7th Month 7th Tradition

[kremjk]

Our A.A. experience has taught us that:

7.) Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
(short form, pg. 562 4th Ed.)

7.) The A.A. groups themselves ought to be fully supported by the voluntary contributions of their own members. We think that each group should soon achieve this ideal; that any public solicitation of funds using the name of Alcoholics Anonymous is highly dangerous, whether by groups, clubs, hospitals, or other outside agencies; that acceptance of large gifts from any source, or of contributions carrying any obligation whatever, is unwise. Then too, we view with much concern those A.A. treasuries which continue, beyond prudent reserves, to accumulate funds for no stated A.A. purpose. Experience has often warned us that nothing can so surely destroy our spiritual heritage as futile disputes over property, money, and authority.
(long form, pg. 564 4th Ed.)

? Copyright 2007 Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
All Right Reserved

[kremjk]

My home group has determined that to be fully self suppoting we need to financially support the District AA Committee with regular voluntary contributions. It is OUR district.

Likewise we regularly contribute to the Area AA Committee. It is OUR Area.

And also, AA World Services Inc. in New York City is OUR World Services.

We also provide a stipend for our General Service Representative for attendance at Area AA Committee functions and Regional AA functions. That way any of our members can be elected as GSR regardless of their financial status.

We have a checking account where we deposit all money from the basket. (One basket is passed each week at the meeting) We then keep a Deposit Log in which we record only our income. This is seperate from the check register which shows our Bank Balance. We use the info in the Deposit Log as a type of baromiter. We then strive to distribute 40 percent of our income to these service committees. To keep it simple we look at 100 dollar incriments. With each 100 dollars deposited we contribute 40 dollars to District, Area and GSO.

Sometimes it will be $10 to the district $10 to the Area and $20 to GSO. Sometimes we switch it to help the entity that reports need of increased contributions. Our GSR keeps us abreast of the needs by returning each committee's financial report to our home group. Sometimes the District is ok financially and we split the $40 between the Area and GSO.

Often times we have 2 or 3 hundred dollars in deposits to split from. (Last month we did a "tripple split") We keep our bank ballance at a prudent reserve and each split reserves $60 for group expences which include AA books, coffee supplies, the rent for the meeting room, and the GSR expences. The books (that we don't give away for free) are sold at cost which regenerates income.

The only money troubles we ever have is the danger that our bank balance is getting too large. In those times we either contribute more, or we buy a box of AA books and pamphlets for a new group that is starting up nearby.

jim k

[samf]

My home group has a treasurer, and we do have group consciences, to determine what to do. We also send regular contributions to all areas of AA, as Jim shared.

I am usually surprised at how we have more of a prudent reserve than I would have thought!

It is working pretty well.

Sam