[Businessmtg] Beginners' Packets - My Recollections

[Jerry H.]

Biz-Pals,


In March of 2008 the ASP Business Committee finalized its discussions of making Al-Anon Beginners' Packets available to those newcomers who requested one. Primary in those discussions were elements of cost, the requisite increase in ASP's Prudent Reserve, and considerations of anonymity for the newcomer.


A motion was made to offer Beginners' Packets which passed in Business Committee 17 in favor, 1 in opposition with no abstentions.


I was ASP's elected Treasurer at the time. Considering that our membership was world-wide I did some rough calculations on possible costs of posting packets, bought a supply of 70 Beginner Packets, postage stamps to cover the estimated postage, and sufficient envelops for mailing and sent all this off to the person who was designated to follow up on the expected requests for the packets.


It is my recollection that zero (0) requests for Beginners' Packets were ever received.


At some point thereafter the person holding the Beginner Packets and mailing supplies left ASP without forwarding information or having returned the packets and supplies to ASP. The disappointing response by newcomers and the sour taste of having lost the time and money which went into this effort caused the program to wither and die. 


The total financial loss to ASP was $168.74 [$105.84 in packets; $57.60 in stamps and envelops; and $5.30 in postage]. ASP's treasury balance was then regularly more than $100 in excess of our Prudent Reserve (PR) of $1301. At that time we were not yet donating funds in excess of our PR to the WSO quarterly as we do now by Group Conscience. I bring this up here within the packet discussion because it should be noted that any increase in annual ASP expenses would increase our PR by a like amount since our PR is set at "one year's expenses". This would naturally decrease or eliminate our financial support for the WSO as a consequence of a renewal of the ASP newcomer packet program.


I'll make my current comments in another email.


Biz-Hugs,

Jerry

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