GUTS Business Meeting Minutes
Meeting Date: Sunday, August 2nd, 11:00am PST
Business Meeting Chair: Lauren
Business Meeting Co-Chair: Bently
Secretary: Britt
***Minutes Note: The transcript begins after the meeting had already started, during the Technology Team Report. Opening proceedings and any reports presented before that point are not included.
Technology Team Report
Gabi gave the Technology Team Report by explaining the creation of an automated attendance-attestation form for the sibling meetings.
A link to the form was added to the bottom of the regular meeting verification page. The form requests:
- First name and last initial
- Email address
- Meeting date
The form is connected to a separate Google account created specifically for this purpose and is not associated with Gabi’s personal email account.
The system automatically determines whether a request was submitted on the correct meeting date and within the approved submission window. Requests submitted outside the permitted date or time receive an automated response explaining why the request cannot be processed.
Gabi explained that the original submission window was selected to give attendees time during and after the sibling meeting to complete the form. Members discussed whether the submission period should be extended or adjusted.
Motion: Attendance Form Submission Window
A motion was made to establish the sibling meeting attendance-form submission window as 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time, allowing submissions during the end of the meeting and for one hour afterward.
Vote: 17 Yes, 1 No
Result: Motion passed.
Motion: Approve Technology Team Report
A motion was made and seconded to approve the Technology Team Report.
Vote: 15 Yes, no dissent
Result: Motion passed.
Treasurer’s Report
Elle presented the Treasurer’s Report for July 2026.
July Financial Activity
- Beginning bank balance: $4,731.61
- Deposits: $643.85
- Prudent reserve interest: $0.94
- Total deposits: $644.79
- Total expenses: $1,008.09
- Ending bank balance: $4,368.31
Contributions and Pending Activity
- July Seventh Tradition contributions: $531.73
- ORC expenses pending at the end of July: $186.95
- Ending cash balance, including pending activity: $4,713.09
Reserve Balances
- Prudent reserve: $1,197.00
- Q3 ORC balance, including pending activity: $2,278.72
- Zoom reserve: $633.99
- Technology reserve: $240.95
The group previously approved $875.00 for Q3 ORC expenses.
The Zoom reserve receives $60.00 per month in preparation for the annual Zoom payment, estimated to be between $750.00 and $800.00.
Technology reserves are maintained for annual and monthly expenses, including:
- MailPoet
- InterServer
- WordPress forms
- Candy automation services
- Other website-related expenses
Elle reported that all quarterly Seventh Tradition contributions had cleared by the end of July. Contributions were made to the appropriate AA service entities, including the General Service Board, OIAA, Area 12 and District 14.
Dennis noted that District 14 records appeared to show additional contributions associated with the group during May and June. After discussion, it was suggested that these may have been individual contributions made on behalf of or attributed to the group rather than duplicate payments from the GUTS account.
Motion: Approve Treasurer’s Report
A motion was made and seconded to approve the Treasurer’s Report.
Vote: 17 Yes
Result: Motion passed.
Nominations and Elections
Non-Steering Committee Thread Administrator
Nominee: Gabi
Vote: 16 Yes
Result: Gabi was elected.
Female Ethics Committee Member
Nominee: Teresa
Vote: 18 Yes
Result: Teresa was elected.
Male Ethics Committee Member
Nominee: Mark M.
Vote: 17 Yes
Result: Mark M. was elected.
OIAA Intergroup Representative
Nominee: Shauna
Vote: 17 Yes
Result: Shauna was elected.
Steering Committee Member
Nominee: Kristen
Vote: 17 Yes
Result: Kristen was elected.
Topics Coordinator
Nominee: Dennis
Vote: 17 Yes
Result: Dennis was elected.
LGBTQIA+ Contact List Coordinator
Nominee: Bentley
Vote: 17 Yes
Result: Bentley was elected.
New Business
- Ethics Committee Report Boundaries
The Steering Committee requested that the group establish boundaries for any Ethics Committee report presented at the Business Meeting.
The purpose of the discussion was to protect anonymity, prevent unresolved complaints from creating additional conflict and determine whether an Ethics Committee report should be a standing agenda item.
Several members suggested that any report should contain only general statistics, such as:
- Number of complaints received
- Number resolved
- Number pending
No names, identifying details or specific case information would be included.
Other members questioned whether even a numerical report would provide meaningful information. It was noted that a statement indicating that cases were “resolved” would not necessarily demonstrate whether the Ethics Committee was functioning effectively and could lead to additional questions that could not be answered without compromising confidentiality.
It was also clarified that issues requiring further group action should ordinarily be brought to the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee would then determine whether the matter needed to be placed before the Business Meeting.
Motion: Remove Ethics Committee Report as a Standing Agenda Item
A motion was made and seconded not to include an Ethics Committee report as a standing item on the Business Meeting agenda.
Vote: 12 Yes, 4 No
Result: Motion passed.
The Ethics Committee Report will not be added as a standing Business Meeting agenda item.
- Addition to Permanent Ban Guidelines
The following sentence was proposed for addition to the group’s permanent-ban guidelines:
“Unless contradictory or materially new evidence is provided to the group, a permanent ban will be upheld for the safety and overall unity of the group.”
Motion
A motion was made and seconded to add the proposed language to the permanent-ban guidelines.
Vote: 17 Yes
Result: Motion passed.
- Ethics Committee Eligibility Requirement
Bentley proposed adding an eligibility requirement for members serving on or being nominated to the Ethics Committee.
The proposed requirement states that a member may not serve on or be nominated to the Ethics Committee while having an active strike or being subject to current disciplinary action.
Motion
A motion was made and seconded to add the proposed eligibility requirement to the Ethics Committee guidelines.
Vote: 18 Yes
Result: Motion passed.
- Meditation Sibling Meeting Proposal
Thomas proposed using an existing sibling-meeting time slot for a meditation meeting.
The suggested format included:
- A brief reading
- Ten to fifteen minutes of meditation
- Open sharing about participants’ meditation experiences
The Steering Committee had discussed possibly using the Tuesday fellowship time slot. Additional ideas included rotating monthly formats such as:
- Meditation
- Sponsorship
- Meet-and-greet fellowship
- Daily Reflections
- Other recovery-oriented topics
Members expressed support for the concept but raised concerns regarding staffing. Existing sibling-meeting guidelines generally require three committed hosts who can rotate responsibility.
Several members stated that the group should prioritize staffing its existing sibling meetings before starting another regularly scheduled meeting. It was also suggested that the existing fellowship time could be used informally for different formats without creating a new permanent meeting designation.
Thomas had reportedly indicated that he would be willing to help facilitate the meditation meeting. However, the group did not have three committed hosts in place.
Motion: Table Meditation Meeting Proposal
A motion was made and seconded to table the meditation sibling-meeting proposal until sufficient service participation and staffing are available.
Vote: 15 Yes
Result: Motion passed.
The meditation sibling-meeting proposal was tabled.
- Sibling Meeting Schedule and OIAA Listings
Discussion continued regarding which sibling meetings were operating consistently and which meetings should remain listed in the meeting script and with OIAA.
Members reported that some meetings had been listed or announced even though hosts were not consistently available to open and facilitate them.
It was confirmed that the group had previously voted to remove the Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday sibling meetings from OIAA. However, some of those meetings had not yet been removed from all announcements or listings.
The meetings identified as operating most consistently included:
- Men’s Meeting – Sat
- Women’s Meeting – Mon
- Newcomers Meeting – Fri
- Big Book Meeting – Wed
Members emphasized that meetings should not be advertised through OIAA when they are not reliably staffed. It was also noted that the group could continue recruiting service members and potentially restore meetings once the required staffing was established.
Motion: Remove Unstaffed Meetings From the Script
A motion was made and seconded to remove the Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday sibling meetings from the meeting script.
Vote: 14 Yes
Result: Motion passed.
The Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday sibling meetings will be removed from the script. Previous group conscience calling for their removal from OIAA remains in effect.
Gabi offered to create a visual flyer showing the remaining sibling meetings.
- OIAA Intergroup Representative Training
Following Shauna’s election as the new OIAA Intergroup Representative, the group discussed the need for appropriate training and transfer of access.
Shauna reported that she had contacted Ian through WhatsApp to arrange a transfer of information and training. She also invited other experienced members to assist.
Kristen explained that OIAA generally requires the outgoing representative to notify OIAA officially that the incoming representative is replacing them. Until that transfer is completed, the new representative may not be authorized to make changes.
Action Items
- Ian will be asked to formally notify OIAA that Shauna is the new representative.
- Shauna will receive training and account information from Ian and any other experienced members who are available.
- Shauna will work with OIAA to update the group’s meeting listings.
No formal motion was required.
- Boundaries and Relationships Workshop
Dennis reported that the district had considered several workshop topics. The district clarified that district-level workshops should generally focus on AA service, while recovery-oriented workshops are more appropriate at the group level.
The proposed Boundaries and Relationships Workshop had received significant interest.
Members discussed the importance of addressing relationships, boundaries and common recovery suggestions that are often repeated without sufficient explanation.
The group also discussed the ability to use AA literature, outside literature and original material when developing the workshop. It was noted that the group has autonomy to design its own recovery-oriented workshop, similar to previous workshops conducted by GUTS.
Lauren and Kristen volunteered to develop and facilitate the workshop.
Motion: Create Boundaries and Relationships Workshop
A motion was made and seconded to create a GUTS Boundaries and Relationships Workshop, with Lauren and Kristen leading its development.
Vote: 15 Yes
Result: Motion passed.
- GUTS WhatsApp Community
Gabi proposed creating a GUTS WhatsApp Community that would organize the various GUTS service threads under one umbrella.
The proposed community would allow members to locate relevant service threads more easily while maintaining any restrictions required for specific committees or service roles.
Gabi explained that WhatsApp permits only a limited number of pinned conversations. A community would allow the GUTS threads to remain grouped together rather than being scattered throughout members’ message lists.
Members noted that a similar system had been attempted previously and that some members had difficulty navigating it. Training or instructional support may therefore be necessary.
Gabi offered to create a demonstration or instructional video. She also explained that deleting the community would not delete the individual threads. If the trial was unsuccessful, the community could be removed and the threads would return to their prior arrangement.
Motion: Two-Month WhatsApp Community Trial
A motion was made and seconded to establish a two-month trial period for a GUTS WhatsApp Community.
Vote: 14 Yes, 1 No
Result: Motion passed.
GUTS will implement a WhatsApp Community for a two-month trial period.
- Gamblers Anonymous Resource Addition
Shauna proposed adding Gamblers Anonymous information to the list of Twelve Step resources included in the co-host chat blurb.
She explained that while serving as a co-host, a participant shared about gambling and expressed interest in Gamblers Anonymous. Shauna attempted to provide the appropriate resource but found that it was not included in the current resource list.
Members supported adding the information and noted that gambling addiction frequently overlaps with alcoholism and can have severe consequences.
Motion: Add Gamblers Anonymous to Resource Blurb
A motion was made and seconded to add Gamblers Anonymous information to the co-host resource blurb.
Vote: 17 Yes
Result: Motion passed.
Additional Discussion
Service No-Shows, Abandoned Shifts and Ethics Committee Eligibility
Gabi requested clarification regarding two group-conscience issues.
No-Call/No-Show Clarification
Gabi asked whether a service member should receive a no-call/no-show designation when the person:
- Checks in for a scheduled shift;
- May initially be co-hosted or participate;
- Subsequently disappears;
- Cannot be reached for the remainder of the scheduled shift.
Members discussed the distinction between:
- A person who never reports for a scheduled shift;
- A person who briefly steps away after communicating;
- A person who leaves for an extended period without communication;
- A person who checks in but is unavailable for most or all of the remaining shift.
Some members felt that checking in and then disappearing should qualify as a no-show. Others suggested using different terminology, such as abandoning or deserting a shift, to distinguish it from never arriving.
It was noted that schedulers are responsible for tracking no-shows and may review the meeting activity the following day if they are not present during the shift.
Co-Host Responsibilities and “Patrol”
Members also discussed confusion regarding the fourth co-host position, sometimes referred to as “patrol.”
The current service guidelines state that once the primary positions of chat, prompt and administrative door are covered, additional co-hosts should:
- Watch for disruptive participants or bombers;
- Greet attendees;
- Support members who are sharing;
- Encourage participation;
- Assist the other service positions;
- Act as backup when needed.
The fourth co-host is not intended to remain inactive. All co-hosts share responsibility for monitoring the room.
Gabi agreed to revise the training materials to clarify that room monitoring is a responsibility shared by the entire co-host team and that the fourth person supports the three primary positions.
Retroactive Application of Ethics Committee Eligibility Rule
Gabi also asked whether the newly approved Ethics Committee eligibility requirement applied only to future nominees or whether it required the removal of a current Ethics Committee member who already had an active service strike.
Members noted that no currently serving Ethics Committee member was known to have an active strike. Going forward, nominees should be reviewed before being presented for election.
The group did not reach a final decision regarding:
- Whether the new rule applies retroactively;
- Whether a current member receiving a strike must be removed immediately;
- Whether different types of strikes should be treated differently;
- Whether a formal strike-tracking system is needed.
Motion: Table Clarification Discussion
Due to the absence of a specific motion and the meeting having exceeded its scheduled time, a motion was made and seconded to table the service no-show and strike-eligibility clarification discussion until the next Business Meeting.
Vote: 14 Yes
Result: Motion passed.
The matter will return for discussion at the next Business Meeting.
Action Items
- Adjust the sibling-meeting attendance form to accept submissions from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
- Add the approved permanent-ban language to the group guidelines.
- Add the active-strike and disciplinary-action restriction to the Ethics Committee eligibility guidelines.
- Remove the Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday sibling meetings from the meeting script.
- Confirm removal of the Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday meetings from OIAA.
- Confirm the current operating status of the Big Book Meeting.
- Complete the transfer and training process for Shauna as OIAA Intergroup Representative.
- Lauren and Kristen will begin developing the Boundaries and Relationships Workshop.
- Implement a two-month trial of the GUTS WhatsApp Community.
- Provide instructional support for members using the WhatsApp Community.
- Add Gamblers Anonymous information to the co-host resource blurb.
- Revise co-host training materials to clarify shared room-monitoring responsibilities and the supporting role of the fourth co-host.
- Return the no-show, abandoned-shift and retroactive Ethics Committee eligibility questions to the next Business Meeting.
Closing
The meeting closed with the Serenity Prayer.
A motion was then made and seconded to formally close the Business Meeting.
Result: Motion passed.
The meeting was officially adjourned.
The meeting date, scheduled time and officer header can be added once confirmed.
🛑