Group Conscience
The next Common Peril monthly Group Conscience meeting is April 27 at 7 am
Group conscience meetings are held the last Saturday of each month at 7am. Submit topics/suggestions to: suggestions@commonperil.com. Topics should be submitted no later than one week before the meeting. If you do not attend the meeting, your topic will not be considered.
Topics for the April 27, 7am meeting:
Given Zoom bombers and the threats or threatening outbursts made at online meetings, I suggest discussing pathways for handling participants who make threats or respond with threatening behavior, especially when reminded of meeting practices agreed upon by the group conscience such as not sending everyone chats unrelated to the meeting script or the general functioning of the meeting.
Suggestion to discuss:
Possible pathways or questions about handling the threatening disruptions
Char/host remind
Kind email with reminder about agreed upon meeting practices and that we value the person's participation.
When do we move an individual to breakout room/waiting room?
Remove from meeting?
Multiple co-hosts to assist chair?
What is the role of the chair
Results of Group Conscience November through March
No topics were submitted.
Results of Group Conscience 10/28/23
Suggestions:
Should this group become its own meeting outside of the umbrella of BPW? No: 71% Yes: 29% 7 votes; 1 abstention
Discussion:
Common Peril was created for BPW members to provide meetings to BPW members during the Covid pandemic.
Funds collected by Common Peril were instrumental in paying the costs of keeping the BPW building.
Excess Common Peril funds continue to be sent to BPW.
Today there is much less interaction between the groups and hybrid meetings have been strongly rejected.
AA has a new 'region' designated for Online Meetings - not geographically limited.
BPW has a collection 'bucket' for Common Peril - providing a means for BPW members to contribute to Common Peril.
Members who do not attend BPW expressed that paying toward a clubhouse was 'fine with them'.
Followup:
Mark and Danielle to work together to strengthen ties to BPW to be more helpful to each other.
The QR code on the 'bucket' at BPW will be updated to identify these funds.
Signing up for the new Online Meetings region was authorized.
Election for the 6am rep for the BPW steering committee. Send candidate names to suggestions@commonperil.com.
Mark K. kindly volunteered to be the new representative. No other candidates.
Move group conscience times to always be at 7am - just after the 6am meeting. Yes 100% yes 7 of 7 votes no abstentions.
Discussion:
1pm meetings have not been attended with sufficient members to form a quorum for several months - delaying group conscious actions.
No members from the noon meeting were in attendance at these meetings.
Do away with the Zoom requirement for being logged in as host to share screen. Yes – 83% No - 7% 6 out 6 voting
Discussion:
This was identified as making it easier to chair/host - especially for those filling in at the last minute and for those who have work Zoom accounts.
Zoom updated 10/29/2023
Adopt new scripts for meeting to be found here - https://www.commonperil.com/chairs-and-hosts.
Discussion:
No vote was needed as the scripts did not change - however, a web-based, 'slide show', version of the scripts and readings that can be easily used by just clicking on the website was presented.
All the scripts that were on the Common Peril website home page have been moved to Chairs and Hosts tab.
Results of Group Conscience 7/29/23, 8/26/2023, and 9/30/2023
Due to limited participation, the group deferred all topics until the next meeting.
May - June 2023
No topics submitted.
Results of Group Conscience 4/29/23
Suggestions: Propose making the meeting an open meeting. If we elect to keep the meeting closed then we have procedures to deal with guests that do not declare themselves as Alcoholics: Do you have the desire to stop drinking? Are students interested in the program allowed? Are supporters, family members allowed? --Rick
Discussion: Our meeting script states that it’s a closed meeting and that anyone with a desire to stop drinking is welcome. We have had a couple of occasions where students showed up as visitors and they were politely asked to leave and find an open meeting. It would be helpful for chairs to have guidance about what to do if someone at the meeting identifies as a non-alcoholic visitor (e.g., student).
Motion: Change Common Peril meetings to open meetings. Motion fails; meetings will remain closed.
Consensus: Let's make sure that meeting listings (such as AA District 33 site) specify that our meetings are closed. Rick will take care of this.
Motion: Add language to the chair's script to be used if someone at the meeting self-identifies as a non-alcoholic visitor. Motion passes. Penny will draft language for the script and will get feedback.
Results of Group Conscience 3/25/23
Suggestion: Change from Closed meeting to Open meeting. If we are not going to enforce any consequences of not being an alcoholic then we are effectively an open meeting already. -- Rick. Explanation: This became a consideration at the Feb. group conscience when we decided to include introductions in the meeting format. At that GC, some members said they don’t want to take any action if someone introduces themselves without qualifying. If we don’t enforce the closed-meeting rules, we are a de facto open meeting and should state that.
Discussion: Two questions at issue here: (1) Do we want to change from a closed meeting to an open meeting? And (2) If we remain a closed meeting, how to we handle situations where an attendee doesn’t identify as an alcoholic in the introductions? Discussion of how this has been handled in in-person meetings, different feelings anticipated about open/closed at 6am vs. Noon meetings. Practical considerations: Stating on our website which meetings are closed; educating members about open vs. closed meetings; stating (in the script?) protocol if a nonalcoholic shows up at a closed meeting.
Consensus: Because of low attendance (6-7 members) and unclear expectations today, delay further discussion on this issue until the April group conscience. Rick will reword and resubmit his suggestion.
Results of Group Conscience 2/25/23
Suggestion/Motion: That Common Peril discontinue the 7pm meeting and remove listings for it from the CP website and AA meeting directories.
Discussion: Penny logged in daily at 7pm for a week and no one was there. Jon R. has run Zoom reports that show no meetings are going on at that time slot for the past 30 days. We don’t want newcomers/visitors to show up and find an empty room. Motion passes.Suggestion: Now that the meeting is smaller and we have more new people, consider meeting format enhancements that promote more sharing such as introductions during the meeting, keeping cameras on, shorter meetings, inviting beginners to share first, and other ideas.
First discussion: Do we even feel there’s a problem to discuss? Yes: Seems we have more dead time, and the proportion of attendees who speak is small. No: Let’s not mandate things; some people enjoy the silence as time to meditate/digest; let go and let God. Vote in favor of discussing potential changes.
Motion: Have a time for participants to introduce themselves, called on by the chairperson. If people don’t respond, just let it go. General support for the idea. Suggest chairperson call on people to introduce themselves to avoid a general shout-out. Question: At an in-person closed meeting, people who decline to introduce themselves as someone with a desire to stop drinking may be asked to leave; do we want to do that here? No, Zoom is different, people may be driving, etc. Motion passes.
Motion: Chair will ask, “Anyone who’s counting days want to identify themselves and tell us how many days?” Motion passes.
Motion: Designate one meeting/week as a beginner meeting. All are welcome, focus is on Steps 1-3, and allow newcomers to share first. Motion fails.
Unfinished Business: Some attendees had additional suggestions or felt their concerns weren’t fully addressed. They’ll submit suggestions for future group conscience meetings.
July 2022 - January 2023
No topics submitted.
Results of 6am Group Conscience, 12/10/22
Suggestion/motion: Add wording to the meeting script: “Please refrain from raising your hand until the chairperson is finished speaking.”
Discussion: To clarify, this applies to when the chair is giving their lead. Having the hand raised is distracting to the chair; it’s something that wouldn’t be acceptable in an in-person meeting. We have too many rules in the script already, let’s not add more. Agree that seeing a hand raised can be distracting for the chair, but the chair can deal with it.
Result: Motion failed.
Results of 6am Group Conscience, 7/16/22
Suggestion/Motion: If there is not an official name for our 6am meetings, I propose “Serenity at Six”. --Tom E.
Discussion: Idea inspired by Don C's name of "Serenity at Seven" for the 7am BPW meeting; some see this background as a strength, others a problem. "Serenity at Six" is an inviting counterbalance to the more foreboding "Common Peril" name. It's nice to have a name that reflects our identity as a meeting. Most AA meetings (even at shared locations) do have names. "To me, 'Common Peril' is the website and isn't the meetings." Having a separate name, script, etc. for one CP meeting is confusing and complicated.
Result: Motion passed. The script and meeting listings will be updated.
Results of Group Conscience 6/25/22
Suggestion: I would like the group to allow chairs the option to use readings from the AA Grapevine in our meetings. While each issue can't be conference-approved, it is the official journal of AA (Grapevine Fact Sheet) and, unlike most of our literature, has content written this century. --Penny W.
Discussion/result: No objections. Motion passed. Also, a link to the Grapevine site and subscription info will be added to the website.
April and May 2022
No topics submitted.
Results of Group Conscience 3/26/22
Suggestion: To protect members' anonymity, ensure that when all emails go out, all addresses are blind-copied. --Ron. Result: Submitter was not present; no action was taken.
Suggestion: Given the recent challenges of finding hosts and/or chairs, should we look at other options to make it simpler or easier for attendees to assume either role? For example, not having to share documents onscreen, or flexible scheduling options for signups, as possible solutions. Thank you. --Barbara E.
Discussion: If no host is present, it is possible for members to read the readings without having them shared on screen. People can read from their own books or use the documents we have available on the website. Make the website readings easier to find by putting them together in one box on the home page. Add to the script a reminder of what page the readings are on (e.g., "How It Works" is on page 58 of the Big Book). Also, people are welcome to continue to divide up hosting/chairing signups--e.g., two people agreeing to alternate chairing on Mondays next month.
Result: Revise CP website to make meeting readings easier to access. Update the chair's script to include page numbers for readings.
Results of Group Conscience 2/26/22
Suggestion: I'd like to suggest we return to a modified form of the monthly speaker meeting we had at the 7:00 AM pre-covid meeting. Instead of 1 we could have 2 speakers a month (or 1 if only 1 person signs up). I would also suggest that the sign up sheet be available for all to see. Come to the group conscience meeting to hear reasons to support this suggestion. Or to disagree. --Shabari C.
Discussion: Sobriety Celebration Saturday (SCS) is a nice opportunity to hear from people who don't want to share at length. But members miss the opportunity to hear in-depth, longer shares, and would also like the flexibility of signing up during non-anniversary months and possibly inviting outside speakers. Opinion is divided about having one speaker sign up per meeting (with the speaker having the option to share less than the full time), having two people sign up, or giving individuals the option of signing up to speak half or whole meeting. Consensus that members would like the speaker sign-up sheets to be viewable and available months in advance. (Also a request to do the same for chair/host sign-ups.)
Motion 1: To have at least one monthly speaker meeting. Motion passes.
Motion 2: To maintain SCS as is, and to create an additional monthly speaker meeting. Motion passes.
Motion 3: The additional speaker meeting will be the second Saturday of each month. One or two people can sign up to speak. Speakers can come from outside meetings. The sign-up list will be viewable. Motion passes.
Mark K. will talk with Carol Ann about logistics for creating sign-up sheets.
12/25/21, 1/29/22
No topics submitted.
Results of Group Conscience 11/27/21
Suggestion: In accordance with the group conscience vote taken at the October Group Conscience, I would like to bring the following script addition for consideration and approval: “The Common Peril group supports inclusivity, and all who have a desire to stop drinking are welcome. We recognize that the original AA literature read in meetings was not written using inclusive terminology, and we sincerely hope that it does not unintentionally cause anyone to feel unwelcome.” --Tom H
Discussion/Motion: Reword the statement slightly, to read: "The Common Peril group supports inclusivity, and all who have a desire to stop drinking are welcome. While we recognize that the original AA literature read in meetings was not written using inclusive terminology, we sincerely hope that it does not unintentionally cause anyone to feel unwelcome.” Motion passes. The statement will be added to the meeting script.
Results of Group Conscience of the 6AM meeting, 11/13/21
Julia C. volunteered to be 6am Meeting Rep to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Group. Gratefully approved by the group.
Suggestion: That members who attend the Wednesday 6 am meeting take a break from Came To Believe, which is currently the text for discussion. As an alternative, we might use As Bill Sees It, which also contains short readings but has topics indexed - the chair could read several short texts on the same topic - or just read straight through the book if they prefer. If someone else has a different idea for what we might read, bring your idea to the discussion for the meeting's consideration. --Casey G.
Discussion: In a previous group conscience this summer we agreed to go to As Bill Sees It after Came to Believe. Readings feel longer in Zoom meetings than they did in-person. Chair should lead on something they're passionate about; other view is that letting the chair decide week to week makes the meeting too much like any other meeting . Some people prefer the continuity of reading from one text over multiple weeks. How does chair know where the group stopped reading last Wednesday?
Motion 1: That the group stop using Came to Believe for the Wednesday literature meeting, at least for now. Motion passes.
Motion 2: That the chair on Wednesdays can choose readings from any Conference-approved literature. Motion fails.
Motion 3: That the literature meeting go back to the rotation that was formerly in use at the 7am in-person meeting, i.e.: Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book), then the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions, then Living Sober, and that we start with the Big Book. Motion passes.
Results of Group Conscience 10/30/21
Suggestion: I’d like to discuss the issue of taking license with the language/words in the script and in the readings. Primarily this is done for the purpose of making them more inclusive. While this is a noble gesture, I have concerns we are opening Pandora’s Box if we are free to change the language of the most fundamental writings from our literature as each individual sees fit. I believe a message of inclusivity can be incorporated into our script that makes it clear that we believe in inclusiveness, while still staying true to the words as written by Bill and Bob (and other pioneers). --Tom H.
Discussion: People have been changing the pronouns when reading How It Works and the Traditions. Some find that jarring. Some are concerned that if they read the texts as written, people will think they personally are against inclusiveness. We know the literature is of its time and doesn’t necessarily reflect how it would be written today. Many members are used to making allowances for sexist/Christian-specific language, but newcomers may be put off and feel excluded. Script is too long already; adding instructions (even doing the readings) takes away time for members to share. We don’t want to create too many rules or dictate how people should do the readings. Changing the pronouns doesn't change the meaning.
Motion: Add language to the chair's script saying that the Common Peril group supports inclusivity and recognizes that some of our readings, written in a past era, don’t necessary reflect that inclusivity. Tom will draft the statement and bring it to a future group conscience for a vote. Motion passes.
Results of Group Conscience 9/25/21
Suggestion: I would like to reinsert in the 6:00AM script that people can only share one time. (Since all the meetings share the same script I guess this should be discussed at a Common Peril group conscience and not just a 6AM group conscience.)--Shabari
Discussion: This was part of the structure of the 7am in-person meetings at BPW; newcomers may not be aware of the guideline so it would be good to have it spelled out in the script. At the noon and 7pm meetings, where there may be only a few people attending, everyone is free to share more than once. Motion: Insert in the chair's script: "At the 6am meeting, we only share one time." Motion passes.
Results of Group Conscience 8/28/21
Suggestion/Topic: Can we discuss a couple of scenarios:
1. What do we want to do if there's a situation where a member invites a friend to drop into attend the zoom by video, in the midst of a meeting that's in progress, without any introduction of that person (not sure if they are a member of AA), nor any prior notice to chair or host? One time when this situation arose recently it was very distracting and also questionable re: anonymity and m the two individuals were visibly engaged in an ongoing conversation, and the unannounced guest was waving at the screen. At that meeting there were two newcomers attending the meeting. In the interest of anonymity and in keeping with the spirit of the protocol of closed meetings, that attendee was dropped from that meeting. But it would be helpful for chairs to have a group conscience consensus on this.
2. What do we want to do when someone comes onto the meeting without an identifiable name ( eg zoom tile says "iPhone " or its a call in from the meeting) and when invited to introduce themselves they do not? Are we wanting to drop them from the meet or do we want to allow them to remain in the meeting. --Ayesha
Result: Submitter not present; no action taken.
Results of 6AM Meeting Group Conscience 8/7/21
Suggestion: Convert one discussion meeting to meditation meeting. Exactly like present meeting but also reading from Big Book page 86 “On awakening” concluding with: “It works-it really does” page 88. Ring bell. Silence for 15 minutes. Ring bell. Discussion meeting. Have up banner that says “Silent Meditation In Progress-15 minutes”. So many members have a rich meditation practice we would all benefit. --Tom E. Discussion: We can learn to be comfortable with silence in the silences we already have. Love the idea and welcome innovation. Would newcomers be put off by long meditation? Don't like cutting into discussion time. Modifications to original suggestion: Start with a meditation period of 7 minutes. Try this out for two months. Instead of invoking "God" use "Higher Power." Chair can choose 11th Step readings. If a newcomer is attending the meeting and/or someone has an urge to drink, drop the meditation segment for that meeting. Vote/decision: Motion (with modifications) did not pass.
Results of Group Conscience 7/31/21
Topic: Common Peril becoming an independent group (Mike K.). He senses that the people attending only in-person meetings don't want Common Peril members to be involved. Right now may not be the time to break away, especially with COVID resurging, but he'd like us to be discussing it. Discussion: Calm people's fears about Common Peril going away: C.P. will continue to hold meetings for the foreseeable future. It meets a need for people whose health, work, or other personal circumstances prevent them from being able to attend in-person meetings. Common Peril and its members are part of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Group, not a rival faction. Many CP attendees still consider BPW "home" and are now attending some meetings there or hope to return someday. Others say their loyalty is to the people in the group, not the geographical entity. CP donations are currently keeping the building running. Overwhelming frustration with the animosity exhibited by some individuals attending at BPW; these few have created such a hostile atmosphere that steering committee members have given up attending committee meetings, group members avoid going to group consciences, and some members don't feel safe going to in-person meetings. Differing opinions on whether this rift can be healed or whether a split is inevitable. Agreement that we all support our primary purpose, to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. No action taken.
Results of Group Conscience 6/26/21
Suggestion/Topic: Status of Zoom meetings ongoingly, regardless of the status of in-person meetings at BPW (Mike Smith). Result: Submitter not present; no action taken. Informal discussion reiterated recent discussions that there are no plans at present to eliminate Zoom meetings at Common Peril. As long as demand continues, so will the meetings.
Suggestion: Propose modifying the chairperson script to eliminate the following: "A reminder of online etiquette: Please respect this meeting as you would an in-person meeting, and avoid chatting to Everyone or holding side conversations. The facilitator may mute your sound or video during the meeting to avoid distractions. Feel free to unmute yourself to recite prayers, or to greet and thank participants." Just seems unnecessary after more than a year of Zoom meetings. (Peter J.). Discussion: We do occasionally have people attending for the first time who need to hear the guidelines. People hosting feel better supported if their permission to mute people is stated. Some confusion about what "sidebar conversations" are. Reading the sentences in question takes 19.5 seconds. Motion: Leave the language in the script for now. Motion passes.
Other items discussed (not official group conscience business):
Mark K. feels safe disabling the Zoom "waiting room" feature now that Zoom bombing has stopped. He'll do so, and asks that we email chairs and hosts to notify them. (Enabling that feature last year was a safety/technical decision, not a group conscience decision; therefore no group conscience is necessary to decide to stop using that feature.)
Reminder that the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Group will hold a group conscience on July 25, 9:30am, to discuss the topic of hybrid meetings, as well as any other items submitted for consideration in advance of that meeting's deadline. A suggestion box will be put out at BPW, and suggestions may also be submitted to steering@bpwmeetings.com .
Carol Ann has a PDF file that combines How It Works, the Traditions, and the Promises into one file. Some hosts may find it easier to share one long file rather than three separate ones. She will send it to Penny to make available on the website.
June 27 is the last Zoom meeting of the Sunday women's group; they will return to an in-person-only format. Gratitude to Common Peril for supporting the group.
Results of Group Conscience 5/29/21
Suggestion: Make the 6am zoom meeting permanent in the post COVID environment (Peter J.) . Result: Submitter not present; topic not discussed.
Suggestion: With some online meetings returning to face to face and mask restrictions being reduced, how does Common Peril want to handle decisions about possibly reducing the number of meeting times? The question isn't with regard to one specific meeting or about reducing the meetings at this moment; the question is how this issue will be addressed if/when demand diminishes (Carol Ann L.). Discussion: Want to make sure there's a process in place to allow for informed decision-making about any potential changes to online meeting schedules. There is strong to support to continue online meetings, for a variety of reasons. A few individual days/times have very low attendance and may need to be dropped. We continue to have unmet needs for chairs and facilitators; sometimes no one is there to start the meeting, so the meeting doesn't take place. (Can we post a list of contacts and phone numbers for such cases?) With the splintering of meetings between in-person and online, we have lost a feeling of unity; can we find a way to foster our group unity?
Motion 1: If a particular meeting wants to reduce frequency, the decision should be made by a group conscience of that meeting. E.g., if the 7pm meeting wanted to drop Saturdays, the issue would be decided by a group conscience of the 7pm meeting, rather than Common Peril as a whole. Motion passes.
Motion 2: If a meeting plans to have a group conscience to discuss a potential schedule change, the topic and meeting time need to posted on the CP website, and announced at meetings, two weeks in advance. Motion passes.
Consensus that if a group makes changes to their meeting schedule, the meeting rep (or other person from the meeting) needs to make sure the schedule change gets posted on both the Common Peril and NC District 33 websites.
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There were no topics submitted for March, and the topic submitted for April was withdrawn.
Topic for 4/24/21 (withdrawn by submitter)
I'd like to suggest that we allow people to sign up for more than one meeting chair position for the common peril meetings. Maybe if all positions are not filled about 3 days before the month begins, we could open up the chair seat to those who have already signed up for one day. The sign ups aren't all filling up and I am worried about the possibility of canceling meetings rather than having one with a repeated chair person. --Danielle R.
Results of Group Conscience 2/27/21
Suggestion: Discuss parameters for managing video during meetings (people calling from bed, for example); is more guidance appropriate? Discussion: We have too long a script/too many rules already. Although people participating from bed and/or wearing pajamas is fine, there are differing opinions about whether they should show their video. Consensus: If participants are not fully clothed (e.g., shirtless), video should be turned off. No further language in script is needed. Facilitators should feel empowered to use their judgement about muting video; participants likewise should feel free to ask facilitator to do so. Result: No further action needed.
Suggestion: Should we discontinue monthly Zoom-help sessions? People aren't showing up. Consensus: Giving people an alternate way to help is fine. We offer an email address on the website for questions. We can replace the Zoom-help language in the script with something about checking the Common Peril home page for announcements.
Suggestion: Change script wording from "If you are willing to be a temporary sponsor AND share your number...." to "OR to share your number." Consensus: Agreed; script will be changed.
Group Conscience 12/26/20 and 1/30/21
No topics/suggestions were submitted for these months.
Results of Group Conscience 11/28/20
Suggestion: Would Common Peril group like to join the Online intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous here: https://aa-intergroup.org/about-aa/oiaa-members/join-oiaa/ ? Result: Rick is going to get experiences of groups that have listed, to find out what the impact is. He'll also find out about security from Zoom bombing.
Suggestion: The idea of pre-screening "group conscience" discussion topics effectively voids the free exchange of information and ideas. It's a transparent control mechanism going against both the 12 traditions and the concepts for world service. Result: Topics are not pre-screened; every topic submitted to suggestions@commonperil.com gets posted to the topics list. At least three people have access to that email account to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
Suggestion: How can we ensure greater coordination between BPW and Common Peril, given that these two groups, while separate, have intertwined interests and structures? Result: Keep script as is.
Results of Group Conscience 10/31/20
Suggestion: Modify meeting script to invite visitors and newcomers to this meeting (not just new to AA) to introduce themselves. Result: Motion passed. Sarah H. drafted new language for the script.
Suggestion: Set a guideline that suggestions for Group Conscience meetings must be submitted and posted at least a week before the meeting to be considered. Result: Motion passed.
Question: What is the group's policy on discussing drugs and describing drug use in meetings? Discussion: Our script states that we ask people to limit their sharing to alcoholism. But cross-addiction is fairly common and we don't want to exclude people who need the hand of AA. Commonly if someone shares inappropriately at a meeting, someone will take them aside afterward and talk with them about it. The chairperson has the authority to interrupt someone, but it can be difficult to quickly recognize that something out-of-bounds is being discussed and then know what to say to the person. Reminder that in Zoom the chair can also choose to mute someone. Can we create guidelines for chairs, including suggested language for such situations? Consensus: Sarah H. will draft guidelines, working from the Chairperson Guidelines in the meeting binder at BPW and incorporating suggestions from members. The final document will be mailed to the Common Peril mailing lists for Chairs and Hosts, and put up on the website. Mark will update those mailing lists.
Group Conscience 9/26/20
No suggestions were submitted in September; therefore, that month's meeting was cancelled.
Results of Group Conscience 8/29/20
Suggestion: Consider reviving the custom of reading How It Works and the Traditions at the beginning of some or all meetings. In my experience, hearing those read at every meeting was an important part of my AA education. Asking for volunteers to read them gives people a chance to participate. Discussion: Some meetings are already doing this. Let’s compensate for added readings by trimming the meeting script. Options discussed: Doing the readings daily, weekly, or only when a newcomer is present; or reading HIW daily and just one Tradition of the month. Decision/Vote: Read How It Works and Traditions at every meeting. We have volunteers to edit the meeting script.
Suggestion: I suggest that once a month immediately following a meeting we have a designated time to: express our gratitude to the people who have kept the BPW meetings going so smoothly and consistently; to ask questions about Zoom and have these answered by the people who know about Zoom, such as Mark K., Carol Ann, Penny, Jon R.; and perhaps have a brief training piece about some aspect of Zoom. Consensus: All present support the idea of a monthly practice session. Schedule it for the second Saturday of the month, after the 6am meeting. Add an announcement about this to the script; ask Carol Ann to add it to the schedule sign-up so we can be sure to have a teacher there. Consider collecting tips/lessons from these sessions and post them on the CP website.
Suggestion: Polling, elections and accessibility are recognized ingredients of an actual group conscience. Result: Suggester not present; topic dropped. Mark K. notes that in response to this suggestion he implemented the Zoom polling option for tallying votes at this group conscience meeting.
Suggestion: Could we have a quick vote on whether folks want to continue to do Wednesday as a literature meeting like the one we have at BPW, in the rooms? Or go back to the regular meetings with chair's choice? Consensus: Continue the literature meeting.
Topic: What are our guidelines for Sobriety Celebration Saturday? Specifically, can a member tell their story during a month other than their anniversary month? E.g., member may have a schedule conflict, it's a particularly speaker-heavy month, or member doesn't want to speak before their actual anniversary date has occurred. Motion: General guideline is that you share during your anniversary month; the chair can grant exceptions in unusual cases for people who miss their month. Vote: Motion passes.
Results of Group Conscience 7/25/20
Suggestion: Consider having fewer speakers at sobriety celebration Saturdays, so that each speaker can share for longer. Result: Suggester not present at meeting; topic dropped.
Suggestion: Should we offer a beginners meeting? Result: Suggester not present at meeting; topic dropped.
Suggestion: Make Wednesday 6am meeting a literature meeting. Other meetings free to decide whether that would be beneficial for them to do. In the in-person Wednesday meeting, The Big Book, the 12 and 12 and Living Sober were used and the chair read an entire chapter or a portion of whatever text was being used. With the current Zoom meeting format, the chair will read and those who want to help may raise their hand to volunteer. The chair may pause after each paragraph to allow shares during the reading as well. Discussion: No opposing views. Both the Big Book and the 12 and 12 are linked to the Common Peril webpage now. Living Sober is not and if that text is used, the chair will have to read from their own library. AA.org does not have a pdf link for that book and to avoid having to use a bootleg version we can always discuss buying a copy and linking it to the Host. Result: The 6am will try the literature format for a month and decide whether they want to continue after the trial period.
Results of Group Conscience 6/27/20
Suggestion: Change at least one of the Common Peril meetings to an open meeting. Discussion: Typically open meetings are ones to which family members/friends are invited or to which professionals come; for these people, the opportunity to attend a 6.00 a.m. meeting is probably of limited interest. The Noon or 7:00 p.m. Common Peril is probably a better candidate for this population; however, today’s group conscience is not empowered to make the decision on their behalf. Motion: Table the decision until the other two meetings (12:00 and 7:00) have had a chance to hold group conscience meetings, then vote at next month’s group conscience (assuming that by then the two meetings have had a chance to discuss). Motion passed. Action: Sarah will create an announcement and send to the chairs and hosts via the Commonperil email address.
Suggestion: Zoom is implementing new security requirements 7/19; it will require a passcode or a waiting room for all meetings. Discussion of how that will change our meetings and how to let people know. Discussion: If we didn't have a passcode and did nothing, Zoom would create a waiting room (which is what the District uses) and will require the host to pass people through. Mark clarified, however, that our meetings already have a passcode; it is embedded in the URL so people go directly into the meeting and don’t even realize it is needed. Therefore, we don't have to make any changes. Motion: do nothing. Motion passed. [Update 7/7: Zoom has postponed the security change to September.]
Suggestion: Can we solicit feedback on our first Saturday Sobriety Celebration? What worked and didn’t? Discussion: at the inaugural meeting on Saturday June 27, 10 people had submitted anniversary dates so time was allocated accordingly (5 minutes per person); but in fact only 3 of the anniversary people were present. This meant the anniversary speakers had finished sharing well before end of the meeting and the meeting was opened up to all to share. Some people would have preferred we had fewer speakers who could speak longer than 5 mins. It hadn't been clear whether the announcement soliciting anniversary dates was for an anniversary register or to actually speak at the meeting. Potential approaches going forward include: (a) four speaking slots, everyone speaks 10 minutes; draw names out of a hat if more than four people sign up. (b) Take number of people who show up and divide the meeting time by that number to allot time to speak. Rick will be chairing the anniversary meeting in July. Consensus is to give the meeting chair some flexibility with managing speakers. Chair will have access to a list of names of people with anniversaries who signed up; chair will check at the beginning of the meeting to see how many of those individuals are actually present; he will allocate time to speak accordingly. Consensus also to update and clarify the anniversary sign-up process. (1) Change meeting script to include announcement about anniversaries (Joanne, Penny). (2) Adapt website language around anniversaries to be clearer. (3) Change signup form to allow people to specify at which anniversary meeting (6am/noon/7pm) they wish to speak; request contact information; allow signups to be sorted by month. Joanne suggests these actions do not require a vote as this is more clarification & housekeeping – proposal accepted by attendees.
Suggestion: If we opt to continue the online meeting: How about we start an option of mailing medallions/coins to members who for whatever reason will not be picking one up at an in-person meeting? We can do that by adding to the sign up sheet on the celebration tab, and asking for a volunteer to manage it. Discussion: This wouldn’t be mandatory. Supply sources: Nearby clubs, Hazelden, BPW's supply; Tom suggested checking with the literature person who normally (pre-Covid) orders that. We would need volunteers to manage the requests for medallions, and to send them out. Mark offered to purchase/pick up the chips. Penny volunteered to send out chips to individuals. Motion: that we acquire chips and create a mailing list, and create an email alias where people can send request to get chip for anniversary of any timepoint (months/years). Motion passed. Meeting script will be modified to reflect this new process.
Results of Group Conscience 5/30/2020
Time preceding the meeting: This is the time for people to say who they are and also to claim their seat (I’m an alcoholic). It can be impossible to do this when people are carrying on a conversation with one another - and the conversation itself can be off putting. People don’t carry on loud long distance chats when we’re in the BPW building. Results: General support for the idea of "making space" for people to introduce themselves. Chair or host is encouraged to stop chatter 1-2 minutes before the meeting and ask people to introduce themselves if they haven't yet had a chance to do so.
For scheduling -- Time- & Energy- Saving. Perhaps let's K.I.S. by eliminating the proverbial middle-man: if someone is willing to be a back-up/substitute, that person could give their contact info to those persons holding the position/s. Results: Discussed and dropped.
Quite low-priority. Is it possible for the webmaster to select "no-one can change their backdrop or rotate their onscreen snapshot DURING a meeting? Results: Discussed and dropped.
RE. Chair's Script -- Experiential "About Chat": it might be (or might have been) better to reverse the order of the "HOW TO RAISE YOUR HAND" suggestions. I find the only time I can use the raise hand feature BY USING THE ELLIPSES/ 3 DOTS on my onscreen snapshot is as host or co-host. Results: Discussed and dropped.
Might there be some interest in designating one meeting per month at the end of the month as an anniversary meeting? People would sign up for it in advance and it’s basically a speaker meeting, with the time divided between all the celebrants with an anniversary that month, talking about how they did it. Perhaps it’s even an open meeting, so their family/friends can attend and share their success. I suggest it because I think during these days, staying sober is more difficult for some people and celebrating sobriety more important. Plus, we all need more good news and uplifting experiences. I know I do. We might try it on a pilot basis, say three months, and if people don’t like it, we nix it. But hopefully, …what’s not to like? Results: Discussion was to clarify that the monthly celebration would not replace the daily recognition at meetings and that other meetings have a similar meeting. A vote was taken and approved with on one dissent. In the short term, tracking would be accomplished manually, to kick it off.
Also, in the interest of history, let’s record our first meeting date as an official anniversary date for the meeting, and a paragraph on how this meeting got started, so that we can read it at the first anniversary party! Hopefully not an online party, which we should start planning soon – just kidding, but only about starting the party planning so soon. Results: Approved. Carol Ann and Mark agreed to record the official anniversary date and write the group’s history.
Results of Group Conscience 4/25/2020
I believe at the last group conscience we decided that during the actual mtg there would be no group chats. Perhaps this could be clarified, better defined during the chairperson’s opening remarks. Proposal: Chats to Everyone during discussion should only be used by the host. Result: Agreed.
Who is responsible for calming down someone disorderly during a meeting? Proposal: Chair is in charge and the host can enforce the decision of the chair. Result: Agreed.
Do we still need a facilitator and a chair? might make scheduling easier to just have a chair for some meetings. Should we consider just having a chair for meetings where the chair person feels comfortable fulfilling both roles? Proposal: Option on signup sheet will be does the chair need a facilitator. Facilitation will be optional. Result: Agreed.
Format, how are we doing with that? Should we make changes? Proposal: Keep current format. Result: Agreed.
Should we list other meetings on the site? or links to the other large aggregations of meetings? Proposal: Create email alias for submission of links and publish links on our site. Result: Agreed.
I'm frequently turned off by the behavior of some, especially at the noon meeting. Would it be possible to address the problem of crosstalk in the opening statements? Something like - despite the format this is an AA meeting and the usual rules discouraging crosstalk apply. Proposal: Table discussion of this item since submitter was not present to clarify.
Can we turn off the entering/leaving meeting sounds? "Ding-dongs" are distracting. Proposal: Remove the ding-dong . Result: Agreed.
Question: Are we confident that 7am is an okay time for group conscience? Concern we might be leaving out people who come to the 12 and 3pm meetings for whom 7am is just too early. Proposal: Alternating meeting between 7am and 1pm each month. Result: Agreed.
Should we consider moving the 3pm meeting to 7pm? or adding a 7pm meeting. Proposal: Move the 3pm to 7pm starting May 1st. Result: Agreed.
Scheduling team: Need more people to help, especially when last-minute substitutes need to be found to chair or host a meeting. Volunteers: Casey, Joanne, Yolan, Carol Ann .
Steering Committee: Need volunteers to form an ad hoc steering committee for Common Peril and to interact with Chapel Hill-Carrboro Group's regular steering committee. Volunteers: Carol Ann, Mark, Tom H., Barbara, Joanne, Mike Sm., and Leah. Committee will meet after the 6am meeting on Sunday, 4/26
Results of Group Conscience Held 3/28/2020
Results of 6am Meeting Group Conscience 5/20/23
Suggestion: Reduce the number of 6am meetings each week due to the difficulty of finding chairs and hosts. –Shabari. Explanation: The last few months we haven’t filled all the slots for chairs and hosts. It’s not healthy for the group or for individuals when we have just a few people doing all the service. We can do without a host (except for the Wednesday literature meeting) but someone has to chair.
Discussion: Members value having the meeting available 7 days a week; most don’t want to eliminate any days. Are there things we can do to make it easier for people to lead? Possibilities include having a 30-day signup calendar so people can choose individual dates to chair; resuming seminars to teach people how to host; simplifying the script; creating links to readings.
Sentiment that as a group we can relax our expectations of having everything organized, with all slots filled; meetings will be fine even when someone steps in to chair on the spot. Individuals who used to sign up frequently say they’ve found it positive for their own growth to loosen the reins and step back from leadership, allowing other members a chance to fill the gaps.
Motion: Form a committee to come up with ideas to resolve the issue of the burden on leads and hosts, with the goal of keeping the meeting seven days a week. Motion passes. Volunteers for the committee are Jon R., Jules, Carol Ann, Rick, Alison, Shabari, Tom, Julia C. Rick will chair the committee.
Results of Group Conscience 7/29/23, 8/26/2023, and 9/30/2023
Due to limited participation, the group deferred all topics until the next meeting.