| FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions | ||
| NEXT TO GLOSSARY OF TERMS This is the Frequently Asked Question page for A Serenity Place. Often we have questions that don’t appear to be answered by general guidelines. Also, there are terminology questions which can be addressed more easily using this format.FAQ stands for “Frequently Asked Questions.” It it hoped that by posting this FAQ that the membership of A Serenity Place will have an opportunity to be better informed about how this online meeting works. Like regular meetings in the ‘real world’ this meeting does not occur in a vacuum. There are ‘real world’ factors which affect the decisions made by both the membership and the leadership.
For a list of acronyms frequently used in ASP, please go to the Acronym page. |
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| Questions | Meaning or Description at A Serenity Place | Face-to-Face Meeting Equivalent (the real world version) |
| How do I unsubscribe, or leave the meeting? | Go to https://asp-afg.org/mailman/listinfo/asp
Please let us know if it is because of something we did while you were here. Please do NOT send a message to the meeting asking to be unsubscribed. |
People generally leave meetings for one of two basic reasons: (1) something like geography or work will prevent them from coming back to that meeting, or (2) the meeting doesn’t work for them anymore. In the first instance, saying goodbye to the meeting is common in the fellowship. However, in the second instance, it is difficult if not impossible to tell a meeting that it doesn’t work for you (anymore) without being disruptive. |
| Is it OK for members to scream HELP when they feel the need to? | Yes! This is especially common for new members of Al-Anon. Hint: Type “ASP HELP” in your subject line. You are bound to get several responses soon. | Very often newcomers need help desperately. So they come to a meeting and share their misery and ask for help. This seems to be a normal part of recovery. Sometimes, old-timers get challenged by life too, and need to do the same. |
| I’m having difficulties with my subscription. Should I ask the meeting for help? | No. Send a note to the List Administrator describing your problems. Then be a little patient for his response, please. If you don’t hear back in a few days, then send a note to the Greeter Chair. | N/A |
| Can I post a message from someone who is not a member of ASP? | No. The list is for the exclusive use of individuals currently subscribed to the list for the sharing of their own personal experience, strength and hope. Posting a message or share belonging to a person who is not a member of ASP circumvents this process and is considered a violation of both list and server security. | No. In a face-to-face meeting, we do not bring some else’s share to the meeting. |
| How do I bring up a business issue at this meeting. | Send a message to any member of the Steering Committee describing your issue or question. | Take the issue to the business meeting by attending the business meeting and raising the issue. |
| How long does it take to resolve a business issue at a meeting. | The decision making process in this online environment generally takes even longer that it does in a regular face-to-face environment. | Group decisions take time. In Al-Anon, group decision take even more time. In Al-Anon we learn to take an informed group conscience. The key word here is informed. An informed group conscience is not merely a tally of the opinions of those voting, but the collective conscience of the members after sufficient discussion of the issues and the Al-Anon principles involved has taken place so that the members are all reasonably informed not only on the issue, but on the related Al-Anon principles. |
| Are their limitations to who can become a Greeter? | Yes. The Greeters are granted command access to the list server by the List Owner. Therefore, Greeters are limited to those persons who are personally trusted by the Greeter Chair. | This issue may not appear to come up in regular meetings, yet it does. There are some people who are not trusted to be Treasurers at regular meetings. And there are some who are not trusted with the keys to the facility. |
| Can a person be involuntarily unsubscribed from the list? | Yes. A person may be unsubscribed from the list for a variety of reasons: any attempt to violate the security of the server, the web site, or the meeting; engaging in behavior inappropriate to an Al-Anon meeting. | Tradition One says “Our common welfare should come first; personal progress for the greatest number depends upon unity.” While the Service Manual states that “no member can be expelled from the fellowship . . ” this does not imply that no member can be expelled from an individual meeting. |
| What is the process for involuntarily subscribing someone from the list? | It depends on the circumstances. In security-related cases, the process is administrative and without recourse. The List Administrator will immediately unsubscribe anyone who attempts to violate ASP security. In other cases, the Steering Committee will discuss the situation and attempt to reach an informed group conscience. | N/A |
| Can someone be unsubscribed for flaming other members? | Yes. Flaming is expressly prohibited at A Serenity Place. This includes flame-bait. | N/A |
| Can I let someone else use my password to access the Business pages at ASP? | No. The Business pages are for the exclusive use of the membership of ASP. Personal information on members is maintained in these pages. This is considered a security violation. The server may maintain a log of attempted access from unauthorized parties. | This is the equivalent to giving the key to an Al-Anon office (or any office) to someone who is not authorized a key. |
| What should I do if I have mail problems? | First, try to determine if the problem is at your end? Is your e-mail address EXACTLY the same as when you subscribed? It must be exactly the same. If you continue to have problems, contact the List Administrator. If you do not here from the List Administrator in a few days, contact the Greeter Chair. Please, do NOT post a message to the list. | N/A |
| Is it OK to send my shares to the server as a file attachment. | No. Please use your e-mail client to post your share without a file attachment. If you draft your share with some other application (program) this may require that you cut & paste into the e-mail application. | N/A |
| Why isn’t it OK to send my shares to the server as an attached file? | It is possible to transmit computer viruses via attached files. It is not possible to transmit computer viruses via a regular e-mail message without an attached file. | N/A |
| How many warnings will a member receive before being unsubscribed involuntarily (because of behavior problems)? | Warnings are not a part of what we are about. The Steering Committee will attempt to educate members who have difficulty adhering to ASP policies. In cases of security violation(s), the person committing the violation will be unsubscribed ASAP without and warning. | N/A |
| Has the A Serenity Place web site received any awards? | Yes. But in keeping with our Traditions, no reference to such awards are posted on the meeting’s web pages. Web site awards reflect an outsider’s opinion on the web site itself and are not an evaluation of the meeting. | An architectural award for a facilities where face-to-face meetings are held. Has nothing to do with the Al-Anon meeting, and as a group, the meeting has no opinion on such outside issues. Meetings are not evaluated or awarded. |
| How often does the web site get updated? | It is a work in progress and is updated when the Web Master gets to it. | N/A |
| I wrote the List Administrator, but I haven’t received a response yet. | Believe it or not, the List Administrator does have a life. Be a little patient for her response, please. If you don’t hear back in a few days, then send a note to the Greeter Chair. | N/A |
| How often does the meeting list on the list server get updated? | The meeting list is updated under three circumstances: 1st whenever a new person is added to the list; 2nd whenever someone decides to leave the meeting and requests their name be removed from the list; 3rd periodically the meeting list is purged of addresses that have not participated in several months. | Many meetings publish a phone list of their members. At each week’s meeting, those attending put their names and phone numbers on the list. Periodically, a trusted servant of the meeting produces an updated list, adding the names and numbers of those who have been attending recently, and deleted the names and numbers of those who have not. |
| Are business issues discussed in the recovery meeting? | No. Business issues are discussed by the Steering Committee. | No. Business issues are discussed in a business meeting which is usually held before or after the recovery meeting. |
| Is it OK for members to post business messages to the recovery meeting? | No, not normally. Members concerned with business issues should bring those issues to the attention of the Steering Committee. | Members of a face-to-face meeting are discouraged from discussing business issues during the recovery meeting. |
| What are Al-Anon related announcements? | Announcements which are directly related to the Al-Anon program. | |
| I have a quotation (from a book, letter, poem, etc.) that I would like to share with the meeting. Is that OK? | No | |
| Is the AA Big Book CAL? | No. The Big Book belongs to Alcoholics Anonymous. | |
| Does the List Administrator position rotate at ASP? | Originally the LA position did not rotate as it was held by the List Owner. On May 1, 2006 the members of ASP became the List Owner of its server and a new List Administrator was voted in. The List Administrator position now rotates every three years. | This is the equivalent of the facility management where an Al-Anon group meets. The Al-Anon group does not expect the facility management or landlord to ‘rotate.’ |
| How long should I be a member of A Serenity Place before taking a service position? | We suggest a minimum of six months of active participation before a member of A Serenity Place make themselves available for one of the meeting’s service positions. | N/A |
Updated: Monday, April 7, 2018 at 2:57 AM UTC