Service Matters • December 2019

• Indexing the electronic documents, the Archives collects.
• Scanning and indexing paper documents.
• Oral interviews of GreySheeters’ histories with the food plan, the GreySheeters Anonymous World Services organization, and/or their service for the organization.
• Providing basic technology videos for membership on the GSA Archives YouTube channel.  

 Qualifications for voting and non-voting members:

• 90 days of GreySheet abstinence
• The ability to be a self-starter.  Do you prefer to work alone? Can you schedule and complete a task? There are videos on the GSA Archives YouTube channel that demonstrate how a particular task may be completed.
• The Archives Committee doesn’t create policy, there are no controversies, nor do strong personalities compete for dominance.   We may encounter past controversies as we archive, and we do not gossip.
• When recording an oral interview, the individual is entitled to his or her memory.  The interviewee does not have to be a current GreySheeter. The interviewer doesn’t ask leading questions or attempt to correct the interviewee’s memory or perspective.

The conference committee is hard at work preparing for the next GreySheet World Service Conference which will be held at the Cenacle Retreat Center in Chicago on October 30-November 1, 2020. [Please note: this date is two weeks later than the date previously mentioned in all correspondence.] All ISRs and GSRs should start raising money now so that they can attend. All GSRs and ISRs should be serving on at least one World Service Conference Committee. To be assigned to a committee, please contact your ISR or e-mail Structure@greysheet.org.

Registration materials for the World Service Conference will be available in early January. When they are ready it will be announced in Service Matters as well as posted on the greysheet.org website, so stay tuned.

---

If you enjoy spreadsheets, love reading financial reports, or just want to have a clearer understanding of where our fellowship’s money is going, please consider joining the Finance Committee. Our aim is to keep the fellowship informed about how our money is being spent, but also to get input about the needs and priorities of the fellowship, financially. Financial experience is helpful, but not a requirement for joining. Familiarity with 12-Step principles for financial matters (e.g., what it means to be “fully self-supporting,” or operating on a “zero budget,” rather than saving “in case…”) is also a plus. Please contact finance@greysheet.org for more information.
The work of the Finance Committee happens all year round; not just before WS Conferences

Purpose: to provide financial oversight for GreySheeters Anonymous, Inc. Typical task areas include budgeting and financial planning, financial reporting, and the creation and monitoring of internal controls and accountability policies.

Ongoing projects include: 

• Develop or help develop an annual operating budget.
• Approve the budget within the finance committee.
• Monitor adherence to the budget.
• Cooperate with the accountant to produce the financial review.
• Set long-range financial goals along with funding strategies to achieve them.
• Develop multi-year operating budgets that integrate strategic plan objectives and initiatives.
• Present all financial goals and proposals to the board for approval.

  Qualifications for voting and non-voting members:

• Over 90 days of GreySheet Abstinence.
• Ability to work with kindness and consideration for others.
• Willingness to review documents during meetings or via e-mail between meetings.
• Willingness to attend and participate in monthly Zoom meetings (usually on the first Sunday of the month at 12:00pm EST) and to follow through on commitments made in committee meetings.

---

 The Literature Committee

The work of the Literature Committee happens between World Service Conferences.

Purpose: to create clear and concise pieces of literature that are helpful to both compulsive eaters and food addicts who still suffer and those who are maintaining their GreySheet abstinence. 

Literature's Committee role: 

• Developing new GSA literature.
• Contributing to the development of literature by other GSA committees.
• Soliciting feedback from the GSA community regarding how existing GSA literature is being used.
• Determining when and how to revise existing GSA literature.
• Recommending to the Board how each document might best be distributed to accomplish its purpose.
• Suggesting to the Board and Finance Committee which literature should be sold (as opposed to being available as free web downloads), how, and for how much.
• Supporting the translation of GSA literature into other languages

  Qualifications for voting and non-voting members:

• One year of abstinence.
• Experience doing service in GSA or other 12 Step Programs, and ability to be a supportive member of a team.
• Preferred: Experience serving on committees for 12 Step, civic or professional groups.
• Preferred: Familiarity with Robert’s Rules of Order.

Responsibilities:

• Attend monthly Literature Committee Zoom meetings, generally the third Sunday of each month from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm eastern standard time. Please consider carefully whether your schedule allows you to attend committee meetings before joining. Thank you!
• Review internet correspondence in between committee meetings and respond as appropriate.
• Must participate in a subcommittee or project that helps to develop literature, and/or otherwise contribute to the varied work of the committee, between monthly meetings.

Length of Service:

• Ideally, participants’ committee memberships will encompass two World Service Conferences. This enables members to be present when a concept is approved, and follow it through to the next WSC.
• Committee Chair serves for up to two three-year terms before rotation of service.
• Voting members serve for up to two three-year terms before rotation of service.

Notes:

• In the spirit of Tradition One, Our Common Welfare Should Come First: We welcome new members to the committee. Each new member, however, is voted in by group conscience of the existing Literature Committee members to maintain a respectful, productive and functional committee dynamic. 
• Any member who misses more than two committee meetings in a row without informing the Chair beforehand will no longer be a member “in good standing” (that is, with the ability to vote) and must attend two consecutive meetings to return to being a voting member. 
• GSA members who are not GSRs or ISRs and wish to serve on the Committee are volunteers who participate in literature creation. They report on their work to a voting member of the Committee, but are not required to attend the monthly committee meetings. If they do attend, their contribution is sharing anything relevant to the project they’re working on, but they do not contribute their opinions to discussions on motions, nor have a vote.

---

 The Communications Committee

Do you have desire to reach out to others in the GSA community? Are you someone who needs to expand your network of abstinent GSers or who wants to foster effective ways for the newcomer and those trying to achieve abstinence to build a defense against the next bite? Are you a creative soul who happens to enjoy waking up early on Saturday mornings to work on projects like writing for Service Matters, moderating the Phone List and making sure that the Contacts list on GreySheet.org is accurate and up-to-date? Then the Communications Committee may be just the right way for you to participate in GSAWS.

Purpose: The Communication Committee facilitates communication and promotes collaboration among the compulsive eater who still suffers, GreySheeters Anonymous members, the World Service Conference committees and caucuses and the General Service Board.

Ongoing projects include: 

• Maintaining the Contacts List on greysheet.org website.
• Hosting Committees Connecting zoom meetings monthly to provide a forum for delegates and members of GSA to know the work of the committees as well as upcoming motions for the next conference and to solicit questions, concerns and suggestions where appropriate.
• Maintaining the GSA Phone List beginning January 1, 2020.
• Compiling and producing Service Matters newsletter on a monthly basis.
• Receiving questions and concerns from GreySheeters and forwarding them to the Board of Trustees in advance of quarterly Town Hall meetings.

  Qualifications for voting and non-voting members:

• Over 90 days of GreySheet Abstinence.
• A working knowledge of English grammar and spelling.
• A willingness and desire to communicate with individuals in the fellowship by phone or email to ensure GSA is available to those who seek our solution.
• Ability to work with kindness and consideration for others.
• Willingness to attend and participate in monthly Zoom meetings (usually on the second Saturday of the month at 8:00 AM EST) and to follow through on commitments made in committee meetings.

For more information, contact communication@greysheet.org.

---

Traditions and Concepts Meeting

Notes from Concept 1 meeting held on November 17, 2019
 
Concept 1: The final responsibility and the ultimate authority for GSA World Services should always reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship.
 
Questions and responses from the meeting:
What are the responsibilities of a GSR? Can a GSR attend the IG meeting but not the World Service Conference and not serve on a committee? 

• Chair of the Structure Committee answered that a GSR is required to serve on a committee even if she does not attend the conference whether not attending the conference is a choice or a financial necessity. We want all groups to have a voice in the decisions made by the committees who are creating our world service. We need the participation of as many elected representatives as possible. 
• Any member of the fellowship can also serve as a non-voting volunteer to a committee so a Group could encourage its members who are interested in participating in the work of the world-wide fellowship to serve on a committee without being a GSR.
• Any member of the fellowship can attend an IG meeting although only GSRs and officers can vote. To find out what’s going on at the IG and the World Service level, any one can attend the IG meeting to hear reports form the ISR who serves on a committee and attends the conference.
• This is a new policy formulated by the Structure Committee and approved by the Chairs of the World Service Conference Committees, the ISRs of the Intergroups, and the Board of Trustees. It is designed to increase the involvement of the entire fellowship in the essential and exciting work of the organization.
• All Groups are encouraged to elect as their representative someone who is willing to participate in World Service so that the Group has a voice and influence in the decisions being made on their behalf. Each Group is autonomous but GSAWS strongly encourages each Group to consider if they can contribute to the essential work of carrying the message to the next compulsive eater by electing someone willing to serve on a committee.

Audio link for Tradition 1 meeting: https://zoom.us/recording/play/rXILm24FOvO0zxAjiOuTs0CcdZe_U21i1ho1m9z166B1S_Awgl_FohIWprD34oMw?autoplay=true

Zoom meeting ID for these meetings is: 791 453 380
zoom meeting link: https://zoom.us/j/791453380
 
Here is the December schedule:
The Traditions 2 meeting will be on December 15 at 1:00PM ET
The Concept 2 meeting will be held on December 22 at 1:00 PM ET.

---

 Upcoming Events

*** Please check https://greysheet.org/eventsfor details and contact information.

• Holiday Speaker Jams: Zoom meetings sponsored by Southwest Intergroup (Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/420588139)
                Dec 22 at 12:00 – 1:00  PM ET and
                Dec 29 at 12:00 – 1:00  PM ET
• Iceland Roundup: February 15-16, 2019
• London Roundup: March 28-29, 2020
• Malibu Retreat: April 3-5, 2020