AA GUTS Steering Committee Meeting Minutes
Date: October 26th 2025
Chair: Christian
Secretary: Christian
- Complaint Discussion: Thomas and Leo
Summary:
Thomas expressed concerns about Leo’s behavior during meetings, describing instances of micromanagement and critical comments while hosting and sharing. He stated that Leo’s chat messages felt stifling and led to his formal complaint.
Discussion:
- Christian acknowledged the concern and suggested direct communication with Leo, believing the issue might be a misunderstanding.
- Thomas shared that he had already reached out to Leo, and since then, no further issues have occurred.
- Thomas decided to withdraw the complaint unless future incidents arise.
Outcome:
- Complaint withdrawn by Thomas.
- No vote required.
- The committee agreed to revisit the issue if similar behavior occurs again.
- New Business: Host Alone in Meetings (Raised by Dave)
Summary:
Dave raised a concern regarding situations when a host finds themselves alone during a meeting (particularly in Late Night GUTS) without co-host support.
Discussion:
- Dave described a recent instance where he hosted alone, leading to stress but ultimately managing successfully.
- Kristen noted that this issue has not arisen in a while but now it warrants group review due to recent staff shortages.
- Bentley emphasized that members are not obligated to stay beyond their scheduled hours if co-hosts are unavailable.
- Mark highlighted the importance of members checking the scheduling thread and respecting schedulers’ efforts.
- Gabi proposed a visual chart to display hours where host/co-host coverage is low, encouraging volunteers to fill those gaps.
- Bentley and Gabi also discussed the importance of reaffirming service commitments, reminding members that their availability should reflect a two-hour block minimum as established by group conscience.
Outcome:
- Motion by Kristen to forward Dave’s concern to the Business Meeting for group decision on:
- What official policy or training to implement when a host is alone.
- Whether to create a written contingency protocol.
- Motion seconded by Christian and passed unanimously.
- Scheduling and Availability Concerns
Summary:
A broad discussion emerged regarding inconsistent service availability, communication gaps, and imbalance between hosts and co-hosts.
Key Points:
- Gabi noted frustration with volunteers not acknowledging posted schedules or changing their availability after training.
- Bentley clarified that group conscience requires members to maintain at least a two-hour block of availability, but many provide only one hour or refuse co-host shifts after becoming hosts.
- Gabi echoed that a “host vs. co-host” mentality is developing and urged everyone to remain flexible and united.
- Kristen and Gabi both supported cross-training and emphasized that hosting is not a “promotion.”
- Gabi suggested allowing three-hour availability blocks to provide scheduling flexibility between adjacent shifts.
Motions and Votes:
- Motion by Bentley:
- Require all service members to submit updated availability within one month so schedulers can revise the master spreadsheet.
- Seconded by Gabi.
- Vote: Passed unanimously.
- Motion by Gabi (amended by discussion):
- Bring overall availability and scheduling flexibility to the next Business Meeting, including the proposal for broader (three-hour) blocks.
- Seconded by Bentley.
- Vote: Passed unanimously.
- Additional Notes
- RA updated the group about fluctuating work hours impacting his availability.
- Christian and Bentley agreed that RA should coordinate directly with schedulers.
- Gabi commended RA’s strong communication and flexibility.
- Closing
- Motion to Close: Made by Bentley.
- Vote: Unanimous approval.
- Meeting adjourned with thanks from Christian.
- Attendees shared closing gratitude and light-hearted remarks as the session ended.
The meeting closed with the Serenity Prayer and a motion to adjourn.