The Board closes the year: quarterly meeting, December 29, 2025
The full minutes →
Date: December 29, 2025, 3:01 pm (MT) · Location: Zoom · Chair: Kevin · Secretary: Anne (acting, appointed during the meeting)
Opening
Before admitting attendees from the waiting room, the Chair invited the Board to pause for centring. A moment of silence was observed; a short Psychedelics In Recovery™ – PIR® 12-Step-inspired prayer was shared; and a Unity Prayer (originating from Overeaters Anonymous, 1968) was read aloud, reflecting PIR®’s commitment to unity across recovery fellowships.
Attendance
- Kevin – President / Chair
- Erin S – Treasurer
- Rick B – Secretary (resigning)
- David L – non-voting member at large
- Karyn S – Board Member at Large (acting since October; formalised at this meeting)
Head of committees present: Anne (PR Committee), Douglas (12 Step), Clif (Book).
This is among the last recorded service of David L on this ledger - present, quietly, as a non-voting member at large. He is remembered on the contacts page.
Approval of previous minutes
The September 2025 minutes were reviewed: Kevin acknowledged his absence and took responsibility for resulting challenges; no substantive inaccuracies were found; a clarification noted that no trademark application has been declined to date. Moved by Rick, seconded by Erin, approved unanimously.
President’s report (Kevin)
- Trademark: PIR is now a registered trademark of the organisation; the Psychedelics in Recovery trademark remains pending, with a verified statement due by end of March 2026. Patent agents: Graham Pechenik and Celeste Alvarez with Calyx Law.
- Board expansion: Karyn S’s role as a voting Board Member at Large was clarified and formally acknowledged.
- Transparency & infrastructure: centralised PIR Google Drives created to house organisational records; WhatsApp Community infrastructure set up.
- Strategic direction: emphasis on a Strategic Visioning Process; discussion of an in-person PIR gathering / convention in Denver (Fall 2026), subject to confirmation.
Treasurer’s report (Erin)
- Current balance: $13,789.79 (all unrestricted); prior year (Dec 2024) $14,848.59; net change –$1,058, reflecting intentional mission-aligned spending.
- One-time expenses: PIR presence at the MAPS Conference; payment for Calyx Law; investment in podcast launch, database infrastructure, website hosting migration. Q4 performance net positive; ~85% recurring monthly donations, processed primarily via PayPal.
- Next: a formal annual budget for Board review in Q1 2026.
Programme & committee reports
- Events & outreach: PIR participation in Global Psychedelic Week (Scotland) led to new in-person meetings in Glasgow, a new meeting forming in Edinburgh, and an invitation to present at the Scottish Parliament (February 2026). Kevin presented at AMERSA, sharing PIR demographics from Psychedelics in Recovery: Medicines, Catalysts, and Sacraments. Cheryl described her and Clif’s Fireside Chat with The Fireside Project, by invitation. Board note: events and speaking for PIR® should be run past the PR Committee and Board first.
- Lit Com: Chair not present; Jess offered remarks - on hiatus all summer, working on a blog with the Newsletter sub-committee.
- 12 Step Book (Douglas): all steps drafted; pilot meetings underway; editorial phase anticipated early 2026.
- GSR (Karyn): increased attendance and engagement; tradition-based discussions; inclusivity and group autonomy; improved information flow; decision to reintroduce committee reports at GSR meetings; a proposal for a PIR app was considered and rejected.
- PR (Anne): newsletter launching January 2026 (monthly); podcast (“Journeys of Healing”) launching mid-January; social media presence established with platform stewards being recruited; Kevin requested to recruit a volunteer to admin PIR’s general email inbox.
- Tech Committee (David L): website migration completed; transition away from Mailchimp; new subdomains created for publications and newsletter; ongoing fixes to meeting list and signup forms.
Board changes & motions
Rick B formally resigned as Secretary, effective immediately, thanked for his service. Motion: appoint Anne as Secretary of the Board - moved by Erin, seconded by Karyn, approved unanimously.
Strategic vision & future planning
Proposal for a PIR Inaugural Convention / Gathering in Denver, Fall 2026 - intended to support strategic visioning, increase group engagement, and provide hybrid access - plus introduction of a Decennial Report documenting PIR®’s 10-year history, finances, and activities.
Other business
Discussion acknowledged tensions around book-related governance proposals. Anne called a motion to hear Clif’s report as it was deemed unsuitable for the GSR meeting; the Board unanimously approved the motion; Clif declined to take the floor.
Adjournment & action items
Closed with the Serenity Prayer, adjourned approximately 4:15 pm. Action items: submit the verified trademark statement by March 2026; develop and present the 2026 budget; confirm the Denver venue and dates; circulate guidance on committee budgeting and reimbursements; publish centralised documentation access details; launch newsletter and podcast (January 2026); publish Medicines, Catalysts and Sacraments on the website; schedule 2026 internal and open meetings; fix the website’s email-collection glitch for the late digest; call for an email admin volunteer.
Related on this ledger: the Board takes shape - the 2024 founding meetings · the who-is-who page.