[Businessmtg] CMA - 4 - The GEA's Relationship with CMAs

[Steve Rankin]

Hi again,



I have discussed the history and evolution of the Current Mailing Address
from its inception as the simple postal mailing address of a group, to the
creation of the CMA Forum for exclusively for electronic CMAs, to the use of
the CMA Forum to establish the GEA, to the current official descriptions in
the Service Manual making the CMA a minimal pseudo service position, to the
introduction of CMAs into the slate of service positions invited to GEA
functions.  Now, we are going to discuss why and how that is a problem for
ASP.



1.	The postal Current Mailing Address of ASP is semi-permanent, as it
is the official mailing address of A Serenity Place AFG LLC, which is
incorporated in the state of Washington and registered with the IRS.  Just
like many other incorporated service arms within the greater Al-Anon
fellowship, the people may rotate and change but the organization is static.


a.	Changing ASP's postal Current Mailing Address into a rotating
service position would create an administrative nightmare at best.

2.	In spite of the WSC's group conscience directing WSO to remove
differences between the face-to-face groups and the electronic groups, WSO
continues to create administrative differences; some of which may make
sense, while others are less defensible.
3.	At issue is the Al-Anon Group Change form
<https://al-anon.org/for-members/group-resources/group-records/changes-exist
ing-al-anon-group/>  (for f2f groups) vs. the Electronic Group Change form
<https://al-anon.org/for-members/group-resources/group-records/electronic-me
eting-change/> .  FWIW, the same issue applies to the differences between
the initial group registration forms/processes.

a.	The f2f Al-Anon Group Change form
<https://al-anon.org/for-members/group-resources/group-records/changes-exist
ing-al-anon-group/>  is for "For Groups with a Physical Meeting Location"
exclusively, and is available as a PDF that can be printed, completed
manually, and submitted via snail mail.
b.	The Electronic Group Change form
<https://al-anon.org/for-members/group-resources/group-records/electronic-me
eting-change/>  is a web-based series of pages which REQUIRE a response to
each question before the system will proceed to the next page in the
process.
c.	While both the paper and the electronic forms ASK the same questions
about the CMA, it is possible to leave some things blank on the paper
version for f2f groups, but not possible to do so with the electronic form
required for electronic groups.  While this may annoy the folks at WSO, and
they may request better info, my experience is that WSO will input what they
have into their database rather than ignore the whole thing.

4.	The problem arises when the POSTAL Current Mailing Address is
treated as a service position held by a member of the group.  This impacts
electronic groups in two ways:

a.	Al-Anon's principle of rotation of service.  Since our POSTAL
Current Mailing Address is permanent, there is no rotation of service for
the POSTAL Current Mailing Address.
b.	EVERY service position in the entire Al-Anon service structure that
REPRESENTS an Al-Anon group has an established alternate in the service
structure.

5.	Let me repeat 4.b. above. . . EVERY service position in the entire
Al-Anon service structure that REPRESENTS their Al-Anon group in the next
layer in the service structure has an established alternate in the service
structure.

a.	GRs represent their groups in their District and Area, and elect
District officers and Area officers; and have Alternate GRs
b.	DRs represent their groups in their District; and have Alternate DRs

c.	Delegates represent their Area in the World Service Conference (WSC)
and elect Regional Trustees; and have Alternate Delegates.

6.	All three of the elected GRs, DRs, and Delegates noted in 5.a, b.,
and c. have Alternates that are ready to step in and serve in their absence.
7.	It follows that IF the service entities beyond the group (WSO and
the GEA) treat the electronic CMAs similarly to the GRs, that the groups
should elect an Alternate CMA to serve on those occasions when the CMA is
absent or otherwise unable to serve on particular occasions.
8.	Since we have seen that #7 above is the case, and we have seen
scheduling conflicts and a disproportionate number of Area events, we need
to address this issue with Alternate service positions in ASP.

a.	Our GR, Anne, had a conflicting District 53 district meeting and the
GEA Delegate meeting.
b.	Steve (me), our CMA, had a personal conflict with the GEA Delegate
meeting.
c.	The GEA has scheduled an array of events and functions, many with
very short notice.  The result is an extraordinary burden on the GR
position.  I was able to share that burden on one occasion, however that
should have gone to an Alternate GR.
d.	As Lynne mentioned, the Steering Committee had an extensive
discussion about this situation resulting in our asking Jerry to step in and
attend last Saturday's meeting with the Delegate and our decision to place
this issue on this Business Meeting's agenda.

Next, I will discuss a suggested solution.



Love and SERENITY,

Steve