December 16 Business Meeting Minutes
Item 1
8 members present. CJV was facilitator. Opened meeting with Serenity Prayer. JM volunteered as secretary and take notes. Thank you JM for taking notes!
Item 2
Meeting Structure and Organization:
Though we do not have the manpower to fill all positions, we did make some progress.
8 members present. CJV was facilitator. Opened meeting with Serenity Prayer. JM volunteered as secretary and take notes. Thank you JM for taking notes!
Item 2
Meeting Structure and Organization:
Though we do not have the manpower to fill all positions, we did make some progress.
- Meeting Manager (MM) the person who signs for the keys and serves as the main contact for the church. We need a backup MM. JM fills the role currently KK offered to add her name contingent on her reviewing the contract.
- Meeting Secretary-(MS) group voted at Sept. 16 business meeting to rotate this job. Facilitators must have three months in ACA and sign up to lead the meeting for a month at a time. KL will lead the meeting Dec. 23. MG will lead Dec. 30. KS will handle keys for January and other members like CJ and JM will assist her in leading. Thank you all!
- Meeting Treasurer: ideally, we need a backup treasurer as well to allow us to open a meeting checking account. KL is our current treasurer. thank you! We have not found a backup treasurer yet. KL will begin giving monthly reports on our finances. Also discussed the group donating to WSO and Intergroup. This is a goal of our meeting, but no action was taken.
- Literature Manager: the LM is responsible for any meeting books and handouts the group owns and provides to members. KD is our literature person. She was not in attendance to confirm. KS volunteered to make copies of phone list and meeting format and to spend her own funds/donate the service. Thank you KS!
- Communications Coordinator: the CC updates blog, runs business meetings, updates phone lists, contacts newcomers by email, takes newcomer calls because his/her number appears on the ACA WSO website, and if necessary, shares about the meeting in the community. CJV did most of these jobs electronically, i.e. via the blog, emails, etc. The next CC can eliminate the blog and do it all by paper. It's up to the group and the volunteer who fills in when she steps down. No one has taken the job officially, yet, but two people have shown interest. CJ is stepping down effective Jan. 1, 2012.
- Group Rep: The GR attends the Phoenix Intergroup meetings and reports back to OSH. So far, we have not had anyone fill this role.
Discussed flexibility of roles and utilizing the suggestions for trusted servants in the ACA handbook/red text to provide guidance as the meeting grows and changes.
Item 3: Utilizing the kitchen for a social "meeting after the meeting."
A Proposal that I, the treasurer, KL begin a minimum of a quarterly "meeting after the meeting" social time, directly after the group convenes that evening. Emphasis will be on group cohesiveness, relationship growth, and further conversation beyond formal meeting constraints. This may include fun and self expression as we have an opportunity to enjoy recovery with our fellow travelers. We may alternate the "post meeting coordinator" as decided by group conscience in the meeting, per ACA guidelines. Continuation of the post meeting events are contingent on interest of group members. A budgeted amount of $10.00 per event for refreshments/beverages, with a one time additional $5.00 start-up cost to off-set basic supplies, would be needed from our bank.
Action taken: Meeting voted to approve $15 for treasurer to plan and hold the first OSH "meeting after the meeting." She will announce a date during announcements time at an upcoming meeting. Thank you KL!
A Proposal that I, the treasurer, KL begin a minimum of a quarterly "meeting after the meeting" social time, directly after the group convenes that evening. Emphasis will be on group cohesiveness, relationship growth, and further conversation beyond formal meeting constraints. This may include fun and self expression as we have an opportunity to enjoy recovery with our fellow travelers. We may alternate the "post meeting coordinator" as decided by group conscience in the meeting, per ACA guidelines. Continuation of the post meeting events are contingent on interest of group members. A budgeted amount of $10.00 per event for refreshments/beverages, with a one time additional $5.00 start-up cost to off-set basic supplies, would be needed from our bank.
Action taken: Meeting voted to approve $15 for treasurer to plan and hold the first OSH "meeting after the meeting." She will announce a date during announcements time at an upcoming meeting. Thank you KL!
Meeting adjourned at approx. 8:45.
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September 16 business meeting minutes: Janice was the facilitator
Meetings in recent weeks have had a bit of controversy over whether to allow emotional support animals. Our agreement with the church prohibits animals except trained, restrained and labeled, service animals (usually dogs.) However the church is willing to rent a separate room for animals and those who want to interact with them at meetings. (An ACA "petting zoo"! I would love that, personally.) That way, those with allergies, etc. will not be exposed to allergens or forced to leave the meeting.
The "petting zoo" meeting would need a leader or leaders to sign a room agreement and sign for a key. The church is great and easy to work with. They truly want to offer support to as many people as possible.
ACTION NEEDED: We will share feelings about this issue and if necessary, take a vote.
Keeping the Meeting Running:
Our groups, as such, ought never be organized but our service centers may employ special workers...
Our meeting needs some "special workers" to keep it going. The meeting currently has two essential officers. These posts must be filled tonight so the meeting will have funds and a place to meet:
- A meeting manager...the one who interacts with host facility (the church) and carries the keys CV' holds this post. Her term expires September 16, 2011.
- A treasurer...the person who handles the money MSG officially holds this position. Her term expires September 16, 2011. KL volunteered
If the business meeting group is large enough and feels the meeting is ready to grow, we can appoint:
- A group rep...someone to attend Phoenix intergroup meetings and report back
- A literature person...someone to purchase and re-sell ACA books and pamphlets KD voluntteered
- A coffee person...someone to organize refreshments (we can use the church kitchen...want to open a "Crosstalk Cafe", anyone?)
- A public relations person...someone to handle the blog, distribute fliers and emails to make our program known to those who still suffer.
ACTION NEEDED: We will make nominations for these posts, and if necessary, take a vote.
Meeting Format Updates:**
We will vote on a new format. Group members have proposed changes in the following areas:
- emphasizing the crosstalk policy more
- timing shares or at least asking people to limit their shares
- making the opening readings shorter
- doing announcements and the 7th tradition at the end of the meeting
- having a formal welcome script for newcomers
- reading Tony A's steps regularly
- reading at least one Tradition per meeting
- changing up the group secretary/leadership every week
- closing with something different than the Serenity Prayer
This item was tabled
Most of these issues were addressed and added to the alternative format written by MSG, edited by CJV.
In order to keep the business meeting to manageable time limit, we will vote to use either the current format or the alternate format which have already been written. If necessary, the group can appoint trusted servants to tweak and perfect our format to most reflect the wishes of the group conscious.
ACTION NEEDED: We will pass out copies of both formats. If the group is ready, we can vote to change the format to the alternative (new) format, keep the old one, or propose an alternative.
**this group is committed to having short and manageable business meetings. If items 1 and 2 take more than 15 minutes to get through, we may want to postpone item 3.
June 17 Business Meeting Minutes
Thank you to everyone who attended the business meeting. We got a lot done!
The minutes are below. Thank you "K" for taking notes. (For privacy, I have reported attendees by first initial only: C, A, K, S, M, K, R)
1. Financial Report
Colleen reported on our funds and announced that rent was paid for June and July.
2. Officers
M accepted treasurer position. A agreed to served as "vice-treasurer". This meeting has no official secretary. All attendees share the task of opening the meeting, making announcements, etc.
3. Meeting format
At the request of two fellow travelers, K moved we add the 12 steps to our "pre-meeting" reading. C amended motion that whoever volunteers to read the steps is free to choose between Traditional 12 steps and Tony A's 12 steps. S seconded motion. Motion passed unanimously.
4. Other Business
R suggested that "pre-meeting" readings be shortened to make more time for sharing. M suggested that meeting start on time and that shares be timed so we can end on time.
C invited R to make proposed format changes in writing so we can discuss at next business meeting. We will also discuss timing the shares at the next business meeting. Group will commence beginning on time immediately.
Next business meeting is September 16. Agenda includes meeting format re-writes and timing of shares. Agenda is open for other items of business until September 9. Please email any items to you wish to discuss to ourstoriesheal@gmail.com.
