MINUTES
UNDEREARNERS’ ANONYMOUS GSB MEETING
Friday, April 25, 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 keep time. Hector M. read the Traditions.
Roll Call
Officers:
- Tamyah, Chair
- Matt, Vice Chair
- Ed W., Secretary
- Andrew D., Treasurer
- Janis B., Traditions Keeper
Committee Chairs:
- Janis B., service and structure committee
- Mary Joan, phone and technology committee
- Bella, world service committee
- Andrew D., finance committee
General Service Representatives:
- Peggy Q., Morning Tools Meeting on the international line
- Mary Joan, 9:45 AM Friday goals meeting
- Julian, Monday night last gaspers
- Mary Joan, Goals Pages, Friday Morning
- Janis, 8:30 AM Steps and Tools Meeting
- Ed W., Wednesday afternoon meeting in lower Manhattan
- Mike M., Saturday meeting at the LGBT Center in New York City
- Julie, Bronx Saturday morning
- Crystal P., Monday night, Berkeley
- Toni, Saturday 8 PM meeting in San Francisco
- Susan, Sunday LA Farmer’s Market
- Karen B.
- Karen P., 8:30 phone meeting, main line (interim)
- 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 were accepted as read.
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): $7,472.35
Expenses:
2 flyer postings $ 80.00
Income: $1390.00
New balance: $8,782.35
WSC prior balance: $2,600.00
Expenses:
Refund $ 500.00
Income: $3,343.00
WSC new balance: $5,443.00
TOTAL, BOTH ACCOUNTS $14,225.35
Finance Committee: (presented by Andrew D., as finance committee chair):
Andrew vowed that this would be the last time that the general GSB account would be used for financing events, because it was so difficult to distinguish between people paying for the May 2 retreat and people making contributions to UA. At present, many of the payments for either purpose would get sent to a single PayPal account.
The finance committee is also updating a proposed spending plan for the UA GSB.
Andrew was asked about the following:
- Currently, he is the only signatory on the USB bank accounts. He said that there had been discussion about adding Karen B. However, she lives on the West Coast, and Andrew (and the bank accounts) are on the East Coast. Also, Karen B. needs to be better known to the rest of the finance committee.
- Solvency requirements for a second signatory to the account. He said that, at present, the only requirements are that the person be known to both the GSB and the WSC for at least a year.
- Why the WSC cannot have a completely separate bank account and a separate PayPal account. He said that PayPal accounts get paid into a bank account, and opening a separate bank account would require a separate EIN (federal tax ID) number.
- The status of our request to be categorized as a “501C.3 Charitable Organization”, but has not yet granted it (Point of information added by the Secretary: Our existing non-profit status allows UA to avoid paying taxes on any income that it receives. However, until the above request is granted, UA contributions cannot legally be taken as a tax deduction for federal income taxes.).
The committee meets on the 3rd Monday of each month, except for this coming month, when it will be held on the 2nd Monday, to ensure that it happens before the April GSB Meeting.
Literature (no report):
Phone and Technology (presented by Mary Joan, Chair):
They are in the final stages of completing the meeting registration project, which involves updating the Google Calendar entries that feed the meeting display on the website.
The phone meeting moderator training document is still being edited. An electronic copy can be obtained by sending email to carrythismessage@nullgmail.com.
They are drafting a proposal for phone line policies and procedures, with the growth of phone meetings (currently 56!) requiring a policy for expanding the number of phone lines (currently 3 lines).
They have set up a working group to gather requirements for enhancement of both the main UA website and 9thTradition.org, which is intended to be repository of service documents.
They need more people, so they are drafting an announcement calling for more participants. In particular, they need help with the moderator training work and with the website.
Their meetings are on the 2nd Saturday of the month, at 1 PM Pacific Time (4 PM Eastern Time)
Mary Joan was asked about the following:
- Whether there are some phone meetings that do not adhere to the Steps and Traditions. She explained that an agreement to adhere to the Steps and Traditions is part of the registration process. She also said that she is hoping to put a meeting registration form with an update facility on 9thTradition.org.
- Whether there is a facility for audio streaming the proceedings of various intergroups, as has sometimes been done with the LA intergroup. She said that there is nothing organized to do so, but occasionally the alternate line (the one on which the GSB call takes place) for that purpose.
Public Information Committee (no report):
Service Structure Committee (presented by Janis, Chair):
The committee got two new members. They are working on service structure guidelines. There is no set time for meetings, but Janis can be reached at (201) 306-9331 if someone wants to participate.
She gave one Traditions Workshop on the phone bridge, but the second one had to be canceled because the WSC needed the line for their workshop.
Janis asked for a 5 minute slot on the agenda for next month’s GSB meeting.
World Service Conference Committee (WSCC) (presented by Bella, Chair):
Bella noted that the role of the WSCC is primarily operational, so she does not see it as part of the WSCC’s remit to determine the content of the WSC. This is why she has asked the GSB officers and committee chairs to attend the WSC Town Hall events.
Old Business
(There was no old business)
New Business
That a total of $623 be appropriated to cover some of Andrew D’s expenses for an upcoming trip to Israel to “spread the message”, broken down as follows:
- $25/day for food for 11 days,
- $15/day for transportation,
- $198 for long term parking.
The motion was defeated, with 5 “yea” votes, 11 “nay” votes, and 2 abstentions. A number of members felt that the proposed appropriation violated the 7th Tradition, that every UA meeting should be self-supporting.
The calendared proposal to get a new phone system was not deemed ready for consideration by the makers of the proposal.
The meeting was extended for a half-hour to pass the following motion:
That Andrew D., our treasurer, immediately pay the remaining $8400 due on the deposit to the Mary and Joseph Retreat Center for the 2014 World Service Conference. Andrew is to transfer $4000 from the main GSB account to the WSC account to cover that appropriation.
This motion was passed with 11 “yea” votes and one abstention. A number of members expressed concern that we were effectively debting by not paying this balance.
Respectfully submitted,
Ed W.
Secretary, General Service Board of UA