7th Tradition

Tradition Seven Short Form: Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

Here's a quote from the legacy of service Page 100 from the AA Service Manual. “In the midst of this exciting turn of affairs, the Conference agreed that the Alcoholic Foundation ought to be renamed the General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous, and this was done. The word “Foundation” stood for charity, paternalism and maybe big money.  A.A. would have none of these; from here out we could assume full responsibility and pay our expenses ourselves.”

So, the  reason we changed the name of the "Alcoholic Foundation" to the "General Service Board" when we adopted the 7th Tradition is because words like "foundation and donation" can imply a charitable organization.

The 7th Tradition, like all the rest, is a spiritual principle.  One of the ways I've been taught to support the principle of the 7th Tradition is to try not to use the word Donate in an AA setting.

I don't “donate” to Alcoholics Anonymous.  I “Contribute”.  Groups, Districts, Areas, and even AA as a whole, don’t accept donations.  We are fully self-supporting through our own Contributions.  The word “donation”  implies something given for charity.  My sobriety is not a charity.  It is my responsibility.  And the principle of responsibility has everything to do with Tradition 7.   In the same way I get to contribute to my household bills, I get to support my sobriety. I get to take responsibility. Not charity. I don't donate to the electric company or my mortgage either.  I DO however "donate" to meals on wheels, and the local animal shelter. 

Question to ask yourself that may help this distinction to make sense.  Do you donate to the IRS when you do your taxes?  Or are you a contributing member of society?  Just like I want to be a contributing member outside of AA, I want to be a contributing member of our A.A. society as well. 

So now that I know what, it's time to figure out how.

I was at a meeting in Arizona. Definitely nothing I was used to. I walked in and was instantly greeted by this elderly couple. The woman offered to get me a cup of coffee, while the man, who was using a walker, offered to help me find a seat. I was a little taken back because I've always been taught that it's my job to offer these things for people who are elderly. Not the other way around. I didn't quite yet understand what the principal I was about to learn was yet.

When we sat down, they sat on either side of me. They were very kind and asked about where I live, what I am doing in town Etc. The meeting started. As the basket was being passed, she passed the basket right over me to him. They were very quick about it and I didn't have an opportunity to put my money in. When I started to get up to follow the basket, she put her hand on my knee and leaned over and said "That's not necessary. You are not a member here."

I informed her that I am a member. And she replied: “Not if this group you're not. You are our guest.”

I was a little taken back for a moment. It must have been obvious because after the meeting she explained a little bit more. She said that their group had decided that they would like to be fully supported by the voluntary contributions of their own members. She opened her big book and turned to Appendix one. She read to me out loud from the long form of Tradition 7 which states clearly: "The A.A. groups themselves ought to be fully supported by the voluntary contributions of their own members."

I understand that every group is autonomous and they get to decide for themselves where the self support line should be held. Especially since the next line in the 7th Tradition long form says that “each group should soon achieve this ideal”. To me that means it's an ideal to grow toward. Not so much a black and white rule. But an ideal nonetheless. And in my experience, a spiritual ideal. 

The elderly couple were not being rude to me. From the moment I walked in the door, they were being hospitable. This was their homegroup, and I was their guest.

When someone asks me to sponsor them, one of the requirements I have is that their homegroup needs to have an active GSR.

A woman asked me to sponsor her a few years back whose home group did not have a GSR and never have. I asked why. She didn't have an answer. The following Saturday was their business meeting so she asked. The other members informed her that they can't afford to send someone to area assemblies. This was long before the pandemic. 

The next time she came over we sat up at the kitchen table, and we took inventory. That's what we do in AA right? Uncover, discover and discard.  What we discovered was that because her home group only met one day a week, they weren't taking in a lot of money. She pointed out that my home group met multiple times a week, so it was natural for us to be able to afford it.  I could suddenly see where my experience with the elderly couple in Arizona could possibly benefit my sponsee.   I asked her how much she contributes, knowing she's retired and quite the meeting maker.  She said she contributes $1 to every meeting she attends. At the time, she was attending about 10 meetings a week. In total, that would be $40 a month for her seventh Tradition. Now, the amount someone contributes is none of my business. Whether it's $10 a month or $100 a month. Not my business. I'm looking solely at the percentage.  Out of her $40 per month she was putting in baskets all over the place, only $4 was going to her home group. She had no say where 90% of her AA dollars were going. 

I offered for her consideration this information to take back to her group, who at first was not accepting of this idea and was insulted by her. She did find a new home group. Still attended that meeting weekly though. It took a few months, and the women decided to take a look at the long form of the 7th Tradition, which again reads: "The A.A. groups themselves ought to be fully supported by the voluntary contributions of their own members."

Today, they have a GSR and they are fully self-supporting through "their" own contributions. The group came to the consensus that the members would each try to contribute 75% of their AA dollars to their own home group. Because of that, and because of their willingness to be open to new information about our Traditions, they can now afford a GSR. 

Responsibility is a spiritual principle.  Members of a household are responsible for paying for their rent or mortgage.  Just like members of a group. I've since been taught that the 7th Tradition is not only about monetary responsibility and contributions, but also physically supporting my group.  Just as I would do chores in my household. 

Another illustration would be if I invite you to my house for dinner, you are my guest. Meaning, you're probably not going to get to choose what I make for dinner. If I'm making spaghetti, you don't get to say that you're more in the mood for steak and lobster that night, any more than I get to show up to your home group which happens to be a speaker meeting, and tell you that I'm more in the mood for a big book study that night. I'm your guest and I'm going to eat what you serve, or respect whatever format your meeting is without telling you that you need to change it for me. The flip side of that however, is when I'm on my way out the door after dinner, you're not going to quickly add up how much I owe for my share of the electricity, the water bill, and the mortgage for that night. And you're also not going to say hey, and before you go, do you mind vacuuming my daughter's bedroom, and cleaning the blinds in the office? And then would you come back Saturday and be of service and mow my lawn?

I'm not going to ask you to do these things, because those are the chores of myself and the others who live in my house. You could have these same commitments, but at your own house.  The AA group pamphlet, one of my favorites, on page 15 tells me that it is important for members to belong to one group. Which they call their "Home Group" And this is the group they accept service responsibilities. It does not say this is one of the groups they accept service responsibilities. It continues to explain that although all AA members are usually welcome at all groups, and feel at home in any meetings, the concept of a home group has remained the strongest bond between the AA member and the fellowship. Because with Home Group membership comes the right to vote, and each AA member has one vote. This is voiced through the home group.

My home group is where my responsibilities are. My home group is where my seventh Tradition should be contributed.  This way I have a say in where that money goes. I can make sure that my home group is making responsible distributions to the AA entities which are important to help keep AA going at the local Intergroup or central office, my local district, area, and the general service board. 

The responsibility statement was originally written with the seventh Tradition in mind. And then ultimately became our responsibility declaration for the physical aspect of our general service structure as well. The responsibility statement is explained beautifully in a letter written by Bill W found on page 332 of the book as Bill sees it. I will leave you with this quote from that reading.

“This is the legacy of World Service responsibility that we vanishing Old Timers or leaving to you, the AAs of today and tomorrow. We know that you will guard, support, and cherish this world Legacy as the greatest Collective responsibility that AA has or can ever have.”

Yours in trust and in affection, Bill W”