Our 10 Guidelines: 1. This is a support group. First and foremost. Yes, some debate on topics is allowed, but if anyone feels the tension rising on the board, he or she says this simple word (and in caps): SUPPORT. That will be our reminder, that our first priority is support, and that if any comments are jeopardizing that, we need to tone it down. 2. If anyone feels offended, put down, or ticked off by afellow member’s comment, then she/he should first e-mail that person. He should explain why she was hurt. One of the things I’m learning in counseling is thatI don’t have to worry about anyone’s feelings until they tell me that I hurt them. ASSUMPTIONS ARE THE TERMITES OF RELATIONSHIPS. Let’s try to have as fewof them as possible. 3. If the conflict can’t be resolved on that level, write me ane-mail. Lord knows I don’t have excellent boundaries either, but I will try tohelp the twosome or threesome or whatever come to some resolution. But BEFORE YOU COME TO ME, please try to work it out among yourselves. 4. The first of every month is going to be HOUSEKEEPING time. Iwill post a thread on BB called “Month Housekeeping” in which you have anopportunity to say what’s working and what’s not. I’m open to suggestions. Absolutely. However, I have to act within the expectations that my editors giveme too. And I want to try to bother them as infrequently as possible, because Iknow Holly’s plate is even fuller than mine. 5. My office hours. Yes, I’m giving you office hours: Thursday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30. I commit to being in the group at that time tohash out anything we need to then. If I can’t make those, I will come up withanother hour during the week that you know I will be online. Maybe I will callthis morning with newbies and other members. 6. If Beyond Blue is not meeting your needs. If you and afellow member cannot come to a resolution, or you need to be in a private group, a smaller group, a group with no religion, etc., then please feel freeto form your own group. I am not and will not be offended if you do so. I setup BB to help people, so if it isn’t helping, then by all means, do what youneed to do. I know this sounds strange but I encouraged fellow BBers to starttheir own groups. Why? Because I know what I’m capable of providing. If theyneed something more, they should get it elsewhere. 7. Every month I will also set up a monthly newbie thread. I will read this every day. I will try my best. That way I can check in with newbies. If they start another thread somewhere else, I’ll try to get to it,but I’m only committing to the one I start at the beginning of each month. 8. I do have a committee of four readers. They have volunteered to read over the newbie thread in case I miss it, and other threads and tell meif something needs attention. Again, they volunteered. This is not an elitesystem, where I selected them. (however I am very grateful for their time).They are Kate (Deep Within), Kelly, Doxieman (Larry), Plaidypus (Tamara). If any of you want to be on the committee, please let me know. 9. If any of you would like warm-fuzzy letters, please let anyof us (Kate, Kelly, Larry, Tamara) know, and we will do that. Or, let Mel know that you need some warm fuzzies, and she will start a thread, which has beenreally successful. 10. In Mel’s words: that if you disagree with a matter of opinion, that you do so respectfully and not minimize amember’s intelligence or integrity. And again, if anyone feels that, what isour word? SUPPORT (capital letters please).