Hi Everyone,

At this time I am going to share as the founder and webmaster for Miracles In Progress 12 Step Recovery Forums.  I do this because what I share here, is applicable to any group that gathers on the MIP 12 Step Recovery Forums web site.

First, there are and always have been requirements that must be met for MIP to recognize a "group" and provide it with the commodiaties this site provides to "groups".  In order to understand the point of this post, let me share with you some history of the NA material on this site.

Over two years ago, an NA member asked me if I'd be willing to host a group for them on this forum.  It was explained in the clearest of terms that in order to do so, there were some requirements that the group had to meet here.  These requirements were outlined and with much enthusism this individual agreed to meet the requirements.  The ball was rolling.  An NA group home page was created, a meeting room was created, a message board was created, and a group email account was created, and the group meeting schedule was placed on the site.

However, not one of the outlined conditions for hosting a NA group on this site was met.  Nor has the conditions been met in the past two years at any time.

Let's now review the conditions that are required by MIP 12 Step Recovery Forums in order to recognize and host a "group" on this site.

1.  Each group is required to hold a minimum of two 12 Step, topic discussion meetings in its chat/meeting room on a scheduled basis, per week.  

• Person(s) who align themself with this 12 step organization must be willing to commit to chairing those scheduled meetings on a weekly basis. 
  
• Chairpersons must have a minimum of 6 months clean time and be actively involved in face to face meetings in their local community.
  
• Chairpersons must be willing and able to use mIRC, txplay and the meeting opening and closing readings/scripts that are utilized in face to face meetings.  (This makes opening and closing a meeting easy, with a few clicks of your mouse.)
  
• Other group members must be willing to attend and support the group meetings.

2. A Group Conscious/business meeting must be held on a regularly scheduled basis 1 time per month in the group's chat/meeting room, and all group members must be informed of this meeting 72 hours in advance of its being held.  The purpose of this meeting is so the group can:

• Determine its regular meeting schedule needs
  
• Fill Chairperson positions for scheduled meetings
  
• Elect group service workers for group secretary, GC meeting chairperson, message board monitors, group email correnspondents
  
• Vote on any needed displinary actions for inappropriate behaviors in the room or on the message board
  
• Submit and vote on material to be added to or removed from the groups home page
  
• Address issues that jeapardize the safety the group or group members, and the effectiveness of its method of carrying the message of recovery online, etc.

3. The group must elect 2 members who are willing to monitor the group message board, to ensure that there is no adult or child porn, or non recovery related advertising posted.  That there are no religious or political promotions, no copyright/publication violations, and that there are no attacks posted against any individual or group of individuals.

4. The group must elect a group member(s) to be responsible for checking the group email account (naway@12stepforums.net) daily and reply to inquiries regarding NA, the group, meetings, etc in the spirit of recovery.

5.  The group must allow MIP to place a link(s) to its Recovery Book store on the groups area and a donation link(s) to the Forums PayPal account for individuals voluntary contributions to the Forum to help offset the expense related to it.  (There is no requirement that any one make a contribution, but the availability to do so should someone want to is there.)  And the group must be willing to allow a link(s) to Miracles In Progress 12 Step Recovery Forums Home page.  These links are usually placed on the group home page, the chat room entrance page and the message board page.

Now... it appears that several people here want to be recognized as a group on this forum.  To start this process, I would suggest the group schedule a Group business meeting, during which group members would take on the committments related to the service work mentioned above.  After which, the group needs to notify me as to its group meeting schedule, its Group Conscious/business meeting schedule, who needs the password to the group email account, and who needs to be given access to the message boards post editing/deleting/banning and sticky features, who is going to assist new chairpersons with setting up mIRC with the meeting scripts to chair which meeting each week.

A group is not a bunch of people posting hapazardly on a message board in cyberspace.  If this is what you want, nothing more or less, there are other mediums to use for free online, (MSN, Yahoo, etc.)

The Step Work board is a option the group can elect to utilize, wherein they have a group member posting on the current step from NA's perspective, and where other addicts can reply, ask questions, etc. Or the group can elect to simply do this on their own board in the manner they see fit, or the group can elect to not do it at all.

At this time, there is copyrighted material posted on this message board, and what isn't posted here is linked to from here, without the proper permissions to do so.  Conference Approved Literature is not all free, nor is it not copyright and publication protected.  Therefore, I would strongly suggest that the group's secretary contact the WSO for these permissions in writting.  WSO makes the largest portion of its funding through the sales of its literature and to obtain it without purchasing it or having the proper permissions adversely effects NA as a whole.  To view what is provided for free and what is for sale, the group members should visit NA's official site.

Lastly, starting and maintaining a group in cyberspace is not always a fun, easy, joy filled task.  It takes group member dedication, loyalty, committment and sticktoitiveness.  It is easy to stand on the side lines and whine about what someone else is or isn't doing.  However as a member that is a beneficiary of this program, it might better serve to ask how you can help or what role you can take responsibility for as a group member.

Yours In the Spirit of Recovery,

John F.

CD; 12-21-89

PS. I am willing to help the group in any way I can, but that does have limitations to it as my time is pretty thin between my own work hours, the Miracles In Progress Recovery House, the needs of other groups on the forum, a relationship to which I am engaged, and many other factors.  If the group ask me to do something I will try to do so in a reasonable, timely manner, or state clearly that I can not do it.  Please remember, I am a NA member (as well as a few other goodies ), an individual that has shortcomings, I am not the group.  You are.  Start operating as such and I will commit my support to your endeavor, to any reasonable degree I can.