1017 – Business Meeting

2017 October Business Meeting

Greetings, and welcome to the October Business Meeting of Grateful Recovering Online Women (GROW).

I am Danna, a recovering alcoholic, and your Business Chair for this meeting. Thank you for participating!

This is a closed meeting, open only to members of GROW, for the discussion of business as it relates to our group. Our business meetings run in three-day segments and last no more than 29 days.

I will post each Agenda item, one by one, in separate emails and **ask that you respond to each accordingly.** This makes it easier to “tally” the responses and suggestions to each item.

We will have a three-day period for open discussion on each Agenda item. This, hopefully, will allow all members regardless of work schedules, time zones, etc. to participate and comment. At the beginning of the 4th day, I will post the results/consensus of our discussions.

Before we begin, let’s have a moment of silence to reflect on why we are here, followed by the Serenity Prayer.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen.

In this Business Meeting, let us be guided by The Twelve Traditions:

Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.
For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.
Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.
Each group has but one primary purpose–to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films.
Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

Let us all keep in mind our Unity of Service statement from the Grapevine of September 1998:

“Unity seldom means that we all agree on everything. Nor is unity served by setting aside our concerns and conforming to the majority opinion (or the vocal minority) . . . Unity is best achieved by a full hearing of all points of view . . . time for all of those involved to step back from emotional responses . . . as well as careful consideration and prayer for that which will best serve the group or AA as a whole.”

Thank you for being here and for your dedication to GROW.

Respectfully submitted, Danna M. GROW Business Chair

Business Meeting Agenda
Additional individual emails will be coming, to which you can respond.

Trusted Servant (TS) Positions (Secretary’s Report) – Incoming & Outgoing TS identified (posted separately)
Semi-Annual Reports: GSR, OIAA, Treasurer, Listkeeper, Business Chair (posted separately)
Business Items (each will be posted separately to facilitate discussion and voting)

We will discuss the following proposals (short titles) during the Business Meeting. If you have an item that you would like to have addressed, please email me privately (to dmcd.grow@zoho.com), and I will add it to the Agenda. If I have not accurately represented a proposal you already submitted, please let me know so that I can correct it. Since several of these proposals may stimulate a lot of discussion, we will address Proposals 1.1 and 2.1 only during the first three-day session.

Proposal 1: Establish a private Facebook page for Grow.
Proposal 2: Abolish the position of OIAA Representative.
Proposal 3: Discuss the creation of a new GROW web site.
Proposal 4: Increase the treasury Prudent Reserve to $122.00.
Proposal 5: Trusted Servants will inform the Steering Committee when they cannot meet all the duties in their Position Description.
Proposal 6: Announce TS vacancies to GROW
Proposal 7: Update position descriptions

Respectfully submitted, Danna M. GROW Business Chair

2017 October Committee Reports

Secretary’s Report
Many thanks to the following wonderful Trusted Servants who carry on the vital “behind-the-scenes” work of our GROW group. Please feel free to thank them privately for their service.

Outgoing Trusted Servants

12 Step Volunteer Listkeeper (4/17 – 10/17): Valerie D.
Birthday Listkeeper (4/17 – 10/17): Susie J.
Sponsor Listkeeper (4/17 – 10/17) Sophie R.
Grapevine Rep (GVR): (10/16 – 10/17): Alison B.
Secretary (10/16 – 10/17): Laura G.
Treasurer (10/15 – 10/17): Cheryl B.
OIAA Rep (10/16 – 10/17): Yvonne M.

And ~ drum roll, please!

Incoming Trusted Servants

12 Step Volunteer Listkeeper (10/17 – 4/18): Amanda D.
Birthday Listkeeper (10/17 – 4/18): Allison M.
Sponsor Listkeeper (10/17 – 4/18) Cheryl B.
Grapevine Rep (GVR): (10/17 – 10/18): Sophie R.
Secretary (10/17 – 10/18): Karrie C.
Treasurer (10/17 – 10/19): Sue W.

Once again, many thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers. It’s been a pleasure working with you during the past year. Please welcome Karrie C. (chaneykarrie@gmail.com) as our Incoming Secretary. I hope you will provide her with the same high degree of support and co-operation that you have given me.

With love and respect, Laura G., Outgoing GROW Secretary

Our Trusted Servants – October 2017

12 Step Volunteer Listkeeper (10/17 – 4/18): Amanda D.
Birthday Listkeeper (10/17 – 4/18): Allison M.
Sponsor Listkeeper (10/17 – 4/18) Cheryl B.

Trusted Servants who make up the Steering Committee:

Business Meeting Chair (10/16 – 10/18): Danna McD.
GSR / OIAA Backup (10/16 – 10/18): Joan B.
Grapevine Rep (GVR): (10/17 – 10/18): Sophie R.
Greeters (4/17 – 4/18):
Susan P.
Karen H.
Listkeeper (4/17 – 4/18): Lousie H.
Listkeeper Alternate* (4/17 – 4/19): Nancy C.
OIAA Representative (10/17 – 10/18): Pending Group Conscience Decision
Secretary (10/17 – 10/18): Karrie C.
Temporary Mentor (4/17 – 4/18): Gigi D.
Treasurer (10/17 – 10/19): Sue W.
Webkeeper (non-rotating position): Tanya C.
Webkeeper Backup (10/16 – 10/18): Cheryl D.
Weekly Leader Listkeeper (4/17 – 4/18): Sherrie W.

Immediate Past Business Meeting Chair: Gigi D.
Immediate Past GSR/OIAA Backup: Tanya C.
Immediate Past Secretary: Laura G.

*Becomes Listkeeper at the end of her term.

Respectfully submitted, Laura G., Outgoing GROW Secretary

Listkeepers’ Report – October 2017
Our membership as of September 30, 2017 is 319. Regular list members 283 and 36 Digest members (this number is always a little larger than our actual count because some members have two subscriptions – one for regular posts and one for digests and some members have two regular list addresses.)

This time last year we had 256 members. We are GROWING!

Louise and I have been working together for years in various capacities and have a great working relationship!

Our Greeters, Susan and Karen are doing an excellent job and we all enjoy working together!

Respectfully submitted, Louise H and Nancy C | GROW Listkeepers

Treasurers Report – October 2017

Donations
PayPal donations to GROW		$532.88
Ally – check donations to GROW		$433.56
Total donations		$966.44

Distributions
Dean Collins		$72.00
Susan Williams (new treasurer)		$894.00
Total distributions		$966.44

Total Donations		$966.44
Total Distributions		$966.44
Final balance		$0.00

Respectfully submitted, Cheryl Baughman, Outging Grow Treasurer

GSR Report – April 2017
In the Box 459 Newsletter, there is a lengthy article on the history of the Central Office in New York and central offices in so many other location. It discusses the evolution of AA from a hard-to-find fellowship to one that is easy to access for meeting information and/or having someone to talk to – very interesting.

There is also an article about OIAA, which would lead one to believe it is alive and well contrary to the experience of reps in this group.

There is a report on the 2016 Southeast regional forum in Orlando, an introduction of two new staff members at the General Service in New York and five new Class B Trustees.

There is also a calendar of events around the world.

Anyone can access the newsletter at Box 459 Fall (opens new page).

Respectfully submitted, Joan Bancroft, GROW General Service Representative

Mini Steering Committee Report – October 2017
Since our April meeting, the Mini Steering Committee received one complaint from a member. She reported her Sponsor had asked her for money on a few occasions to help her out in her current living situation. The Sponsor was a volunteer on GROW’s list of Available Online Sponsors.

After reviewing the emails from both members, we determined that this behavior was inappropriate should be addressed. The Secretary sent a note to the offending member advising her that her behavior was unacceptable and to refrain from asking for financial assistance from anyone in GROW. We also advised that because of her actions, we will remove her name from the Available Online Sponsor list until she assures us that she will work out her own money problems and not approach any member for financial help.

We received no reply to our letter, so the matter was deemed to be resolved.

Respectfully submitted, Danna M. GROW Business Chair

2017 October Business Meeting Minutes

First 3-Day Period
Summary of Discussion on Proposal 1.1 (GROW Facebook page)

Many participants commented on Proposal 1.1 (Establish a private Facebook page for GROW).
One participant shared the GSO guidelines “General Social Networking Websites” with the group. The guidelines addressed concerns about AA and individual anonymity within the social networking framework.
Several members expressed concern that a GROW Facebook page would not be consistent with Tradition 11: “Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.”
Some participants expressed concerns about security, potential hacking or vulnerability of personal information. Others were concerned about personal anonymity. Several members said they would not participant in a GROW Facebook page.
With much support for the idea, a member suggested that a Facebook page should not be officially affiliated with GROW or AA – that it should be a personal page to which GROW members can be invited and that it should not be used for GROW business or sharing or for AA materials. The personal Facebook page for GROW members would be for socializing only.
A participant pointed out that if the page were a personal page not affiliated with GROW, it would not be subject to approval or a vote in the business meeting and that page administration would not be a concern for us.
Participants shared their experiences with other similar private group Facebook pages. Some reported fairly negative experiences where posts were inappropriate or argumentative and where the page administrator became more of a “fire fighter.” Others’ experiences were more positive.

Summary of Discussion on Proposal 2.2 (OIAA Rep position)
Discussion of Proposal 2.1 (Proposal 2.1: Discontinue the OIAA Representative position) centered on GROW’s relationship with the larger AA online community and the nature of the OIAA Rep position. A participant shared a Grapevine article, “Living Cyber,” that talked about OIAA’s hospitality suites at International Conventions and OIAA in general.

GROW stopped contributing to OIAA about two years ago, and no information has been shared on OIAA activities over the past year.
Several participants felt that it is important for GROW to be part of AA’s larger online service structure, that not participating would isolate us from the AA community and that we would not be aware of issues being discussed by OIAA.
Another participant pointed out that because OIAA has been unproductive or chaotic in the past does not mean it will continue to be. She said that, even if we are not contributing to OIAA, we should maintain our connection to that group.
A participant pointed out that reporting regularly about OIAA activities is required of the OIAA Rep in the job description for that Trusted Servant.
Another participant noted that the OIAA Rep job description is out of date and needs to be revised.

Call for Votes on Proposal 1.1 (GROW Facebook page)
Proposal 1.1: Establish a Facebook page for GROW.
A private Facebook page would provide an informal meeting area for before and after our meeting – similar to going to coffee after a face-to-face meeting.

Call for Votes on Proposal 2.1 (OIAA Representative)
Proposal 2.1: Discontinue the OIAA Representative position.

If you agree with this proposal *as is*, please vote “I agree.”
If you disagree with this proposal *as is,* please vote “I disagree.”

Please send your vote to grow-business@oso-aa.org or, if you want to vote privately, to dmcd.grow@zoho.com.

We will take votes through the end of the day on Saturday. I will announce the results on Sunday, October 8th.

Second 3-Day Period
The second 3-day session of GROW’s October business meeting ended on midnight Saturday, October 7th. By the end of this 3-day session, thirty (30) GROW members had signed up for the business meeting mailing list.

Today, the Chair will announce the results of voting on Proposals 1.1 (Facebook) and 2.1 (OIAA Rep) and call for minority opinions. I will summarize comments on Proposals 3.2 (Website) and 4.2 (Prudent reserve) and call for votes on Proposal 4.2.

I will call for discussion of a revised Proposal 3.3 (Website) and Proposal 5.3 (Trusted Servant Common Duties).

Summary of comments on Proposal 3.2
Fourteen participants commented on Proposal 3.2. Comments were generally positive. To get the conversation started, the Chair asked how people use it, what they like and don’t like, and what they would like to see in a new website. One participant asked why we need a new website, and some participants expressed concern about possible costs. Everyone supported the idea of having a website where more people would be able to step into the webkeeper’s role and where the Webkeeper could be a rotating position. Everyone agreed that the site should be more easy to use via cellphone or tablet. Several participants suggested forming an ad hoc committee or workgroup to develop a plan for this effort.

Why do we need a new GROW website?
The current HTML-based website is time-consuming and cumbersome for our webkeepers. It requires a skill level for which few of our members are qualified and coding introduces risk of HTML errors. Due to skill level requirements, the Webkeeper position is a non-rotating position, contrary to AA’s principle of position rotation. It also discourages members from volunteering for the job. The website is not ‘friendly’ for members who use cellphones and tablets to access the site. A participant reported that she has long found the existing website cumbersome and confusing.

How people use and access GROW’s website
Many participants reported that they go to GROW’s website using their computer or laptop. Several commented that they also use their cellphone but that it is much more difficult to use via a cellphone.

Several members reported that they do not use GROW’s website or use it infrequently. One participant reported that new members have been overwhelmed or confused by the existing website. A participant reported that she has long found the existing website cumbersome and confusing. The most frequently-mentioned features that people reported using are the weekly topics and list of Trusted Servants. Participants who are or have been Trusted Servants tend to use the site more often for information on TS positions, e-mail addresses, and duties; form letters; and past proposals and group conscience decisions.

What are the concerns?
Several members expressed concern about the possible cost of both developing and then maintaining the new website. One member was concerned that the site might be “down” or inaccessible while the conversion was underway. Another member wanted the new site to avoid having to enter the User ID and password each time she visited the Members Section of the website.

Because commenters generally supported having a new, more user-friendly GROW website, and after checking with the proposal’s author and the webkeeper, the Chair is revising the proposal to call for the establishment of a workgroup led by the Webkeeper that will develop a proposal to be presented at the April 2018 business meeting.

During the third 3-day session, we will discuss Proposal 3.3 (form a workgroup for a new GROW website).

Proposal 3.3: New GROW Website
Ladies, based on our discussions and with approval of the proposer and Webkeeper, I am presenting a revised proposal for your consideration and discussion:
Proposal 3.3: Form a workgroup led by the current Webkeeper to develop a proposal for changing the GROW website and present that proposal at the April 2018 business meeting.

We will now have 3 days to discuss this Proposal.

Summary of comments on Proposal 4.2
Seven participants (of 28 on the business list) commented on Proposal 4.2. All comments supported increasing the Prudent Reserve to cover the cost of our annual subscription to the Grapevine magazine.

Call for Votes on Proposal 4.2 (Increase Prudent Reserve)
Proposal 4.2: Increase the treasury Prudent Reserve to $122.00.

If you agree with this proposal *as is*, please vote “I agree.”
If you disagree with this proposal *as is,* please vote “I disagree.”

Please send your vote to grow-business@oso-aa.org or, if you want to vote privately, to dmcd.grow@zoho.com.

We will take votes through the end of the day on Tuesday. I will announce the results on Wednesday, October 11th.

Voting Results of Proposals 1.1 and 2.1

Resuits of Voting on Proposal 1.1 (GROW Facebook page)
A total of 21 participants voted (of 28 ‘registered’) on the proposal to establish a private Facebook page for GROW members.

Two (2) participants voted in favor, and nineteen (19) voted against Proposal 1.1. The vote did not meet the requirement for a 2/3 majority vote in favor of the proposal.

Our Business Meeting Guidelines allow three days for the minority opinion to be presented and discussed. If, after hearing the minority opinion, any participant wants to change their vote from “I disagree” to “I agree,” we will conduct a second vote.

At this time, I request that each of those who voted “I agree” on Proposal 1.1 send me a private note letting me know if they plan to post a “minority opinion.”

If the minority does not want to express their opinion, we will close this discussion, and the vote stands. Since the proposal has failed, it cannot be considered again until October 2018.

[Minority Opinion begin]———-
Minority Opinion
Proposal 1.2: Minority opinion – Facebook group
Grow business members,

I appreciate all of the discussion that surrounded this topic, and accept the group conscience. What I believe I heard through the discussion is that there would not be objection to an informal group that was announced (in an Off Topic post) to the group once in awhile.

I’ve renamed the group “Test – GROW” to “Growing – Coffee & Chat” and have provide the following description of the group:

This Facebook group was created as an after-meeting location that members of the GROW online meeting can use to get to know each other better and to have discussions that are not part of the meeting.

Note that this Facebook page is not formally affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous or the GROW online meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.

I will send a note to our group about once a month or so to let people know that some of us meet outside of the meeting for “virtual coffee and conversation” – this happens in F2F meetings frequently and can be analogous to a member introducing herself to a newcomer and inviting them to coffee after the meeting.

Thanks again for the discussion and being part of the group conscience.
Cheryl D.

Process for Proposal 1.2 (Facebook)
The Business Meeting Guidelines allow for people to change their vote after the Minority Opinion is presented. If someone changes their vote, a re-vote would be held. If no majority voters have been persuaded to change their opinion, there will not be another vote. The proposal fails, and it cannot be revisited until October 2018.

We have until end-of-day on Tuesday to see if anyone wants to change their vote on the Facebook proposal. If you want to change your vote, please let me know.

Outcome of Proposal 1.2: (GROW Facebook page)
The Minority Opinion submitted to the group outlined a private Facebook page that would not be officially related to GROW but that would be named “Growing – Coffee & Chat” and would include an informal off-topic message to the Grow list inviting members to join the page. The minority writer also submitted an excerpt from the AA pamphlet “The Group” discussing an informed group conscience.

Many members responded to the Minority Opinion, overwhelmingly opposed to the hypothetical private Facebook page, its name, and any off-topic message to the main list about the page. As a result, the woman who submitted the proposal changed her vote to “I disagree.”

After the changed vote, the final results are one (1) “I agree” and 21 “I disagree.” Therefore, the proposal fails and will not be discussed further.

Consistent with the Business Meeting Guidelines, this proposal cannot be raised again before the October 2018 Business Meeting.
[Minority Opinion / discussion end]———-

Results of Voting on Proposal 2.1 (Discontinue OIAA Rep Position)
A total of 20 participants voted (of 28 ‘registered’) on the proposal to discontinue the OIAA Representative position.

Two (2) participants voted in favor, and eighteen (18) voted against Proposal 2.1. This did not meet the requirement for a 2/3 majority vote in favor of the proposal.

At this time, I request each of those who voted “I agree” on Proposal 1.2 send me a private note letting me know if they plan to post a “minority opinion.”

If the minority does not want to express their opinion, we will close this discussion, and the vote stands. Since the proposal has failed, it cannot be considered again until October 2018.

Third 3-Day Period
Summary of Third 3-day Session of Business Meeting
During the third 3-day session of our business meeting, we heard the Minority Opinion on Proposal 1 (GROW Facebook page) and voted on Proposal 4 (Increase Prudent Reserve). We discussed the revised Proposal 3 (GROW Website Workgroup) and Proposal 5 (Trusted Servant Common Duties).

Proposal 1 to create a GROW Facebook page failed: Votes on the proposal were two in favor and 19 against. The Minority Opinion submitted proposed a private Facebook page not officially related to GROW that would be named “Growing – Coffee & Chat.” It would involve a periodic off-topic invitation to the Grow list. The response was overwhelmingly negative, and one participant changed her vote to “I disagree.” With a final vote of one in favor and 20 against, the proposal fails. It cannot be raised again before the October 2018 Business Meeting.

Proposal 4 (Increase Prudent Reserve to $122) adopted: By unanimous decision, Proposal 4.2 is approved and adopted as a group conscience decision.

Discussion on revised Proposal 3 (GROW Website Workgroup): Our Webkeeper presented a general plan for a workgroup to develop a proposal for presentation at the April 2018 business meeting. The plan addresses two primary objectives: improving access and user-friendliness and revisiting the webkeeper roles. She explained that there are a range of options that are not expensive or complicated and reminded us of the importance of Keeping It Simple! All comments on this proposal were very supportive, and we will vote on the proposal over the next three days.

Discussion on Proposal 5 (Trusted Servant Common Duties): Seven participants commented on Proposal 5 which would add a bullet to the Common Duties section of GROW’s webpage containing job descriptions. Two participants felt that the bullet was “common sense” and did not need to be made a rule. Five commenters expressed support for the proposal. We will vote on this proposal over the next three days.

Proposal 6 presented for discussion: When a Trusted Servant’s term of service finishes, the vacated position will immediately be announced to the whole group so that others might have the opportunity to serve.

Proposal 7 presented for discussion: Between now and the April 2018 meeting, the Business Meeting Chair will work with prior and current Trusted Servants to review and update their position descriptions.

Fourth 3-Day Period
Fourth 3-day Session – Opening Message
During the third 3-day session of our business meeting, we heard the Minority Opinion on Proposal 1.2 (GROW Facebook page), voted on Proposal 4.2 (Increase Prudent Reserve), and discussed the revised Proposal 3.2 (GROW Website Workgroup). Each of these will be addressed in a separate message.

During the fourth 3-day session, we will vote on Proposal 3.4 (GROW Website Workgroup) and Proposal 5.4 (Trusted Servant Common Duties) and discuss two new proposals:

Proposal 6.4: When a Trusted Servant’s term of service finishes, the vacated position will immediately be announced to the whole group so that others might have the opportunity to serve.
Proposal 7.4: Update Position Descriptions.

Each of these actions will be addressed in a separate message.

Please do not vote on Proposal 3.4 until you receive the formal “Call for Votes” message.

Respectfully submitted, Danna M. GROW Business Chair

Summary of the Third 3-Day Period
Outcome of Proposal 1.2: (GROW Facebook page)
The Minority Opinion submitted to the group outlined a private Facebook page that would not be officially related to GROW but that would be named “Growing – Coffee & Chat” and would include an informal off-topic message to the Grow list inviting members to join the page. The minority writer also submitted an excerpt from the AA pamphlet “The Group” discussing an informed group conscience.

After the changed vote, the final results are one (1) “I agree” and 21 “I disagree.” Therefore, the proposal fails and will not be discussed further.

Consistent with the Business Meeting Guidelines, this proposal cannot be raised again before the October 2018 Business Meeting.

Results of Voting on Proposal 4.2 (Increase Prudent Reserve)
Eighteen (18) participants voted in favor, and no one voted against Proposal 4.2, clearly meeting requirement for a 2/3 majority vote in favor of the proposal.

Since we have a unanimous outcome, Proposal 4.2 is approved and adopted as a group conscience decision.

Group Conscience Decision: Increase the treasury Prudent Reserve to $122.00.

Summary of Discussion on Proposal 3.3 (GROW Website Workgroup)
Our Webkeeper presented a general plan for a workgroup of from three to five members that would develop a proposal for presentation at the April 2018 business meeting that would address two primary objectives: improving access and user-friendliness (focusing on meeting topics and archival business meeting notes) and revisiting the roles of the Webkeeper and Webkeeper Back-up. She explained that there are a range of options that are not expensive or complicated. She also reminded us of the importance of Keeping It Simple!

The website proposal presented in April 2018 would address:

Recommended software, web hosting needs, and associated costs;
Timeline and steps for website conversion;
Recommended changes to the Webkeeper and Webkeeper Back-up positions; and
Any other recommendations to accomplish workgroup objectives.

Ten participants commented on the proposal to form a website workgroup led by our Webkeeper. All comments on this proposal were very supportive. One participant asked if it might be possible to address the desire for a chat area within the new website. The Webkeeper referred back to the two primary objectives of the website workgroup: 1) easy access and user-friendliness and 2) the roles of Webkeeper and Webkeeper Back-up. She said issues like a chat area could be addressed after the new site was up and running successfully.

Summary of Discussion on Proposal 5.4 (Trusted Servant Common Duties)
As of today, there have been seven comments on Proposal 5.3 (Trusted Servant Common Duties). Two participants felt that the spirit of the recommended bullet was “common sense” and did not need to be codified into a rule for Trusted Servants (TSs). The proposer argued that it helps “to say it out loud” to encourage TSs to seek help when they are not able to meet all the duties listed in their job description. Most participants expressed support for the proposal, understanding the new bullet as a reminder rather than a rule and agreeing that having it written on the webpage would reinforce the importance for our Trusted Servants of asking for and offering help.

Rather than extend the discussion period to encourage more comments, we will vote on Proposal 5.4 (Trusted Servant Common Duties) during the fifth 3-day session.

Call for Votes on Proposal 3.4 (GROW Website Workgroup)
Proposal 3.4: Form a workgroup led by the current Webkeeper to develop a proposal for changing the GROW website and present that proposal at the April 2018 business meeting.

If you agree with this proposal *as is*, please vote “I agree.”
If you disagree with this proposal *as is,* please vote “I disagree.”

Please send your vote to grow-business@oso-aa.org or, if you want to vote privately, to dmcd.grow@zoho.com.

We will take votes through the end of the day on Friday. I will announce the results on Saturday, October 14th.

Call for Votes on Proposal 5.4 (Trusted Servant Common Duties)
Proposal 5.4: Add a bullet to the Trusted Servant Common Duties section that calls for Trusted Servants to inform the Steering Committee (through the Secretary and/or Business Chair) when they are unable to meet all the duties described in their Position Description.

Recommended Language (as second bullet under the Trusted Servant Common Duties section at g-r-o-w.com/members/ts/tsdesc.htm#tscommon):
Smooth and uninterrupted volunteer service to GROW depends upon your ability to carry out your commitments. If a Trusted Servant finds that she cannot meet all the duties listed in her Job Description, she will inform the Secretary and/or Business Meeting Chair that she is unable to fulfill her responsibilities. Working with the Trusted Servant and the Steering Committee, the Secretary and/or Business Chair will then seek alternatives for assuring all duties are covered (including securing a temporary back-up or advertising the position on the main list). If a member of the Steering Committee is concerned that not all items in a job description are being met, she may bring her concern to Secretary and/or Business Meeting Chair, who will work with the Trusted Servant to assure their duties are covered.

Rationale: GROW has no process or solution for assuring that Trusted Servants have the support they need to fulfill all of the duties listed in their Job Descriptions. While we assume that Trusted Servants will ask for help, we have had several situations in the past where job responsibilities were not met, and no call for help was issued.

This proposal formalizes the process by which a Trusted Servant can ask for help, and other Trusted Servants can provide needed support. Life events can make it difficult to fulfill a Trusted Servant’s role. All Trusted Servants should know that they can, and are expected to, ask for both short- and long-term help. In the case where a Trusted Servant does not ask for help, the Steering Committee should be empowered to take action to assure that all duties are addressed.

If you agree with this proposal *as is*, please vote “I agree.”
If you disagree with this proposal *as is,* please vote “I disagree.”

Please send your vote to grow-business@oso-aa.org or, if you want to vote privately, to dmcd.grow@zoho.com.

We will take votes through the end of the day on Friday. I will announce the results on Saturday, October 14th.

Call for Discussion on Proposal 6
Rationale: Even if the serving Trusted Servant is willing to stay on longer than their term, all GROW members should have the opportunity to volunteer for a service position. If no one volunteers, then the serving TS’s willingness to continue into a new term would be gratefully accepted.

Over the years, there have been times when some of us, eager to serve, have stayed on longer than our term. When a willing, experienced, and able person offers to stay on longer than their term, it is very tempting to accept their offer without announcing the service opportunity to all group members. As tempting as it is to do this, it is unfair to our members not to first ask for volunteers from the group at large. Only when no volunteers step forward should we accept the TS’s willingness to stay on in the position, entering into a new term. Even with the frequent scarcity of volunteers, fair is fair: the group at large needs to be offered a chance at service first.

We will now have 3 days to discuss this Proposal.

Call for Discussion on Proposal 7 (Update Position Descriptions)
Proposal 7.4: Update Position Descriptions.

Between this meeting and the April 2018 meeting, the Business Meeting Chair will work with prior and current Trusted Servants to review and update their position descriptions to be presented for approval in April.

Rationale: The purpose of this proposal is to correct inaccuracies, not to add new job duties.

It has been several years since we did a general review of our position descriptions to assure they are current and relevant. While some changes have been made as a result of group conscience decisions, minor inconsistencies have appeared over time. There are also a few places where a duty is duplicated within a job description.

Rather than make a huge project of a job description review, the Business Meeting Chair will contact Trusted Servants (both outgoing and incoming as appropriate) individually and ask them to suggest where and how bullets for specific duties should be changed to reflect current schedules and practices. (For example, in many places, a bullet may require a TS to provide quarterly reports at business meetings; however, we no longer meet quarterly so semi-annual reports are needed.)

We will not add new duties or delete current ones without business meeting approval, although we make such recommendations.

Asking each Trusted Servant / position to do its own review will allow us to develop current and correct job descriptions. The revised descriptions will then be presented at the April 2018 business meeting for final approval.

We will now have 3 days to discuss this Proposal.

Fifth 3-Day Period
Last day of 4th 3-day session
Today is the last day of the fourth 3-day session of our business meeting.

Thus far, seven of the 31 people on our list have commented on Proposal 6.4 (Announcing TS Vacancies). If you want to comment on this proposal, please do so before midnight tonight.

Thus far, four of the 31 people on our list have commented on Proposal 7.4 (Update TS Job Descriptions). If you want to comment on this proposal, please do so before midnight tonight.

Tomorrow, the Chair will announce the results of voting on Proposals 3.4 (Website Workgroup) and 5.4 (Trusted Servant Common Duties). I will also summarize discussions and call for votes on Proposals 6.4 (Announcing TS Vacancies) and 7.4 (Update TS Job Description). There are no more proposals in our que for the October 2017 business meeting. :o)

Respectfully submitted, Danna M. GROW Business Chair

Fifth 3-day Session – Opening Message
During the fourth 3-day session of our business meeting, we voted on Proposal 3.4 (Website Workgroup) and Proposal 5.4 (Trusted Servant Common Duties). We discussed the Proposal 6.4 (Announcing TS Vacancies) and Proposal 7.4 (Update TS Job Descriptions). Each of these will be addressed in a separate message.

During the fifth 3-day session, we will vote on Proposal 6.4 (Announcing TS Vacancies) and Proposal 7.4 (Update TS Job Descriptions). There are no more proposals to be considered. :o)

Each of these actions will be addressed in a separate message.

Please do not vote on any proposal until you receive the formal “Call for Votes.”

The Chair is presenting two versions of Proposal 6.5 (Announcing TS Vacancies), the difference representing whether the Secretary should announce all vacancies to the main list – no exceptions (6.5a) or whether she can fill a vacancy without first announcing to the main list when a Trusted Servant is completing a partial term and has requested to continue in that role.

Please read the Summary of Discussion and each of the Call for Votes before making your decision on how to vote.

Respectfully submitted, Danna M. GROW Business Chair

Summary of the Fourth 3-day session
Results of Voting on Proposal 3.4 (Website Workgroup)
Eighteen (18) participants voted in favor, and no one voted against Proposal 3.4, exceeding the requirement for a 2/3 majority vote in favor of the proposal. Therefore, the proposal is approved and adopted as a Group Conscience decision.

Group Conscience Decision: Form a workgroup led by the current Webkeeper to develop a proposal for changing the GROW website and present that proposal at the April 2018 business meeting.

GROW’s webkeeper will form a small workgroup (no more 3 or 5 members) that will discuss and develop a proposal to present to the April 2018 business meeting for a path forward in addressing these two workgroup objectives:

How to manage the group’s increasing need for easy access and user friendliness to the GROW website with focus on weekly meeting topics and archival business meeting notes.
How to address the roles of web-keeper and backup web-keeper so that they are accessible to more membership involvement (i.e., making the web-keeper position a rotating one and making the tasks of the roles of web-keeper and backup web-keeper less technical and more about maintaining content on the website.

Specifically, the proposal to be presented to the April 2018 business meeting will include:

The website proposal presented in April 2018 would address:

Recommended software, web hosting needs, and associated costs;
Timeline and steps for website conversion;
Recommended changes to the Webkeeper and Webkeeper Back-up positions; and
Any other recommendations to accomplish workgroup objectives.

Results of Voting on Proposal 5.4 (Trusted Servant Common Duties)
Seventeen (17) participants voted in favor, and no one voted against Proposal 5.4. This exceeded the requirement for a 2/3 majority vote in favor of the proposal. Therefore, the proposal is approved and adopted as a Group Conscience decision.

Group Conscience Decision: Add a bullet to the Trusted Servant Common Duties section that calls for Trusted Servants to inform the Steering Committee (through the Secretary and/or Business Chair) when they are unable to meet all the duties described in their Position Description.

Summary of Discussion on Proposal 6.4 (Announcing TS Vacancies)
Seven participants commented on, and everyone supported Proposal 6.4 (Announcing TS Vacancies) in general. Two questions were raised:

What to do about positions where a Trusted Servant had taken the position mid-term (usually because the original TS quit).

Responses to this question were mixed with several participants thinking that a Trusted Servant who volunteered mid-term should get first opportunity to fill the position in the next regular term of office. However, several participants also thought that position vacancies should be open to all GROW members without exceptions. There was no clear group preference on this issue.

Whether the proposal language should be included in a position description.

The Secretary is responsible for announcing and filling vacancies, so the language should be incorporated into her position description. The appropriate bullet already exists (“Calls for nominations/volunteers.”), and the proposal language will be added to the end of that bullet.

The Chair will present two versions of the proposal, the difference addressing a vacancy announcement for a vacancy that was filled during the term of office will or will not be offered to the GROW membership (if the volunteer finishing out the term wants to remain in the position for the new term of office).

Please do not vote until you receive the formal “Call for Votes.”

Proposal 6.5a: Announce all vacancies first to the main list.
Proposal 6.5b: Announce vacancies first to the main list except when a Trusted Servant who accepted job mid-term wants to continue in that role.

If you agree that all Trusted Servant vacancies should be announced first to the main list, even when a volunteer has accepted the position mid-term and wants to continue in that role, vote “I agree” on Proposal 6.5a. Your vote for version 6.5b will automatically be recorded as “I disagree.”

If you agree that some Trusted Servant vacancies do not need to go to the main list first (in the situation where a Trusted Servant accepted her position mid-term and wants to continue in that role), vote “I agree on Proposal 6.5b. Your vote for version 6.5a will automatically be recorded as “I disagree.”

If you do not agree with either version of the proposal, vote “I disagree” on both Proposal 6.5a and Proposal 6.5b.

Summary of Discussion on Proposal 7.4 (Update TS Job Descriptions)
Four of the 31 people on our list commented on Proposal 7.4 (Update TS Job Descriptions). All comments agreed that updating Trusted Servant positions would benefit GROW. The review will focus on items that are inaccurate or outdated. No items in job descriptions will be added or deleted without approval at the April 2018 business meeting. Despite the few people commenting, we will vote on the proposal in the fifth 3-day session.

Call for Votes on Proposal 6.5a (Announcing TS Vacancies – Version A)
Proposal 6.5a: When a Trusted Servant’s term of service finishes, the vacated position will immediately be announced to the whole group so that others might have the opportunity to serve. This applies to all Trusted Servant vacancies.

If you do not agree with either version of the proposal, vote “I disagree” on both Proposal 6.5a and Proposal 6.5b.

Please send your vote to grow-business@oso-aa.org or, if you want to vote privately, to dmcd.grow@zoho.com.

We will take votes through the end of the day on Monday. I will announce the results on Tuesday, October 17th.

Call for Votes on Proposal 6.5b (Announcing TS Vacancies – Version B)
Proposal 6.5b: When a Trusted Servant’s term of service finishes, the vacated position will immediately be announced to the whole group so that others might have the opportunity to serve.

Recommended Language to be added to the 11th bullet in the Secretary job description as follows:
“Calls for nominations/volunteers. When a Trusted Servant’s term of service finishes, the vacated position will immediately be announced to the whole group so that others might have the opportunity to serve. When a Trusted Servant position was filled during the term of office, the Secretary can fill the vacancy at the end of the term without announcing it to the main list only if the current Trusted Servant asks to continue in that job.”

If you agree that (in the situation where a Trusted Servant accepted the position mid-term and wants to continue in that role) the vacancy announcement does not need to be announced to the main list only if the TS asks to continue, vote “I agree on Proposal 6.5b. Your vote for version 6.5a will automatically be recorded as “I disagree.”

If you do not agree with either version of the proposal, vote “I disagree” on both Proposal 6.5a and Proposal 6.5b.

Please send your vote to grow-business@oso-aa.org or, if you want to vote privately, to dmcd.grow@zoho.com.

We will take votes through the end of the day on Monday. I will announce the results on Tuesday, October 17th.

Call for Votes on Proposal 7.5 (Update Job Descriptions)
Proposal 7.5: Update Position Descriptions. Between this meeting and the April 2018 meeting, the Business Meeting Chair will work with prior and current Trusted Servants to review and update their position descriptions to be presented for approval in April.

If you agree with this proposal *as is*, please vote “I agree.”

If you disagree with this proposal *as is,* please vote “I disagree.”

Please send your vote to grow-business@oso-aa.org or, if you want to vote privately, to dmcd.grow@zoho.com.

We will take votes through the end of the day on Monday. I will announce the results on Tuesday, October 17th.

Sixth 3-Day Period
The fifth 3-day session of our October 2017 Business Meeting has closed. During this session, we voted on two proposals: Proposal 6.5 (Announcing TS Vacancies) and Proposal 7.5 (Update TS Job Descriptions).

Summary of the Fifth 3-day session
Results of Voting on Proposal 6.5 (Announcing Trusted Servant Vacancies)
During the fourth 3-day session, our discussions of this proposal resulted in some refinements. A participant suggested that the final approved proposal should be included in the Secretary’s job description. The 11th bullet in the existing job is “Calls for nominations/volunteers.” Participants agreed that the language of the proposal, as approved, should be added to the end of that bullet.

The second area of discussion focused on whether all vacancies should be announced to the main mailing list or some could be withheld from announcement when a TS filled the position mid-term (usually because the original TS quit). Because two clear options emerged from discussions, the Chair presented two versions of the proposal for voting: Proposal 6.5a: Announce all vacancies first to the main list.

Proposal 6.5b: Announce vacancies first to the main list except when a Trusted Servant who accepted job mid-term wants to continue in that role. Participants were instructed to vote “I agree” on their preferred version or to vote “I disagree” on both versions.

No one voted against both versions of the proposal, revealing general approval. Nineteen (19) participants voted on each version. Eight (8) participants (42%) voted in favor of Proposal 6.5a (applies to all vacancies), and eleven (11) (58%) voted in favor of Proposal 6.5b. Therefore, votes in favor did not meet our requirement for a 2/3 majority (or 66%) to approve a Group Conscience decision.

Our guidelines state that ” If any item on the agenda has not reached a 2/3 majority vote by the 17th day of the business meeting, the item is tabled and held over to the next scheduled business meeting.” The 17th day of the October meeting will be Thursday, October 19th.

Because we cannot have another 3-day discussion and then a 3-day period for re-voting, we will hold the proposal for the April 2018 business meeting. It will be the first topic for discussion at that time. As a starting point, the Chair will provide summaries of this meeting’s deliberations and votes at that meeting.

Results of Voting on Proposal 7.5 (Update TS Job Descriptions):
Eighteen (18) participants voted in favor of, and no one voted against Proposal 7.5. Therefore, we have a unanimous decision, and the proposal is approved and adopted as a Group Conscience decision.

Group Conscience Decision: Between this meeting and the April 2018 meeting, the Business Meeting Chair will work with prior and current Trusted Servants to review and update their position descriptions to be presented for approval in April.

We will not add new duties or delete current ones without business meeting approval, although we make such recommendations.

Adjournment
Thank you all for your participation in our meeting. Your contributions have greatly improved our group conscience decision-making to support GROW’s online meeting. During the October 2017 Business Meeting, we considered seven proposals and approved four of them as Group Conscience decisions.

Two proposals were not approved and cannot be raised again until the October 2018 business meeting:

Create a private Facebook page for GROW members.
Discontinue the Online Intergroup AA (OIAA) Representative position.

Four proposals were approved and will be implemented as Group Conscience decisions:

Increase the treasury Prudent Reserve to $122.
Form a workgroup led by the current Webkeeper to develop a proposal for changing the GROW website and present that proposal at the April 2018 business meeting.
Add a bullet to the Trusted Servant Common Duties section that calls for Trusted Servants to inform the Steering Committee (through the Secretary and/or Business Chair) when they are unable to meet all the duties described in their Position Description.
Between this meeting (October 2017) and the April 2018 meeting, the Business Meeting Chair will work with prior and current Trusted Servants to review and update their position descriptions to be presented for approval in April.

We did not come to a decision on one proposal and will schedule further discussion during our April 2017 Business Meeting. We did identify two areas of concern with the original proposal: whether it should be included in the Secretary’s job description and whether or not all Trusted Servant vacancies should be announced on the main mailing list. As presented, the proposal stated that:

When a Trusted Servant’s term of service finishes, the vacated position will immediately be announced to the whole group so that others might have the opportunity to serve.

Since there are no more proposals for consideration, the Chair will now close the October 2017 Business Meeting. Thank you for making it a very productive meeting!

This final summary concludes our GROW October 2017 Business Meeting. Special thanks to our Webkeeper, Tanya, for posting the Group Conscience decisions and minutes on our website. Also, thanks to our Listkeepers, Louise H. and Nancy C., for their work in getting members signed up for the meeting. By the way, you do not have to advise the Listkeepers to unsubscribe you from the Business Meeting; they will do the unsubs in a couple of days.

The meeting is now adjourned.

Respectfully submitted, Danna M. Business Meeting Chair

Final Summary of April 2017 Business Meeting
During the October 2017 Business Meeting, we considered seven proposals and approved four of them as Group Conscience decisions. Thirty GROW members attended the meeting which began with reports on our outgoing and incoming Trusted Servants and on activities since the April 2017 business meeting.

For detailed information about our discussions and decisions, please see the Current Meeting page on GROW’s website. If you want to send private messages of appreciation, e-mail addresses for these these GROW members are available on our website at http://www.g-r-o-w.com/members/ts/ts.htm#ts.

Trusted Servant Position	Outgoing	Incoming
12 Step Volunteer Listkeeper	Valerie D.	Amanda D.
Birthday Listkeeper	Susie J.	Allison M.
Sponsor Listkeeper	Sophie R.	Cheryl B.
Grapevine Representative	Alison B.	Sophie R.
Secretary	Laura G.	Karrie C.
Treasurer	Cheryl B.	Sue W.
OIAA Representative	Yvonne M.	to be filled

Listkeepers’ Report: Our listkeepers reported GROW membership of 319 as of September 30th, representing a 25% increase from the same time last year. Treasurer’s Report: Our Treasurer reported total donations of $966 since April 2017 and expenses of $72. The remaining $894 was transferred to the incoming Treasurer. GSR’s Report: Our General Service Representative (GSR) highlighted articles in the Box 459 Newsletter.

Mini Steering Committee: In the period since April 2017, the Mini Steering Committee (MSC) handled one issue involving an inappropriate request made by a member’s online sponsor.

During the October 2017 Business Meeting, we considered seven proposals and approved four of them as Group Conscience decisions.

Two proposals were not approved and cannot be raised again until the October 2018 business meeting:

Create a private Facebook page for GROW members.
Discontinue the Online Intergroup AA (OIAA) Representative position.

Four proposals were approved and will be implemented as Group Conscience decisions:

Increase the treasury Prudent Reserve to $122.
Form a workgroup led by the current Webkeeper to develop a proposal for changing the GROW website and present that proposal at the April 2018 business meeting.
Add a bullet to the Trusted Servant Common Duties section that calls for Trusted Servants to inform the Steering Committee (through the Secretary and/or Business Chair) when they are unable to meet all the duties described in their Position Description.
Between this meeting (October 2017) and the April 2018 meeting, the Business Meeting Chair will work with prior and current Trusted Servants to review and update their position descriptions to be presented for approval in April.

When a Trusted Servant’s term of service finishes, the vacated position will immediately be announced to the whole group so that others might have the opportunity to serve.

I want to thank all the women of GROW who attended our business meeting. Their contributions made it a productive meeting and supported the smooth operation of our online AA meeting! Special thanks to our Webkeeper for posting the Group Conscience decisions and minutes on our website and to our Listkeepers for getting members signed up for the meeting.

Respectfully submitted, Danna M. Business Meeting Chair