Safe Use Of Money

This is the title of an article that Bill W. wrote in May, 1946 and is published now in “The Language Of The Heart.”

Bill opened his writing with this sentence;

In Alcoholics Anonymous, does money make the mare go or is it the root of all evil?

I imagine that this was a topic for Bill to write about because he says “Every one is asking, ‘What shall be our attitude toward voluntary contributions, paid workers, professionalism, and outside donations?’”

And I’d like to focus on voluntary contributions. Quotes from Bill;

“Each AA finds himself dropping money in “the hat” to pay the rent of a meeting place, a club, or the maintenance of his local or national headquarters.”

“It can be said fairly that the vast majority of us believe that these services are basically necessary. Provided such facilities are efficiently handled, and their funds properly accounted for, we are only too glad to pledge them our regular support, with the full understanding, of course, that such contributions are in no [way] a condition of our AA membership.”

“Yet some concern does remain, arising mostly in connection with our clubs, local offices, and the national headquarters.”

“It seems most certain that we need never be overwhelmed by our clubs, local offices, or the general headquarters at New York City. These are places of service; they cannot really control or govern AA. If any of them were to become inefficient or overbearing the remedy is simple enough. The average AA would stop his financial support until conditions changed. As our AA membership does not depend on fees or dues, we can always ‘take our special facilities or leave them alone.’ These services must always serve us well or go out of business. Because no one is compelled to support them they can never dictate, nor can they stray from the main body of AA Tradition for very long.”

Of particular interest to me;

“In AA, where each of us is a goodwill practitioner and missionary in his own right, there is no need for anyone to be paid for simple Twelfth Step work – a purely spiritual undertaking.“

My personal thoughts about being approached for additional money in support of AA, accompanied by a statement that AA itself is not being self-supporting, are – please tell me where AA is falling down in regards to money. Please provide me with specific, concrete examples of bills not being paid, facilities suffering, programs lacking due to not enough dollars. Tell me exactly how the message of recovery is not being carried because of not enough money. Without such “evidence” I will most likely remember that we are all here because we’re not all there and possibly question your motives for promoting additional contributions as being necessary.