At our Monday evening group, we had an instance of a male SA being inappropriate with a female SA to the point where we had to ask for guidance. What an eye-opener to find out that there were no suggestions, no guidelines, no experience, strength, or hope that anyone I contacted had to share. So we got a couple of sober SAs together, including the offended female and another female SA, and we confronted the male on his behavior and actions. We told him that if he wanted to continue to attend our Monday evening meetings, he had to cease his behavior and actions toward this (or any other) member of SA, apologize, and report himself to his S-Anon.

The Seventh Tradition tells us that we are to be “fully self-supporting.” That does not limit itself to passing a basket for a monetary contribution. The more we take ownership of our groups, the more we can feel ourselves to be “part of” instead of “apart from.” It might also mean that the disruptive person feels so upset that he or she may stop coming to meetings and fall back into the abyss of the disease. To those persons who are disruptive to our groups, I offer my prayers, and I say . . . bye bye.

Tradition One tells us that “Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends on SA unity.” The group must survive or the individual will not.