2021 – Group Conscience Decisions

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2021 – Group Conscience Decisions

April 2021

  1. Delete “Mailman Letter – Business List” and “Mailman Letter – Regular List” from the Trusted Servants/Letter Templates webpage

    Delete the references to the above two letters in the Listkeeper Position Description and replace with a reference to the Listkeeper Message letter template.

    Rationale: The two Mailman Letters currently listed on our website are no longer used, and the links are broken.

    For more information on this Group Conscience decision, please refer to Proposal 1 from the April 2021 business meeting.

  2. GROW will maintain a page on its website that lists Group Conscience decisions.

    Rationale: GROW’s previous website contained a straightforward list of the specific language of Group Conscience decisions reached in our business meetings. On our new website, it is difficult to do research for proposals being developed and to support actions taken in response to queries or issues that come up in our e-mail meeting. The website is our archive for GROW. It is the only place where past decisions are documented, and it should provide easy access to Group Conscience decisions.

    For more information on this Group Conscience decision, please refer to Proposal 2 from the April 2021 business meeting.

  3. Add to some position descriptions a bullet requiring that Trusted Servants have been a member of GROW for at least one year. The positions that would be subject to this requirement are: Business Meeting Chair, Listkeeper, Treasurer, Secretary, and Weekly Leader Listkeeper.

    Rationale: Some Trusted Servant positions demand that the person holding the position has a working knowledge about how GROW works. Position descriptions already include membership requirements for the Website Administrator and the Webkeeper and Webkeeper Backup (four, two, and one years respectively).

    In order to assure effective support for GROW’s continued successful operations, Trusted Servants in key positions should have been members of our group for least one year. The normal training by the outgoing Trusted Servant may not be adequate in situations where decisions and/or actions should reflect our historic approaches. Members who are new to GROW will not have the experience they would get from serving in other positions first and attending our business meetings.

    For more information on this Group Conscience decision, please refer to Proposal 3 from the April 2021 business meeting.

  4. Given the improvement in OIAA operations and management, GROW will resume contributions to that organization by allocating 20% of our surplus to OIAA, with the remaining 80% continuing to go to GSO.

    Rationale: In October 2014, GROW decided to discontinue its contributions to OIAA because our OIAA Representatives had consistently reported ineffective operations and management in the organization. (To read about the decision-making process at that time, visit http://www.g-r-o-w.com/members/groupc/gctopics/gc_oiaa.htm#contributions). Our current OIAA Representative’s Report for April 2021 reveals significant improvement in the organization’s operations and more effective support of alcoholics who visit their website. Attendance at OIAA meetings has significantly increased, positivity has increased (as opposed to prior arguments and conflict), and accountability is now an important value of the organization.

    For more information on this Group Conscience decision, please refer to Proposal 4 from the April 2021 business meeting.

    Recommended Language: Revise the following bullet in the Treasurer’s position description to reflect GROW’s decision to reinstate contributions to OIAA.

    • Pay all group expenses per the distribution below and maintain a prudent reserve of $122.00:
      • Make quarterly contributions, prior to each Business meeting, to GSO (The General Service Office, Grand Central Station, PO Box 459, New York, NY 10164-0423; Group Service # 633230). Allocate 80% of the total available contribution amount to GSO
      • Allocate 20% of GROW’s total available contribution amount to OIAA
      • $12.00 monthly to OSO-AA (PayPal: dean.collins@insightplanners.com) (6 months expenses)
      • $50.00 annual subscription to Grapevine magazine

  5. Amend the Treasurer’s position description to change the requirement to make quarterly distributions to bi-annually, prior to each business meeting.

    Rationale: The current position description requires the Treasurer to make quarterly distributions to GSO. This has not been done for some time, as distributions have actually been made once a year. Our Treasurer recommends that the distributions be done every six months when the Treasurer’s report is prepared for the business meeting. It takes us back to Prudent Reserve every six months and makes the bookkeeping much simpler.

    For more information on this Group Conscience decision, please refer to Proposal 5 from the April 2021 business meeting.

    Recommended Language: Amend the sub-bullet under “Pay all group expenses per the distribution below and maintain a prudent reserve of $122.00:” as shown below. (Given the apparent approval of resuming OIAA contributions, I’m showing the two relevant sub-bullets for clarity.)

    • Pay all group expenses per the distribution below and maintain a prudent reserve of $122.00:
      • Make quarterlybiannual contributions prior to GROW’s business meetings to GSO (The General Service Office, Grand Central Station, PO Box 459, New York, NY 10164-0) and OIAA.  Allocate 80% of the total available contribution amount to GSO.
      • Allocate 20% of GROW’s total available contribution amount to OIAA
      • $12.00 monthly to OSO-AA (PayPal: dean.collins@insightplanners.com) (6 months expenses)
      • $50.00 annual subscription to Grapevine magazine

    October 2021

  6. GROW will devote one meeting to service in the last week of the month before recruitment begins (February and August). While the topic will not be limited to service within GROW, all current TSs are encouraged to share on their experience in the job to encourage GROW members to volunteer when recruitment begins. The Weekly Leader Listkeeper will reserve the last Sunday of February and September for the topic of Service.

    Rationale: The proposal reflects broad agreement in business meeting participants’ comments addressing the lack of volunteers for Trusted Servant (TS) positions. Comments broadly, but not unanimously, supported having a GROW meeting topic devoted to service before the recruitment process begins.

    For more information on this Group Conscience decision, please refer to Proposal 2 from the October 2021 business meeting.

    Recommended Language: Add to the Weekly Leader Listkeeper’s position description an eleventh bullet:
    “Allocate the last meeting in February and August by identifying Service as the topic next to the date on the volunteer lead request message.”

  7. In the Secretary’s recruitment messages, rather than referring members to the position descriptions for Trusted Servants, provide a brief description of their job that includes its basic function and how it benefits GROW, the time required to do the job, workload intensity, and the busiest times. The descriptions will also include the name and email address of the person currently holding the position. The Business Meeting Chair and Secretary will work with Trusted Servants to develop the job descriptions before the March 2022 recruitment effort begins.

     Rationale: The proposal reflects broad agreement in business meeting participants’ comments addressing the lack of volunteers for Trusted Servant (TS) positions. Discussions revealed that GROW’s position descriptions are too long and to detailed to attract volunteers. There was near-unanimous agreement that hearing from the current TS about the position was much more effective. Because TSs change over time, and their experiences will be different, the Chair is proposing that a simple job description that can be used during every recruitment process would be more practical. This would not replace the individual TS shares about their experience in the position that TSs post during the Service topic GROW meeting.

    For more information on this Group Conscience decision, please refer to Proposal 3 from the October 2021 business meeting.