[Businessmtg] Secrecy of the Steering Committee Business

[aohara77 at comcast.net]

Hi Margaret and Bus friends....

One may be misled into thinking that the Steering Committee is secretive.
It is not; the discussions follow Al-Anon meeting guidelines - think of the
table card/Al-Anon saying "what you see here, what you hear here, let it
stay here".  

The duty assigned to the Steering Committee is the follow through of the
administrative tasks assigned to each role - these are tasks that have been
assigned to the SC by the BM. Missing for a long time was "how to" documents
for each role and so we have been building those over the years and continue
to work on procedural guidelines to maintain consistency  as service
rotates. For most positions now, there is a roadmap or checklist to follow
with more being developed for the treasurer and GR positions. By having a
road map/checklist the newer members have a better understanding and
expectation outlined and can maintain consistency for members of the BM and
the recovery meeting.  Any changes to policy will always come to the
business meeting for a vote.  Supporting each other and communicating across
this SC team is key to building trust and reaching consensus.  

Where the SC needs to be most cautious is with member issues. They are rare
but do happen.  The List Administrator is responsible for overseeing the
behaviors/shares in the recovery meeting without policing.  Many times, the
LA is flagged by other members to shares and behaviors that may seem to be
off track, disruptive or inflammatory.  The LA does the research and then
when it comes time to decide if a member needs to be put on moderated status
or removed from the meeting, the situation is discussed within the Steering
Committee must stay within the Steering Committee.

For those of us who have been here for a long time, 10+ years ago, there was
a lot of unrest and disruptive behaviors within the SC and the business of
ASP.  It has taken several years to work through it and I believe that
developing the SC into a team unit and using Zoom for our meetings, gone a
long way.  I urge people.

Please note:  that both the Greeter Chair and Secretary positions have
procedural docs and guidelines documented.

For those with doubts, I suggest you try the At-Large member role.  An
opportunity to see what is going on within the Steering Committee.  

Yours in Service,

Anne 

-----Original Message-----
From: Businessmtg <businessmtg-bounces+aohara77=comcast.net at asp-afg.org> On
Behalf Of Margaret G
Sent: Friday, January 9, 2026 8:25 AM
To: aohara77 at comcast.net
Cc: ASP Business <businessmtg at asp-afg.org>
Subject: [Businessmtg] Secrecy of the Steering Committee Business

The confidentiality/secrecy associated with the Steering Committee's
business and practices is the reason that I will never stand to serve for
any of those positions. Sadly, it has sometimes made me reconsider whether
or not I can continue to participate in ASP recovery and general business
meetings.  However, I love the friends I make in those meetings and the
wisdom I continue to find here.  So far, I keep coming back, taking what I
like, and leaving the rest.

I would be interested in knowing which Step(s), Tradition(s), and/or
Concept(s) have been used to establish and maintain that practice; which
Al-Anon principle(s) is used to justify continuing it.

Thank you, to all who serve now and have served in the past to keep the
meeting running.

Margaret G.
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