How Do I Host/Chair a meeting

Suggestions for Chairpersons

These guidelines are subject to change. It is suggested that a Back Porch chairperson is a regular member of this group, has at least 90 days of sobriety, and is actively working the steps with a sponsor. We suggest that you sign up for a weekly meeting for at least four weeks.

I want to chair but I don't know if I can....

This technology can be daunting at first and we are all having to figure out how to navigate this world of technology and online meetings. But it isn't as hard as you may think. There are some great tutorial videos to watch prior to chairing your first meeting that will really make it so much more comfortable for you.

Chairperson Sign-Up

Meeting should be opened 15 minutes prior for fellowship. Email backporchmeetings@outlook.com or text 719-696-1608 if unable to access zoom room. Confirmation emails are received from our online sign up form, SignUpGenius and include all items necessary to chair.

Thanks for your service!

Your Service is vital to the ongoing success of our meetings. Please take the time to read the instructions sent on how to chair a meeting, and perhaps sign in and practice in advance, especially for your first few meetings. Please read the resources on how to handle disruptions and perhaps practice this in advance so as to protect the participants in the meeting.

Zoom Bombing

Finding balance in our primary purpose while also protecting the community we serve is an ongoing priority and challenge. Our latest resource, Handling Online Meeting Disruptions in the Moment, is meant to help you keep going if your meeting gets "Zoombombed." While it is true that we cannot simultaneously be accessible to an unknown combination of anonymous people and also completely safe from internet trolls, we can help our members add tools to the toolkit, a practice we are all familiar with.

We have done what we can to distill best practices for Personal Anonymity, Default Settings, and Managing Meeting Participants in Zoom, which is all quite new to most of us, and share them with you.

Please take some time to rehearse using these resources and set up some practice meetings. Note: it is strongly suggested that each meeting elect a group admin, or co-host, to manage the participants, allowing the meeting secretary to run the meeting. A few of the protocols offered here, set up in advance and practiced a few times, can keep these disruptions from derailing your meeting entirely.