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The 7th
Tradition (where
does the money go?)
Seventh
Tradition: "Every C.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting,
declining outside contributions."
Where does the
money go?
Every C.A. group
ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
Where does the
money in the basket go?
You are like many
of us when we first came into the rooms of Cocaine Anonymous - we put
our money into the basket and then we saw that one person who we
thought was the boss or president of C.A. take the money and put it
into an envelope or into his or her pocket or pocketbook. At
first, this did not seem to be a big deal; then, we came to a point
at which we wondered what happened to the money in the basket:
Does the
speaker or chairperson get paid?
Does the
treasurer keep the money?
Who makes the coffee?
Does the
coffee-maker buy the coffee with his or her own money?
What's this
business about rent?
Isn't C.A. part
of this church or hospital?
Many of us
asked these questions as well. To explain all of these
questions, and many others, let's follow "the money in the basket."
The
coffee-maker is usually the first person to show up. He or she
buys the coffee, sugar, milk, and snacks prior to the meeting and
sets up before everyone arrives. The meeting begins and,
usually before the break, the basket is passed and donations are
collected. The treasurer takes the donations and reimburses the
coffee-maker for the costs of the coffee, sugar, milk, and
snacks. Then, usually after the break, the treasurer gives a
report on the total donations collected and the expenses paid
out. If there is money left over, the treasurer keeps a record
of it, and is accountable to the group.
What happens to
the leftover money?
Cocaine Anonymous
is not affiliated with the hospitals, churches, or halls where our
meetings are held; we pay rent and/or make a donation to these
institutions for the use of their space. This arrangement is
mandated by our preamble, which states that we are not allied with
any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution.
Rent money
comes from the donations put into the basket. The meeting's
treasurer is responsible for paying the rent on time and reporting
this to the group.
So is that
it? Are rent and coffee our only expenses? Where do the
key chains, coins, and literature come from?
After the
break we usually hear the secretary read some announcements, point
out the literature table, and then give out key chains and coins.
Meetings
purchase literature, coins, and key chains from the C.A. World
Service Office, usually through their local District or Area.
Your meeting's secretary is responsible for keeping track of these
items. When the supply of any of them gets low, he or she puts
together an order and gives it to the treasurer. The treasurer
then takes money from the donations in the basket and gives the order
form and money to your meeting's Group Service Representative
(GSR). The GSR takes the order form and the money to the
monthly District or Area meeting and gets the literature, coins, and
key chains to bring back to your meeting. Methods vary, but
this is the way in which many meetings operate.
Let's now
review a meeting's typical expenses:
-
Rent
-
Coffee, milk,
sugar, snacks, etc.
-
Key chains, chips
and literature
After all
these expenses are paid, it is suggested that your group keep enough
of the leftover donations to cover two months worth of expenses.
This is called a prudent reserve.
What is a
prudent reserve?
A prudent reserve
is a "savings" to be used when donations to the basket are scarce.
How much of a
reserve is prudent?
We've found that
two months worth of expenses is enough to cover the lean times.
The following table is provided to help figure your meetings' prudent reserve:
|
Coffee and
supplies per week: |
$ |
|
Coffee and
supplies per month: |
(1) |
|
Rent (month) |
(2) |
|
Literature, key
chains, chips per month |
(3) |
|
Monthly expenses
Add lines 1, 2,
and 3 together |
(4) |
|
Prudent Reserve
Double line 4 |
$ |
So what happens
to the rest of the money?
This is where the
70/30 plan comes in. With the 70/30 plan, 70% of your meeting's
remaining funds are donated to your District or Area meeting and 30%
are donated to the C.A. World Service Office .
Each group
has but one primary purpose - to carry its message to the addict who
still suffers. We've found that nothing diverts us from our
primary purpose like problems of money, property, and prestige.
What do the
Districts/ Areas do with this money?
Your District
and/or Area exists to serve you and is responsible to your
meeting. Your District and/or Area also has expenses that can
include a hotline's telephone bill or answering service and the
publishing of meeting schedules. It also purchases literature,
coins, and key chains and keeps enough of them on hand for the groups
it serves. Districts and Areas must also keep a prudent reserve.
So what does
the C.A. World Service Office (CAWSO) do with this money?
The CAWSO is
responsible for public relations, the distribution and publication of
all literature, world directories, newsletters, world conference
material, and meeting starter kits. These are just a few of the
many responsibilities of the CAWSO. The CAWSO is there to serve
you as well as your Group, District, and Area.
Cocaine
Anonymous features limited terms at all levels of service.
According to Tradition Two, "Our leaders are but trusted
servants; they do not govern." Once our term of commitment has
expired, we step down and a replacement is elected. Even our
Trustees step down after serving for 4 years. There are no
leaders in C.A.; we are all trusted servants. Our service
boards and committees have been created to help the addict who is
still suffering; to give back what we have freely received.
So, the
next time you put your money into the basket, think of all the things
that are being accomplished and how YOU are helping the addict who is
still suffering.
Donations =
Twelve Step Work
|
Approved
Literature. Cocaine Anonymous World Services, Inc. Copyright 2003. |
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