October 16, 2022 3 pm ET
Cathy B. opened our meeting with the “We” version of the Serenity Prayer.
Attendance:
GSRs: 4
Trustees: 5
Listeners: 6
Carrying group’s vote: 2
Meeting attendees identified themselves and gave their service positions: Trustee, GSR, Listener, or person carrying the group’s vote.
Motion was made, seconded, and passed to accept the July 10, 2022 PB IG Minutes as posted on our website, greysheetmeetings.org.
Motion was made and seconded and passed to accept the Treasurer’s Report as posted on the PB IG website.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- PB GSRs: please email Trustees at phonebridgetrustees@greysheetmeetings.org to let us know which meeting you are GSR for.
- Only ISRs may order GreySheets however, the PB IG does not currently have an ISR. 2022 GreySheets are available via geographically local Intergroups. Individual qualified GS sponsors may request from their local IG (e.g. sponsor in MA or CT could request from Northeast IG). Link to list of Intergroups and their contacts is on our website.
- Phone Bridge IG needs an ISR (Intergroup Service Representative) to represent the PB IG as a whole at World Service Conference. ISR can distribute 2022 GreySheets to sponsors in the IG. Requires 3 years abstinence, 2 year term, experience with GS PB service.
Old Business:
- Prudent Reserve discussion: Should each group maintain their individual Prudent Reserves? Some concerns were for the future. If the WSC were to be held in person again, the cost would be more than presently needed for GSRs to attend Zoom conferences. Cathy explained that the PB Intergroup Annual Budget includes has a category for sending the GSRs to the WSC. One member noted that the costs might very well be more than is budgeted in the IG budget so groups should be able to continue holding a prudent reserve to fund their GSR. It was decided to keep things as they are: that whether or not to keep a prudent reserve will be up to each group. The allowance in the budget for the WSC attendees will serve to send a GSR whose group does not have funds or to supplement those funds. It was also discussed that contributions to groups’ treasurers should be made by check or electronically if a treasurer has a PayPal or Venmo account.
- Status of the Sunday midnight Relapse/Recovery meeting: In general new meetings may get on the PB website meeting schedule by completing a form on the website, which is then reviewed by the Trustees. However, at past IG meetings, there was concern expressed about midnight meetings not receiving enough service leadership and enough attendance to be a supported meeting. Lynn, the Relapse and Recovery GSR said that they have carefully monitored the situation and yes, there is sufficient support to sustain this meeting. The motion was made to add the Sunday midnight meeting to the PB website schedule and to register it on greysheet.org. It was seconded and passed.
New Business:
- Three new PB IG Board of Trustees members to be nominated and voted in:
Marathon Liaison, AM: Mary B., New York
Marathon Liaison, PM: Jessica K., Florida
Moderator Liaison: Shaaron M., New York
Motion was made, seconded, and passed to accept the nominations of Mary, Jessica, and Shaaron to the PB Intergroup Board of Trustees. Thank you all for volunteering your services!
- Meeting formats: suggested changes for discussion:
- Shorten 7th Tradition announcement
- Add Reference to Phone Bridge Statement on Safety
- Add Reference to Phone Bridge website
- Marathon, Relapse/Recovery, and Beginner’s Meeting formats: Add 7th Tradition announcement
- Concern expressed from some members that we not give the appearance of GSA endorsing a religion. We want all to feel welcome; that we are a spiritual, not religious, program. Add to the format a request to refrain from mentioning specific religious figures (or similar wording)?
It is requested that the GSRs take these suggested format changes to their groups for their opinions and/or votes, to bring to the next Intergroup Meeting in January.
Items tabled for next meeting:
- Including in the formats reference not only to pressing *1 for muting but also using other keypad commands such as for raising and lowering volume.
- Changing the number of IG meetings a year so that they are more frequent. Cathy spoke of regretting the time that it takes for the PB Intergroup to come to decisions, due to the IG meetings only occurring 4 times a year. In the future, the Phone Bridge Intergroup may consider meeting every other month instead of quarterly. This would facilitate actions taken in a more timely manner.
If you have additional new business, please e-mail us at phonebridgetrustees@greysheetmeetings.org PRIOR to the IG meeting with any new items you would like to discuss at the IG level. Only items that affect the Phone Bridge are discussed at the IG level.
The next Intergroup meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 8, 2023 at 3:00 PM.
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
