An open letter to my Oklahoma City SA and S-Anon friends!

You provided a first class convention, hotel, meeting location, and down-home hospitality for the July 2004 convention. I enjoyed the conference thoroughly and was saddened to learn of the financial loss incurred.

I was very impressed by the way the convention committee addressed the problem. A group conscience held during the wrap-up session on Sunday went right to discussing (rather than avoiding) the problem. A meal budget based on previous average attendance of over 300 people, compared to the actual attendance of a little over 200, created the deficit. A solution was discussed, to develop published guidelines to help future convention committees negotiate better hotel contracts.

In a valiant effort to raise additional funds at the convention, the Seventh Tradition basket was passed twice. This cut the deficit in half. Chuck wagon replicas, hats, and other “valuable” items were also auctioned off.

I believe it is important that SA and S-Anon as a whole help pay this debt. Securing future quality convention sites depends on a good track record of previous conventions. I would like to propose an additional solution for this immediate problem. Let’s continue the auction! How about one dollar, do I hear two? Two dollars, how about twenty? One hundred people sending twenty-five dollars will enable us to be “self-supporting through our own contributions.”

Thank you, Oklahoma City! Thank you, also, convention committees past, present, and future.

Conventions have helped my sobriety and added joy to my recovery. My check is in the mail payable to:

Spiritual Awakening Conference
P.O. Box 21075
Oklahoma City, OK 73129