[Businessmtg] Reply to Steve's message

[Emee Arthur]

Hi Business members,

Thank you Steve for your very detailed and well thought-out input. I am
interested in hearing more on some of the things you brought up and I would
like to comment on several of your points:

 

STEVE’S POINT #1.    If members
of ASP are justified in principle and withhold donations to ASP because they
don't believe that ASP

is supporting the service structure, then the same principle applies equally
for ASP to withhold donations to that

part of the service structure that is failing to support ASP – namely
WSO."



EMEE’S Comment:

I don’t believe there is any principle that justifies holding back funds once a
group conscious has been taken as to where the funds are to go. Holding funds
back once a decision has been made would be simply trying to force
solutions.  I am one of the members who
is holding back donations to our group but not because I want my way. I am
waiting for a group conscious to be made so that I know where my funds will be
headed.I do mot support things that break Traditions. I hadn’t give much thought to this before we had a business meeting
back in 2008 (or around that time).What happen then is my reason for waiting
for a group conscious to be made before I send any further funds.  I do not feel good about holding back my funds
so I hope we have a group conscious on this soon.

 

Back in 2008-09 (or around
that time)  our Steering Committee was ready
to make some bad choices with our funds. The Steering Committee broke our
Seventh Tradition by listing on our business meeting agenda to send someone
from our Steering Committee to the AA International Convention.  This is where I draw a line. AA is an outside
entity and does not support us in any way. We are a separate fellowship. We have
no right to spend our meeting’s funds to attend any outside entities’ functions.

 

Sure I agree our meeting can
find fun things to do together as a fellowship (maybe with a good imagination) but
we are not here to send someone on a paid vacation, especially to an AA
Convention…at least not with my funds. The Steering committee is a voluntary
position, we do not owe anyone a trip for being on the Steering committee. I am
ready to continue monetary support as soon as our leaders get Al-Anon’s
Tradition 7 figured out and we make an informed decision. I count on trusted servants to follow Traditions . Meanwhile, I support
our meeting with my ES&H and by chairing meetings and sponsorship.

 



STEVE’S POINT #2.   Tradition 7:
"Every group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside
contributions."  

 

We are told we ought to be self-supporting and to decline outside
contributions.  Again, no mention of
fundraising.

 

EMEE’S Comment:

The word Fundraising can be
tricky to our interpretation ( I believe is explained in our Service Manual.)  Fundraising could easily break Tradition 7 if
we are not careful of what & how we fundraise. We ought never put signs out
asking for public donations for Al-Anon. When we hold special workshops and fun
events like cake sales at our own functions (baked goods made by our own
members) at our f2f meetings or for our own fellowship; or when we each donate a
piece of CAL for raffle baskets; we are being self-supporting by our own voluntary
contributions. Al-Anon cannot accept outside contributions from the public but
if a bunch of Al-Anon members want to work their bottoms of at a garage sale or
car-wash and donate their time and profits to Al-Anon then this is acceptable.
However, the garage sale or car wash should never be titled Al-Anon garage sale
/Al-Anon car wash.

 

 

STEVE’S POINT #3  What happened
to the concept of rotation of service? 
WSO never rotates, and even if you think they do, Ric B. has been the Executive
Director since before the first online meeting started.  Or the idea that we elect our own representative?  

 

EMEE’S Comment:

Ric is a paid employee and
also an Al-Anon member. Paid employees do not have to rotate.



I have never understood why
you, Steve have a permanent position on the Steering committee here at ASP?  Many members start meetings but I don’t know
of one who has taken a permanent position on the steering committee of that
meeting. We are cautioned that lack of rotation can lead to control, or a least
the appearance of control. You are the founder of ASP but can you explain why
you need to have a permanent position on the steering committee? Am I missing
something? At one time wasn’t someone else granted permanent status on the
steering committee as well as you?  Can
you tell us how many permanent members we have on the steering committee right
now?

 



STEVE’S POINT #4

 

Now, having said all of that, I do have a solution that I'd like to offer that
I believe fairly addresses everyone's concerns.



MY Comment:  

 

A.  ASP donate 50% of the funds in excess
of the prudent reserve to WSO. 

 

EMEE***I would probably agree with this but I need to know more about the
following B,C, & D first. 

 



B.  ASP donate 20% of the funds in excess of the
prudent reserve to OLAOC (aka OLA-IS).

 

EMEE*** OLAOC is part of WSO and receives funding from WSO, correct?

 

C.  ASP donate 20% of the funds in
excess of the prudent reserve to GSO's of countries representing members of ASP
- details to be determined by the Steering Committee.

 

EMEE*** Are these GSOs  receiving any funding
from WSO? What do they do for ASP? Are we responsible to support these GSOs?

 

D.  ASP hold in trust 10% of the funds in
excess of the prudent reserve for donation to Al-Anon service arm(s) that
specifically serve and represent online meetings. Said service arm must allow
for participation by a representative from ASP to qualify.

 

EMEE***Do we have any of these positions open to us right now?

 

E.  ASP repeat the process outlined
by A thru D above on a quarterly basis.

 

 

Hugs, 

Emee