Minutes: Board of Trustees
Wednesday, May 3, 2023.

11 a.m. CTAGENDA
1. Call to order/Serenity Prayer
Present: Paul, Colleen, Elaine, Kathleen, Fred
Absent: Behzad, Carolina, Kelsey- Paul

2. Approval of past meeting minutes
March
Motion to approve by Colleen Seconded by Kathleen- Paul

3. Open vs. Closed meetings- Kathleen
Held conversations on this topic with other members. Rationale for closed meetings - formembers or prospective members. Open meetings are available to the public but must
follow the Concepts if they want to share - could be speaker meetings or retreats - more
informational and not a Step or Topic meeting. Will have more conversations with thegroup to recommend a clear definition of what constitutes open and closed meetings bythe next Trustee meeting. Could be a topic for the Membership Meeting in the fall.
4. Recent Survey Findings- Elaine
Reviewed results. Introduced a new Serenity Card as a result. Other ideas: survey asking
how people want to volunteer - link to how they can now. How do you put your 12 Steps
into action?
5. Finance review- PaulP&L March
Cumulative P&L
Balance sheetElaine will remind folks to include EA in their estate plans - mainly from IRAs - in weeklyemails.
6. Board recruitment and retention
Board terms
Note on email and website encouraging applications
Several trustees’ terms are ending in June.

- Paul

7. Communications Committee update- Colleen
Cmt met April 19. Discussed a new pamphlet on being an effective group - willconsolidate all current materials on having healthy meetings - both virtual and in person.
Might be a 4-column pamphlet with references to the other publications. The new bookcontinues to proceed. Requests for material needs more information/guidance andColleen will host an informational meeting on May 20. Plan is to publish by the end of
this year.

8. Mission statement revision- Elaine
Worksheet for ideasPerhaps EAI is due for a refresh of the mission statement - this is a way to frame mission
revisions. Add ideas at the bottom of the sheet prior to the board meeting.
Good as is. Perhaps a review of it at a later date at an Annual Membership meeting.
Need to announce it on more materials etc right now.
Other comments:
Fred’s meeting has gone to a conference call format. Get people from all over thecountry. Someone wanted verification of attendance at this meeting but we don’t track
individuals who attend. They have created the following information about the meetingthat is shared. The trustees will review it at the next meeting.

At our meetings we use first names only. Comments made here are treatedconfidentially to uphold the tradition of anonymity. Anonymity assures usthat only we have the right to make our membership here known to others.
Our EA group is not a class, it’s not therapy – it’s a support group where wehelp each other with emotional challenges through sharing personal
experiences and using the 12-step program. No one tracks attendance orprogress; no one issues report cards or certificates; we do not give advice
on personal matters. Criticism and argument are avoided to ensure easy
and open-minded discussion.
A voice-over artist reached out to Colleen to discuss volunteering for something.
Kathleen has had inquiries about how to use our literature - that using literature is not
the same as holding an EA meeting.
At the next meeting the trustees can discuss what an EA meeting is/is not.
Next Meeting: June 7, 2023