Lately, I’ve noticed several meetings whereby there was significant disruptions.  Unfortunately, this led to dozens of callers dropping off the line.  So, there are two ways of looking at this—We can either continue to try to live in chaos or we can try to fix the problem.

Tradition #2: “For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.” Am I absolutely trustworthy, even in secret? Do I have to save face in group discussion, or can I yield in good spirit to the group conscience and work cheerfully along with it? Read more

Here are a couple of suggestions:

1. When you first call into the teleconference the line should be automatically muted by default.  This is a simple feature that the administrator needs to enable @ FreeConference.com.  This will eliminate a large percentage of background noise that other callers hear when people innocently create.
2. The moderator needs to take command of the meeting by utilizing the available features and tactfully following the 2nd Tradition.  See Meetings – How They Work – page 185 in the White Book.
3. These challenges need to be planned for and addressed during a business meeting / group conscious.  However, interrupting the meeting to try and consult the group can be very difficult while emotions are high.  Perhaps it is best to simply defer to the literature and try to end the meeting on a positive note.
4. Perhaps the most important step is to reach out to any callers who may be having difficulty by exchanging phone numbers and calling them directly, one-on-one.  Often Carrying the Message of hope and practicing the 12th Tradition is simply listening to another addict and giving them an opportunity to share openly without judgment.