below on their day of the week.  Two Greeters cover 2 days/week while one Greeter covers 3 days/week.  Several years ago, we replaced the multi-step personal Greeter/New Member email exchange process with a web-based Questionnaire that creates a form submitted by the potential new member.  This automates & mostly eliminates the need for a personal email exchange with potential new members.  Their tasks are as follows:
1. Log into their ASP Greeter email once on their designated day for new form submissions. 
2. The Greeter checks the form for the required information. If the form is incomplete, the Greeter emails the prospective member asking for clarification or additional information.
3. If the form is complete (which it almost always is), the Greeter emails an instruction to the server to subscribe that prospective member to ASP.  Note:  The Greeter does not log into the server, but emails a simple request to the server with the new member’s email address.  The Greeter Chair has inside access to the server and approves the requests daily.
4. Greeters sends their own personal welcome to new members.
To summarize the Greeter duties, each Greeter needs to check the Greeter email 2-3 times a week, check the new member form for completeness, and send an average of one email a week to the server.  

What would change for the Greeters if we offered a Newcomer eBooklet to new members?
That would depend on the details of our policy.
     Policy A:  Newcomer eBooklets provided to all new members.
          1. Nothing necessarily changes for the Greeters.  Required info can be routed to the Treasurer automatically.
     Policy B: Newcomer eBooklets are offered to all new members.
          1. Greeters would need to add language to their greeting offering the Newcomer eBooklet.
          2. If the new members requested the offer, then the Greeter would need to advise the Treasurer of the member’s email address & device type.

What would change for the Treasurer?
     1. Process eBooklet transactions.
          a. There are 3 Greeters and a Chairperson to provide prompt daily coverage of new members.  However, there is only one Treasurer to process the actual purchase of eBooklets.  Processing new members quickly has always been a time-sensitive issue, and it follows that delivering a promised eBooklet to new members would be similarly time-sensitive and not something that would be processed in batches at the Treasurer’s convenience. 
          b. The Treasurer would need to log into the appropriate vendor site for that individual new member.  Since our members use various devices, this would require a variety of logins depending on the individual new member.  If the Treasurer was processing 2 members at that time with similar devices, then the Treasurer could make the 2 purchases consecutively with a single login.  OTOH, it the Treasurer processing 2 members at that time with dissimilar devices, then the Treasurer would need to make completely separate purchases via 2 separate logins at different vendors.  
          c. Purchase one eBooklet at a time, entering in the new member’s email address into the vendor’s site.  
     2. Make appropriate accounting entries.
          a. Enter the eBooklet transaction into the separate bank account register maintained for this project.  For the purposes of actually accounting for ASP’s finances, transactions are tabulated in separate accounts.  
          b. Enter the eBooklet transaction into the ASP Treasurer’s Register that is posted on the ASP website.  For the purposes of the Register, all transactions are included in a single register. 
You will note that the increased workload for the Treasurer is significantly more than for the Greeter Committee, and unlike the Greeters, the workload is not shared.  And unlike the Greeters that trade days & shifts to cover time off, there is no such opportunity for the Treasurer.  
Looking at this year’s membership data again, there were 88 new members in the first six months; 88 per 180 days → roughly one new member every other day.  Or 3.5 new members/week processed by 3 greeters → just barely 1 new member/greeter/week on average, or less than 60 new members processed by a greeter during an entire year’s tour of duty.  
OTOH, the Treasurer would need to process 176 new members eBooklets in the same time frame; each time being considerably more time consuming than the tasks performed by the Greeters.
Please understand that I am not against the concept of providing Newcomer packet of some kind to new members.  OTOH, one thing that we have consistently observed of our members is that very few read what we send them.  It could be the difference between an old-timer in a face-to-face meeting handing a pamphlet to a newcomer in person, along with a smile and encouraging words, and getting an email.  This is especially so for those that chose to use a special email address for their ASP mail – so many of them simply stop accessing that email address.
Love and SERENITY,
Steve


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