Host: Support Meeting Flow
The person (Secretary, Lead, or Chair) who reads the meeting script also manages the flow of that Al-Anon meeting. While receding into the background, the hosting team supports meeting flow; and the Host spearheads this effort. Following are a few tips that have evolved from the time it first became necessary for us to gather virtually to safeguard our health.
Later in the meeting, usually just before sharing begins, the Host can make the following individuals a Co-Host:
- Secretary or Lead so s/he can call on raised hands for sharing. Let him/her know via Chat that you have done this so s/he can see these hands in the Participants List in the order they were raised. (Because of its complex algorithm, the gallery order is not as accurate as the Participants List.)
- Treasurer so s/he can enter Tradition Seven information into Chat at his/her leisure. We have learned from experience that the earlier this information appears in Chat, the better the response is likely to be.
- Greeter/Newcomers' Liaison so s/he can Chat directly with those who are new to Al-Anon, providing pertinent information and answering any questions they may have.
The reason for the delay in making each of these individuals a Co-Host is that we take turns unmuting during the early part of the meeting to read from the script or to share meeting readings. During this early period, the “doorbells” (which are audible to the hosting team and signal the arrival of latecomers to the meeting) could be heard by participants through the unmuted device of any hosting team member who is reading or sharing; and this can be unnerving.
When a topic for sharing is chosen, the Host can enter this topic in Chat for the convenience of the group.
To feature the Timer for the meeting, the Host can select “Spotlight for Everyone” from that individual’s video thumbnail menu. The Host can subsequently “Remove Spotlight.”