November 2021 – Approved Minutes

Sunny Dunes 5th Tradition Group – General Steering Committee Meeting, November 8, 2021          Approved 12/13/21

Meeting Called to order at 6:30 pm by Chair Michael Crosby with Serenity prayer.

Reading of the 12 Traditions by Gerard K.

Sunny Dunes Steering Committee Statement of Purpose read by Chair Micheal Crosby.

Roll Call by Secretary Helen Bushong

17 people in attendance via zoom; 15 people in attendance in person; total attendance 32.  

Board Members/Committee Chairs Present:

Michael C., Chair

Michael K., Co-Chair

Helen B., Secretary

Meredith J., Treasurer

Sari., Accountant

Leonard L., GSR 

Bruce K., Intergroup Rep

Mark C., Historian 

Tommy, Telephone and Meeting List

Mike H. Supplies

Todd S., Webmaster

Meetings Represented:  23 

Charlie B. 0830 Friday Daily Reflections in person

Rick 4:30 Tuesday Grapevine meeting in person

Meredith – Friday 4pm Womens 5th Tradition in person 

Red representing – 3 meetings:  Wednesday Candlelight 8pm, Thursday Illness in sobriety 5pm, Saturday Candlelight 10pm in person

Bruce – representing 2 meetings:  Monday night Men’s Stag, Wednesday noon 12×12 in person

Ed C. – Thursday 7am Attitude Adjustment in person

Roger – Saturday 6pm Alone No More in person

David F – Saturday 8pm Thank God it’s Saturday Speaker in person

Douglas B – Wednesday 7 am Attitude Adjustment in person 

Troy McF- Saturday 1:30 Returning From/Prevnting Relapse in person 

Kelly M – Co-Secretary Saturday 10am Discussion – Hybrid Meeting

Rick K – Monday 7 am Zoom

Ross B – Tuesday 7am Zoom

Mike H – Monday 5:30 Came to Believe,in person 

Denise H Sunday 5:30 Zoom

Mark P – Friday 5:30 Twelve and Twelve in person 

Geneen – 5:30 Emotional Sobriety in Crisis – Zoom 

Julia: Sunday 7am – Zoom

Tony: Co-Secretary Tuesday 4:30 – Zoom

Todd S: Saturday Big Book Study 8:30 am

Members at large:

Kent – Member at Large

Gerard – Member at Large

Ciel – Member at large

Gene M – member at large

Burt:  Member at large

Tony: Member at large

October 2011 Minutes – Minutes not approved

  1. Call to Approve October Minutes tabled. Typo changes made to minutes by Secretary prior to meeting.  Discussion about the language used in minutes referring to the “application” for starting a new Sunny Dunes Meeting.  Chair Michael C. Clarified process for starting a new meeting versus restarting an inactive meeting.  Form for restarting meeting is found on the web page as well as in the room.  
  2. Request from the Floor asking to have the original wording from the October minutes read vsv the new wording.  Helen B. Secretary could not access the original and corrected statement at the time of the meeting and so approval of October minutes is tabled until our December Meeting.  At that time the Secretary will have both versions for review.   

Chair Reports:

Secretary’s Report:  Helen B. 

  1. A total of 8 meetings on the Sunny Dunes meeting roster continue in a pending status.  Two of those meetings are being represented online.  Secretaries are asked to announce the following meetings to determine if there is interest in resuming these in person meetings in their previous time slot. Mike C. reviews the process of restarting is immediate once the form is completed.
  2. Meetings represented online/Pending in person restart:

Friday 10 am Aging Gracefully – currently active on Zoom

Sunday 10 am ABSI – currently active on Zoom.

Meetings Inactive/Pending restart in person:

Monday 2pm Living with Chronic Pain

Tuesday 10am Conscious Contact

Tuesday 8pm Big Book

Thursday 8pm Step Study

Friday 2pm Chronic Pain

Sunday 7pm Relationships in Sobriety

  1. Meeting Secretary’s Clipboard for announcements reinstated.  Lime green clipboard found and will be placed at the front desk for all group secretaries to utilize for announcements.  Steering committee communications will be placed there ie: Inactive Meetings, restarting meetings, open service commitments and a reminder to Secretaries of tasks to be done after each meeting:  ie Check the coffee pot, turn out lights, turn off fans, clean bathrooms, remove garbage.  

Kent – Question/Clarification:  Kent states that the 0730 meeting runs up against the starting of the 0830 meeting and there is not time to manage coffee pots, bathrooms, garbage, etc.  Chair – Michael Crosby clarifies that if the incoming meeting is already arriving and in place these responsibilities will shift to the incoming meeting.

Kent – question/clarification: Kent states that often Outgoing meetings run up against the starting of the next meeting. EG: 7am meeting runs up against the start of the 0830 meeting and will obviously not have time to clean bathrooms, take out garbage and no need to manage coffee pots/fans etc. Chair – Michael Crosby states that if the incoming meeting is already arriving and in place these responsibilities will shift to the incoming meetings who have a greater time lapse between meetings.

CLARIFICATION FROM KENT B: “The recording of my statement and question is incorrect. My question was specific to the 7a meeting followed by the 830a meeting. It only pertained to locking the door as you left the room and cleaning up the coffee station, not about emptying the trash. What we do at 7a is leave the coffee that is already brewed, wipe down the counters and empty the trash. We do not lock the door as members of the 830a meeting are already in the room

Co-chair Report: Michael k.

  1. Upgraded WiFi technology is upgraded and installed and appears to be working more efficiently.  There was no extra cost to us.  
  2. Covid 19 protocols: In checking with City today – they have rescinded outdoor group masking protocols.  All other COVID protocols remain in place as to indoor activity.  City is reporting a 42% decline in COVID cases in Riverside county.  The City plans to review protocols again on December 9th. Until then we have to continue and maintain the current requirement to remain masked inside the rooms.  Question from Floor:  Is there a restriction as to the number allowed inside the room?  Asking specifically as it relates to Holiday celebrations.  Response:  No restriction to reduce under the 126 maximum capacity required, but all occupants are required to be masked.  

Treasurer:  Meredith J: 

  1. Preliminary report tonight as the bank’s closing statement is not completed until 10th of each month.  Report represents balances as of 10/31/21. (Treasurer’s report attached).  Total income:$5,482.61.  Total expenses  4,959.22.  
  2. All outgoing donations to support AA as a whole will return to 100%.  We had reduced this 50% to prepare for a potential move.  Now that the decision is made to remain in place, donations will go back to their previous percentage.  
  3. Meredith reminds secretaries it is important to not only fill out the envelopes completely when placing 7th tradition in envelopes to place in the safe – but to fill out the meeting log kept on the desk on the metal clip board.  
  4. Also a reminder that any receipts requiring reimbursement should be submitted to Sari.  You can take a picture of your receipt and text it to Sari for reimbursement.

Question:  Are we still building up reserves to possibly buy our own building?  Clarification from Chair: We voted to reduce our standard percentage for donations when we were considering a move.  Now that this decision is made to remain in place we will return to our previous percentage.  

Accountant:  Sari – “We are in good shape.”  Sari reports that the contributions are the same as they were a year ago which is not necessarily good news.  Reports it was thought that this would improve now that people are coming back to meetings. Comments:  meetings are not back to normal census.  7am reporting a near full return with good donations.  Nighttime meetings attendance is less than they were pre Covid. 

Auditor: Michael S not present

Chips/Literature: Kyle not present

Cleaning Coordinator:  Jeff F is no longer able to continue position.  Position available.  Kyle was taking on part of this responsibility and there have been volunteers providing service.  But currently there is no one heading up this committee and we are looking for Volunteers.  

  1. A call for anyone interested in this position – no hands raised.  
  2. Secretaries are asked to continue to announce this open position.

GSR: Leonard

  1. annual elections last month and Michael W. was elected to Committee Chair for upcoming two years.  
  2. GSO Quarterly report submitted.

H&I:  not open yet

IG Representative: Bruce 

3 articles submitted and attached:  Safety in AA flyer, (also on bulletin board at back of room and at front table), Full Intergroup office report, News/Notes from Box 459 attached. 

  1. Donations are up.  
  2. Book of the month 12×12 normally $8.50 is $7.00. 
  3. Central office needs morning volunteers, the person who has been doing it needs help temporarily due to transportation issues.  
  4. There is a new link on the website for H&I and Grapevine.  There is a new package for grapevine which gives you both access online and the paper version.  
  5. Next InterGroup meeting will be taking nominations for IG representatives.  IG is needing people to volunteer, membership is down.  
  6. H&I is working to get Grapevine out to hospitals and jails.  

Question from Floor:  What is Intergroup? What is their function:  Brief outline of interest and activities provided by Bruce.  

Maintenance Committee Vacancy:  Overall over site of annual maintenance ie AC, coordination with the  Rick is taking over contracting an AC service. That one piece.  No volunteers.

Online Meeting Coordinator: Michael P not present

Supplies:  Mike H.  

  1. We have plenty of masks on site in closet in back.  

Telephone / Meeting Lists: Tommy 

  1. Phone list is out and is stocked in the room as well as available online.  
  2. There is also a copy of the Meeting schedule on the back of the phone list. 
  3. Tommy has completed the overhaul and Clean up of phone list and will update as the numbers of people submitting cards or signing up online.  The process will be easier and next time. 

Q:  Regarding folks who have been on the list for previous years are not on the new list. Explanation:  In previous meetings and in announcements it was announced that the list was being completely expunged and if you wanted to be on the list an index card was to be filled out and placed in the metal box in the room next to index cares, or to go online and complete the request to be on phone list. 

Anyone who wishes to have their name added to the list can still fill out an index card located in the room next to the bookcase and leave it in the mail slot OR can go online and complete a request to be added to the phone list.  The list will be updated when there are sufficient requests to warrant the cost of updating lists.  

Webmaster: Todd. Website is updated and continues to respond to correspondence received from website.  Todd also announced that he was creating a document titled “if I get hit by a truck”, outlining all the changes made to the website since he took on this responsibility. He is in close contact with the  former webmaster who has expressed a willingness to be pinch in or back up for Todd should there be a need.  

Chair: Michael C 

Gave a brief review of the outcome of the Special Sunny Dunes Steering Committee Meeting held on 10/25/21.  Membership voted unanimously to remain in place under a 2 year contract with a 135 notice to quit by the Landord.  The landlord has verbalized no change in our current rent, however they will begin assessing Triple Net which is estimated to be an overall increase of $795 dollars.  We are on a month to month contract until December when the new lease will reflect this increase and the actual amount of the triple net payment will be determined.  

Review of the Executive meeting last week:  Looking into getting a cleaning service to service the bathrooms, garbage and floors.  This does not take away from the sundays volunteer cleaning crew or the secretary’s responsibility in obtaining volunteers after each meeting for cleanup.  

NOTES/General Questions/Discussion to Chair

Comment/Discussion from floor on Room Safety, the homeless using facility as refuge. 

Comment One:  Not all the Homeless people who are coming into our rooms are coming to get sober, some are disruptive at times, some have created fear for some members.  Women members have reported feeling unsafe in the rooms, especially now that it is dark earlier.  Examples provided of Homeless person locking himself into bathroom.  Example of someone using in front of our building. 

Recommendation: If you feel physically unsafe, call 911.  If they are in the room and they will not leave, you leave and call the police.  If they agree to leave, lock the door and call the police.  

Comment:  the Landlord has been alerted and the security control will alter times of patrol to help with these concerns.  

Comment two: Remember that often times this is the first connection for alcoholic or drug addicted homeless and that many of our membership have found recovery in this way.

Recommendations: Pamphlet for safety posted, left at front desk for Secretaries and on the Bulletin Board and Website.  

Reminder: that it is the responsibility of the Secretary or concerned members in attendance to manage safety concerns during the meeting.  Someone disrupting meeting can be asked to leave, if they will not leave we can call 911.

Recommendations:  When the Bathroom was installed there was a key to avoid the situation of someone locking themselves in the bathroom, or in the event of an emergency.  Response:  The bathroom key is lost.  SC will look into getting a replacement.  

Discussion:  Room cleanliness:  Secretary’s responsibility to ensure we are  leaving the room the same way we found it.  Secretaries are reminded to announce and ask for volunteers for after meeting cleanup.   

Discussion/Comments: Current level of individual donations for most people is still the same dollar that gave in the ‘70’s.  Discussion as to reminding attendees that the overall cost of living has gone up and it may be time to remind people that it may want to consider increasing their $1.00 donation.  Comments:  Each member is able to determine for their own conscience and budget what their donations will be.  As a Group – we can make announcements that we need funds if/when we reach that situation, but right now “we are alright”.  

New Business: 

Thanksgiving dinner:  Too late in season to arrange a Thanksgiving celebration.  Agreement reached to table Thanksgiving celebration and move forward to arranging Christmas/Holiday Celebration.

Christmas/Holiday Dinner:  Planned for Saturday the 25th at 1:30pm.  Agreement to announce the Holiday Celebration and that the white envelopes can be passed for a special donation for Christmas/Holiday Celebration.  It is also possible to give monetary donations through Zelle or PayPal by indicating in the memo section that this money is for the Holiday Celebration. Secretary of Saturday 1:30 meeting present and stated that the members of this meeting would be willing to give up their 1:30 time for the celebration. Michael W. will put up the sign up lists for those who want to donate food, supplies or help with the celebration.  Dinner has traditionally been served Buffett style and tables are set up in the outdoor space.  

Marathon meetings will be planned Christmas Eve through Christmas morning and New Year’s Eve through New Year’s Day.

H&I:  Question as to why a separate donation is not passed at meetings support H&I.  Response:  We donate 10% monthly after prudent reserve.  

ACTION ITEMS

  1.  Approve October 2021 Meeting Minutes

NEXT MONTH’S AGENDA

  1. Will be developed at the Executive Board Meeting on Wednesday December 8, 2021, and emailed to membership by December 10.  If you have agenda items you would like discussed please reach out to Michael C – Chair.  

Motion to adjourned Requested by Michael C. Motion passed at 7:30pm

Closed with Serenity Prayer