Our Seventh Tradition — “Every SA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions” — is part of our meeting format. Yet it was discussed at a fellowship meeting at a recent conference that we are not fully self-supporting through our contributions. Only about half of our income comes from group contributions. Our other principal source of support is from selling three-dollar books for 10 dollars, many to newcomers, and other literature sales at three times or more of their cost.

This year is the twentieth birthday of our founding. The dollar bill we put in the basket 20 years ago was cut in half by inflation and cut in half again. So our dollar bill today is only twenty-five cents. What this low level of support has meant is that the International. Central Office does not have the money it needs to carry the message adequately. There is a strong feeling that the Essay newsletter should be free to each person on the group mailing list. Prisoners need help with literature. Most important, we could sell the SA White Book for three dollars, making it much more tempting for newcomers to buy and for us to give away.

This discussion took place at the International SA Conference in Los Angeles in Jan. 1995. The tape of that conference — “Carrying the Message” — is available from Glenn K. It ended up with a vote taken at the meeting. This vote was with money, rather than a show of hands. The recommendation that came from the discussion was that we should at least match inflation and contribute a five-dollar bill at each meeting and a 20-dollar bill at conferences when the basket is passed. The vote of the 110 attending was 99 voting “yes” with 20-dollar bills up to a check for $250. Eleven voted “no” with our old standby, the dollar bill.

Now that you know of the discussion, you know why five-dollar bills have been showing up in the basket at some of your meetings. And you know why the level of contributions went up immediately, helping to carry the message to more of those who are still suffering. We all had expensive addictions. The new contributions show our gratitude for having a daily reprieve from our addiction.

P.S. Since Jan. 1995 our donations have increased nicely but there are many new needs for more literature.