Proposal 2: Greeter/Listkeeper Job Description
This Proposal was tabled in our April 2020 meeting because the process could not be finished before the business meeting closed. The April proposal has been amended to address the Listkeeper as well as the Greeter position. Please submit your comments before midnight (your time) Sunday, October 4.
Modify the job descriptions for the Greeter and Listkeeper Trusted Servant positions to stress the importance of timely processing of requests for membership in GROW.
Recommended Language:
- Replace the third bullet in the Greeter job description with: “Checks e-mail several times a day for Listkeepers’ notice about inquiries from potential members.”
- Replace the tenth bullet on the Listkeeper job description with: “Receive and forward to greeters all requests for new membership, checking grow-owner@oso-aa.org several times a day to assure prompt processing of inquiries.”
Rationale
GROW’s primary mission is to carry the message of Alcoholics Anonymous. Our group receives many inquiries and requests for membership from women who are struggling and want help to stop drinking or stay stopped. Our Listkeepers and Greeters are the first point of contact for these potential new members.
The third bullet of the current job description for the Greeters currently says “Reads GROW mail daily.” This statement is incorrect, in that checking GROW e-mail has nothing to do with notices from the Listkeepers. Listkeepers send the notices to the individual Greeter’s e-mail address. The statement suggests Greeters should only check for such notices once a day, which may increase the time between a potential member’s inquiry and GROW’s response beyond what we want to assure “the hand of AA” is always there.
The tenth bullet of the Listkeeper job description says “Receive and forward to greeters all requests for new membership” but does not establish a timeframe for processing the inquiries. Adding a statement that Listkeepers should check for inquiries from potential new members several times a day further assures that “the hand of AA” is always there.
Summary of Comments on Proposal 2
Eight participants made substantive comments on the proposal, all of them supporting changes to the Greeter and Listkeeper job descriptions to make clear GROW’s expectation that these Trusted Servants will check their e-mails several times a day (rather than daily).
Results of Voting on Proposal 2
Eighteen (18) participants voted on Proposal 2.2, which would modify the Greeter and Listkeeper job descriptions so that they would be required to check e-mail several times a day (rather than the current “daily”) to assure prompt processing of requests for membership in GROW.
Sixteen (16) participants voted “I agree” on the proposal, and two (2) voted “I disagree.” Therefore, Proposal 2.2 met the requirement for a 2/3 majority vote approving the proposal.
Before this proposal can be adopted as a Group Conscience decision, we will hear the views of participants who voted “I disagree.” If anyone changes their vote as a result, we will call for a re-vote.
Minority Opinion
“I voted in disagreement because the language of check mail “several” times a day could possibly limit the volunteers who could otherwise take on this responsibility if they now they can check mail at least once daily. Checking mail daily does not seem to be an overwhelming responsibility.
“It would be beneficial to remember this is an online group. If someone is in crisis, and our listkeepers know this, I would hope they would refer the person on to AA locally wherever they are. Person-to-person contact is much more beneficial for crisis situations. Online is for support, in my humble opinion, it is not where “crucial” contact is.
“Remember rule 62; Let’s not take ourselves so seriously.”
Final Results of Voting
A Minority Opinion was published on October 9. No one has changed their vote as a result.
Therefore, Proposal 2.2 is approved and adopted as a Group Conscience Decision.
GROUP CONSCIENCE Decision:
Modify the job descriptions for the Greeter and Listkeeper trusted servant positions to stress the importance of timely processing of requests for membership in GROW.
Recommended Language:
- Replace the third bullet in the Greeter job description with: “Checks e-mail several times a day for Listkeepers’ notice about inquiries from potential members.”
- Replace the tenth bullet on the Listkeeper job description with: “Receive and forward to greeters all requests for new membership, checking grow-owner@oso-aa.org several times a day to assure prompt processing of inquiries.”