Q# 12:  Are all members given the opportunity to share at meetings and to participate in other group activities?

Back

19 Responses

All members are given the opportunity to share, but I believe some members are sometimes timid.  This seems no different to f2f AA, there often seem to be the same individuals sharing at the meeting each week. 

Even though we'd like other members to share more, we shouldn't push them into it if they're not ready.

Yes I feel they are.  Some may say more than others but we are all given opportunities to share and say how we feel.

Yes I feel they are.  Some may say more than others but we are all given opportunities to share and say how we feel.

The continued fights on the members list make me stop to reconsider how much I want to contribute to a discussion. 

Most often, it is easier to sit it out rather than engage in the battles. It may be quoted as "enthusiasm" but from where I sit it often looks like a Mike Tyson headline fight in the e-AA ring.

Yeppers!

YES absolutely!

Yes!!!!!!!!

yes, and to even have a different opinion to the norm

We need to show more tolerance towards those who raise questions about our program of recovery. 

We chase people away because we can be too smug and arrogant.

yes

I think we do encourage people to share!!   I would like to see mods/members within the forums contribute more personally!  I think that could possibly encourage our many lurkers to come forward.  I think the email meetings are working on members sharing more which is a good thing in my book.

I have to agree with the comment about the fights - though I must qualify this.  I joined members list and the whole "Jerry Springer" flavor of it left a bad taste.   I was however very newly sober and thought I knew an awful lot!  I not only do service work here but also have a trusted servants position at my F2F too. I am a baby in AA learning about traditions & what makes this whole thing work and run smooth. I would like to learn much more from the many people I have come to respect at E-AA who are a part of that list.   I could probably handle it now. 

Another's comment however is leading me to think that, for what it is worth, there are some unresolved basic issues of how we treat one another: but this is a noobie view.

A saying in my area: "If you stay sober though an AA business meeting you can stay sober through anything."

The "lurker" thing has always troubled me. While it's true that in face to face AA you have folks that never share - you can see that they are interacting with other members and that there is a good chance they are getting comfy in AA.

There's folkson the email lists that ain't said a word in years. They answer every roll call, so you know they're reading their mail.

Ain't got a clue, don't know what to say really.

Absolutely.

Well, in online AA one can share whether others want them to or not. LOL

Yes, I think everyone is given an opportunity to share. It's hard sometimes when a topic comes in, the conversations can go astray and are hard to bring back to the core of AA.  Lawdy knows, I am a good one for leading them astray so I am responsible also but it would be nice ------ when we have a topic if we could conduct things a little more like a regular f2f meeting. When someone shares to much they are interrupted and asked to "talk to a sponsor" after the meeting.   I am not sure how we would handle that here.

I do think we encourage participation.  I again, am especially impressed with the women's meeting.   It has numerous positions for daily work and a lot of the women take on these jobs.   Actually I have seen that in newbeginning also. Those are the standards that we should strive for.   Full participation from the newest person sweeping the floors (sending out the daily reflections) up to the group secretary ------ it encourages people to stick around and let's them see there are opportunities for involvement.

Yes, everyone has an opportunity to participate.   Actually, it seems people are more willing to share ... in cyberspace. 

As far as participating in service work, it's probably about the same as f2f. But, everyone certainly has the opportunity,

Are all members given the opportunity to share at meetings and to participate in other group activities?

Yes, in the women's meeting new members are asked to share as soon as they feel comfortable

Yes in all cases I have seen meetings go over time if people need to share.

Again as to participating in other group activities it relates to time sober.

Yes, I think e-AA does very well as a group here.

 I believe they are given the opportunity.   Perhaps from time to time we could do more to mention the members list within the email formats, but it only need be occasionally.