Agenda for GSC Meeting 12 March, 2023
Standing Items
- Serenity prayer
- Request for note taker
- Establishment of Quorum (need ⅔ of registered representatives per the GSC Charter)
- Approval of December Minutes https://gaais.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=3796#p3796
- Incorporation Committee Report
- Webmaster Report
- Literature Committee Report
- Treasurer Report - Selection of Treasurer
Returning items
1. Guidelines for writing about higher power: This item was approved 8-0 at the September meeting with no requirement to send this out to the groups. The current question is whether or not to revisit that decision. https://gaais.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1067
2. Further literature publishing decisions regarding format(s) to publish the Handbook.
A. Do we want to discuss these logistical details (which in the future will be handled by GAAIS) here in GSC, or create a subcommittee?
B. (If here in GSC) Do we want to list the book with booksellers? If so, do we want to publish as paperback, e-book, or both?
New items
3. Co-chair. Do we want a co-chair position, someone who can (1) sub for the chair, (2) take notes, and (3) possibly rotate into the chair position?
4. Changes to core writings like the steps, traditions, GSC charter, and mission statement: GSC decided a while back to consider creating guidelines around how often and when this sort of process happens because we don't want to put it on the GSC agenda and revisit wording every time any single member says they prefer some other word choice. https://gaais.org/topic1112
5a. Basic text project.
From policy: "If the GSC has not previously decided whether the topic and form (e.g. pamphlet, webpage, flier, book, etc) are appropriate and helpful, the GSC now decides whether or not to move forward with this process. If the GSC is in favor of publishing the proposed piece and running the literature approval process in the future, GSC decides on an Editor or leaves it to Lit Com to choose one. The Editor handles all basic editing, style, and organization."
5b. Review and acceptance of project definition. https://gaais.org/basic-text
6. Inquiry handlers. Does GSC want to be involved in approval of people who answer inquiries? (We have several recent volunteers.) If not, does GSC want to formally create an Outreach Committee that handles such things?
Any Other Business
Announcements
Our next regular meeting is 9 April, 2023
Closing Affirmation and Adjournment
Agenda for GSC meeting 12 March, 2023
Forum rules
* The business of the General Service Conference is discussed. We make decisions by group conscience, guided by higher power. Those elected as a trustee or delegate can vote on all GSC matters. GAAIS staff can vote on issues related to their area.
* Back and forth discussion of different perspectives is appropriate. We strive to be respectful of all.
* Anonymity reminds us to place principles before personalities.
* The business of the General Service Conference is discussed. We make decisions by group conscience, guided by higher power. Those elected as a trustee or delegate can vote on all GSC matters. GAAIS staff can vote on issues related to their area.
* Back and forth discussion of different perspectives is appropriate. We strive to be respectful of all.
* Anonymity reminds us to place principles before personalities.
Re: Agenda for GSC meeting 12 March, 2023
2023 March 12 GSC
ACTION ITEMS:
1. Jeff will start putting together something on how GAA arrived at the wording it has for the steps and will run this by others who were part of those discussions and are still active w/GAA (Scott, Tim).
2. Adrienne (?): Send an email to the groups, here are requirements for them to become voting members, need to make a commitment, would be good for them to have an alternate.
For next month, want decisions on
1. Treasurer
2. The proposal for changes to core writings
For next month, want informed discussion on
1. The description Scott put together for the basic text project. https://gaais.org/basic-text Would be great if everyone could look at that before the next meeting.
2. Recruiting someone to lead the Spirituality committee
MEETING NOTES
12:50pm PT: No quorum, but decided to run through new agenda and discuss
Attendees: Adrienne (chair), Scott (trustee), Andy (meditation), Jeff (trustee), Johanna (trustee), Geoffrey, Bergur, Jennie (note-taker for the day), Olivia
1. Committee reports
a. Incorporation committee: has been meeting about once a month
b. Web committee: nothing to report
c. Lit committee: meeting every month, has lots of project going on. Check them out at https://gaais.org/litcom
2. Treasurer. The former treasurer, Ian, has said he doesn’t want to do it anymore.
a. Adrienne volunteers to take on being treasurer until we have a quorum and can vote on it. There are no objections by any GSC members present.
3. Co-chair. Wait to discuss until we have quorum.
4. Changes to core writings like the steps. There’s a proposal: https://gaais.org/topic1112
a. General agreement that 5 years is a good waiting period, since it can take a year or more to get through the process of sending proposed changes out to groups, getting feedback and approval, etc.
b. Johanna: May want more than 2 groups to be the requirement. Some folks are active in more than 1 group and could easily get 2 groups on board on their own because so few people come to business meetings.
c. Some discussion about what happens when groups bring concerns to GSC that meet all 3 criteria, and the need to for GSC to communicate what comes out of their discussions of such concerns. Scott edited the proposal to reflect the concerns identified in this discussion.
d. Jeff notes that this proposal came up because some people wanted changes, which makes him think it might be good for someone who was present at the original creation/approval of the GAA steps to write up something about why the language is the way it is rather than being identical to what folks may have seen in other programs. Notes that the steps are actions not words.
e. Adrienne: GSC agendas are in the forum, and that gets published pretty regularly. One thing we need to do, along with the history of why we got where we got, we also maybe need to add something about the forums, how to search the forums. Important to give people the chance to look, remembering there are always people who will be ready fire aim.
5. Basic text project. Scott sent a project definition out to the GSC the proposal for people to look at and was hoping to get feedback. Would like everyone to read through it before the next GSC meeting: https://gaais.org/basic-text The literature process does have GSC deciding whether they want to do formal process on future projects.
a. Johanna has questions but will save till next time.
b. Jeff asks delegates if there are people in groups wanting basic text material, and how significant that is in terms of the number of people wanting it. He wonders whether have enough people on lit committee right now to do a basic text. Jeff encourages members to 1) put together materials themselves from their own or their sponsees’ recovery related to things happening as you work the steps, navigate withdrawal, etc., and 2) circulate these materials, pieces of mini-literature, putting things out for people to use. The best place for lit to come from is people engaging in recovery. If people like and use something someone puts out, that’s something we want in the basic text. It will take a while to complete the basic text, but we could be gathering materials that people find useful.
c. Adrienne reports that in the women’s group we’re talking about gathering stories. It took years to compile stories in other fellowships, continuing to ask for stories is good.
d. Johanna and Andy have no feedback in response to Jeff’s question.
e. Scott: suggests keeping track of people who contribute.
f. Johanna suggests we ask groups—what lit do people want?
g. Scott: long list of topics put together, invited people to lit committee, had 10 people sign up for writing on different topics for that, was a good start, maybe same thing could’ve happened multiple times during that project. Would like to see it happen again and more often to bring in a variety of voices.
6. Spirituality committee. Johanna reports that the spirituality committee has been not happening because she is not up for managing it. Should we recruit someone else to help spearhead?
a. Adrienne: we’ll put this on the agenda for next time.
7. Inquiry handlers. Adrienne: the question is whether we want GSC to be involved in the approval of people who answer inquiries. Does GSC want to create an outreach committee that handles such things?
a. Adrienne, Johanna, and Jeff all say they don’t think GSC should be in the business of approving those people.
b. Jeff: The idea is that we don’t want just anybody making up answers to inquiries, so maybe each person answering inquiries should have a home group that puts them forward or vouches for them. If their home group says they’re good, GSC should be OK with them.
c. Johanna: Do we need to give guidance on this today, or are inquiries getting handled?
d. Scott: inquiries are getting handled. He had been handling them all, so having multiple people doing it is a new situation.
8. Adrienne: suggest we send an email to the groups, here are requirements for them to become voting members, they need to make a commitment, would be good for them to have an alternate.
a. Johanna: likes the idea of alternate because helps with quorum.
Closing: Deciding nothing, our next meeting is April 9 at 2:30pm EST. Who’d like to do an affirmation?
Jeff: May we move forward in recovery with gratitude and joy.
1:35: adjourned
ACTION ITEMS:
1. Jeff will start putting together something on how GAA arrived at the wording it has for the steps and will run this by others who were part of those discussions and are still active w/GAA (Scott, Tim).
2. Adrienne (?): Send an email to the groups, here are requirements for them to become voting members, need to make a commitment, would be good for them to have an alternate.
For next month, want decisions on
1. Treasurer
2. The proposal for changes to core writings
For next month, want informed discussion on
1. The description Scott put together for the basic text project. https://gaais.org/basic-text Would be great if everyone could look at that before the next meeting.
2. Recruiting someone to lead the Spirituality committee
MEETING NOTES
12:50pm PT: No quorum, but decided to run through new agenda and discuss
Attendees: Adrienne (chair), Scott (trustee), Andy (meditation), Jeff (trustee), Johanna (trustee), Geoffrey, Bergur, Jennie (note-taker for the day), Olivia
1. Committee reports
a. Incorporation committee: has been meeting about once a month
b. Web committee: nothing to report
c. Lit committee: meeting every month, has lots of project going on. Check them out at https://gaais.org/litcom
2. Treasurer. The former treasurer, Ian, has said he doesn’t want to do it anymore.
a. Adrienne volunteers to take on being treasurer until we have a quorum and can vote on it. There are no objections by any GSC members present.
3. Co-chair. Wait to discuss until we have quorum.
4. Changes to core writings like the steps. There’s a proposal: https://gaais.org/topic1112
a. General agreement that 5 years is a good waiting period, since it can take a year or more to get through the process of sending proposed changes out to groups, getting feedback and approval, etc.
b. Johanna: May want more than 2 groups to be the requirement. Some folks are active in more than 1 group and could easily get 2 groups on board on their own because so few people come to business meetings.
c. Some discussion about what happens when groups bring concerns to GSC that meet all 3 criteria, and the need to for GSC to communicate what comes out of their discussions of such concerns. Scott edited the proposal to reflect the concerns identified in this discussion.
d. Jeff notes that this proposal came up because some people wanted changes, which makes him think it might be good for someone who was present at the original creation/approval of the GAA steps to write up something about why the language is the way it is rather than being identical to what folks may have seen in other programs. Notes that the steps are actions not words.
e. Adrienne: GSC agendas are in the forum, and that gets published pretty regularly. One thing we need to do, along with the history of why we got where we got, we also maybe need to add something about the forums, how to search the forums. Important to give people the chance to look, remembering there are always people who will be ready fire aim.
5. Basic text project. Scott sent a project definition out to the GSC the proposal for people to look at and was hoping to get feedback. Would like everyone to read through it before the next GSC meeting: https://gaais.org/basic-text The literature process does have GSC deciding whether they want to do formal process on future projects.
a. Johanna has questions but will save till next time.
b. Jeff asks delegates if there are people in groups wanting basic text material, and how significant that is in terms of the number of people wanting it. He wonders whether have enough people on lit committee right now to do a basic text. Jeff encourages members to 1) put together materials themselves from their own or their sponsees’ recovery related to things happening as you work the steps, navigate withdrawal, etc., and 2) circulate these materials, pieces of mini-literature, putting things out for people to use. The best place for lit to come from is people engaging in recovery. If people like and use something someone puts out, that’s something we want in the basic text. It will take a while to complete the basic text, but we could be gathering materials that people find useful.
c. Adrienne reports that in the women’s group we’re talking about gathering stories. It took years to compile stories in other fellowships, continuing to ask for stories is good.
d. Johanna and Andy have no feedback in response to Jeff’s question.
e. Scott: suggests keeping track of people who contribute.
f. Johanna suggests we ask groups—what lit do people want?
g. Scott: long list of topics put together, invited people to lit committee, had 10 people sign up for writing on different topics for that, was a good start, maybe same thing could’ve happened multiple times during that project. Would like to see it happen again and more often to bring in a variety of voices.
6. Spirituality committee. Johanna reports that the spirituality committee has been not happening because she is not up for managing it. Should we recruit someone else to help spearhead?
a. Adrienne: we’ll put this on the agenda for next time.
7. Inquiry handlers. Adrienne: the question is whether we want GSC to be involved in the approval of people who answer inquiries. Does GSC want to create an outreach committee that handles such things?
a. Adrienne, Johanna, and Jeff all say they don’t think GSC should be in the business of approving those people.
b. Jeff: The idea is that we don’t want just anybody making up answers to inquiries, so maybe each person answering inquiries should have a home group that puts them forward or vouches for them. If their home group says they’re good, GSC should be OK with them.
c. Johanna: Do we need to give guidance on this today, or are inquiries getting handled?
d. Scott: inquiries are getting handled. He had been handling them all, so having multiple people doing it is a new situation.
8. Adrienne: suggest we send an email to the groups, here are requirements for them to become voting members, they need to make a commitment, would be good for them to have an alternate.
a. Johanna: likes the idea of alternate because helps with quorum.
Closing: Deciding nothing, our next meeting is April 9 at 2:30pm EST. Who’d like to do an affirmation?
Jeff: May we move forward in recovery with gratitude and joy.
1:35: adjourned