Discussion Session on the State of the EMZ Business Meeting, March 15, 2026

This discussion meeting was approved by the March 1st business meeting to have an open dialogue about how the business meeting is working for you or not. It was formed outside of the business meeting so as not to be confined by the format or by time constraints of the business meeting. The following are the notes from the meeting:

Summary by Service Chair, Michael A.:

The discussion meeting was held after the March 15th Spiritual Sunday AA meeting from 8:30am to 9am and was well-attended.

From the chair’s perspective, there was no apparent unity to the discussion, though some of the following themes came forward:

Several noted that the business meeting is too long and should focus just on the committee reports and finances.

Many shares endorsed the leadership of our current business chair, Dan A.

A minority opinion was shared by two women who described experiences in past business meetings where they felt their voices had not been heard or respected.

As your service chair I want to underline the importance to the health of our group of listening to the minority opinion. The minority opinion may articulate a point of view held by others and not yet expressed. I include more about the minority opinion from the 12 Concepts of AA:

Concept V. Throughout our structure, a traditional “Right of Appeal” ought to prevail, so that minority opinion will be heard and personal grievances receive careful consideration.

Transcripts of the discussion:

I’m trying to stay sober. I can’t stand the business meetings. I don’t understand why the business meeting can’t be short and focus just on budget and committee reports.

I have questions: I too think it is too long. I don’t understand why the GSR and the business meeting chair got separated. I understand principles above personalities, but we are lay people and the chairperson’s profession and background make for a very strong leader, even brusque. Sometimes I feel cut off. I don’t feel heard

There are a lot of personalities in the business meeting. A lot of egos and there is too much talking. Dan is an attorney and he conducts the meeting as it should. We follow the format and he is fair. We need a strong leader.

The business meeting is not a gripe session. It’s not meant for coddling feelings. The main purpose of the meeting is how to run the organization and discuss finances. And, we need someone strong to guide it.

The group decided years ago to use Robert’s Rules in our business meeting. And AA has an abbreviated form of Robert’s Rules that we have adopted. This format is not an open discussion. Every discussion starts with a motion. This keeps the business meeting from expanding into long discussions. If you want to introduce a change, you discuss it with others beforehand. The planning and conversations happen outside the business meeting, and the motion is made only after that groundwork has been done.

Robert’s Rules have been here for 70 years. The business meeting is not the same as an AA meeting. Dan has chaired the 5:30 meeting for two years and has now chaired the EMZ business meeting for a year and has always made sure to call on everyone and to make sure all voices are heard.

Darlene is the GSR for the EMZ group. She attends GSR meetings, which go on and on. That’s a problem we don’t have in our business meeting. Dan listens to all and doesn’t shut them down.

There is business in business meetings and there is process in business meetings. Everyone is doing service in our business meeting. No one should be bigger than anyone else. While business meetings should be efficient, I am not attached to them being short. As a woman, at times I have felt not heard and not respected. if I feel disrespected on any level, it can keep me from sharing again.