GROW

Grateful Recovering Online Women

2011 Business Meetings

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April 2011
October 2011

GROW BUSINESS MEETING: April 2011

 

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GROW BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA: April 2011
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- Semi-Annual Reports (posted separately)

- Trusted Servants positions - vacancies and volunteers (posted separately by our secretary)

- Business Items (each will be posted separately to facilitate discussion and voting)

1.1 Approve (or modify) new job description for "Temporary Mentor".

2.1 Proposal to modify job description of "Weekly Leader Listkeeper from a 6-month to a one-year term.

3.1 Proposal to make Jean L., who is one of our founding members, a permanent subscriber to "grow-owner" so that she can work "behind the scenes" to oversee and provide assistance, as needed, in maintaining and managing the GROW List. She as served as Listkeeper and Greeter and "knows the ropes".

4.1 Proposal to make Jean L. a permanent member of the Steering Committee.

If you have an Agenda item you would like to have addressed, please email me privately and I will add it to the Business Agenda.

Thanks,
Susan G
Business Chair

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Treasurer's Report

Beginning Balance = $ 276.12 (a)

Deposits:

Expenses:

Current Balance = $291.34 (d)
Formula: (a + b - c = d)
($ 276.12 + $ 272.95 - $257.73 =$291.34)

Contributions to GSO, OIAA and OSO-AA will be drawn from the current balance, less the $100.00 prudent reserve.

It has been my great pleasure serving our group, thank you.

Sincerely,
Lori Williams
GROW Treasurer

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Secretary's Report

Our currently posted list of Trusted Servants and the Steering Committee is:

Our Trusted Servants:

Trusted Servants who make up the Steering Committee:

* Becomes Listkeeper at end of term.

We are currently seeking to fill the following positions: Weekly Leader Listkeeper; Birthday Listkeeper; Greeter; Listkeeper Back-up (this person must be willing to take on the Listkeeper position after the one year term); Temporary Mentor; 12th Step Chair; OIAA Rep.

The standard etiquette and information update letters have been emailed monthly as required.

Respectfully submitted,
Nants F.
Secretary of GROW

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Listkeeper's Report

We currently have 269 members, up from 246 members in October 2010, and 225 in April 2010.

Though we previously reported a problem with "aol.com" addresses marking GROW mail as "spam," the measures taken by the Listkeeper (previously reported in the October 2010 Business meeting) have been successful and this problem seems to have been resolved.

There have been no other issues related to the List.

It has been such an honor to serve as your Listkeeper, and such a pleasure working with our Greeter, Jean and our backup Listkeeper, Laura G. Thank you for the opportunity to serve. As you may have noticed, Laura G has taken over as the Listkeeper and has been capably handling inquiries to GROW and getting new ladies subscribed.

Thanks,
Susan G
Outgoing Listkeeper

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Greeter's Report

It has been my pleasure to serve as your Greeter for the past year. At the end of this business meeting I will be passing the mantle on to your new greeter and it will be my pleasure to assist in whatever way I can.

Since our last business meeting in October until this date in April there have been 122 requests for membership. For the same time span there have been 87 new members subscribed. We are indeed a healthy *grow*ing group.

Jean L.
Greeter
Grateful Recovering Online Women

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GROW BUSINESS MEETING UPDATED AGENDA: Second 4-day Period April 2011 ==========================================================

We have had lively discussion on each of the Agenda items, and additional individual emails will be coming with summaries of the comments, to which you can respond.

Please note four new Agenda items for your consideration.

Hopefully we can reach consensus on some or all of the Agenda items during this session.

- Update on Trusted Servants positions filled has already been posted separately by our Secretary.

- Business Items (each will be posted separately to facilitate discussion and voting)

1.2 Approve (or modify) new job description for "Temporary Mentor".

2.2 Proposal to modify job description of "Weekly Leader Listkeeper from a 6-month to a one-year term.

3.2 Proposal to make Jean L., who is one of our founding members, a permanent subscriber to "grow-owner" so that she can work "behind the scenes" to oversee and provide assistance, as needed, in maintaining and managing the GROW List. She as served as Listkeeper and Greeter and "knows the ropes".

4.1 This Proposal was withdrawn after discussion.

Agenda Items for discussion in second 4-day period:

5.1 Proposal to make the Treasurer position non-rotating because of problems associated with trying to get the PayPal account changed over when a new volunteer was prepared to take the Treasurer position.

6.1 Proposal to modify the Job Description of the Greeter by adding: "Sends copy of current Weekly Topic to new members as they join."

7.1 A request has been made to discuss the pros and cons of establishing Back-up positions for some or all of the following positions: Weekly Leader Listkeeper, Birthday Listkeeper, Greeter, Temporary Mentor, 12th Step Chair, OIAA Rep.

8.1 Proposal to add a Back-up Greeter (2nd Greeter) position to share the workload with the Greeter.

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Agenda Item 1.2 Approve (or modify) new job description for "Temporary Mentor"

The Job Description for "Temporary Mentor" (TM) was generally well received, with some suggested changes as follows:

1. Eliminate the phrase: "Continue to correspond as needed this may include introducing her to the Big Book, Twelve and Twelve" The thinking was that this is a job for a Sponsor, not a Temporary Mentor. This phrase has been eliminated from the Job Description.

2. A suggestion that was made by a member of the Steering Committee that I left out of the Job Description is to require at least 1 year membership in GROW, so the TM is fluent with our email etiquette. This phrase has been added to the Job Description.

3. The TM should make contact with the newcomer within one day of her joining GROW. The previous Job Description reflected that the TM would make contact within 2-3 days of the newcomer joining GROW.

4. In the event that the newcomer is new to AA, the TM can refer the newcomer to other online AA resources, as well as ways to find face-to-face AA resources. This has been added.

There was a concern raised about whether the TM job would be very time-consuming and would require a Back-Up TM. The suggestion was made to give the position a trial period (without a Back-up) to see if the TM needs any help; if she does, our next Business Meeting is in October and it can be addressed at that time and one of the volunteers holding a service position could help out in the meantime. The REVISED Job Description is as follows:

TEMPORARY MENTOR Job Description

Letter #1

Hi ___ [new member name],

I am ___, Temporary Mentor for GROW. I see that you joined GROW recently and I'd like to welcome you! In the past, some members have found our information overwhelming at first, so we created this position (Temporary Mentor) as a helpful resource should you have questions and/or concerns about how our group and/or AA works. It would be my pleasure to correspond with you by email (or phone) so if you'd like some help, just let me know.

Thanks.
[name]
GROW Temporary Mentor

Letter #2

Hi ___ [new member name],

I haven't heard from you, so I assume that you have settled in nicely in our group. If you have any questions, the offer of help still stands. Please feel free to contact me.

[name]
GROW Temporary Mentor

We will now have discussion for four days about whether or not this REVISED Job Description is acceptable as written or requires modification before it is finalized. I look forward to your comments.

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Agenda Item 2.2 Proposal to modify job description of "Weekly Leader Listkeeper from a 6-month to a one-year term.

The majority of responses were in favor of extending the term for the Weekly Leader Listkeeper (WLL) from 6-months to a one-year term.

However, there were suggestions that warrant further discussion to see if we can get to consensus. Those suggestions were as follows:

1. A suggestion was made that there is a lot of responsibility in this position, which may overwhelm someone, especially a newcomer, and a "Team" concept should be developed for the WLL position. One member suggested creating an additional position of "Backup WLL". Another member pointed out that our position of Rotating Back-Up could work closely with the WLL and relieve her for vacations, sickness, etc.

2. A concern was raised about extending the term to one-year in that the newcomers may be reluctant to commit to such a position and, thus, would be denied a chance for service in the group. Another member pointed out that newcomers can be encouraged to write to those with birthdays, to greet new members, to volunteer to lead meetings; and perhaps to participate in the 12-Step List.

3. A member reminded us that our group is being run mostly by the same people because so few members join the Business Meeting, so the same people seem to keep volunteering to ensure the positions are filled.

We will now have discussion for four days to see if we can reach consensus about whether or not this modification is advisable as written. I look forward to your comments.

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Agenda Item 3.2

Proposal to make Jean L., who is one of our founding members, a permanent subscriber to "grow-owner" so that she can work "behind the scenes" to oversee and provide assistance, as needed to the Listkeeper, Back-up Listkeeper and Greeter, in maintaining and managing the GROW List. Jean L. has served in many positions in GROW over the years, including Listkeeper and Greeter (several times) and "knows the ropes".

This proposal generated quite a bit of discussion. Many members were in favor of the proposal, as phrased. However, some members raised the following concerns, which warrant further discussion:

1. That such a move would violate AA's Traditions by taking an action based on personality rather than principle; that there are other members of the group who were founding members and are also knowledgeable about the Listkeeper, Greeter, etc positions.

2. One member wondered if such a position is "permanent," and if Jean were not available, will we look for someone else for this position? Will the position have specific tasks, etc.?

3. One member suggested that Jean would be like an "Elder Stateswoman" for the GROW group and would continue doing what she has always been doing (e.g. being an available resource, etc).

4. Another member was in favor of the proposal, but conceded that if it is the consensus of the group that the "permanent" aspect of the subscription to grow-owner is troublesome, perhaps we could break it down and make the subscription for a two-year time, to be renewed every two years as the need dictates.

We will now have discussion for four days about this Agenda item and the concerns and suggestions expressed by the group members. I look forward to your comments.

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New Agenda Items

 

5.1 Proposal to make the Treasurer position non-rotating because of problems associated with trying to get the PayPal account changed over when a new volunteer was prepared to take the Treasurer position.

It is requested that Lori, current Treasurer, and Laura B, who volunteered for the Treasurer position, both comment and inform the members about the problems that were encountered with PayPal when an attempt was made for Laura B to assume the Treasurer position.

We will now have four days to discuss this item. I look forward to your comments.

 

6.1 Proposal to modify the Job Description of the Greeter by adding: "Sends copy of current Weekly Topic to new members as they join." The current Weekly Topic is apparently already being sent to new members as they join. This Proposal simply documents this in the Job Description.

We will have four days to discuss this item.

 

7.1 A request has been made to discuss the pros and cons of establishing Back-up positions for some or all of the following positions: Weekly Leader Listkeeper, Birthday Listkeeper, Greeter, Temporary Mentor, 12th Step Chair, OIAA Rep.

We will have four days to discuss this item. I look forward to your comments.

 

8.1 Proposal to add a Back-up Greeter (2nd Greeter) position to share the workload with the Greeter. The Job Description would be the same as for Greeter.

We will have four days to discuss this item in an attempt to come to consensus. I look forward to your comments.

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Respectfully submitted,
Susan G
Business Chair

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Third 4-day Period April 2011
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Agenda Item 1.4: Approve (or modify) new job description for "Temporary Mentor".

We have consensus on this item. All responses were in favor of adopting this Job Description for our Temporary Mentor.

 

Agenda Item 2.4: Proposal to modify job description of "Weekly Leader Listkeeper from a 6-month to a one-year term.

We have consensus on this item. All responses were in favor of extending the term for the Weekly Leader Listkeeper from a 6-month to a one-year term.

 

Agenda Item 3.4: Proposal to make Jean L., a permanent subscriber to "grow-owner" so that she can work "behind the scenes" to oversee and provide assistance, as needed to the Listkeeper, Back-up Listkeeper and Greeter, in maintaining and managing the GROW List. Jean L. has served in many positions in GROW over the years, including Listkeeper and Greeter (several times) and "knows the ropes".

We do not yet have consensus on this Agenda Item. If a Motion is made and seconded, a formal vote will be held.

 

Agenda Item 5.3: Proposal to make the Treasurer position non-rotating because of problems associated with trying to get the PayPal account changed over when a new volunteer was prepared to take the Treasurer position.

We did not reach consensus on this Agenda Item. A comment was made, and there was agreement, that we should not allow PayPal to dictate that our Treasurer position should be non-rotating. It was suggested, and all were in agreement, however, that we should convene an adhoc committee, composed of present and past Treasurers of this group. Such committee would be charged with the task of studying the issue of timely and appropriate transfer of the Treasurer responsibilities from the outgoing Trusted Servant to the incoming Trusted Servant. It is requested that the committee explore and develop a way for the incoming Treasurer to set up a PayPal account to receive GROW funds (from members all over the world), in accordance with a previous Group Conscience decision (below - provided by Cheryl D):

From 5/7/2009: Agenda 1. C. 3 What we should do about PayPal? An idea that seemed acceptable to all who replied, was for each Treasurer to setup a PayPal account that would be for the duration of the treasurer's term and that each subsequent treasurer open a new PayPal account.

It is requested that our current Treasurer, Lori, coordinate convening the committee members and that a report and plan of action be presented to the Business Meeting in October 2011. In the meantime, we will maintain status quo with Lori continuing as Treasurer.

 

Agenda Item 6.3: Proposal to modify the Job Description of the Greeter by adding: "Sends copy of current Weekly Topic to new members as they join."

We have consensus in agreement with this Proposal.

 

Agenda Item 7.3: A request has been made to discuss the pros and cons of establishing Back-up positions for some or all of the following positions: Weekly Leader Listkeeper, Birthday Listkeeper, Greeter, Temporary Mentor, 12th Step Chair, OIAA Rep.

There was lively discussion :-) regarding this Agenda Item. Of those who responded, six were against creating new Back-up positions, and four were in favor. Those who opposed adding new positions reminded us that we have a Rotating Back-up Trusted Servant who is available to help, as needed. Additionally, any of the other Trusted Servants can be called upon to cover a job in the event someone is going to be unavailable for a time.

One member pointed out that, according to the GROW website, the Listkeeper and Backup Listkeeper can back up the Greeter, if needed. The OIAA Rep is backed up by the GSR position. The Listkeeper has a Back-up Listkeeper. The Secretary is backed up by the Business Chair. The Rotating Back-up can help the Birthday Listkeeper, Sponsor Listkeeper, Weekly Lead Listkeeper and the 12 Step Listkeeper.

It was also suggested that the Temporary Mentor (TM) may eventually back-up the Greeter, and perhaps, visa versa. Since the TM is a new position, we should see how that works for the next several months and re-evaluate at the next Business Meeting.

The Chair suggests that we table this discussion with the recommendation that our present Rotating Back-up Trusted Servant get in touch privately with the other Trusted Servants that she is backing-up to exchange contact information to ease the transition if the need arises to call upon her to assist with one of the Lists.

 

Agenda Item 8.3: Proposal to add a Back-up Greeter (2nd Greeter) position to share the workload with the Greeter. The Job Description would be the same as for Greeter.

Note: Though this Agenda Item is similar to Item 7.3, it was felt that the potential work load for the Greeter (as expressed by those who have recently functioned in that capacity) can be such that the position requires more that the Rotating Back-up could reasonably provide. Therefore a separate Agenda Item was created to add a Back-up Greeter position. We do not yet have consensus on this item.

We do not yet have consensus on this Agenda Item. If a Motion is made and seconded, a formal vote will be held.

 

Respectfully submitted,
Susan G
Business Chair

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April 2011 - Meeting Summary

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Semi-annual reports were submitted by these Trusted Servants: Treasurer (Lori W), Secretary (Nants), Listkeeper (Susan G), Greeter (Jean L), and OIAA Representative (Judy B, GSR/ Alt. OIAA Rep).

Agenda Item 1.4 The new job description for "Temporary Mentor" was approved.

Agenda Item 2.4 The term for the "Weekly Leader Listkeeper was extended from six months to one-year.

Agenda Item 3.4 was withdrawn.

Agenda Item 4.3 was withdrawn.

Agenda Item 5.3 Proposal to make the Treasurer position non-rotating because of problems associated with trying to get the PayPal account changed over when a new volunteer was prepared to take the Treasurer position. We did not reach consensus on this Agenda Item, and a decision was made to have a committee, composed of our present Treasurer and prior Treasurers, research and investigate this issue and present a solution at the October Business Meeting.

Agenda Item 6.3 was approved to add language to our Greeter Job Description to include: "Sends copy of current Weekly Topic to new members as they join."

Agenda Item 7.3 generated lively discussion regarding the pros and cons of establishing Back-up positions for some or all of the following positions: Weekly Leader Listkeeper, Birthday Listkeeper, Greeter, Temporary Mentor, 12th Step Chair, OIAA Rep. At the suggestion of the Chair, it was agreed that we will table this discussion with the recommendation that our present Rotating Back-up Trusted Servant get in touch privately with the other Trusted Servants, for whom she is providing back-up, to exchange contact information to ease the transition if the need arises to call upon her to assist with one of the Lists. We can revisit this topic in the October Business meeting.

Agenda Item 8.3 passed by unanimous vote in favor of adding a Back-up Greeter (2nd Greeter) position to share the workload with the Greeter. The Job Description would be the same as for Greeter.

I want to extend a special thanks to all who attended the Business Meeting and participated to assist in accomplishing these things. I hope to see you back in October 2011 !

Respectfully submitted,
Susan G
Business Chair

Business Meeting - October 2011

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GROW BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA: October 2011
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- Semi-Annual Reports

- Trusted Servants positions - vacancies and volunteers

- Business Items

Proposal #1.1 Proposal from our Listkeepers to make minor changes in our monthly letter that goes out to the membership, and the letter that goes out to members upon joining the business list, to make these letters more accurate and to "streamline" the process.

Proposal # 2.1 Proposal from our Greeters to modify the Greeter Letter # 1 & Greeter Letter #2 that are sent to new members to: simplify the letters, correct grammatical errors, provide instruction for access to their personal web pages and / or retrieve their passwords.

Proposal # 3.1 Proposal from our Greeters to modify the current letter that the Greeters send to the group, to introduce a new member, by including the new member name and email address at the beginning of the letter, rather than at the end. It is felt that this will eliminate the frequent occurrence of members hitting "reply" which causes their greeting to the newcomer to go back to the Greeter.

Proposal # 4.1 Proposal from our Listkeepers to modify the Listkeeper's Job Description to clarify how to manage former members who wish to re-join the group and to eliminate a listed task which is outdated.

Proposal # 5.1 It has been suggested that the Job Description for the Weekly Leader Listkeeper be modified to include the following: Post to the group at the beginning of every month the list of chair persons for each of the coming weeks in that month.

Proposal # 6.1 Modify the Treasurer's Job Description to clarify that the incoming Treasurer will be responsible to set up a PayPal and checking account dedicated to GROW collections and activity.

Proposal # 7.1 Create Back-up positions for the following positions: Weekly Leader Listkeeper, Birthday Listkeeper, Greeter, Temporary mentor, 12th Step Chair, and OIAA Rep.

If you have an Agenda item you would like to have addressed, please email me privately ( srger@sbcglobal.net ) and I will add it to the Business Agenda.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan G
Business Chair

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Treasurer's Report

Beginning Balance = $ 291.34 (a)

Deposits:

  Contributions April = $ 184.91
  Contributions May =           $ 38.96
  Contributions June =         $ 18.41
  Contributions July =             $ 92.92
  Contributions August =   $ 82.20
  Contributions September = $ 23.96
  Total Contributions =   $ 441.36 (b)      

Expenses:

April: $347.00
(Contributions to GSO, OIAA, OSO-AA; payment OSO-AA.)
May:                 No Checks Written
June:                 No Checks Written
July:                      No Checks Written
August: No Checks Written
September: $5.00 (Checking account fee.)
Total Expenses =   $352.00 (c)

Current Balance = $380.70 (d)
Formula: (a + b - c = d)
($ 291.34 + $ 441.36 - $ 352.00 = $ 380.70)

Contributions to GSO, OIAA and OSO-AA will be drawn from the current balance, less the $100.00 prudent reserve.

It has been my great pleasure serving our group, thank you.

Sincerely,
Lori Williams
GROW Treasurer

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Secretary's Report

Since our last business meeting, the email etiquette and the information letters have been sent out at the beginning of each month as required.

A call for volunteers was sent out in early September with the following responses:

Sponsor list keeper:

12 Step Listkeeper:

Birthday Listkeeper

Rotating Back-up:

Secretary:

Respectfully submitted,
Nants F
Present Secretary

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Listkeepers Report - April to September 2011

We currently have 276 members up from 269 in April per the Membership List, and theres been a whirlwind of activity as you can see on our Greeters Report. Your Listkeepers and Greeters have been very busy since our last Business Meeting in April 2011, and the creation of the Back-up Greeters position has been a blessing! These gals (Gigi D., Laurie C., Melanye C.) are a terrific group of hard-working, responsible and dedicated sober women who enjoy serving our group. It is certainly an honour and a pleasure for me to be associated with these ladies.

In addition to the activity listed in the Greeters Report, 70 members have been unsubscribed from the group.

Gigi D., Back-up Listkeeper, realized in July that there is a problem with the monthly letter that our server sends to our members in that the link for members to access their accounts is incorrect. At this meeting, we will propose to discontinue that letter and include the necessary information about individual pages and passwords in our own Monthly Listkeeper Letter. Because we require a Group Conscience decision on this issue in order to make the change, we need your input on this.

As Listkeepers, we thank you for the opportunity to serve you.

Laura G.,
Listkeeper

Gigi D.,
Back-up Listkeeper

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Greeter's Report - April to September 2011

Good morning everyone. It has been our pleasure to serve as your Greeters for the past six months.

Since our last business meeting in April until the First of October there have been 107 requests for membership.

For the same time span there have been 85 new members subscribed. As a result of each new member your greeters have sent out a total of over 350 emails.

The position of back up greeter is indeed a blessing. Melanye and I are alternating weeks so that spreads the work out pretty evenly, (But I have to acknowledge that HP seems to give most of it to Melanye). It's sure been a growing experience.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve. We pass.

Laurie and Melanye
Greeter(s)
Grateful Recovering Online Women

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Summary of Business Meeting Activities - October 17
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This is to summarize, thus far, our GROW Business meeting that is being conducted on another list. We have had active participation, lively discussions, and have made great progress in our meeting. What follows is a listing of the current status of the Proposals that have been considered in this meeting, thus far.

Proposal #1.1 Proposal from our Listkeepers to make minor changes in our monthly letter that goes out to the membership, and the letter that goes out to members upon joining the business list, to make these letters more accurate and to "streamline" the process.
This Proposal was APPROVED.

Proposal # 2.1 Proposal from our Greeters to modify the Greeter Letter # 1 & Greeter Letter #2 that are sent to new members to: simplify the letters, correct grammatical errors, provide instruction for access to their personal web pages and / or retrieve their passwords.
This Proposal was APPROVED, with the following modifications from the original Proposal:
In Letter#1 - leave in the following phrase:
We invite you to visit our web page to learn more about us, it can be found at www.g-r-o-w.com.
In Letter #2 - change the wording to read:
If you would prefer to receive the Digest version, please contact our Listkeeper at grow-owner@oso-aa.org and she will make the change for you.

Proposal # 3.1 Proposal from our Greeters to modify the current letter that the Greeters send to the group, to introduce a new member, by including the new member name and email address at the beginning of the letter, rather than at the end. It is felt that this will eliminate the frequent occurrence of members hitting "reply" which causes their greeting to the newcomer to go back to the Greeter.
This Proposal was APPROVED.

Proposal # 4.1 Proposal from our Listkeepers to modify the Listkeeper's Job Description to clarify how to manage former members who wish to re-join the group and to eliminate a listed task which is outdated.
This Proposal was APPROVED as written.

Proposal # 5.1 It has been suggested that the Job Description for the Weekly Leader Listkeeper be modified to include the following: Post to the group at the beginning of every month the list of chair persons for each of the coming weeks in that month.
There will be continued discussion on this Proposal.

Proposal # 6.1 Modify the Treasurer's Job Description to clarify that the incoming Treasurer will be responsible to set up a PayPal and checking account dedicated to GROW collections and activity.
This Proposal was APPROVED.

Proposal # 7.1 Create Back-up positions for the following positions: Weekly Leader Listkeeper, Birthday Listkeeper, Greeter, Temporary mentor, 12th Step Chair, and OIAA Rep.
We did not reach consensus on this Proposal - a summary of comments will be posted separately.

Proposal #8.2 This is a Proposal from our Weekly Leader Listkeeper (WLL) to adopt formats for the Step letter and Tradition letter that are sent out each month by the WLL to the membership.
We did not reach consensus on this Proposal - a summary of comments will be posted separately.

Proposal # 9.2 Proposal to change the wording in our "12 Step Opportunity Letter" to make it consistent with the wording in that letter. i.e. change "12" to "12th".
This Proposal was APPROVED.

Respectfully presented,
Susan G
Business Chair

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Agenda for 4-day session beginning October 17
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What follows are Proposals for your discussion. It is hoped we can reach consensus on these items. Please do not reply to this post. I will post each agenda item separately and welcome your comments. Thanks.

Proposal # 5.1 : It has been suggested that the Job Description for the Weekly Leader Listkeeper be modified to include the following: Post to the group at the beginning of every month the list of chair persons for each of the coming weeks in that month.
There will be continued discussion on this Proposal.

Proposal # 7.1 : Create Back-up positions for the following positions: Weekly Leader Listkeeper, Birthday istkeeper, Greeter, Temporary mentor, 12th Step Chair, and OIAA Rep.
We did not reach consensus on this Proposal - it is the Chair's recommendation that discussion concerning this Proposal be tabled, and a new Proposal (#11.3) is submitted for discussion.

Proposal #8.2 : This is a Proposal from our Weekly Leader Listkeeper (WLL) to adopt formats for the Step letter and Tradition letter that are sent out each month by the WLL to the membership.
We may have consensus on this Proposal - a call for "HEAD NODs" or "HEAD SHAKEs" will be requested.

Proposal # 9.3 : Proposal to post on the GROW website a listing of prior topics to assist Chairpersons in avoiding duplication of meeting topics.
We will have four days of discussion concerning this Proposal.

Proposal # 10.3 : Proposal to modify the Job Description of the Weekly Leader Listkeeper (WLL) as follows:
1. Discontinue the mid-week re-posting of the topic by the WLL;
2. Do not have the WLL re-post the Step & Tradition letters in the middle of the month.
We will have four days of discussion concerning this Proposal.

Proposal # 11.3 : Proposal for the Job Description for the Rotating Back-up to be modified, as needed, to include the following: actively work with Trusted Servants to receive mentoring and participate in offering back-up assistance to the following Trusted Servant positions: Weekly Leader Listkeeper, Birthday Listkeeper, Greeter, Temporary mentor, and 12th Step Chair.
We will have four days of discussion concerning this Proposal.

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Summary of 4-Day Session Ending October 20
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Thank you for all your input during this past session. What follows is a summary of what was discussed regarding each Proposal, as well as a suggestion for future action.

Proposal # 5.1 : It has been suggested that the Job Description for the Weekly Leader Listkeeper (WLL) be modified to include the following: Post to the group at the beginning of every month the list of chair persons for each of the coming weeks in that month.

We had another four days of discussion on this Proposal and a summary of comments follows:

Many responses agreed that the WLL should post the list of upcoming Chairpersons to the group at the beginning of the month.

Some thought the list should only be sent to the Rotating Back-Up person, who would be available to, remind the Chairperson, or fill in, as needed.

Some who were against posting the list of Chairpersons.

We did not reach consensus on this Proposal after two four-day sessions and, in accordance with our Business Meeting Guidelines, it would be appropriate for the Chairperson to call for a Motion from the floor, prior to additional discussion and a vote. However, we are very near the end of our Business Meeting, so we will need to table this Proposal until the Business Meeting in April 2012.

Proposal #8.2 : This is a Proposal from our Weekly Leader Listkeeper (WLL) to adopt formats for the Step letter and Tradition letter that are sent out each month by the WLL to the membership.

This Proposal was APPROVED.

Proposal # 9.3 : Proposal to post on the GROW website a listing of prior meeting topics.

We did not reach consensus on this Proposal. Comments and recommendation will be posted separately.

Proposal # 10.3 : Proposal to modify the Job Description of the Weekly Leader Listkeeper (WLL) as follows:
1. Discontinue the mid-week re-posting of the topic by the WLL;
2. Do not have the WLL re-post the Step & Tradition letters in the middle of the month.

This Proposal was APPROVED. It was also suggested that the Weekly Chairperson may re-post the topic/meeting if she chooses to do so.

Proposal # 11.3 : Proposal for the Job Description for the Rotating Back-up to be modified, as needed, to include the following: actively work with Trusted Servants to receive mentoring and participate in offering back-up assistance to the following Trusted Servant positions: Weekly Leader Listkeeper, Birthday Listkeeper, Greeter, Temporary mentor, and 12th Step Chair.

This Proposal was APPROVED, as modified below:

Offer back-up assistance to the following Trusted Servant positions: Weekly Leader Listkeeper, Birthday Listkeeper, Temporary Mentor, 12th Step Chair and Sponsor Listkeeper. Descriptions for each position can be found on our website under "Descriptions of Trusted Servant Positions".

The only thing remaining on the Agenda is one Proposal (9.3) which requires Head Nods/ Shakes, and that will be posted separately.

Thank you for your continued cooperation. Please hang in there. We are almost finished!

Respectfully submitted,
Susan G
Business Chair

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BUSINESS MEETING SUMMARY: October 2011
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I want to sincerely thank everyone for their participation in our Business Meeting. We accomplished a LOT thanks to all of you !!

Semi-Annual Reports: The following Trusted Servants posted reports:

Trusted Servants positions - vacancies and volunteers : Nants, our Secretary, announced volunteers for the following positions:

Business Items

Proposal #1.1 : Proposal from our Listkeepers to make minor changes in our monthly letter that goes out to the membership, and the letter that goes out to members upon joining the business list, to make these letters more accurate and to "streamline" the process.
This Proposal was APPROVED.

Proposal # 2.1 : Proposal from our Greeters to modify the Greeter Letter # 1 & Greeter Letter #2 that are sent to new members to: simplify the letters, correct grammatical errors, provide instruction for access to their personal web pages and / or retrieve their passwords.

This Proposal was APPROVED, with the following modifications from the original Proposal:

In Letter#1 - leave in the following phrase:
We invite you to visit our web page to learn more about us, it can be found at www.g-r-o-w.com.

In Letter #2 - change the wording to read:
If you would prefer to receive the Digest version, please contact our Listkeeper at grow-owner@oso-aa.org and she will make the change for you.

Proposal # 3.1 : Proposal from our Greeters to modify the current letter that the Greeters send to the group, to introduce a new member, by including the new member name and email address at the beginning of the letter, rather than at the end. It is felt that this will eliminate the frequent occurrence of members hitting "reply" which causes their greeting to the newcomer to go back to the Greeter.
This Proposal was APPROVED.

Proposal # 4.1 : Proposal from our Listkeepers to modify the Listkeeper's Job Description to clarify that former members who wish to re-join the group shall be treated as new members, and to eliminate a listed task which is outdated.
This Proposal was APPROVED.

Proposal # 5.1 : It has been suggested that the Job Description for the Weekly Leader Listkeeper (WLL) be modified to include the following: Post to the group at the beginning of every month the list of chair persons for each of the coming weeks in that month.

We had another four days of discussion on this Proposal and a summary of comments follows:
Many responses agreed that the WLL should post the list of upcoming Chairpersons to the group at the beginning of the month. Some thought the list should only be sent to the Rotating Back-Up person, who would be available to, remind the Chairperson, or fill in, as needed. Some who were against posting the list of Chairpersons:

We did not reach consensus on this Proposal after two four-day sessions and, in accordance with our Business Meeting Guidelines, it would be appropriate for the Chairperson to call for a Motion from the floor, prior to additional discussion and a vote. However, we are very near the end of our Business Meeting, so this Proposal was tabled until the Business Meeting in April 2012.

Proposal # 6.1 : Modify the Treasurer's Job Description to clarify that the incoming Treasurer will be responsible to set up a PayPal and checking account dedicated to GROW collections and activity.
This Proposal was APPROVED.

Proposal # 7.1 : Proposal to create Back-up positions for the following positions: Weekly Leader Listkeeper, Birthday Listkeeper, Greeter, Temporary mentor, 12th Step Chair, and OIAA Rep.

We did not reach consensus on this Proposal - based on the discussion, it was the Chair's recommendation that Proposal be withdrawn, and a new Proposal (#11.3) was submitted for discussion.

Proposal #8.2 : Proposal from our Weekly Leader Listkeeper (WLL) to adopt formats (as prepared by the current WLL) for the Step letter and Tradition letter that are sent out each month by the WLL to the membership.
This Proposal was APPROVED.

Proposal # 9.2 : Proposal to change the wording in our "12 Step Opportunity Letter" to make it consistent with the wording in that letter. i.e. change "12" to "12th".
This Proposal was APPROVED.

Proposal # 9.3 : Proposal to post on the GROW website a listing of prior topics and the lead shares.
This Proposal was APPROVED.

Proposal # 10.3 : Proposal to modify the Job Description of the Weekly Leader Listkeeper (WLL) as follows:
1. Discontinue the mid-week re-posting of the topic by the WLL;
2. Do not have the WLL re-post the Step & Tradition letters in the middle of the month.

This Proposal was APPROVED. It was also suggested that the Weekly Chairperson may re-post the topic/meeting if she chooses to do so.

Proposal # 11.3 : Proposal that the Job Description for the Rotating Back-up to be modified as follows: Offer back-up assistance to the following Trusted Servant positions: Weekly Leader Listkeeper, Birthday Listkeeper, Temporary Mentor, 12th Step Chair and Sponsor Listkeeper. Descriptions for each position can be found on our website under "Descriptions of Trusted Servant Positions".
This Proposal was APPROVED.

This concludes the October 2011 GROW Business Meeting.

Thanks,
Susan G.
Business Chair

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