2016 Group Inventory
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Question 1. What is the basic purpose of the group?
- I believe the basic purpose of the group is to serve as a safe place, just like a face to face meeting, for people to come and share what's on their mind as it relates to alcoholism.
- Also a place to share experience, strength and hope in recovery.
- To carry the message to the still-suffering alcoholic who may be a newcomer or an old-timer.
- To carry the message of sobriety and recovery to the still suffering alcoholic as well as with one another as sober women.
- I'm not sure whether the group set out a basic purpose when it started - for me it provides a focus on recovery in an online forum as opposed to face to face. It is also properly structured with rules to keep me safe ie moderated list etc. Many, it seems, appreciate this forum, especially those who don't have opportunity to go to f2f meetings.
Question 2. What more can the group do to carry the message?
- I think the group does a great job. I'm a member of a couple other online groups and this one seems to have the most participation. Grow really seems to be run well; maintaining a simple format... Focusing on the solution.
- We can familiarize ourselves with the group's Common Welfare Guidelines and Email Etiquette Guidelines to ensure that both our private and group emails are positive, supportive and encouraging to all members.
- I like how we say that anyone can share on the step correlating with the month any time. I think maybe we could encourage people to share on that step more often.
- I actually think the group is doing an excellent job of carrying the message. It's members, by sharing openly, honesty, and respectfully carry the message in what they say and the way they say it. Often people comment they went to f2f meetings after feeling inspired through this group.
Question 3. Do new members stick with us, or does the turnover seem excessive?
- This is a question for our Listkeepers to answer as they have the stats.
- It's hard to know how many newcomers read without writing. I am also unaware of the unsub rate. I think it's important that newcomers are welcomed and also important that longer timers remain to share their esh with the newcomers. Is it even possible that some newcomers go on to f2f after using us as a stepping stone. If so ... Good job Grow! Thanks to the members who share regularly, the topic format, and those in service.
- we get new members though very rarely hear from them after they join or for a little while and then they stop be involved.
Question 4. Do we emphasize the importance of sponsorship? How effectively? How can we do better?
- We emphasise it through individual shares, it's listed on the website and posted every month. How can we do better? Maybe members who enjoy strong sponsor relationships could write about it from time to time as service work? Not sure - to some extent we can lead a horse to water ... I personally waited quite a while before the right sponsor was given to me despite being told repeatedly to get a sponsor. I have seen damage from vulnerable newcomers taking someone anyone due to a sense of urgency. And really what urgency? To some extent a good group can lay the foundation encouraging newcomers to want and to seek a sponsor rather than being told they should! We can only participate when the newcomer is ready - this is a God job.
- I think we can do more to assist members in choosing a sponsor by letting them know what to look for in a sponsor (see sample below). We can also send out a reminder that we are free to change sponsors if we reach a point where the sponsor-sponsee relationship does not work for us any more.
- I do not think that we emphasize the importance of sponsorship enough and I see this in other groups as well. It is great to have a sponsorship list go out though a regular letter about the importance of sponsorship, what it is, why we need one, open the floor for questions as well as having the list of available sponsors would be a good thing to have shared at least monthly.
- Maybe send the newcomers a temporary sponsor list when they join? Or maybe a little more follow up with the newcomers.
- ideas from last years inventory that seem worth discussing.
- One idea is that we could send a sort of welcome packet to each newcomer new to AA. In that email packet we could put a list of names, those willing to be sponsors.
- and a letter with what to expect from the online meeting environment.
- Maybe we could think about a back to basics new comers meeting in addition to our schedule, where one person is the leader for a year, and works specifically with those under 90 days..?
Question 5. Are we careful to preserve the anonymity of our group members and other A.A.'s outside the meeting rooms? Do we leave the confidences they share at meetings behind?
- Personally, I do not pass on any email addresses without permission as I respect their anonymity. If I do share a member's experience in order to help someone, I do not reveal her name or any other private information.
- It's difficult to know the answer to this. I know that the secretary is on it when someone uses the list for something other than recovery-based sharing. I feel safe sharing here.
- I think GROW does a great job at protecting members' anonymity. It is probably easier for us to do this as an online group than it is for face-to-face meetings. I am not personally aware of any instance where one of our members' anonymity was broken.
- I would like to think so. Nothing can tear a group apart faster than breaking confidence. I attend meetings in a very small community and I have seen people come to the meeting upset as someone in the meeting broke their confidence.
- On an individual level, it is easy to do this . On a group level we have email settings preventing forwarding which addresses this. If any change needed to be made I would say it is in the business meeting where members could be more mindful of who is in the address bar when multiple sending. Maybe a protocol suggesting to always read or count the number of people listed before hitting send. I have inadvertently hopped onto a return response before that has discluded others and am more careful now.
- I believe we carry the message of the importance of preserving anonymity. I hope that we practice this and continue to remind newcomers of the importance of this.
- Yes we are. Our list is carefully set to prevent spam and non-subbed individuals. Our anonymity is secure in this group and it feels safe!
Question 6. Do we take the time to explain to all members the value to the group of following our guidelines of e-mail etiquette? As a member, am I familiar with and do I follow these guidelines?
- Our Email Etiquette Guidelines are sent out monthly by our Secretary. While I know and understand these Guidelines, I sometimes slip up and address my group mail to the group address but will also include a member's address. This results in my message being rejected by our lemail server and more work for our Listkeepers.
- I am familiar with the guidelines. I think i take it for granted how well this group functions and how recovery and solution based the shares are here. In terms of email etiquette I know we are sent monthly guidelines. Unless something is flagged as new I don't read them through each month. I also have confidence that folks who are in violation of the guidelines will be contacted.
- Would it make sense to consider offering our new members a temporary GROW mentor? For 2 weeks, or 4 weeks? Make the offer good immediately or up to the first 30 days or so? Someone to answer questions about both the group and about AA?
- A reminder about our meeting guidelines and our etiquette standards is sent out to members each month, and both are available on our website. There is no way to know if individuals read this information regularly. Because there have been few, if any, times when a member violated those standards, I assume that our members adhere to the expectations GROW documented in the meeting guidelines and standards for etiquette.
- It is important to take the time to read through the email etiquette guidelines. It takes a few minutes, but there is value in that. Online meetings are different than face to face meetings, and learning the guidelines that govern make me a better member.
- When it comes up in the business meeting, we explain this to all members. During the months of no business, the letter gets sent out but it is apparent that not everyone reads it! Otherwise members might have a better understanding that they don't need to unsub when someone causes them discomfort.
- I love the email etiquette. Admittedly I don't re-read the email though so do not know for sure if I follow all the guidelines. I remember it was overwhelming at first and I worried about sharing and following the rules and getting it right. Today I would be happy to be gently reminded of any breach. On and off topic in the subject line is invaluable!!! Very grateful most members adhere to that.
- I believe we take the time to inform members of etiquette and group guidelines. I know I am guilty of not fully reading the emails each month. (Assuming not much has changed since I joined... :) )
- Yes, we send out the informational emails that explain this once a month and encourage our members to read and retain a copy for future reference.
Question 7. Are all members given the opportunity to speak at meetings and to participate in other group activities?
- I think that we could add a sentence in our Greeter Letter #2 letter that says something like: "We encourage you to share on the Weekly Topic and/or on anything that is going on in your life. There is no waiting period or limit on sharing."
- Members are encouraged to volunteer as Trusted Servants. Our Weekly Leader Listkeeper sends out a monthly letter in which all Members are encouraged to volunteer to chair weekly meetings. Also, an invitation is sent to all members to participate in Business Meetings which are held twice a year in April and October
- I think all of our members have ample opportunities to share in meetings and to participate in our biannual business meetings. Having said that, a relatively small number of our members take advantage of these opportunities. A few members share each week on meeting topics, and business meeting participation is often the same group. We can't force people to share or come to business meetings, and I think we are good about encouraging our members to participate.
- Certainly all members have the opportunity to "speak up" during the week. Writing is not the tool for everyone, however, and I've heard from members that they don't share because it takes them too long to compose something.
- Our "other group activities" are limited to business and service, and we could encourage more members to participate by asking them to join us.
- Simply yes I think so. And this is a topic meeting, which I am attracted to, so I think it's important we continue to encourage on topic shares. It is good I think to stretch ourselves with a recovery focus rather than something anything.
- Absolutely. I do not think they take advantage of it. Online meetings allow us to "sit in the back row and observe", rather than participate.
- Some may just take the ESH in and not share... I think that's ok to some extent. Perhaps the more they hear, the more confident they will become to share their own ESH one day.
- We are all free to share and advised that we are all welcome at the business meeting. I'm not sure what else we can do to encourage participation. Because we're all virtual I think it's easier to "let someone else do it" when it comes to participating in shares or service.
Question 8. Are we mindful that holding office is a great responsibility not to be viewed as the outcome of a popularity contest, are we choosing our officers with care?
- I am grateful to hold the position of greeter. It helps me personally to do service. I can't always attend a face to face meeting every time I need one. But I can always reach out to Grow. I am grateful for that. As a greeter it helps me remember my own desperation and fear when I first came to AA online. I need to remember that. It helps my sobriety. Sometimes I think maybe I'm not really an alcoholic after all but then as I reflect back it's clear that indeed I am.
- When I had more than one volunteer for a position as Secretary I chose to draw names out of a hat, leaving the outcome up to my Higher Power. As we are a global community, I believe that we need to be mindful of different time zones and not just take the first volunteer, but to give the global world 24 hrs to respond. Some years past we have had difficulty filling the positions.
- I like this question. It inspires confidence in me that we are not choosing officers based on popularity. However I am also aware that the pool of the willing seems small.
- We seldom actually choose our officers. Rather, we ask members to volunteer for our Trusted Servant positions. More often than not, there are few volunteers, and we tend to see the same people moving from one position to another over time. It would be great if more people would step up to serve in these roles, and I wonder if there isn't something we could do to generate more interested in taking a Trusted Servant positions before our biannual business meetings.
- I don't know the answer to this as I don't know the process when deciding. I agree we need to choose with care plus we need to give opportunity as broadly as we can - but ... balanced with ability to do the job and care not to overwhelm a vulnerable new volunteer. Having written job descriptions is truly awesome - very impressive and should go along way to helping people realise their responsibility in a role.
- I believe we treat the privilege of service as a trust and responsibility. Again, I do not see a lot of people stepping up to become Trusted Servants as we rarely have more than one or two people to choose from for a given office.
- I have not held a GROW office yet, but when I have asked current members about positions, they shared with me their experience, directed me to the website to read about service positions, and urged me to speak up when the call next goes out for volunteers. I have at no time sensed clique-ish behavior or favoritism in GROW (and so glad for it!)
- Some may be agreeing to serve out of compulsion to fill the spot rather than willingness or desire.
- We recognize that our volunteers are Trusted Servants that do not govern and that there is no 'leader' in our group.
- As for choosing our officers with care, it is sometimes difficult to get members to take on jobs so they are chosen on a 'first come, first served' basis.
- I think we use a lot of care in this endeavor, yet we could do even more. See previous question.
- Anyone who wants to be of service, I believe, deserves the chance to do so. I believe that we take it to vote and that it is not a popularity contest.
Question 9. Does the group do its fair share toward participating in the purpose of A.A. - as it relates to our "Three Legacies" of Recovery, Unity and Service?
- GROW does a very good job at sharing Recovery with women who think they may have a problem with alcohol. We offer sponsors, we have topics that pertain to sobriety and to women, and we have step and tradition shares from time to time. Too bad we don't have more focus on that.
- I would like to see more members share their ESH with us. Each of us has our own experience and perspective to offer and someone just might need to hear what we have to say - just like in a f2f speaker meeting. Also, it is mainly the group of Trusted Servants who attend our Business Meetings (they are automatically subscribed and must attend according to our Guidelines). By extension, it is basically the same group of volunteers fillIng these positions.
- Unity as exemplified by the steering committee is good, and we do rotate members while retaining members. I don't know how we could improve on that.
- Online groups like ours may not have as many opportunities to participate: local groups can work together and participate in Intergroup activities. AA online has not had time to fully mature, and GROW has limited our participation in the online Intergroup due to our perception that the group is not very effective. We do, however, make regular contributions to AA's GSO, holding back a small Prudent Reserve. Within our group, I think we remain focused on the three legacies. Personally, I'm proud of GROW's standards and our continued adherence to them.
- Service is done well also, with disagreement among trusted servants from time to time, but that is to be expected. Our principles guide us in handling our group's affairs.
- It has been my experience that the Three Legacies are encouraged. I don't see participation from the majority of the members however (especially Service - of which I have been guilty).
Question 10: As a group, do we remain informed about AA as a whole? Do we support, in every way we can AA as a whole or just the parts we understand and approve of?
- We have a long way to go on this imho. AA is a very large organization, with service offices all over the world. We have chosen to focus primarily on the US/Canada version, and excluded other service offices because only one or two members live there. I think we do ourselves a disservice with this.
- We have Trusted Servants that keep us informed, on a biannual basis during business meetings, about what AA is doing. Their reports are shared with the larger mailing list. I think GROW remains interested in and committed to AA. Our membership represents many nations, making us more aware of AA's worldwide presence. During our last business meeting, we discussed making monetary contributions to AA Intergroups in other countries than the US. So, I think we are doing a good job in this area.
- Also, we could do a lot more about sharing events "on the ground" -- the Box 4-5-9 has listings of them that could be posted to the group every 3 months. This comes under the purvue of the GSR, who gets this publication from our General Service Office. While any member can post them, the GSR (Group Service Representative) is the one with easiest access to this list.
- We also could hear more from our Online Intergroup Rep. We complain that the OIAA is chaotic, but they do do some good things, and they do keep us in the loop with other online groups.
- I think GROW is expanding the information provided. Adding the Grapevine was a big plus to show support. Having the GSR report is great. The shares about conventions, seminars the members attend brings attention to other ways to strengthen our sobriety. Types of meetings vary so any information I get in the shares, I find useful.
Question 11: Are we considerate of all our members?
- I believe we have been considerate. I haven't "seen" any exclusion because of beliefs, handicaps, sexual preference, those who have relapsed, etc. In no way have I felt this is an "exclusive" group of women. I haven't seen any bantering - if there has been some, it is done with private emails. The same is true with encouragement, compassion - assuming that is done with private emails also.
- GROW is very sensitive to the needs of individual members and the group as a whole. Our Steering Committee recently discussed a situation that underscored our concern for each member's welfare. One of our organizing principles is the avoidance of combative posts and disharmony. I think we do very well in this area.
- I think we do.
Question 12: As a group, have we done a thorough and fearless inventory, or have we missed an important element?
- Perhaps participation could have been greater in this inventory, but we cannot and should not try to force people to contribute. Other than that, I don't know what more we could do.
- I think that is what is being done now by reaching out to everyone for their feedback, but doing this inventory right now, I feel that we are doing a thorough and fearless inventory to look deeper in to the group and what is going on in it