GSA Phone Bridge Intergroup Meeting Minutes September 8, 2024

GSA Phone Bridge Intergroup Meeting Minutes
September 8, 2024 3 p.m. ET

Intergroup meeting phone number: 712-432-5229, passcode 4320188#

The meeting was opened with the Serenity Prayer after which the 12 Traditions were read.

Attendance: 9

ISR –

GSRs – Mary H.-5:30 am Fri., Lorraine-7:00 am Thurs., Nettie-7 am Friday

Trustees – Kris W.- Sec., Joyce S. – Reporting Treas., Norma D. – Receiving Trea., Denise D.- Moderator Liaison, Jessica K.- Website Liaison, Lynn C.-Marathon Liaison PM

Carrying the Group’s vote –

GSAWS Liaison –

Listeners –

Meeting attendees identify themselves and give their service position: Trustee, GSR, listener, or person who is carrying their group’s vote.

Motion to accept the August Minutes was made, seconded and passed.

Motion to accept the July Treasurer’s Report as posted on the www.greysheetmeetings.org website was made, seconded and passed.

Old Business:

A proposal was made to change our format to read: We do not mention specific foods by name and we only refer to them using generic terms such as sugars, grains, starches and carbohydrates.

Discussion: Jessica obtained a statement of how to define foods at our meetings from another meeting and presented it. The discussion followed with the Motion made, seconded, and passed to present the following statement to take back to our meetings for their feedback:

“We do not mention specific foods by name, and we do not describe foods using terms, images, or specific brands that will clearly identify these foods, as this may be triggering to some. Instead, please use generic terms like sugar, grains, starches, carbohydrates, and proteins.”

Recording Marathon Speakers. GSR feedback was a resounding yes! The discussion that followed was how to address anonymity. AM and PM Marathon Coordinators will ask the speaker/leaders if they are willing to be recorded for the GS YouTube Channel. Please note that if the motion passes the PB will need to discuss the specifics with the Southern Central States Intergroup who are in charge of the channel.

Discussion: We discussed how to move forward with this. A Motion was made seconded and passed to have the A.M. Marathon Liaison, Joanie G., and the P.M. Marathon Liaison, Lynn C. approach the Southern Central States Intergroup to find out what is needed to proceed.

GSAWS requested that we consider changing our URL for our website from greysheetmeetings.org to another less confusing address. Our address is not clear that it is for the Phone Bridge only which causes problems for GSAWS and the Phone Bridge. A motion was made, seconded and passed to change our URL. The discussion that followed considered different options to alleviate confusion with both websites.

It is now September and this request had been tabled from previous meetings. It was brought to the attention for us all to review the following information for our October 13 meeting. This research is extensive. Thank you all for this effort.

From our June Meeting:

Lynn made a motion to change our URL to a name that is less confusing, seconded by Kris and passed. Jessica and CJ suggested leaving our website the same but clarifying it by highlighting in bold our statement already on our website: “This website contains information about Phone Bridge meetings only. For information on other GSA meetings (face-to-face, Zoom, or phone meetings not held on the Phone Bridge line), please go to greysheet.org.”

Joyce S., our Treasurer confirmed that if we should vote to change our URL address, our Treasury can support the $2,500 investment.

Debra L., our GSAWS Liaison clarified reasons why some of our suggestions wouldn’t work, for instance, changes to GSAWS website (bypassing their contacts and going directly to a link to our website).

Concerns rose as to our GSRs needing to field many inquiries from the GSAWS website. Many ways were discussed as to how our PhoneBridge website could more productively ‘link’ with GSAWS website and vice versa. Pros and Cons were discussed of whether or not to make changes and how to accomplish these changes. CJ requested that all Trustees and GSRs familiarize themselves with both websites. This will be discussed at our July meeting.

The following is reference material for our June meeting and for future discussions. This was sent to us in June from our GSAWS Liaison Debra L regarding their request to consider changing our URL:

GSAWS wanted to put forth a request for the Phone Bridge to consider at the Intergroup meeting: Please see below:

There are two issues that consistently occur with increasing frequency as a result of the PBIG’s URL, i.e., greysheetmeetings.org:

Trusted servants of GreySheeters Anonymous groups who want to register, renew their registration, or update their group’s meeting list with GSA World Services, go to greysheetmeetings.org looking for the GSA World Services Group Registration form, not understanding the difference between GSAWS and the PBIG.

Additionally, members of GreySheeters Anonymous, especially newcomers or relatively newcomers, looking for in-person, video, and phone meetings that are not affiliated with the PB, go to greysheetmeetings.org looking for those meetings as well.

In both cases, some of those members who do not find what they are looking for call or email GSA World Services for help. It can be confusing and frustrating for new members to find what they need which is why we are proposing a way to clarify both GSAWS (GreySheeters Anonymous World Service) and the PBIG (PhoneBridge Intergroup) URL. We’d like to prevent this from being a possible barrier to recovery and service.
GSA World Services suggests that the PBIG consider using a new URL that references the Phone Bridge, such as greysheetphonebridge.org or GreySheetBridge.org. The name can, of course, be titled something else (with the groups permission) that would help distinguish the two. This could require registering the new URL and redirecting traffic from the old one for a period of time.
We thank you in advance for your consideration of our suggestion and would be happy to discuss it further.
In gratitude & Service
Debra L.

The following information was sent from our webmaster in June regarding considering changing our URL.

Here are some of the particulars and consideration:

Purchasing a new URL- These are some of the available names. We are not recommending these, only showing you some options

GreysheetPhoneBridge
GSAPhoneBridge
GreysheetPhoneMeetings

New connections and email accounts will need to be created. Any connections to emails accounts will need to be updated. Current email accounts include:

All forms will need to be recreated and updated. New links will need to be sent to current members of the news distribution. This means you will need to login and change the URL link within PayPal and MailChimp. This include these current forms:

Request Phonebridge Number and Pin
Add New Meeting or Change Current Meeting
Contact the Board of Trustees
Donations
Comments for Service Manual Committee
Request Marathon Coordinator Contact Information

Forwarding emails will need to be re-established. Current safety protocols do not allow forwarding to gmail accounts and soon Yahoo. Trustees will either use different email accounts or we may need to create a manual and/ or training video to support trustees ability to check new website email accounts. Current Trustees with forwarding to gmail and Yahoo accounts include:

All of the links on the website will need to be replaced and updated. This may mean that some of the functionality or layouts of the webpages may change due to moving to a new URL.
We estimate this will take approximately 25 hours to complete at your current additional contract rate of $100 an hour or approximately $2,500. Assuming there are no significant changes that may need to be made to the current website pages.

After reading the notes sent to PhoneBridge by GSA, here are some other considerations:

We do not necessarily agree that changing the PhoneBridge URL is the best solution to clear-up any confusion when searching for GSA Meetings. There are many other options, including making the notice on the current website more prominent. This is the message at the top of your Home Page:

This website contains information about Phone Bridge meetings only. For information on other GSA meetings (face-to-face, Zoom, or phone meetings not held on the Phone Bridge line), please go to greysheet.org.

PhoneBridge is currently serving as an immediate connection for new comers. They do not have to wade through all of the details and many pages on the GSA website. The PhoneBridge will lose the opportunity to serve new comers by changing their established URL.

Jayne is happy to talk further about the details or questions you may have, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are happy to be of service.

From our July 14, 2024 discussion:

We further discussed possible design changes to both the Phone Bridge website that would possibly need GSA to consider changes for their website. It was clarified that Lynn’s motion on the floor to “Change the name of our website to something less confusing “, had not been passed but was in the discussion mode. Suggestions were made to enlarge and prominently emphasize: “This website contains information about Phone Bridge meetings only. For information on other GSA meetings (face-to-face, Zoom, or phone meetings not held on the Phone Bridge line), please go to greysheet.org.” And also add to this the next line “Request the GSA Phone Bridge Number & Pin”. A motion was made regarding these changes that was not considered because we already have a motion open on the floor from June. Lynn had made a motion “To change our URL to a name that is less confusing.” that was seconded and passed.

Katie L. made a motion to table this discussion until the August meeting. It was seconded and passed.

Regarding GSAWS request to consider changing our www.greysheetmeetings.org to another less confusing address. Our address is not clear that it is for the Phone Bridge only which causes problems for GSAWS, www.greysheet.org, and the Phone Bridge. NOTE: This was not able to be discussed in the August or September Intergroup meetings.

New Business:

Concerns have been raised regarding the openings of new meetings. “I am concerned with new meetings that have started. We already have problems getting people to step forward to do service on existing without service. The same people should not keep chairing. Rotation of services. Why not stop or cancel meetings without service people.”

This Concern was not addressed in September.

Announcements:

We need a new Reporting Treasurer. Joyce S. is scheduled to leave in September. Thank you, Joyce, for your appreciated service to our PhoneBridge.

Meeting representation is needed. The Phone Bridge (PB) and Greysheeters Anonymous World Service (GSAWS) would like to hear our meeting’s voices.

Our next meeting will be October 13, 2024 at 3 p.m.

If you have additional new business, please e-mail us at phonebridgetrustees@greysheetmeetings.org 1 week PRIOR to the IG meeting with any new items you would like to discuss. Only items that affect the Phone Bridge are discussed at the Intergroup level.

Close with the Responsibility Pledge & the “We” version of the Serenity Prayer.

Responsibility Pledge “When anyone, anywhere, realizes they have a problem with food, I want them to think of the GreySheet solution. For that, I am responsible.”

Serenity Prayer