GSA Phone Bridge Intergroup Meeting Agenda
July 9, 2017
5-6pm EST
712-432-5229; 4320188#
“This we owe to GSA’s future; to place our common welfare first, to keep our Fellowship united. For on GSA unity depend our lives, and the lives of those to come.”
Meeting will be held July 9, 2017; 5-6pm EST on the Phone Number and Pin above.
Open with the Unity Pledge, Serenity Prayer and reading of the 12 Traditions.
In Attendance:
____ GSRs & Officers
____PBIG Trustees
____Attenders
Old Business:
- Motion: To accept the proposal of establishing a separate savings account with a separate treasurer, Marilyn from NY, specifically to save for Phone Bridge 2018 World Conference Delegates.
- Report of Service Manual Committee
- Progress Report
- Please ask all interested members to sign up for News and Updates
- Topic
- Motion to document the GSA Phone Bridge safety policy and procedures. (See Appendix below)
Two Minute Shares for Comments
Closed with the Responsibility Pledge & the “We” version of the Serenity Prayer.
“I am responsible…when anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help I want the hand of GSA always to be there. And for that – I am responsible.”
Appendix
BACKGROUND: After reviewing the AA service manual and AA’s approach to disruption and safety in AA meetings, we are asking the groups to vote on the following addition to our GSA Phone Bridge Service Manual. These are not new ideas, but we are simply documenting and clarifying our approach for the safety and protection of the Bridge, Groups, and Members.
_________________________________
Safety on the GSA Phone Bridge Meetings: Our Common Welfare
Tradition One Our Common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon GSA unity.
The GSA Phone Bridge honors and respects that each group is autonomous. It is also, however, committed to maintaining our meeting space (the conference call line) as a place of safety for all of our meetings and members.
We have adopted a preferred way of handling disruptions that occur every so often on our Bridge.
Over the years our groups have experienced a variety of disruptions that group conscience has addressed. They include: unwanted background noises, frequent and repeated use of foul language, interrupting the leader or the speaker, bullying or harassing members during the meetings, speaking negatively about members or institutions by name over an open Bridge, and threatening or harassing trusted servants (group leaders, moderators, trustees) via email, over the phone, and even at their home to name a few.
Here is our step by step approach to addressing these disruptions as quickly, but as respectfully as possible.
- Ask the person to stop.
- Ask the moderator to mute the line.
- Contact the person privately (text, phone call, email) to explain the undesirable behaviors and warn them of further consequences.
- If the behavior continues after a warning, block the person from participating on the Bridge for 30 days (done by the moderator liaison with Phone Bridge company).
- Unblock them after the probationary period (30 days) is over.
- Resume normal membership at that time (if no further disruptions) or resume blocking for 90 days (if further disruptions).
