Group Conscience Topics
Miscellaneous
- Miscellaneous > Ask-It Basket (4/13)
- Miscellaneous > Buddy System (10/08)
- Miscellaneous > Call for Help Letter (10/13)
- Miscellaneous > GROW Business Cards (11/10)
- Miscellaneous > List of Topics (10/05)
- Miscellaneous > Monthly Speaker Meeting (10/07)
- Miscellaneous > Suggestion Box (4/15)
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Ask-It Basket
Miscellaneous > Ask-It Basket (4/13)
Decision: After much discussion and opposition to this suggestion, the Proposal was withdrawn.
Proposal: In an effort to help dispel fears or to encourage members who are too embarrassed to ask questions, it is proposed that we create an 'Ask-It-Basket' Listkeeper position in which she would ask if anyone has questions that they would like to have answered privately. The Listkeeper would receive the questions and post them anonymously to the list.
To reply, members can respond directly to the list instead of via the Listkeeper so that all members would get the benefit of the responses. Of course, if a member doesn't want her reply to be known, she can write to the Listkeeper; if not, she can post directly to the group.
Revision: In an effort to help dispel fears or to encourage members who are too embarrassed to ask questions, it is proposed that we create an 'Ask-It-Basket' Listkeeper position in which she would ask if anyone has questions that they would like to have answered privately. The Listkeeper would receive the questions and post them anonymously to the list.
Comments: We have had lots of healthy, meaningful discussions regarding this Proposal; some members who originally agreed with it have changed their minds once the discussion got going. As a matter of fact, 19 of our 27 participants were involved in these discussions: 6 members think it's a wonderful idea and 13 are not in favor of it. The following is a summary of the comments:
- This can provide an anonymous avenue to newcomers or members who have a few years in the program to ask questions as it can be more embarrassing to them as they may feel they 'should' know the answer by now. It will create another service position as service is an essential part of recovery.
- Isn't this what the TM position is for? Doesn't she already do this?
- If approved, could a link to the Listkeeper's position be included in the TM Welcome Letter?
- A few members wondered if it could be incorporated into the TM position?
- Can we try it for 6 months to decide if we want to make it a permanent position?
- Confusion about the term of Listkeeper and that the proposal needs to be re-worded. Is it really necessary that the responses to individual inquiries should go out to everyone rather than just the person asking the question?
- There are many women with years of experience who are available just by sending an e-mail. We already have a list of women who are willing and available to sponsor people online. We have a temporary mentor. We have a 12-step list who write to women who are in crisis. We have created several avenues for people to find help, and I assume many of us write to other members on a regular basis as part of our own program. What more can or should we do?
- Are these questions similar enough to warrant a Frequently Asked Questions for members only on the website with a link to send an e-mail to the Ask-It-Basket when the FAQ doesn't cover the question?
- I too will retract my approval of the proposal, as it does not have the overwhelming support and thus would not succeed even on a trial basis. Instead I would very much like to support
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Buddy System
Miscellaneous > Buddy System (10/08)
Decision: No one spoke to try to move the proposal toward more consideration. Therefore, the proposal to adopt a Buddy System is retired.
Comments: We did not seem to have consensus during the first four days on this, so the chair asked if we could find common ground on this topic. None of the members who responded supported a formal buddy system. Some of those who wrote in favor the first time spoke in opposition. to summarize the conclusions:
"We, as a group, reach out to the newly sober/attempting sobriety members. A new "buddy system" is not needed. "
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Call for Help Letter
Miscellaneous > Call for Help Letter (10/13)
Decision: This proposal was Withdrawn.
Proposal: Call For Help Form Letter. It is proposed that we compose a "Call For Help" letter to our Trusted Servants as follows:
Dear Trusted Servants.
Unfortunately, we do not have anyone to lead the meeting this week. This creates a service opportunity for us to consider. Please let me know if you are interested in chairing this week's meeting. First one to reply gets the job!
Thank you,
Weekly Leader Listkeeper
If approved, this letter would be placed in our Form Letter section on the website.
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GROW Business Cards
Miscellaneous > GROW Business Cards (11/10)
Decision: It was decided not to have GROW Business cards.
Proposal: Lori has proposed having a GROW Business card and to make them available to GROW members.
Comments: Lori brought up GROW Business cards she has created to give to prospective members. It was discussed about the cost of the cards, the need for the cards & how they would be used.
After more discussion it was agreed that the Business Cards proposed would be promotion rather than attraction & not suitable for GROW, there will be no more discussion on this issue.
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List of Topics
Miscellaneous > List of Topics (10/05)
Decision: There being no objections, the following will be recorded as group conscience by consensus:
"Our Weekly Meeting Lead Listkeeper will resume maintaining a list of topic shares and pass the list on to her replacement. For reference purposes, a list of topic shares will be displayed in the Archive section of g-r-o-w.com for a period of one year."
Proposal: Cheryl T., Chair, began this discussion by posting the following excerpts from the displayed in the Archive section of g-r-o-w.com for a period of one year."Weekly Meeting Leader Listkeeper's job description:
"Maintain list of past topics and pass that on to the weekly leader to help avoid frequent duplication."
"Provide successor with all necessary information, including current list of weekly leaders and list of past topics, job guidelines, letter templates; and serve as a mentor for a period of time to ensure continuity of service."
She then proposed three questions for continuing the discussion:
- If a topic list was maintained and passed to each new trusted servant holding the position, as written in the job description, would that be record enough?and/or
- What if the Archivist saves the list of topics for two years, and the webkeeper maintains a topic list for two years on the www.g-r-o-w.com website in the archives section?OR
- Do you feel strongly about having the Archivist save the actual share introducing the weekly topic each week?
Comments: Of the six members who responded to this item, all said they could support saving a list of topics, not the actual shares; all can support the Weekly Meeting Lead Listkeeper maintaining the list and passing it on to her replacement as written in the job description, with some doubt as to whether this will happen consistently; and the opinion was mixed on whether or not we should include the topic list on the website with other archived material. Regarding a timeline, several members support two years; one feels 6-8 weeks is appropriate.
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Monthly Speaker Meeting
Miscellaneous > Monthly Speaker Meeting (10/07)
Decision: So, for this meeting, the proposal to have a Monthly Speaker Meeting is tabled while the committee works on its formal recommendation for the February meeting.
Comments: A proposal for the agenda was to add a monthly speaker meeting. Those who discussed it seemed to have differing takes on the issue. Comments seemed to cluster around ideas:
- Confusion ("A speakers meeting would be different for our regular meeting ........how?")
- Wondering how a speaker meeting would work online (given that f2f speaker meetings often have one person speaking at a podium)
- Suggestion that, instead of a formal speaker meeting, people be encouraged to share their story on their anniversary date.
- Suggestion that one meeting a month, a speaker tell her story and the rest of the week people could comment on it. This suggestion seemed to gather some support during the week.
We discussed the proposal for a monthly speaker meeting. There was enough interest expressed that we will go to the next step in the process. A committee of up to three people will work during this next three-month period to formulate a formal, detailed proposal. The committee will be chaired by Barb M. (the original proposer of this item) and one or two other people of her choosing. If the committee informs the Business Chair in January that they will have a proposal ready for the February meeting, this will be put on the February agenda for our consideration.
The formal proposal should include *at least* the following, in order to both be (a) seamlessly introduced and implemented for the group as a whole and (b) answer the questions that were asked about how it would work. The committee will undoubtedly find other details to include:
- A full template of the meeting's format, including all formal language that would be sent to the speaker (just as our current chairs receive one).
- Recommendation on which trusted servant will work with this (we have assumed the Topic Listkeeper but this needs to be spelled out in a formal proposal)
- Recommendation on how speakers are determined (are they invited? do they volunteer? If invited, who extends the invitation? As an example, most meetings I attend, if it is a speaker format, the chair for that week/month does the inviting.)
- Recommendation on any sobriety lengths before telling their story (as an example, different face-to-face meetings have different requirements for this).
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Miscellaneous > Suggestion Box (4/15)
Decision: This proposal was withdrawn.
Proposal: In order to get more membership participation in making suggestions for business meetings, I propose we ask the members to drop their ideas into a suggestion box.
Rationale: People are intimidated when asked to submit a proposal using specific guidelines.
Comments: If the suggestion appears to benefit the majority of the membership, a member of the Steering Committee can assist in putting the idea into proposal form.