Minutes: Board of Trustees
March 8, 2021
11:30 CT a.m.
1. Call to order/Serenity Prayer- Scott
2. Approval of Feb 8 meeting minutes*- Scott
Motion to approve by Kelsey, seconded by Colleen. Unanimous approval.
3. State Charitable Solicitation registration- Elaine
Need to explore what the requirements are for solicitation requests. Federal laws preempts state laws. Elaine will send everyone the document and Steve will help sort out
what needs to be done.
4. Approval of new materials*- Colleeni. New co-sponsoring pamphlet
Board will vote via email for approvalii. Calm (#96) revisions
Vote delayed until April - Elaine will put the doc in a google doc (notpublisher) so everyone can access it.
iii. Recovery
Vote delayed until April
iv. For the Health professional
Important to get more information out as people really need moreresources. Sense of urgency to get this information out quickly with apossible follow up with the results of the research. Motion to approve by
Colleen, seconded by John. Unanimous approval with the changes
discussed.
v. Acceptance
Vote delayed until April - Elaine will put the doc in a google doc (notpublisher) so everyone can access it.
5. Video update- Kelsey
Sent out via email for feedback. Would be posted on the website and emailed to groups
once it is final. Review again in April.
6. National suicide hotline*- Colleen
Colleen reported that states are being encouraged to offer the national call line andwants to check if we should offer this crisis line as a resource on the website. Paulthought it would make sense and not an affiliation. Scott pointed out the tradition ofnon-affiliation. Derita thinks this should only be used for calls coming to the office.
Colleen will draft language for April.
7. Financial report - January**- PaulFinancials look good. Literature sales are up as are donations.

8. Investment fund changes- PaulPaul is recommending some adjustments in the EAI investments for more diversity andbetter yields. Colleen made a motion to allow Paul to make these investments changes;
seconded by Derita. Unanimous approval.
9. July retreat/celebration for anniversary update- ScottBuffalo retreat in February was held on Zoom. July retreat is still TBD in-person or zoom
with a celebration of the 50th anniversary. The telephone conference is also going tofocus on the 50th anniversary.
10. Managing chat meetings- BehzadBehzad is prepared to be able to help new chat moderators. Due to the time difference
he can’t attend chat meetings but is available to help people with them. He is looking atdifferent platforms that are available so he is knowledgeable if/when he gets questions.
Scott requested that Behzad reach out to the existing chat moderators so they know whohe is. Elaine will find somewhere on the website to post Behzad’s information and he will
put together information about how to run a chat meeting in case people are thinking ofstarting one but don’t know where to start.
11. New board member recruitment effort*- Scott
Board application and timeline are available and Elaine will start the process toencourage new members.
12. Potential ongoing board role*- Scott
The Bylaws allow for a designator provider, which Scott would fulfill. He would not be atrustee after the next fiscal year as his term ends June 30. Motion by Steve to approve
Scott as designed provider;for one year starting July 1, 2021 Colleen seconded.
Unanimous approval. Scott abstained.
13. Update on sponsor matching effort- Elaine
About a dozen people have volunteered. Elaine created a flow chart to understand how
the process will work.
Next meeting April 12 at 11:30 a.m.
*See further detail on next pages.
**Documents will be separately via email#2: Approval of Minutes

February 8, 2021
1. Call to order/Serenity Prayer- Scott

Present: Kelsey, Derita, Paul, Scott, Steve, Colleen, Elaine
Absent: Behzad, John
2. Approval of Jan 11 meeting minutes*- Scott

Motion to approve by Paul, seconded by Scott. Unanimous approval;
Steve abstained as he was not present at the January meeting.
3. Approval of new materials*- Elaine

Motion to approve by Paul, seconded by Colleen. Unanimous approval
Discussion: Steve - clarified that the Virtual Group Intro is suggested,
not mandatory.

4.
5.

6.

7.

i. Virtual group introduction for all groups (from Italiantranslation)
ii. German translations:- Guilt (new)- Elaine checked with Karin in Germany and received
positive feedback on the translation on Feb. 3iii. Calm (new)iv. Grief (new)v. Gratitude (reflection question review only)
vi. Acceptance (reflection question review only)vii. From Surviving to Thriving (reflection question review only)Video update- Kelsey
Kelsey will share an initial video on EA Meetings in March.
Update on Bylaws committee- Steve
The group meets twice each month, working on the sections. The Member
Business meeting section was most recently reviewed. Now working on theregistered group section. Lots of discussion with the goal that the bylaws are
not overly restrictive. The current bylaws are very confusing andcomplicated - and less helpful than they could be. The strength of thelengthy process is that there has been good discussion and very careful
thought regarding any adjustments made to the document.
Update on Iranian request for publishing materials*- Scott/Elaine
Elaine spoke with Ali Ameri. The Iranian groups want permission to translate
EA materials into Farsi. Motion by Steve, seconded by Colleen. Scott, Kelsey,Colleen, Steve, Paul voted to approve. Derita abstained through a lack ofvote. Discussion: Paul commented that the expectation of royalty payments
remains, whether payments are possible or not. Scott pointed out that the7th Tradition is important but spreading the program is perhaps more
important. Colleen spoke in favor of approving their request. Elaine willreach back to the Iranian group and get the copyright permission sent out.
Progress on outcomes evaluation effort- PaulThe researcher has done some work on 12 step groups to create a list of
possible questions that will be used and some discussion of how to involvegroups. Motion made by Scott that the trustees, in practicing Step 12,

formally approve of the work Paul is doing on EA’s behalf of spearheading
this outcomes evaluation effort. Steve seconded the motion. No one spoke
against the motion. Scott, Kelsey, Colleen, Steve, Paul voted to approve.
Derita abstained.
8. Financial report - December- PaulEarnings from literature have increased as have individual contributions.
PPP funds have helped. The goal is to continue on this trend toward breakeven at the end of the fiscal year.
9. 50th Anniversary plans- PaulA 4th page in Strength & Hope was added in January and February. The
materials all reflect the 50th Anniversary logo. We’ll hold a fundraisingeffort of some sort later in the spring. We’re going to encourage sustainer
giving more. Scott suggested encouraging gifts of $50 this year. Colleen
suggested that we put some effort into this.
10. July retreat/celebration for anniversary?
- Scott
There is a regular July retreat held in Minnesota. Next month there will be
updates on how to tie the July retreat into the 50th Anniversary.
11. Update on work of Communication committee- Colleen
There was a re-focus meeting in January away from a communications planto focus on more immediate efforts - specifically a focus on the healthcarecommunity and recovery entities. The group is developing a news release forhealthcare providers and is updating the current “For the HealthcareProvider” pamphlet and website pages. All this will be available at the next
meeting. Colleen has a list and Paul has a healthcare provider list and wewill do a mass email to these lists to share information about the EA
program.
12. Sponsorship
a. New co-sponsoring pamphlet in process*- Colleen
This is an update/re-write of the current sponsorship pamphlet andshould be ready for review next month.
b. Additional wording for website*- Kelsey
Kelsey made a few suggestions for the website about sponsoring
and the trustees discussed the language. Kelsey and Colleen willrevise her suggestions and get them back to Elaine to add thisinformation to the website.
c. Update on volunteers (10)/next steps- Elaine
We have received 10 people interested in getting involved. This list
will be the go-to when people contact the office or individual
trustees for sponsors.Elaine will encourage people to think about
sponsorship/co-sponsorship to grow the list via email and on thewebsite. The email/phone of the person looking for a sponsor will beshared with the list for those people on the list
13. Managing chat meetings- Behzad
Behzad was not at the meeting. The goal is that Behzad is the coordinator of
the chat meetings, not to moderate meetings. We need someone to be thepoint person for the moderators of the chat meetings.
14. Reminder of new board member recruitment schedule - Elaine

This is coming up. Scott will be finishing his second term on the board June
30. Everyone else will be eligible to continue their service if they so choose.
Elaine will verify the nominations process in the minutes from last year.
Other points.
Colleen asked about starting a pamphlet on recovery and will start a draft.

#3: state laws on solicitation
Solicitation Rules#4 Approval of new/revised pamphlets
Click on the title below to go to the doc on the google shared drive forreview.
Sponsor/cosponsor pamphlet
Calm (revised)
Healthcare prof
Acceptance (revised reflection questions)
Recovery#6 National Suicide Hotline - Gov. Walz press release

Governor Walz Announces New National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline Call Centers in Minnesota[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz today announced that Minnesota callers
seeking support through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will now receive
fast, localized support thanks to the opening of four new call centers in Minnesota.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a network of more than 160 call centersaround the country. Callers are routed to a call center near them based on theirphone number, but calls that are not answered by a local call center are usuallyrouted to a national backup center. Minnesota callers will now receive local
assistance thanks to $1.2 million in funding allocated to the program by the 2019
Minnesota Legislature.
“It is paramount that we prioritize the mental health needs of Minnesotans,particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic has presented many unprecedented
challenges. We know that this has been an incredibly difficult time forMinnesotans,” said Governor Walz. “These four new call centers will ensure
Minnesotans receive fast access to trained counselors locally. If you need help,
please reach out. The Lifeline network is a free and confidential resource available
24/7 to everyone.”

“Mental health is the cornerstone to everything in our lives, and receiving quick
access to counselors who are local and in your community is sometimes thedifference that we need to choose hope,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy
Flanagan. “If you or someone you know is in a crisis, please call the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). No topic is off limits, and noconcern is too small. There’s no shame in asking for support. If you are struggling,or are worried about a friend, there is help, and there is hope.”“We know the pandemic and other factors have made this a particularly
challenging time for so many Minnesotans, and having new and local support ofthis kind if very timely,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm.
“Through these new call centers, Minnesotans will now have access to trained
phone counselors in Minnesota with the knowledge and awareness to connect
callers with local help, supports, and services. Having local call centers will help
people get quickly connected with a counselor when reaching out for help.”
Minnesota has been without a locally based National Suicide Prevention Lifeline callcenter since spring 2018, when Minnesota’s only National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
call center shut down due to a lack of funding. In 2019, more than 32,000 calls fromMinnesota were made to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The four new callcenters in Minnesota are operated by:····

Carver County
Greater Twin Cities United Way
First Link
First Call for Help

Each call center covers designated counties within Minnesota. Calls are routed to thecall centers based on the first five digits of a caller’s phone number, making surecallers get the most localized support available.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline receives calls 24 hours a day, seven days aweek. The Lifeline is free to use and supports people who call for themselves orsomeone they care about. People call to talk about many topics, including substanceuse, economic worries, relationships, mental and physical illness, and more.
If you are thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or a loved one, or would
like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 for everyone and is freeand confidential. Call 1-800-273-8255.

#11 Board recruitment
Application form and important dates:
Application
Expectations for Trustees document
Board nomination timeline#12 Ongoing board role proposal
1. March through June 30th of 2021, Scott J. continues as Board President.
2. July 1st, 2021 - Scott J. is no longer a member of the board of trustees (2017 Bylaws 5.1.4.3"Member trustees who have served two full terms in succession must be off the board for one
full term before again becoming a trustee candidate.")3. Scott J. may continue to serve on EAI committees, but as a non-trustee member of EA.
4. Scott J. may serve as a volunteer/trusted servant, supporting the ISC/staff and EAI's
executive director, as a non-trustee member of EA.
5. July 1st, 2021 through June 30th of 2022 (with the option of renewing for 2 additional years,
one year at a time) - Scott J. (if approved by a majority of the board or if designated by thecurrent board of trustees' president) is designated as Trustee Presider, presiding at all board
meetings and EAI membership meetings, as designated presider (2017 Bylaws Section 11
Special Designation "Trustee Presider: At the discretion of the president, or by a majority vote ofthe board, there may be a trustee presider. 11.1.1 Presides at designated meeting. 11.1.2 Is
not allowed to make motions, debate or vote. 11.1.3 Can be a non-member of EA.)
If it seems unwise to proceed in this proposed course of action, I am quite willing to step aside
from involvement with board meetings, since I'll officially be off the board. However, I still haveenergy to serve and I am still interested in contributing to EA/EAI If it seems helpful for me to doso - in this new, clearly defined trusted servant role. As guided by a power greater than myself,
I'd be willing to serve in these ways for the good of the organization/fellowship. I feel goodabout the work that we are doing. Beginning July 2nd, 2021, at any point the board, by majority
vote or at the discretion of the board president, I can be removed as trustee presider.
#13 Sponsor matches
Sponsor search flow chart
Sponsor list