MINUTES
UNDEREARNERS’ ANONYMOUS GSB MEETING
Monday, January 20, 2014
VIA TELEPHONE (712) 775-7100
The meeting opened at 5:00 PM Pacific Time (8:00 PM Eastern Time) with the Serenity Prayer. Peggy Q. volunteered to be timekeeper. Janis read the traditions.
Roll Call
Officers:
- Tamyah E., Chair
- Ed W., Secretary
- Andrew D., Treasurer
- Janis B., Traditions Keeper
- Misa, Information Officer
Committee Chairs:
- Andrew D., finance committee
- Janis B., service and structure committee
- Mary Joan, phone and technology committee
- Bella, world service committee
- Sonia W., public information committee
General Service Representatives:
- Peggy Q., Morning Tools Meeting on the international line
- Carolyna, Brooklyn, NY, Fri. Night
- Linda, 9:45 AM Step & Tools Meeting
- Jordan, LA 7 PM Sunday meeting
- Nora W., 11 AM Selling with Serenity Meeting
- Toni, Saturday 8 PM meeting in San Francisco
- Mary Joan, 9:45 AM Friday goals meeting
- Maggie, 12:15 PM Saturday, Travel Visions Meeting, Seattle
- Norm, Wed. Night Step Study
- Mindy, Alta Dena, Friday Night
- Sandy, San Diego
- David, 8:30 AM phone meeting
- Mike M., Sunday 11:30 AM, Manhattan
- Chris, 7:15 AM Underearning and Solvency Meeting, Baltimore
- Sonia, 8:30 AM morning phone meeting on second line
Secretary’s Minutes: The minutes of the last meeting incorrectly recorded the motion that was passed regarding the audio recordings of speakers at the 2014. The correct version is as follows:
The WSCC will record, edit, and make available audio recordings of the 2014 Conference (i.e. the non-business portion of the event) on either the WSCC or main UA website for a nominal fee. The cost of access to the business portion of the 2014 WSC will be included in the cost of a ticket for GSR’s; others need only pay a nominal additional amount. Speakers will, as a condition of speaking, release all rights to their speeches. There will be no telephone access to the 2014 WSC.
Treasurer’s Report: The Treasurer’s report was also posted on the Google Group, and can be summarized as follows:
Prior balance (not including the WSC account): $4,615.00
Expenses:
Annual web hosting $ 200.00
Pamphlets $ 159.00
Chase service fee $ 18.00
Income: $1,240.00
New balance: $5,478.00
WSC prior balance: $ 855.00
Expenses:
Transcriptions $ 221.00
Website update $ 60.00
Income: $1,481.07
WSC new balance: $2,055.07
TOTAL, BOTH ACCOUNTS $7,533.07
Andrew also reports that he has filed the necessary paperwork with the IRS so that they can make the determination that donations to UA are tax deductable.
Service Structure Committee:
This committee meets on the first Monday of the month at 6 PM Eastern Time. Nobody showed up for the most recent meeting. Janis is working on suggested guidelines for sponsorship. She is giving a Traditions Workshop on the 2nd Sunday of each month.
Tamyah suggested that Janis talk to someone in more established Fellowships, such as AA or DA, about the traditions.
Public Information Committee (presented by Sonia W., Chair):
They are preparing a letter to be presented to anyone from the media, if they attend the 2014 WSC.
Phone and Technology (presented by Mary Joan, Chair):
They will be completing phone registrations within the month.
They are drafting a proposal for a phone meeting moderator training document, with the understanding that some of the content of that document might be useful for training moderators of in-person meetings.
They are drafting a proposal for phone line policies and procedures.
They need more people, so they are drafting an announcement calling for more participants.
Their meetings are on the 2nd Saturday of the month, at 1 PM Pacific Time (4 PM Eastern Time)
Literature (presented by Phyllis, in lieu of the Chair, Peter S.):
They are drafting various pamphlets, but nothing is ready to be shown to the GSB yet.
Finance Committee:
Quarterly numbers for the balance sheet (our assets and liabilities, i.e. what we have and what we owe) and our income and expenses (i.e. changes to what we have and what we owe) are on the Google Group. They are working on a spending plan for 2014.
World Service Conference Committee (WSCC) (presented by Bella A., Chair):
Pricing for the 2014 WSC and You Tube videos advertising the event have been posted. Due to an increase in the cost of food, ticket prices will be about 10% higher than last year. The pricing matrix excludes a daily commuter ticket of $28 that includes neither lodging nor food (Badges will be issued for entrance to the dining hall.).
The WSC is holding events each Sunday of the month, 2 PM – 3:30 PM Eastern Time (11 AM – 12:30 PM Pacific Time), as follows:
- Virtual Town Hall, first Sunday of month,
- Traditions Workshop, second Sunday of month,
- Concepts of Service (3rd Legacy voting, etc.), third Sunday of month,
- Date with Prosperity Speakers, fourth Sunday of month
A topic that is under discussion is “What could a World Service Conference be?”
The committee needs input from the GSB regarding
- Topics for the business part of the WSC
- Rules by which stipends will be allocated
Old Business
There were no actionable proposals left from the last meeting.
New Business
Terms and conditions for GSR Stipends for the 2014 WSC
That the GSB adopt the following framework for awarding stipends to General Service Representatives (GSR’s) for the 2014 World Service Conference. This proposal includes an amount per stipend and a minimum number of stipends to be made available, based on the current state of the GSB treasury. If all of the stipends proposed herein are awarded, the cost to the GSB treasury will be about $3300.
Many of the terms and conditions will be familiar from last year; those that are not will be highlighted in red.
- Overall philosophy:
- Ideally, no stipends would be awarded at all. It is the aspiration of this program to make its members sufficiently grateful to it that they are more than happy to pay their own way in a spirit of Service. It is also the aspiration of this program to make its members more than prosperous enough to afford the equivalent of a week’s moderately priced vacation to California.
- Given that we, collectively, have yet to achieve the above ideal, and we do have to offer stipends, they are to be given with the aim of maximizing the prospective benefit to UA. In particular, nobody will be granted a stipend simply because of previous service.
- Because the GSB treasury was somewhat depleted by the generous stipend awards of last year, fewer stipends can be made available this year. Well established groups with substantial group treasures are therefore requested not to apply for stipends from the GSB, but to use their own funds.
- With the exception of international stipends (defined below), stipends will take the form of a reduction in the price of a ticket to the business portion of the conference from Tuesday afternoon, August 26, 2014 to mid-day Friday, August 29, 2014 only, at which point stipend recipients must check out of their rooms. Stipend recipients who choose to participate in the subsequent convention must do so at their own expense.
- There will be three classes of stipends, all of which will be 10% more than last year, to help mitigate the increased cost of a ticket
- Residential stipends for GSR’s from continental United States, but outside of the Los Angeles metropolitan area (i.e. more than an hour from the conference center by car, assuming typical driving conditions for that time of year). The GSB subsidy here will be $330/ticket (compared to last year’s subsidy of $300). The GSB authorizes five such stipends at this time.
- Stipends for GSR’s from the LA area (i.e. an hour or less from the conference center by car), to be awarded for GSR’s committing to attend the full business section. The GSB subsidy here will be $145 for a commuter ticket (food, no lodging). Note that the LA GSR’s were offered $200 stipends last year. The GSB authorizes five such stipends at this time.
- Residential stipends for GSR’s from outside of the United States. These stipends will cover the entire cost of both the conference and the convention, to be awarded upon furnishing proof of flight arrangements. The GSB authorizes one such stipend at this time.
- Because the stipend is a credit towards the cost of a ticket, no actual cash will change hands. This avoids the need to request and approve spending plans and track receipts.
- Receipt of the stipend is subject to the following terms and conditions (Some of which will be different than last year):
- Stipends may not be applied to early bird ticket prices.
- Stipends may not be applied to the cost of a single room.
- GSR’s from “pop-up” meetings and meetings that did not fully register before the deadline are ineligible for stipends.
- Stipends will be awarded only after the remaining balance for the ticket has been received and acknowledged.
- GSR’s are eligible to receive stipends only if they will have served in that capacity for at least 3 months prior to the data of the conference (i.e. since May 26, 2014).
- Stipends are awarded to representatives of groups, not to specific individuals. Thus, any group may transfer the stipend from a GSR to whom a stipend has been previously awarded to an alternate person. Such requests must be made via the email address associated with the group when it registered with the UA website.
- The GSR receiving the stipend must have attended at least 3 meetings of either the GSB or the WSCC Virtual Town Hall prior to the conference. It is expected that the GSR serve on a committee and participate in GSB meetings for the remaining term of their service.
- By accepting the stipend, the GSR agrees to make themselves available for service at the conference.
- The GSR must complete a form specifying
i. The name of the group represented
ii. The date of the group conscience of the group authorizing that person to apply for the stipend
iii. The group’s core concerns and issues
There was considerable discussion surrounding this proposal. Ed W., who made the proposal, has asked that those who have comments and suggestions about it send email to him at edw@nullpanix.com.
The membership voted to extend the meeting by 10 minutes to consider this proposal further, during which a motion was made to form a committee to modify it and re-submit it. However, the membership voted against the additional 5 minute extension of the meeting required to vote on the motion for the committee.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:20 PM Pacific Time (10:20 PM Eastern Time)
Respectfully submitted,
Ed W.
Secretary, General Service Board of UA