0417 – Business Meeting Proposals

List of Proposals

Proposal 1: Send Out List of Proposals to Members/li>
Proposal 2: Discourage using social media with GROW members without their permission>
Proposal 3: Recommend URLs Not be used in e-mails to GROW members
- Proposal 3a.5: Recommend URLs not be used in e-mails to GROW members
- Proposal 3b.5: Recommend URLs not be used in e-mails to GROW members except those linked to the AA (oso-aa.org) and GROW (g-r-o-w.com) websites.
- Proposal 3c.5: Defer until the October 2017 business meeting a decision on the proposal to recommend URLs not be used in e-mails to GROW members so that further discussions can take place.
Proposal 4: Recommend that new members create a separate e-mail address for GROW mail
- Proposal 4.1 (Revised): Recommend creating new GROW e-mail address.
- Proposal 4.3 (Revised): Add a recommendation that members overwhelmed by the mail volume create a separate e-mail address for GROW mail.
Proposal 5: Change the name of the ‘Etiquette Letter’ that is sent out monthly…
Proposal 6: Adopt the revised Greeter Letter #2 presented below to replace the existing form letter.
- Proposal 6a.4 (revised): Revised Greeter Letter #2
- Proposal 6b.4 (revised): Revised Greeter Letter #2
Proposal 7: Establish a Facebook page for GROW.
- Proposal 7a.5: Create a private Facebook page for GROW members.
- Proposal 7b.5: Create a private Facebook page for GROW members and revisit the proposal in the October 2017 business meeting to assess its performance and impact on the GROW e-mail meeting.
- Proposal 7c.5: Defer a decision on this proposal until the October 2017 business meeting so that we can discuss the issues further.

Proposal 1: Send Out List of Proposals to Members

List the proposals for consideration during the entire business meeting. Send the list to the main list as well as the business list.

Rationale: Primarily this is for transparency. It would be good to know at the start of the meeting what all the upcoming business is, just as in f2f meetings. Also, sending this to the main list lets our entire membership know what our business meetings are all about. It may stimulate more interest in the service aspect of GROW.

This is not meant to inhibit new proposals as they come up during the business meeting.

Proposal 2: Discourage using social media …

Proposal 2: Discourage using social media with GROW members without their permission

Change the Etiquette Letter and on the E-mail Etiquette webpage to discourage contacting GROW members from contacting other members without their prior permission on social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.).

Rationale: Recently, a new GROW member received a Facebook friend request from another GROW member. She felt this violated her anonymity and said she would drop out of GROW if this happened again. In order to discourage GROW members from communicating inappropriately outside the GROW mailing list, our Etiquette Letter should include a bullet that makes it clear that members should have permission before establishing a formal relationship on social media sites.

Recommended Language: Amend the bullet in the Etiquette Letter and on the E-mail Etiquette webpage as follows:

“Out of respect for anonymity, we do not: 1) include more than this mail list address on anything we post to the group; or 2) forward posts outside the list without getting permission from the original sender and deleting all identifying information; or 3) contact members on social media sites without their prior permission.”

Proposal 3: Recommend URLs Not be used …

Proposal 3: Recommend URLs Not be used in e-mails to GROW members

Change the existing bullet in the monthly Etiquette Letter and on our E-mail Etiquette webpage to discourage including URLs within messages to the main list.

Rationale: Recently, a member included a URL to a funny video in her share to the GROW mailing list. Another member felt that, because the URL was not relevant to AA and/or sobriety, it was a distraction from the meeting and not consistent with AA’s traditions and GROW’s etiquette guidance. While the Etiquette Letter contains a bullet discouraging the use of attachments, chain letters, solicitations, virus alerts, or announcements, it does not mention URLs to outside websites. If we agree that URLs like this violate GROW norms, we should make this recommendation explicit.

Recommended Language: Amend the existing bullet in the Etiquette Letter to add a sentence as follows:

“We do not send attachments, chain letters, solicitations, virus alerts or announcements of non A.A. functions. We do not include URLs to sites outside GROW that do not address AA and/or sobriety.”

Background: Not too long ago, a member sent out a URL in a message to GROW that linked to an amusing YouTube video that was not related to AA or to recovery. One of our e-mail etiquette guidelines says: “We do not send attachments, chain letters, virus warnings, solicitations, or announcements of non-A.A. functions. We direct all mail of a business nature to the Business List.”

Two Trusted Servants (TS) discussed whether including the URL was a disruption of the meeting and counter to the “primary purpose” tradition. One of them felt that the URL was similar to an attachment, which is prohibited in our guidelines, and should not be allowed in members’ shares and messages to the group. The other TS disagreed, saying that a URL is not the same as an attachment, particularly because members could choose whether or not to follow the link, and did not contradict AA or GROW traditions. The two TSs did not resolve the issue in their conversation.

Proposal 3a.5: Recommend URLs not be used in e-mails to GROW members
Recommended Language (changes in italics): Amend the existing bullet in the GROW Mail List Guidelines (formerly Etiquette Letter) to add two sentences as follows: “We do not send attachments, chain letters, solicitations, virus alerts or announcements of non A.A. functions. We also do not include URLs, links, or addresses to websites in our emails to the group. Links to URLs can contain links to malware and viruses, so we should not be including them in our emails.”

Proposal 3b.5: Recommend URLs not be used in e-mails to GROW members except those linked to the AA (oso-aa.org) and GROW (g-r-o-w.com) websites.
Recommended Language (changes in italics): Amend the existing bullet in the GROW Mail List Guidelines (formerly Etiquette Letter) and webpage to add two sentences as follows: “We do not send attachments, chain letters, solicitations, virus alerts or announcements of non A.A. functions. We also do not include URLs, links, or addresses to websites in our emails to the group. Links to URLs can contain links to malware and viruses, so we should not be including them in our emails, except links to the AA website at oso-aa.org and GROW’s website at g-r-o-w.com are allowed.”

Proposal 3c.5: Defer until the October 2017 business meeting a decision on the proposal to recommend URLs not be used in e-mails to GROW members so that further discussions can take place.

Proposal 4: Recommend that new members …

Proposal 4: Recommend that new members create a separate e-mail address for GROW mail.

Add to the Welcome page in the members’ section of our website (g-r-o-w.com/members/private.htm) and in the introductory Greeter Letter #2 (sent to all new members upon being added to our mailing list) a recommendation that they create a separate e-mail address for GROW mail.

Rationale: Sometimes, the volume of mail through the GROW list can be overwhelming. Some new members unsubscribe when they are hit with the volume of e-mails they receive. Therefore, it is proposed that the introductory Greeter Letter #2 be modified to include a suggested solution: creating a separate e-mail address for GROW mail exclusively. This was suggested by Patty Y. several months ago and discussed by the Steering Committee.

Recommended Language (a new, second paragraph in Greeter Letter #2): Sometimes, new members can be overwhelmed by the volume of e-mails coming through the list. Creating and using a separate e-mail address can reduce the confusion of mixing GROW mail with your primary e-mail address. There are many services that offer free e-mail (just search for “free e-mail accounts” on the web). Be sure to let the listkeepers know to use the new e-mail address for GROW mail by sending a note to them at grow-owner@oso-aa.org.

Background: Last October, one of our members sent an off-topic message to the group suggesting that we recommend that new members create a separate e-mail address for GROW messages. She noted the frequency with which new members left the group after being overwhelmed by the volume of GROW mail and was concerned that we lose new members when there is a simple solution available to them. The suggestion was discussed by the Steering Committee, and although they recognized that the volume of e-mails is possibly not the only reason that women are leaving our group, there was general agreement that the suggestion should be discussed in our business meeting. Several TSs raised additional approaches for handling GROW e-mails that included the existing digest and using filters. During the discussion, it was suggested to place the ‘tip’ on the first page of the Members’ section under the heading, ‘Important Information.’

Discussion: While you may of course comment on anything you think is important, we should continue to discuss these points to move forward:

Location of the new language in Greeter Letter #2. Should it be the second paragraph in the letter or be moved below the 7th paragraph (beginning ” You’ll have a choice of receiving regular email …”?
Should the Recommended Language be revised to be less formal, have shorter sentences, and use boldface and/or italics for emphasis? (If yes, someone will need to provide the revised language before we can vote on the proposal.)
Should a new/separate e-mail address be linked to the digest format as different options for handling the volume of GROW mail?
Location of the Recommended Language:
- Should it go in Greeter Letter #2 or the Etiquette Letter?
- Should it go in both locations?

Two other questions arose that are not part of to this proposal. If participants want to pursue these, they should submit new proposals addressing them.

Revising Greeter Letter #2 overall.
Changing the name of “Etiquette Letter” to “GROW Mail List Guidelines.”

Proposal 4.1 (Revised): Recommend creating new GROW e-mail address.

Add to the Welcome page in the members’ section of our website and as a new second paragraph in the introductory Greeter Letter #2 (sent to all new members upon being added to our mailing list) a recommendation that they create a separate e-mail address for GROW mail.

Recommended Language (revised): Sometimes, new members can be overwhelmed by the volume of e-mails coming through the list. If you experience this, you might find it helpful to create and use a separate email address for GROW to reduce the confusion of mixing GROW mail with your primary email address. There are many services that offer free e-mail (just search for “free e-mail accounts” on the web). Be sure to let the listkeepers know to use the new e-mail address for GROW mail by sending a note to them at grow-owner@oso-aa.org.

Discussion: Many people have commented on the changes Gigi submitted for the language and presentation of a recommendation for getting a new e-mail address to handle the volume of GROW mail.

I will point out that the three day-session is not yet over. Tomorrow (Monday), I will provide the summary on this second 3-day session that will cover results of voting and a couple of new proposals, including Gigi’s changes. Both proposals are directly related to Proposal 4.1, so there is no “new” business to be raised in the next 3-day session.

If anyone has an additional proposal to make, please let me know right away to facilitate the timely progress of our business meeting.

Respectfully submitted, Danna M GROW Business Chair

Proposal 4.3 (Revised – changes in italics): Add a recommendation that members overwhelmed by the mail volume create a separate e-mail address for GROW mail. The Recommended Language will be placed: [recommnded language below]

prominently on the Welcome page of the Members’ section of the GROW website
as a new second paragraph in Greeter Letter #2
as a new second paragraph in the Etiquette Letter (GROW Mail List Guidelines)
as a new second paragraph in the Etiquette webpage (GROW Mail List Guidelines)

Recommended Language (revised – changes from version 4.1 in bold italics):
Sometimes, new members can be overwhelmed by the volume of e-mails coming through the list. If you experience this, you might find it helpful to create and use a separate email address to reduce the confusion of mixing GROW mail with your primary email address. There are many services that offer free e-mail (just search for “free e-mail accounts” on the web). Be sure to notify our Listkeeper at grow-owner@oso-aa.org if you change your address. You might also want to check out the Digest version containing the day’s posts in a single e-mail (contact our Listkeeper to get the Digest).

Notes:
After struggling with how to reconcile differing versions of the language, I have decided to move forward on Proposal (now 4.3), revised to reflect participant comments, and call for a vote.

During the second 3-day session, two new proposals were submitted. Both of these proposals are related to Proposal 4 but include additional action not related to Proposal 4.

The revised Proposal 4.3 reflects discussions during the second 3-day session. Specifically, it adds the etiquette letter [GROW Mail List Guidelines] and corresponding webpage. It drops Greeter Letter #2 since that document is being considered separately. It also mentions the Digest format as another way to deal with GROW mail volume.

In the Rationale for Proposal 5, Laura pointed out that long-standing members would never see the recommendation for creating a new e-mail address if it only went out with Greeter Letter #2. She noted that the Etiquette Letter/GROW Mail List Guidelines goes out each month and would be a good way to give the recommendation to all members. While the Rationale talked about this, the actual proposal did not. Revised Proposal 4.3 corrects this without having to change Proposal 5 or create a new proposal.

Respectfully submitted, Danna M GROW Business Chair

Proposal 5: Change the name of …

Proposal 5: Change the name of the ‘Etiquette Letter’ that is sent out monthly by our Secretary to ‘GROW Mail List Guidelines’ and change the heading on the GROW website etiquette page.

Rationale: Business Meeting members would like to add a paragraph (or two) to our Greeter Letter #2 about giving new (or old) members options of how to deal with the volume of mail they will receive once they are subscribed.

Greeter Letter #2 is read only once by the new member and, because there is so much information contained in the Letter, these options may be overlooked or forgotten – whereas they could be reading them monthly as a reminder when the Secretary sends her message to the group.

Since the options (separate GROW email address and Digest Versions) are not really a part of Email Etiquette, they would fit in quite nicely under GROW Mail List Guidelines. The body of the Etiquette Letter would remain unchanged.

Proposal 6: Revised Greeter Letter #2

Adopt the revised Greeter Letter #2 presented below to replace the existing form letter.

We will discuss this proposal over the next three days (until Thursday).

Proposed Revised Greeter Letter #2 (Recommended Language):
Welcome to GROW! Now that you’re subscribed, this is one of two emails you will receive to help you start participating in our meeting right away. You might want to print these out for future reference.

Email Volume:
In our experience, we have found that sometimes the volume of mail through the GROW list can be overwhelming. If you experience this, you might find it very helpful to choose one of the following:

create and use a separate email address to reduce the confusion of mixing GROW mail with your primary email address. Please be sure to remember to let the Listkeepers know of your new address.
create folders for your GROW email; filters can also be set up to direct GROW mail into the GROW folder.
request the Digest Version (a file containing the day’s posts in a single email). If you would prefer to receive the Digest version, please contact our Listkeeper at grow-owner@oso-aa.org and she will make the change for you.

Topics
A new meeting topic is sent to everyone on the list each Sunday and we share throughout the week. On topic and Off topic shares are welcome. We ask that Off topic posts be appropriate for an AA meeting. Please note in your subject line if your share is Off topic (we usually type Off Topic: … )

Sharing

To share with the group, just address your email to grow@oso-aa.org and your post will be forwarded to all members. To ensure GROW emails do not get placed in your SPAM folder, please add this address to your Address Book.

Reply
Please do not use the “Reply to All’ option when you respond privately to another member’s post to GROW, as your personal message will also be directed to the GROW list and it will bounce to the Listkeepers.

For those using phones and tablets, be aware that the default reply option is often “Reply to All”, and double-check that you are not using “Reply to All”.

Please do not type in all CAPS, as this is considered to be yelling.

[You’ll have a choice of receiving regular email (a separate message for each posting to the list) or the Digest Version (a file containing the day’s posts in a single email). If you would prefer to receive the Digest version, please contact our Listkeeper at grow-owner@oso-aa.org and she will make the change for you.] (paragraph deleted)

The secretary posts information about the Trusted Servants and guidelines for our email etiquette once a month. The Listkeeper (the person who makes sure the technical side of our email list works smoothly) also posts information monthly.

Web Site and Password
You’ll find lots more information on our GROW web site. The URL for GROW is: http://www.g-r-o-w.com. Some of the information is for members only, so you’ll need the following:

user name: sobertoday
password: how2484

Other
If you have questions not answered by our website information, please write to me and I’ll be sure to answer them or send your questions to someone who can.

I hope Grateful Recovering Online Women is helpful to you in your journey and growth in sobriety.

Again, welcome!
[ Greeter Name ]
Grateful Recovering Online Women

Proposal 6a.4: Revised Greeter Letter #2

Adopt the revised Greeter Letter #2 presented to replace the existing form letter.

Proposal 6a.4 represents the original proposal with no changes to the language. It contains (full proposal follows voting instructions):

a new second paragraph (with three bullets) for managing GROW e-mail volume
deletion of old seventh paragraph talking about the Digest format
headings for each paragraph/subject in the letter

Respectfully submitted, Danna M GROW Business Chair

*****

Email Volume
In our experience, we have found that sometimes the volume of mail through the GROW list can be overwhelming. If you experience this, you might find it very helpful to choose one of the following:

create and use a separate email address to reduce the confusion of mixing GROW mail with your primary email address. Please be sure to remember to let the Listkeepers know of your new address.
create folders for your GROW email; filters can also be set up to direct GROW mail into the GROW folder.
request the Digest Version (a file containing the day’s posts in a single email). If you would prefer to receive the Digest version, please contact our Listkeeper at grow-owner@oso-aa.org and she will make the change for you.

Proposal 6b.4: Revised Greeter Letter #2

Adopt the revised Greeter Letter #2 presented to replace the existing form letter.

Proposal 6b.4 represents the original proposal with no changes to the language. It contains (relevant section follows voting instructions):

a new second paragraph (with two bullets) for managing GROW e-mail volume
deletion of old seventh paragraph talking about the Digest format
headings for each paragraph/subject in the letter

Proposal 7: 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.

Rationale: Social media can provide a tremendous amount of support for members of the group, and I believe the relationships between our members would be strengthened through this. It would give us an area where people could share about things not directly related to sobriety and where our members can get to know each other in a way not really possible in the mailing list. A private Facebook page could offer an informal avenue for getting support and for having fun.

I could create a page and advertise it informally, but would prefer to have a group conscience guide the activity for this. The task of administering or managing the Facebook page could fall under the Webkeeper. As the backup webkeeper I would volunteer to establish and administer the page.

Proposal 7a.5: Establish a Facebook page for GROW.

Proposal 7b.5: Establish a Facebook page for GROW and revisit the proposal during the October 2017 business meeting to assess its performance and impact on the GROW e-mail meeting and decide if it should be continued.

Proposal 7c.5: Defer until the October 2017 business meeting a decision on the proposal to establish a private Facebook page for GROW members so that further discussions can take place.