[Businessmtg] Excess Funds over Prudent Reserve

[Mary Beth]

I agree wholeheartedly with Jerry.  And in fact, I have great difficulty to see the basket passed in accordance with the Seventh Tradition "because we are self supporting" when we currently are not in need of any financial support.  I further have issue that when we pass the basket we do  do not adequately explain this to our members, explain what our situation is, and that we are not currently supporting the WSO.  I currently do not donate money to ASP, not because I am not interested in any way of doing my part in contributing, but at this time no support is needed, donations are simply put in a "holding tank," and my money is tight.  This quandary is a very big issue and a decision needs to be made.  Perhaps I am spoiled by attending face to face meetings that are completely transparent with this issue, but I think all members deserve to know where there donations are going or not going, and what we support.  They deserve to know we are
 holding a meeting to discuss this issue, and what the point and counterpoint is. The fact that the WSO's pace to keep up with technology and including groups "appropriately using that technology" is slow in no way indicates that we as an Al-Anon group do not benefit from the program, all it stands for, and the good work they do for the sake of families touched by alcoholism.  I simply do not believe that a group's donation to the WSO is to be thought of a payment for a direct service, but rather to continue to support all they do for all communities.  This is not a "taxation without representation" type situation.  Our donations, will in fact, support their continuing evoluation to better represent groups dependent upon the internet in a similar fashion to face-to-face group.  We all benefited from the WSO and all it does when we were at our darkest moments, and learned of a program to teach us a new perspective and way to life outside
 the misery that accompanied the life we had designed on our own.  Why this group, coming together for the sake of Al-Anon, would hesitate to donate a portion of its funds to the WSO is beyond my understanding.  But further why we pass a basket to be self supporting when we are currently not in need of support is unethical.