WELCOME TO AA Fairview Riverside

WELCOME TO AA Fairview RiversideWELCOME TO AA Fairview RiversideWELCOME TO AA Fairview Riverside
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WELCOME TO AA Fairview Riverside

WELCOME TO AA Fairview RiversideWELCOME TO AA Fairview RiversideWELCOME TO AA Fairview Riverside
  • Home
  • Meetings
  • Straight Talk
  • 12 Step Opportunities
  • What is AA?
  • AA Readings
  • Trustee Documents
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • AA related links

We Are Back!!

We Are Back!!We Are Back!!We Are Back!!
Looking for a meeting?

Please see our updated, in-person meeting and zoom schedule. All meetings are still available on zoom for those unable to attend in person. Masks and social distancing are required while on the hospital campus. All attendees need to enter M Health Campus through the West Building lobby entrance and answer covid contact questions.

For those attending meetings in person or on Zoom, 7th tradition contributions can be made on Venmo: @Aa-FairviewRiverside or by mail to: AA Treasurer, 1575 Christie Place, St. Paul 55106

 LATEST ISSUE OF STRAIGHT TALK 

Straight Talk - March - April 2023 03-15-2023 (1) (pdf)Download

There are many ​​​Service Opportunities available

 Please see "12 Step Opportunities" to see how you can get involved.



Why do we “pass the basket” at meetings?

  AA’s Preamble and 7th Tradition tell us: There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions….   The Seventh Tradition: Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.   The AA brochure The Twelve Traditions Illustrated reminds us, “As active alcoholics we were always looking for a handout—in one way or another.”   “Experience has taught us also, that AA as a whole needs to be self-supporting and independent.”  AA at Fairview Riverside serves suffering alcoholics with time, fellowship, meetings, and sponsors. In addition, your donations help us bring support such as:   

  • Meeting rooms   
  • Straight Talk,   
  • Literature, & Medallions    
  • Support for: AA World Services; Local Intergroups; Area 36 Southern MN, District 18,   
  • Gopher State Roundup hospitality  


Why not talk about the 7th Tradition in your group to see if action is needed? Suggested voluntary contribution: $2 per week


 Copyright © 2015 Board of Trustees, AA at Fairview Riverside. * Copyright © The AA Grapevine, Inc. Reprinted with permission. **Reprinted from the AA brochure The Twelve Traditions Illustrated, with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc. 

Tips for sucessful hybrid meetings

How to access wifi in the hospital

1.  Select FV_Welcome from   the list of available WIFI signals on your device.   

2. When   asked for a Network key enter Fairview!   

3.  You will see an option to request a guest or visitor account. Select that.   

4.  You will be asked to enter your name, email address, phone number and then to   agree to the terms of service.   

5. You will receive a visitor ID and passcode which you can use to join   the FV_Welcome network.   

6.  Once you are logged in you can start or join your Zoom meeting.    

Planningfor a Hybrid Meeting


When we eventually can start meeting in person, there will be reasons why some members will not be able to attend the in-person component of the meeting:

  • Health      Concerns, Accessibility issues, Physically Unable to leave home,      Attendance limitations of facility

There are two ways to address the above limitations:

1. Parallel meetings: two separate meetings, happening at the same time- one online meeting and one in-person meeting, that have nothing to do with each other.

2. Hybrid meeting: one meeting that includes some attending in person and other members participating in the meeting from remote locations via online platform like Zoom.

PARALLEL MEETINGS

Advantage: it is the simplest solution to address those who cannot attend the in-person meetings. We continue as we have, limitless attendance to online meetings, and the necessary limitations to the in- person meetings.
Disadvantage: If someone shows up to an in-person meeting, and for some reason cannot be admitted (health reasons, and/or will not comply with the requirements for attendance), they may be disappointed when directed to the online meeting to find that the same folks attending the in-person meeting are not there.

Eventually, the group will start to feel as though they are two entities and may result in a division of the online vs in-person attendees.

HYBRID MEETINGS

Why Bother with Hybrid meetings?

  • Tradition      I: Our common welfare comes first; personal recovery depends on AA unity.      Making the effort to include group members who cannot attend in-person      meetings is a very noble effort to keep a group unified. A lack of      coordination between the needs of all group members will undoubtedly      result in Group disharmony. A hybrid meeting allows all members of the      group to stay connected to the group.
  • Many      meetings have found that on-line meetings attract members that are former      members who have moved away and new members who live far away. They are      also able to attract a wider variety of speakers from out of the area.
  • Allows      a member in a high risk group or with accessibility issues to participate      in regular meetings
  • Allows      your group to overcome attendance capacity limits at your physical      venueParticipants arriving after the limit is reached, could easily and      quickly join the meeting from outside the venue, such as from the comfort      of their vehicle OR
  • someone      already inside could volunteer their spot to another in more need, such as      a newcomer or a member without the ability to join an online meeting
  • If      there is a second wave in the pandemic that requires in-person meetings to      be temporarily suspended, the group is flexible and can continue to have      meetings online with a meeting code and password that everyone knows.

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN SETTING UP A HYBRID MEETING

Experience shared on hybrid meetings: Be sure to include those online equally with those who are meeting in person. Sometimes when attending as an online participant to a hybrid meeting, those online don’t feel like they are part of the meeting.

Good coordination between zoom portion, and in-person meeting.

Decide who will lead the meeting, the online or in-person member. Be sure, especially in business meetings and/or discussion meetings that all are included in the discussion and able to participate freely. That may require a dedicated person in the in-person meeting to look after the folks online, looking for raised hands and watching the chat for issues or problems raised in addition to the in-person chair/facilitator

Equal Participation: Consider alternating between in-person share and online person share.Good idea to have at least 1 person, maybe 2 online facilitating the online component (aka a zoom tech and an online chair).

Anonymity: have an announcement, or let people know as they are coming into the meeting that this is a hybrid meeting and give people at the In-Person meeting the option to sit out of view of the camera, or give people the option to point the camera at their feet. For those online, they should be advised and may not want to have their video turned on.

IMPORTANT: Zoom Host should disable the option to record the meeting.

TECHNICAL SET UP FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEETINGS:

  • Simplest      set up (small groups, small space): tablet, phone or laptop pointed      at whoever is sharing and pass the device around. When online participants      are speaking, put the microphone on mute.
  • Simplest      set up (small groups, big space): If the sound coming from the      device cannot be heard by those at the In-person meeting, it may be      necessary to introduce a Bluetooth speaker to project the online      participants better.

A HYBRID MEETING WILL NEED

In-person members: Reliable participants in the In-person location to open the meeting and ensure that safety precautions are being followed (see suggested guidelines from the Breakout Rooms on Safety for In-Person meetings)

In-Person Zoomer: One person in the In-Person meeting will provide the computer/cell phone to sign on to zoom (data charges may apply) and give those Online access to the in-person meeting.

Zoom Host: this will be someone attending the meeting remotely and will let online participants out of the waiting room and into the zoom meeting.

Optional: Zoom Tech: depending on the size of the meeting, it might be helpful to have a zoom tech, who can assist the Zoom host in the necessities of online meetings.

Their responsibilities can include welcoming folks as they arrive, ensuring the anonymity of online participants (first name, last initial), and bounce out any disruptors.

Informed Group Conscience: Make sure when deciding how to move forward you are in touch with all group members and that it comes from a place of an informed group conscience.

The virtual host should verify the Internet connection and equipment are functioning prior to the start of the meeting. The checklist should include:

  • A      stable connection to the Internet. Ideally using wi-fi. (A mobile hotspot      using a phone could also work, should have an unlimited data plan.)
  • A      dependable virtual conferencing account (Zoom charges around $15/month,      their free accounts are limited to only 40 minutes.) Other video      conferencing options exist.
  • Using      a laptop with the accessories below would provide a better experience for      the virtual attendees rather than a hand-held phone or tablet.
  • Omnidirectional      microphone – $30-$90 (higher end models may include speakers)
  • Speakers      – $20 – $50 (if not included with microphone)
  • Swivel      USB Camera – $45 – $100
  • (Optional      – a separate monitor or projector. This would allow the in-person      attendees to see the virtual attendees.)

Three Scenarios for Hybrid Meetings

  • Small      Groups can have hybrid meetings with one person bringing a laptop to the      in-person meeting and sharing their meeting with others on Zoom. For      example, 10-12 people in person and 10-12 people on zoom. The camera      located on the laptop will not move so people on zoom will not see      everyone but should be able to hear very well. The laptop can be moved to      anyone speaking in the room as an option.
  • Medium      Groups can bring in a donated flat screen TV, a donated laptop with camera      abilities and put those items on a cart or table and hold their hybrid      meetings that way. They could use a microphone or have a speaker able to      pick up all the in person members.
  • Large      Groups such as Alanos can purchase a large flat screen TV with good      speakers with omnidirectional microphones mounted to the wall, a laptop in      a cabinet on the side for connecting to zoom and a camera mounted above      the TV. Option could be a camera that can be controlled with a remote to      zoom closer or wider into a room of people.

*Before using this information please read and discuss the “Building Use Guidelines During Covid-19 Re-Opening”

Board of Trustees

 It is that time of the year for each group to elect a member to serve on the Board of Trustees. Please read this or raise this issue at your AA Meetings. Serving on the Board is a great way to serve your AA group and to meet other members of the Fairview Riverside AA community. Your participation is very important at this time! Please send a representative.   The purpose of the Board of Trustees is to serve the Groups of A.A. at Fairview Riverside as a common voice in matters concerning the A.A. membership and other groups, Fairview Riverside Rehabilitation Center, the A.A. community in Minnesota, and the A.A. community at large. As a practical matter, the Board of Trustees manages the finances, paying rent to the hospital, and decides what percentages and amounts of collected contributions are distributed to the AA service organizations.   The Board also coordinates 12 step opportunities for the groups, and organizes and staffs the St. Mary’s/Fairview Riverside hospitality suite at Gopher State Round-up. The Board of Trustees for AA at Fairview Riverside meets at 6:15 p.m. on the second Sunday of every month at the lobby lounge by the Brennan Center in the east building.   

Any member of an AA group that meets at Fairview-Riverside University of Minnesota Medical Center is welcome to, and encouraged to attend and contribute. If your group does not have an elected Trustee, please elect a Trustee and send them to the next Board of Trustees meeting.  

We will continue to post the monthly Treasurer’s Report and Secretary’s Report on our website, www.aafairviewriverside.org each month.   If any group has any questions, concerns, or comments that they would like to bring to the attention of the Board of Directors, please send a note or letter through the mailbox on the fifth floor, call Bruce M. (Treasurer) at (612) 816-7929, or e-mail Bruce M. at bhmargo@gmail.com 


AA at Fairview Riverside Board of Trustees  

Copyright © 2019 AA Fairview Riverside - All Rights Reserved.