Loners’ Committee

I am honored to accept the position of Loners’ Committee Coordinator. The opportunity to connect members who don’t get a chance to go to meetings very often with those who do is truly a blessing.

A big thanks to Dave M. from Rochester for his two and a half years as Coordinator. He told me that this is a great way to perform 12th Step work — I believe him.

He is sending me a folder with all the collective Loners’ Committee Information and I look forward to updating it. If you know of any Loners, please pass this information along to them. If you are a Loner or would like to do some 12th Step work by corresponding with a Loner, please feel free to write to me and I will do my best to connect you with someone.

I look forward to serving the fellowship.

Service Structure Committee Report

The SA Service Structure Committee recommends that the January 1996 conference, to be held in Phoenix, be the site for SA’s First Annual Oversight Assembly. Each region will send a representative for this meeting. (Representation is a concept which SA is borrowing from established Twelve Step fellowships.) This assembly will concentrate on matters affecting the growth and functioning of the SA Fellowship as a whole.

The Oversight Representative elected from each region must have a sound SA background. Representatives should be active in both local and regional SA matters, requiring the background and willingness to make decisions on matters of broad policy that affect SA as a whole. It is suggested that each region provide financial support to help cover expenses for their representative to attend the Annual Oversight Assembly.

Summary of COOC Meetings in Baltimore, MD, July 6-8, 1995

The COOC Committee met twice at the International Conference in Baltimore. The following items were discussed:

(1) Re: the relationship between COOC, the Literature Committee, and the Essay, members of COOC and the Literature Committee had met the previous evening, where Lawrence had agreed to edit the Essay, Keith had agreed to represent the Literature Committee on COOC calls, and publication procedures and charging or not charging for subscriptions to Essay were discussed. At the COOC meeting, a motion passed to pay the Essay editor $250 per issue.

(2) Motion carried to print $10,000 worth of new White Books, a compromise on receiving the best price due to our desire not to deplete the treasury.

(3) Motion passed to empower Bob R., a CPA and SA member, to act on behalf of COOC in the IRS and State of California tax audits. Motion also passed to ask Bob to bill the Central Office for his expenses (including travel). Motion carried to close down the SA California records by way of a final report to the state.

(4) Jim C. volunteered to present a motion at the Baltimore business meeting asking the fellowship to approve a change in status from non-profit association to non-profit corporation.

(5) We discussed how to distinguish between decisions the Steering Committee in Nashville can make and decisions that COOC must approve. The sense was that giving the Steering Committee more autonomy was desirable and hinged on having a budget. Developing a budget had been held up due to complications of the move to Nashville and reconciling of last year’s records. Jim C. hoped to have a budget ready for COOC approval by our next meeting (August 20).

(6) Motion carried to set aside 10% of annual White Book, Recovery Continues, and brochure royalties for Roy K. [Roy K. advises that he respectfully declines the offer of any royalties. Ed.]

(7) Sylvia announced that translation of the White Book into Hebrew is underway.