GUTS Steering Committee – 09/24/2023

September 24, 2023 Steering Committee Notes

SC Chair: Lauren

BM Co-Chair: Lisa

Secretaries: Elle and Lauren

SC Members Present: All were present.

Old Business

1. 24/7 Contact List

1. Motion to bring this topic to the BM.

1. Seconded and Passed (7 Yes Votes/No Dissent)

2. Wording in “HIW” 

1. Jason W: We need to or can we please change the “men and women” to the “people” reference in how it works to be in line with the more open and inclusive term used in the preamble as approved by AA.
2. SC Thread (9/8/2023)

1. Our Intergroup Representative has been very busy the past couple of days. I have some info to bring forward that is time sensitive. This is regarding the changing of the wording in “HIW” from “men and women” to “people.” Theoretically, if we changed it on our own just for the meeting, we wouldn’t be an AA meeting because HIW is copyrighted. If we do something like this, then they can take us off the Intergroup listing online. It’s kind of a lesson in the 4th tradition. Yes, we are autonomous, but there’s the second part of the tradition…This is a good example of something that would affect other groups and AA as a whole. We can go through the procedure to get it changed like it was in the Preamble. (It’s similar to the process that SC Member 1 discussed at the August SC meeting.) If we want to facilitate this topic, we will have to submit it as a conference agenda item. The deadline for this year is in 4 days. With SC approval, I would like to submit the form to facilitate our BM topic. We will need a majority vote for something like this. If not, we can wait a year to have this topic go through the BM process. We can wait to submit this form until it can be approved at a BM. It’s up to all of you. 

3. This topic was tabled at two Business Meetings but was addressed during two Steering Committee meetings. Sarah S provided the information that I posted in the SC Thread, and the motion passed. Thank you, Sarah, for looking into this. Your service is greatly appreciated. I proceeded to submit the form due to an impending deadline. On an exciting note, I have received confirmation via email that the form was successfully submitted. If our agenda item remains undiscussed, we have the option to submit another form next year. Ideally, a group vote at a Business Meeting would be the preferred approach to keep in mind for next year. 

1. For now, I would like to motion to not change the wording in “HIW” in our meeting unless we can get approval at the AA level.

4. SC Response

1. Dennis: Initially opposed the changing of “HIW” at the group level. He encouraged the group to go through the necessary outlets for the change to happen. He also hoped Maya would attend the conference to give her perspective too. Anyone can submit a form to GSO for a topic. He understood that we had a deadline for this to get done. We always have next year to submit the form again. 

• Lauren: Had there been more time, I would have preferred for this to go through the BM process and had more individual members involved in the submission. This is something we can keep in mind for next year.

2. Jeremy: Agreed with Dennis and initially opposed the changing of “HIW” too. Sending the form to GSO was the right thing to do. We still have feedback on the table that needs to be discussed by the group. The feedback itself still needs facilitation by having a group vote at the Business Meeting. We can bring all the information that we have about this topic and motion to not change the wording until it’s approved by AA.
3. Motion to bring this topic to the BM.

• Seconded and Passed (8 Yes Votes/No Dissent)

3. Thread Overhaul

1. Motion to bring this topic to the BM.

1. Seconded and Passed (7 Yes Votes/No Dissent)

4. Mandatory BM Attendance for Service Leadership

1. Motion to bring this topic to the BM.

1. Seconded and Passed (8 Yes Votes/No Dissent)

5. Specifying Job Roles

1. Motion to bring this topic to the BM.

1. Seconded and Passed (7 Yes Votes/No Dissent)

6. GC Manual

1. Motion to bring this topic to the BM.

1. Seconded and Passed (8 Yes Votes/No Dissent)

7. Non-facilitated BM Topics

1. Motion to bring this topic to the BM.

1. Seconded and Passed (7 Yes Votes/No Dissent)

New Business

1. SC Update/Info

1. I would like to emphasize that Lisa and I will be completing our terms in November. Currently, I hold three SC leadership positions (SC Chair, BM Chair, and Secretary), and Lisa serves as our BM Co-Chair and runs the nominations and polls. We will have both been actively involved in the SC for a year. It’s essential for others to consider stepping up to take on these roles and engage in the learning process. The group depends on consistent and dependable leadership. It’s time for others to contribute their efforts and embrace the spirit of rotation within our group.
2. Nominations

1. 1 Non-SC Thread Admin, 2 Scheduling Positions, 1 Trainer, 2 Board Positions (Can be SC or Non-SC), 2 Secretaries, 1 SC Chair, 1 BM Chair, 1 BM Co-Chair, and 3 SC Positions. 2 out of the three SC Positions would take over after Lisa and Lauren have completed their terms.
2. We need people for our Anniversary Committee and 4th Step Workshop!
3. Motion to open nominations with the understanding that they will take over the positions when our terms are over so that they get some time to learn how to do these positions. Anyone interested in working the leadership positions will be given help and some training.

• Seconded and Passed (9 Yes Votes/No Dissent)

3. SC Response

1. Elle reminded the group that her term as Secretary was over 9/12/2023. She wanted some more info about the Board and how that related to her current position as Treasurer. She remembered the instance where we worked through the disentanglement with the Board and SC. Her term on the SC and Treasurer will be over in March. She offered to do one of the open leadership positions except Secretary. 

• Lauren: Elle is still the Board President. The Treasurer is the only SC position that is still associated with the Board. The Board Position in section 2 is associated with her Secretary position. There is one open Board Position since her term ended as Secretary. Thus, that Board position needs to be filled. The initial problem with the Board was the extension of specific SC leadership terms. The transition is allowing us to make the change smoothly since it’s already very confusing. That’s why Elle and I were in the SC for a year. It’s the same reason why Elle is on the SC until March. 
• Basically, when the Secretaries’ terms (Lauren and Elle) are over, the 2 Board positions can be filled by either a SC member or Non-SC Member. Terms for SC leadership are reverted to 6-month terms and being on the board will no longer extend them to a year. The only exception is the Treasurer who fulfills the 1-year commitment and has the Board President title.
• This is how the Board will look within this month: Board President-Elle, 2 Board Positions (Can be SC or Non-SC)-Open, 2 Non-SC Board Members-Susan W and Don.
• A reminder that members of the Board do no service work. Names are basically place-holders.

2. Lisa-Wondered if we can open all the listed SC Leadership positions now. That way, we can help the new people get accustomed to the new positions. Help them before they take over. We should open them up so that people can start learning.
3. Lauren-Yes, I was hoping that we could stagger out of these positions like the schedulers so that the new people can get a little bit of training. I was also hoping that we could allow anyone who is interested in doing these leadership positions outside of the SC too. Our SC positions will be up for grabs so they can just fill in the seats when our terms are over. I would be willing to help any person that wants to take over the leadership spots before handing it off. 
4. Jeremy-Agreed that all the positions should be opened now. He felt that having someone shadow us when Lisa and I end our terms would be a good idea. He said that the SC Chair position is for SC members only. 
5. Dennis-Was interested in the BM Co-Chair position as long as it’s not a heavy workload like BM Chair. He said that he would be willing to issue polls too if it doesn’t interfere with his work schedule. 

• Lisa explained that the Co-Chair position is mainly taking notes during the BM. The polls aren’t necessarily associated with the Co-Chair positions; she was doing them to help out. Issuing polls only takes about 5 minutes. Issuing polls is not limited to one position. Anyone on the SC can issue polls and that used to be more of a communal effort.

2. Hosts/Cohosts Only in Live Thread

1. Hosts/Cohosts Only in Live Thread (September SC Feedback)

1. Sarah S: I am proposing that only current service members who are hosts or co-hosts have access to the LIVE what’s app thread. I believe it could be a safety concern /security risk to have anyone else in this thread. If there is a compelling need for access as determined by the group conscience, then exceptions could be made on a case-by-case basis.

2. SC Response

1. Lisa-Wants the group to be cognizant of the land of gray involved with our service positions.
2. Dennis-We have discussed the allowance of people in various threads. He wants to make sure that it’s all Hosts/Cohosts that would be in the Live Thread, even the people who aren’t participating all of the time.
3. Lauren-All Hosts/Cohosts would include the Sister Meeting Hosts and anyone who is listed as a Host/Cohost.

3. Response to Complaints

1. There were quite a few complaints regarding SC behavior. The SC agreed to handle this issue with caution and delicacy when bringing the info to the BM. I will not be posting the complaints in the notes for the sake of compassion. The complaints were screenshared during the SC Meeting for transparency and to follow-through on the group process for handling complaints. 
2. Maya: I have been working on the Ban Guidelines this month. One of the discussions that was held in the Ban Guidelines Committee was creating a group approved definition of 13th stepping that we can include in our guidelines. Hopefully, having this definition clearly defined will help the group become unified. 
3. Garrett: Garrett, your feedback regarding the behavior during meetings is appreciated. The importance of maintaining a safe and respectful environment is recognized. We can potentially address this concern by reminding all members, including trusted servants, of the need for respectful and constructive communication during Business Meetings. Additionally, the SC needs a reminder that differing opinions are part of the Business Meeting process. Dissent is necessary for the group’s growth and can be incorporated into the group’s decision-making. 
4. Kelly, Donna, and Amy: The group will need to clarify the boundaries of discussions in Business Meetings and ensure that the group stays focused on the primary purpose of sobriety and recovery. The group will need to emphasize the importance of respecting members’ privacy and refraining from personal inquiries unrelated to AA and GUTS. The group should conduct a review of this behavior, considering the concerns raised. The group should explore the possibility of providing additional training or support for maintaining a respectful and inclusive environment like Donna suggested. The group will need to review our SC members and make sure that we are following the principles and traditions of AA. Our trusted servants’ behavior needs to reflect the best interests of the group and understand the need to protect individuals from group interference. The work done in the Ban Guidelines will have limitations for bans so that the group does not wrongfully issue them. In one section, I tried to balance the credibility of complaints while also considering compassionate approaches. These guidelines will be brought to the group for further inspection and approval. 
5. Al: It might be beneficial for the group to address the scope of topics allowed during Business Meetings and establish limitations. After considering the feedback that was placed, I included a section in the Ban Guidelines that distinguishes between gossip that creates disunity within the group and individual conversations about group affairs. Al raised a valid point about ensuring that the group does not interfere with personal conversations between members. The group should not meddle in the private lives of its attendees because it’s a distraction from the primary purpose. It’s also important to stay properly informed with GC and to use accurate information.
6. The goal with the Ban Guidelines is to have a unified way of handling bans. That means compromising with safety measures/boundaries and exercising love/tolerance. It’s going to take the whole group to follow these guidelines, and they should never be used unilaterally. 
7. With these complaints, I am hoping to remand the (BM?/SC?) discussion to the 4th Step Workshop Committee to come up with solutions for recovery-based issues within the group. 

4. SC Response to Complaints

1. Dennis: Feels strongly about safety; however, he felt that these issues should have been handled privately between members. There could have been a more appropriate way to deal with this that did not involve bringing it to the group. Singling people out is not AA. 

• Lauren: I am hoping that we can facilitate this by having a group review of all SC members and not one. That way, it’s not an attack session on one person. This gives the power to the group where it rightfully belongs and ensures that we are ALL following the traditions and the group’s wishes.

2. Maya: She was hurt that these complaints were shared in the meeting. She has made efforts to not use the person’s name when giving feedback. She said that she has no problem with the person and thinks quite highly of them. This was about protecting women and keeping the group safe from predatory behavior. The only reason this wasn’t handled properly is due to the person being well-liked. If this had been any other person, they would have been given a ban. She said that she would be leaving, left after sharing, and then resigned from the SC.
3. Donna: Simply stated that she expects more Love/Tolerance and better behavior from a SC member. She wonders if more training for the position can be given. Please bring this discussion to the Business Meeting.
4. Kristen: Sides were taken throughout all of this. Let’s not ban together to attack people. People get defensive of others and look at the individuals rather than the situations. The SC feedback gets filled with people not liking someone and that hurts the group. She has seen both sides of this and is concerned about the behavior that was exhibited on both ends. We should not be focused on who we like or dislike, but what is best for the group. We tend to jump on the bandwagon of whose opinions we like the best and get a collective opinion based on that. There are many different opinions in AA, and all deserve patience and respect regardless of likeability. Basically, she was worried about a mob mentality when AA is about staying unified. There might be a way to bring this to the group without causing further harm by looking at the behavior. 
5. Lauren: I did the best I could with what I was given by bringing forward the SC feedback. I thought I was doing what was right by following the group’s way of handling complaints. I agree with Kristen that we should focus on the behavior itself. 
6. Jeremy: Expanded on Kristen’s share. He explained that bringing the feedback to the SC is the group process for handling complaints. The feedback is brought to the meeting and discussed before going onto the agenda. He felt that bringing the complaints to the BM could create further disunity. Focus on the behavior, not the individuals. Taking people’s inventory is against AA and Traditions. This hurts the group as a whole and these complaints are not conducive to the group’s well-being. Having unity in the group and our common welfare comes first. He and Kristen both suggested not bringing the feedback to the group and focusing on the behavior itself.
7. Lauren (Side Note): I will be keeping what Jeremy and Kristen shared in mind when bringing the information to the BM. I will have the focus be on the behaviors rather than the individuals. I will try to make this section as constructive as possible. I will post the agenda as soon as possible so the SC can review this section and ensure that it’s appropriate.
8. Motion to facilitate these complaints by having a group review of our SC members at the BM and to address the behaviors (not the people) while keeping in mind what Kristen and Jeremy shared. The feedback will not be brought to the group verbatim.

• Seconded and Passed (9 Yes Votes/No Dissent)

5. Host Feedback Workshop Dates

1. Lisa wants to motion for the dates for the workshops.

1. 10/22 11amPST-Lisa
2. 10/25 9pmPST Training room-Kristen
3. 10/28 3:30pmPST-Mary Mc
4. 11/5 3pmPST-Mary Mc

2. Motion to bring this topic to the BM.

1. Seconded and Passed (8 Yes Votes/No Dissent)
2. This will be discussed during the Host Feedback Workshop Update.