[Businessmtg] Item #2 - discussion

[logmark at comcast.net]

Biz Palz,

Are we meeting all the group's needs to the best of our abilities?
This first priority of an Al-Anon group is where any extra funds normally go first. What constitutes "the group's needs" is open for discussion. So literature is appropriate, as are other actions we could take which directly serve our members. Before we take any actions, though, it would be a good idea to run a proposed budget for each proposal. Deciding to do things we may not be able to afford doesn't make clear sense to me.

Some feel that there needs to be an alternate service arm for on-line groups since in their opinion there isn't sufficient support from the WSO. My position is that our group funds should not be spent on pushing agendas which the WSC has apparently declined to address. This represents the ultimate Group Conscience within Al-Anon and I'm willing to live with it. I am not adverse to efforts that attempt to get the WSC to address on-line issues. A world-wide letter writing campaign attracts me. OLA would be the natural source of co-ordination with other on-line groups, but the letters should come from individual Al-Anon members. 

We could determine that OLA is our current best-bet on having some voice - sort of a lobbying effort - within WSO. I personally feel this to be the case and would agree that ASP contribute small amounts to OLA-OC in keeping with what would be our fair share of their actual expenses. A quick peek at their open books would give us a clue on what that would be, and it certainly wouldn't be a major part of our available funds - probably no more than $50.00 a quarter or so.

Keep in mind that OLA-IC/OC has no ongoing expenses other than paying for their web site and sending the rest to the WSO. I fail to see how sending a large proportion of our funds over our prudent reserve is appropriate to the need.

Discussions of funding representation to the International Convention without having the money to support this is premature. It is the responsibility of Al-Anon groups to keep their expenses within the donations its members provide. Currently we could not send representation to the International Convention unless we were to receive significant additional funding from members to support it. If there were an officer or former trusted servant who is planning on going to the Convention already, I wouldn't oppose helping out with some expenses if they were willing to raise the voice of on-line Al-Anon where opportunity arose.

I suggest we keep talking these things over. If KBDM works, we'll make progress and be pretty much in agreement when all is said and done. Meanwhile, I'll chart out a projection of available funds as much as I'm able so we can work within the realities of our support.

Jerry