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SMR Business Meeting June 2025

The SMR Business Meeting Minutes, 25-6 June

Welcome

Call to order, 

Date: June 15, 2025

Time: 8:47 am Eastern 

Participants: Number of raised hands declaring their presence at start: 15

The ACA Serenity Prayer

General Guidelines

  1. Call for Service(The following attendees offered to be of service)
    1. Meeting Chairperson – Eric R
    2. Recording Secretary – Jim R
    3. Timekeeper – Elaine
    4. Other (optional) – 
  1. Readings:

The Suggested Commitment to Service (BRB, pg 601), read by: Wendy

The Tradition of the Month, read by: Maelle

The Concept of the Month, read by: Andrea

 AUDIO RECORDING . No recording made  

  1. Approval of the Minutes

Motion to approve – Elaine ; 2nd – Jim; unopposed

  1. Motion to Adopt the Agenda

Motion to adopt – Elaine; 2nd – Wendy; unopposed

  1. Reports

Treasurer: [Shana] 

SMR Treasurer’s Report – May 2025.pdf

Service CoSecretary: 

Communications CoSecretary: 

Webservant: [Staci]

Include Contact List update

The Contact list has been updated by Wendy and Darlene. We will change our password soon – originally done quarterly at the equinox/solstice.

Wendy: We will be starting a new contact list in July. Darlene will announce. It will all be done online on our website, utilizing our contact list sign up form.

WSO Representative: [Vivienne]

Other – 

WhatsApp/Signal: Possible update and information on creating a group space on either or both platforms. Phillipe/Maelle

Maelle:  What’s App – larger audience; Signal tends to be safer – no data collection; personal experience – a group that uses both platforms. Maelle willing to be the bridge, though would want assistance with set up. Would like support.
Phillipe:  To set up What’s App – enter App and set up a new group. Utilizes phone numbers; all messages encrypted; a person is designated to enroll members in the group.

Andrea:  I could create a space now.

9:15 – Motion to extend the meeting till 9:45  (attendance 24)

Phillipe:  We may want to establish guidelines around what may be posted

Tammy:  Yes, guidelines

  1. Current Proposals – Update Jim R

Screen share, or reference, the status of the Proposals on our website:  

MOTION NUMBERSTATUSDATE OF DECISIONDATE FOR REVIEW
Motion 25-4 The New Feelings SlideInconclusiveVoting closedNew Slides test-run to take place; then review
Motion 25-3 Trusted Servant EmpowermentMotion passedApril 14, 2025January, 2026
  1. Old and New Business and Procedural Guidelines 

If any business was held over from the month before, we begin with that, otherwise, we begin by addressing issues that were emailed to the CoChairs. If there is no business before the group, issues may be taken from the floor.

OLD BUSINESS

Taken from last month’s Minutes:

This is a formal request that a procedure be established to allow the after-meeting to continue with more intimate sharing alongside any other SMR training or activity. This is particularly important, given the powerful recovery discussions that are taking place, at that later time.

Presently the hosting of the after-meeting is handed from one member to another, as members leave the meeting. Recently, a Trusted Servant arrived for a 2 pm weekly Website meeting about SMR business. A breakout room was created for the after-meeting to continue, yet the transition was awkward.

Chair: I would suggest that members for whom this issue is important connect with each other and consider the needs they would like to address and return to the group with a draft proposal. 

This subject will likely need more time and discussion to reach a conclusion. This requires thought. All members are invited to stay to experience the After-meeting and understand its impact and importance.

NOTE: Members of the Web Team, led by our Webservant, coordinate work on the website weekly in the SMR Zoom room on Thursdays at 2:00pm est.

DISCUSSION:

Chair: Before we turn to our discussion, let’s note that there is a procedure in place for bringing proposals to the group for consideration. The proposals are submitted on the website. They are crafted to ask a yes or no question. There are 3 weeks of open discussion followed by voting. 

  • Is the issue about how to create breakout rooms?
  • There have been issues around Trusted Servants meeting on the SMR Zoom space to work together on Website design and finding the after-meeting still in session, creating challenges.
  • The issue is how to make the process work.
  • I don’t understand. It usually goes smoothly.
  • It may have been discussed enough – someone can submit a proposal
  • I am now aware – Thursdays at 2.
  • I think members that want to talk for 5 or 6 hours after the meeting could create their own space. I recognize the healing, yet, 5 or 6 hours of talking is a bit much. The after-meeting should give way to the Tech meeting.
  • We just want the Tech Host to identify themselves. Transparency. 
  • I value the space of healing. Both needs can be accomodated. I question the need for a formal resolution, in particular one that goes through the website
  • Historically, this issue was addressed with the Boundaries meeting use of the SMR zoom account on Fridays. A report documents the resolution. There is also a concern around safety. The after-meeting is not covered by the SMR safety policies. Group conscience has been reached in the past and new proposals can be made

Chair: Note – priority is given to those who have yet to speak and we ask that if a point has been made, try not to repeat it.

  • Are we talking about stopping the after-meeting?
  • Right now we are just talking about the issue. If someone wants to offer a proposal, they may.
  • It seems as though the after-meeting is looking for formal recognition.

9:45 – Motion to extend the meeting till 10:15 (attendance 21)

  • I find the after-meeting to be a sacred space of healing. 
  • We used to schedule our meetings and we could return to that practice, determining a closing time for the Zoom room, whether it’s 11:00 or 1:00, we can make that determination. Together we can create clear boundaries.
  • I encourage that this be addressed through our proposal process. 

NEW BUSINESS 

  • Hearing 2 opposed ideas. We need to clarify the nature of the extended after-meeting, especially in terms of safety. Is the after-meeting an extension of the SMR meeting, or its own meeting?
  • The SMR meeting promotes the after-meeting fellowship. But now I hear issues about boundaries and definitions. We need clarity.

Suggestion as possible new business: create a committee/working group to address the issue of Zoom use.

  • Could a space be created on the website, a folder, that would contain the historical and other documents pertaining to the Zoom use agreements?

MOTION: Suzanne B. (2nd Stephen in Harlem) to create an SMR subcommittee (actually an Ad hoc committee) to discuss the after-meeting challenges in greater detail – Passed unopposed.

  • Suggested as ‘new business’ – can we create a space to notify the membership of these committees and their meeting times and space?

Note: We have recently established a calendar on the website which can help.

  1. Announcements 
  1. Adjournment and Closing Prayer, Time – 10:06

Motion to Adjourn: Stephen, Seconded: Elaine

  • Question: Andrea is ready to create a space on WhatsApp. Looking for direction as to the title of the group. Group established: ACA SMR meeting

Closing prayer

Next meeting: Sunday, July 20th 2025

Minutes submitted by: Jim R