Sunday Business Debtors Anonymous Online Group
Registered DA / BDA Group #968
U.S. Call-In Details
(605) 313-4166
Access code 647801#
Every Sunday
5-6:15pm Pacific
8-9:15pm Eastern
Business Meetings: 3rd Sundays
4:25-4:55pm Pacific
7:25-7:55pm Eastern
Sunday BDA Basic Business Meeting Agenda
(our detailed agenda is below, followed by our most recent minutes and treasurer's report)
We hold our business meetings from 7:25-7:55pm Eastern, before our regular BDA meeting time, on the 3rd Sunday of every month, using the following scripted agenda, and lead by our Business Meeting Chair:
We’ll now hold our business meeting for the next 30 minutes. The 9th tool of DA states in part “...participation in running our own program teaches us how our organization operates, and also helps us to become responsible for our own recovery.”
We try to resolve all objections raised, i.e. we try to reach unanimous agreement, on the majority of decisions we make. When we must vote, though, we use Robert’s Rules of Order to help lead our Business Meetings, along with the spiritual principles of DA and BDA. These spiritual principles include substantial unanimity (from Tradition Two, at least 2/3 of voting members voting yes in order to move forward) and invite minority opinion (from Concept Five) before finalizing our decisions and taking group-conscience approved actions.
As always, Tradition Two guides us: "For our group purpose, there is but one Ultimate Authority, a Loving God as God may express himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but Trusted Servants, they do not govern." Business meeting agenda:
1. Ask for volunteer to serve as timekeeper, usually giving time checks at three 10-minute intervals for a total of 30 minutes.
2. Open with Serenity Prayer.
3. Ask participants to introduce themselves by name (perhaps ask whether or not each person present considers themselves a home group member).
4. Ask Business Meeting Record Keeper to summarize minutes from previous month. Ask if there are amendments or objections to approving the minutes. If no objections, state “the minutes have been approved.”
5. Ask Treasurer to give financial report from previous month. Ask if there are amendments or objections to approving the report. If no objections, state “the Treasurer’s report has been approved.”
6. Share an itemized agenda for the current business meeting. Service positions should always be filled first. Make sure participants know how to contribute items to the agenda for the next and future months. Ask if there are any urgent business items, that is decisions that cannot wait until the next or a future month. Address old business, then new business.
7. Close with Serenity Prayer as close to 7:55pm eastern as possible, leaving a small gap before the Meeting Chair opens the regular weekly meeting.
Detailed Agenda for Next Business Meeting
Please submit new business items via email for addition to the agenda below by our Tech Coordinator. Unless considered urgent business by at least 2/3 (substantial unanimity) of the business meeting participants, all
agenda items will be taken in order, rolling forward from month to month.
Once introduced during a business meeting, a new business item will become old business and will be treated with a higher priority until it is resolved, tabled, or withdrawn.
There may be exceptions to the movement of agenda items described above by group conscience. Financial distributions initiated during Treasurer's report are generally resolved before moving into old and new business.
Click on the image below to open a 3-page pdf.
Minutes for Review and Approval
Minutes submitted by our Business Meeting Record Keeper. Minutes will be read aloud, reviewed, and approved with or without amendments at our next business meeting. Click on the image below to open a 2-page pdf.
Sunday BDA Group Inventory
We performed a wonderful and productive BDA group inventory this year. With the help of our moderator, not a member of our group, we developed our own inventory questions:
1. What are the principles by which all DA groups function, including our BDA group?
2. From the Fifth Tradition, what is our BDA group's message?
3. Do we stay focused on our singleness of purpose?
4. Are we, as a group, open to change? Are we flexible and open to new ideas?
5. Is our meeting format working for us and attracting new members?
6. What are the special challenges we face as a phone meeting? How are we handling those challenges?
7. Are there changes we would like to make to our group or meetings? What are they and why?
8. Are there things we would hate to see change about our group or meetings? What are they and why?
9. Are we serving the newcomers who attend our meetings? How would we know? Are they coming back?
10. Are we living up to self-support and voluntary contributions — in terms of both money and service — as described in the 7th Tradition?
11. Are we filling our open positions with qualified candidates? If no, why not?
12. Do we want to create positions for Intergroup Rep and Public Information Rep? If yes, how will we accomplish this?
13. Is there anything we have not yet discussed based on the questions above?
Rather than making decisions, which was not the purpose of the inventory, or suggestions to the group, we framed our inventory results in terms of questions with context, which we are now working through with our group via monthly business meetings. For more information, download our complete group inventory report.
Treasurer's Report for Review and Approval
Report submitted by our Treasurer from previous month, usually available by the 10th of the current month. Report will be read aloud, reviewed, and approved with or without amendments at our next business meeting, often including distribution and other spending recommendations from our Treasurer for future months. Previous month's report, although approved, will remain here until replaced, maintaining this space. Click on the image below to open a pdf.
