Phone Bridge Intergroup Meeting Minutes
April 8, 2018
The meeting opened at 5:00 p.m. with the Unity Pledge, the Serenity Prayer and the reading of The 12 Traditions. In attendance:
- 5 Officers/Trustees
- 5 GSRs
- 4 Attenders
Announcements:
- GreySheet Anonymous Census is completed and posted on the website-www.greysheet.org
- GSAWS 2018 budget is completed and posted on the website.
- GSAWS 2013-2017 operating expense overview is posted on the website.
- WSC has been postponed from 2018 to 2019.
An open dialogue with GSAWS Board and the GSA community to discuss the budget and operating expenses overview will be held in May, date to be determined.
Old Business:
Service Manual Committee
- Updated formats to reflect the group conscience of the GSA phone bridge are posted.
- Working on Trustee/Intergroup positions.
- Please ask interested members to sign up for News and Updates.
- SMC meets Fridays at 7:30 a.m. EST. All are welcome.
Treasurer Report:
- January and February reports are posted on the website: greysheet meetings .org
- PBI has a general fund for the WS Conference. The Pay Pal account may be used for general account and WS Conference. In the description, members can designate where their donation will be posted.
Questions for Groups:
GSRs asked their groups for concrete examples of how to raise money to support sending representatives to the WSC.
Reports from GSRs:
- Group wants to know particulars about WSC then they will suggest fund raising ideas.
- Pay Pal would be easier than sending a check.
- If everyone on a meeting would contribute $2, that money could be sent for WSC.
- One dollar a day or $1 a week from each group member.
- Marathons could request money.
- LI Speaker Jam could request money.
- Pay Pal is great idea.
New Business:
Group conscience on preferred topics for today:
- Do we use our meeting announcement time ONLY for GSA phone bridge-related announcements? (e.g. meetings needing leaders, marathons, Intergroup etc.) and refer all other (e.g. retreats, F2F, Zoom, sponsor lists) to greysheet. org?
- Simplifying our meeting structure, so that each timeslot (e.g., 5:30 a.m., 7:00 a.m., 10 a.m. etc.) has one GSR/Coordinator that would conduct a business meeting on the last day of the month to handle all business?
Participants were asked to choose one of the topics to discuss today. Seven members chose simplifying our meeting structure and four members chose using the meeting announcements.
Today’s discussion topic:
Simplifying our meeting structure so that each timeslot has a GSR/Coordinator conduct one business meeting a month. Comments:
- One serious business meeting a month. What about each group being autonomous?
- Can we bring to the group that their GSR remains in place and elect an ISR to conduct meeting?
- I’m open for it. It would leave time for more sharing. Putting the structure together is a good idea.
- Each block sharing as a group is good. Different meetings have different flavors or emphasis.
- There may be problems because each meeting has a different focus. Half an hour isn’t enough for a business meeting, it needs to be one hour.
- At the Relapse/Recovery meetings, are the leaders for 28 meetings elected during the monthly business meeting?
- I like it. When leaders rotate out how do new ones rotate in?
- A business meeting for each time block is good. Will the coordinator be at the monthly meeting to help the GSR?
- Good idea. Details need to be worked out. One business meeting a day during last week of the month is time consuming. Will business meeting be tagged onto regular meeting? Logistics need smoothing out.
- We had this approach a long time ago.
- I like the idea. Details need to be worked out. Will this segue into electing ISRs?
Questions for groups:
- Do the groups want new structure proposal?
- If so, do they want the SMC to develop ideas to structure the business meetings?
The next meeting is Sunday, July 8 at 5:00 p.m. EST. The discussion topic will be: Do we use our meeting announcement time only for GSA phone bridge-related announcements?
The meeting closed at 6:03 p.m. with the Serenity Prayer.
Respectfully submitted,
Phone Bridge Secretary
