GUTS Business Meeting – 1/15/2023

• I. Re-direction of intoxicated shares
  • Members do not require 24 hours of sobriety to share in a meeting. Currently, Host/Service
    Team determines whether or not a person is too intoxicated to share. Do we keep this Group
    Conscience in place?
    • Lisa proposed to keep Host/Service Team Discretion and for this GC to stay in place.
      – Seconded and Passed (10 Yes Votes/No Dissent)
  • The group voted to have a reminder posted in the announcement thread regarding situations
    in which a Host/Cohost’s sobriety is in question during the meeting. Information about share-
    redirection guidelines will need to be posted in the Group Announcement Thread per GC.
    • Current GC is to get a vote between cohosts in the Live Thread. If the cohosts
      determine that a Host is not sober, the Host will be asked to pass the Host tag to
      someone else.
    • Lisa proposed to keep this GC in place.
      -Seconded and Passed (10 Yes Votes/No Dissent)
• II. Tech/Website
  • Sarah S proposed having the Training Coordinator added to the list of people who have access
    to the GUTS Zoom account and Website. There has been concern expressed that only 2 people
    having access is not enough.
    • -Seconded and Passed (11 Yes Votes/No Dissent)
  • Adding more people to be Zoom Admins/IT Admins
    • Kristen proposed 7 altogether-1 Training Coordinator, 2 for Early Night GUTS, 2 for
      Middle Night GUTS, 2 Late Night GUTS
      -Seconded and Passed (11 Yes Votes/No Dissent)
    • After being informed by the Web Admin that 6 people would be too many Tech
      Helpers and severe tech issues could arise, Lauren motioned to have this GC revisited at
      the next BM in the SC Thread. (1/17/2023) Motion Passed with SC majority (1/19/2023)
    • Al proposed to grant HOST key access to second GUTS room to other members for business purposes – we should be able to use it for business purposes while main meeting is in progress. Otherwise, we’re paying for 2-3 people to have sole access, which is wasteful.
      • Lisa proposed that we grant Host key access to the 2 nd GUTS room to the Steering Committee members, Training Crew, and IT Crew to have access. The room is to be used for GUTS business only. Training purposes for the room are always given top priority.
        • -Seconded and Passed (12 Yes/No Dissent)
        • -We are allowing SC members access, for now, and there were some reservations about allowing SC access. If this doesn’t work out, this can be revisited.
  • The group needs a Male/Female Contact List Coordinator to update the contact lists and keep
    them organized.
    • Lisa motioned for the Contact List Coordinators to have a 6-month term, 6-month
      sobriety requirement, and a list of guidelines (Which will be determined at a later time).
      -Seconded and Passed (11 Yes Votes/No Dissent)
  • The group voted to have a LGBTQ phone list. A list was never compiled. We will need a LGBTQ
    Contact List Coordinator to put that together.
    • Kristen motions to table until further info is gathered (Seconded and Passed) Lauren
      agreed to take on the commitment if no one else wants to do it.
• III. Script/Reading Modifications
  • In the SC Feedback, Jocelyne and an anonymous member mentioned that the
    announcements/readings are taking too long. Jocelyne and Lauren provided potential
    solutions for cutting down the readings and gave alternate options.
    • Kristen and Lisa made the point that we have to read the readings because
      Intergroup requires certain readings done during a marathon meeting. Group was
      almost warned by Intergroup over this in the past.
    • Kristen made the point that certain announcements do not have to be read if there
      are more than 4 hands up per the Hosting Script.
    • Lauren motioned to keep the readings the way they are (HIW/12 Traditions) to
      cement this GC and prevent any future confusion over this issue.
      -Seconded and Passed
  • Lauren wrote out modifications for the script and would like to motion to add relevant parts
    from the AA Safety Card into the announcements rather than reading it in its entirety.
    • -Seconded and Passed
  • Lauren modified the service announcement script because it needs to be updated.
    • -Seconded and Passed
  • Lauren modified the Singleness of Purpose to include that members are to pass their personal information through service members privately.
    • -Seconded and Passed
  • Lauren modified a sentence in the Singleness of Purpose to “Please refrain from
    negative crosstalk, gossip, or outside issues in the shares and chat – as it may cause
    group members to feel unsafe.”
    • -Seconded and Passed
• IV. Returning to service parameters/Training Stuff
  • Training team doesn’t think it’s a good idea to add the issue of Justin F and his ban to the
    training script for incoming members. They believe it will create confusion for multiple
    reasons. Incoming members already have a lot to remember, and it might be too much at
    once. Lisa is hoping we can find a better plan or alternate solutions.
  • Lauren motioned to create a legally banned member link (Only accessible for the
    service team), and for trainers to redirect members to the Jan 8, 2023 BM Notes and
    the banned member link. We still have a duty to report and remove, but we also
    want to minimize the re-hashing out of the situation.
    -Seconded and Passed (13 Yes Votes/1 No Vote)
    -Group members agree that this can be revisited, or alternate solutions
    can be put in place, if this doesn’t work out. There was some kind-
    hearted debate on this issue.
  • Lisa S: The Group needs to clarify returning to service parameters. If people are returning to service, sobriety time notwithstanding, do they need to complete 30 cohost shifts before they can return to voice hosting?
    • Al wants to see if we can fast-track the cohosting requirements for returning Hosts who have been voted back into service.
    • Lauren motioned for 15 cohosts shifts to be required for returning Hosts prior to voice hosting. It’s to prevent members from coming and going, re-acquaint returning members with changes that may have occurred since their absence, and give people a chance to get involved with the members of the group again. There is humility in doing the background work. A 15-cohost shift reduction is being given in the understanding that returning members are familiar with the work that goes into hosting and to be fair to both sides of this issue.
      • -Seconded and Passed (13 Yes Votes/No Dissent)
  • A member proposed the removal of re-voting in returning service members because it
    discourages people from wanting to return and go through the voting process. (Placed in the SC
    Feedback)
    • Kristen and Lisa made the point that this adds a little hoop, gives people a chance to
      think over taking on the commitment or to back out (if needed), prevents the come and
      go, and the 72-hour poll gives a decent pause. Donna made the point that no one gets
      rejected from returning to service.
    • Lauren motioned to keep the re-voting in process and 72-hour poll in place
      • -Seconded and Passed (12 Yes Votes/No Dissent)
• V. Re-elections
  • Review six-month prior service requirement in GUTS in order to serve on steering committee
    – in lieu of James’s nomination and election. He requested for his election to be made legitimate
    and not allot different rules for him.
    • Lauren proposes to remove prior service requirement altogether and allow free
      participation. Allow anyone who has accepted their nomination to be included in the
      polls. The prior service requirement has already been bypassed and exceptions made to
      allow members into the SC.
    • Al proposes to reduce the length of prior service to 3 months or get rid of it
      completely.
    • Group members made the point that some service experience might be necessary to
      be on Steering Committee and understand the inner workings of the group. The 6-
      month service requirement was put in place due to an issue where someone
      “campaigned” to be on the SC with no service experience. However, a reduction is being
      given to allow further participation of those who are willing to do the SC work.
    • Lauren motioned to reduce the service requirement to 3 months. If a member has any
      less than 3 months of prior service experience, the group may vote to include a member
      in the poll for SC
      • -Seconded and Passed (9 Yes Votes/1 No Vote)
  • Terms are ending for our members. We need re-elections for 1 Traditions/Steps Meeting Host
    (Glenn), Big Book Meeting Cohost (Susan), 1 Newcomer Meeting Host (Daren).
    • (Sister Meeting Hosts) Lauren proposes the removal of terms for Hosting the sister
      meetings. Any member who meets hosting requirements and shows an interest can be
      voted in alongside the other Hosts. In other words, free participation. Rotation of Hosts
      occurs naturally when multiple people host based on their availability (just like the
      regular meeting). It also alleviates the need for Hosts’ required attendance for every
      single meeting. The commitment to Host the sister meetings would remain a minimum
      of 6 months. People naturally come and go; so, it doesn’t seem necessary to have terms.
    • (Sister Meeting Hosts) Al proposed mandatory re-nomination/re-election for Hosts
      who have been on longer than their term. Current GC is a two-term cap. If no one is
      willing to step in, vote to add another term. Al made the point that a certain length of
      sobriety and qualifications may be necessary to include members in the Sister Meetings.
      A new host with 60 days of sobriety might not have the qualifications or knowledge for
      the 12 Steps/12 Traditions/Big Book. He also expressed the concern that people might
      hold onto their positions without giving anyone else a chance to participate.
    • Lauren made the point that being an expert is not necessary to run the Sister
      Meetings because research gets done prior to the hour. It’s a learn-as-you-go kind of
      gig. A host of those meetings uses the 12&12, Big Book, and online resources to inform
      members of the group. Also, a member still has to be voted in to be a Host. Kristen
      made the point that there are members who relapse, they aren’t always new to AA, and they still retain knowledge of the program. Also, there will be previous Hosts with
      knowledge and guidance who can help the new Host out which reduces the pressure.
    • Lauren proposed: Sister Meeting Hosts- Needs to be Host-trained by the Training
      Team, 6-month minimum commitment, 3-month sobriety requirement, and No terms
      (Term is “ended” when a Host resigns)
      • -Seconded and Passed (12 Yes Votes/No Dissent)
        -If any problems arise, this issue can be revisited.
  • (Sister Meeting Cohosts) Lauren proposes the removal of voting in cohosts for the sister
    meetings and allow any trained cohost to have regular participation, if they choose to do so. It
    would lessen the need for more polls
    • -Seconded and Passed (11 Yes Votes/No Dissent)
  • (Sister Meeting Cohosts) Lauren proposes the removal of terms for regular Cohost
    participation in sister meetings. Allow free participation for Cohosts in the sister
    meetings. This is being proposed to establish a GC on this.
    -Seconded and Passed (12 Yes Votes/No Dissent)

Tabled:
1. Several of our threads on WhatsApp have only one admin. Might be a good idea to add more
admins to WhatsApp Threads to prevent the need to re-create threads.
2. Alternate Sister Meetings