Tuesday literature post - Bill's original 1948 Grapevine article on Tradition Seven:

 Tradition Seven

                
                  Our growth continuing, the combined income of Alcoholics
                  Anonymous members will soon reach the astounding total of a
                  quarter of a billion dollars yearly. This is the direct result
                  of AA membership. Sober we now have it; drunk we would not.

                  By contrast, our overall AA expenses are trifling.

                  For instance, the AA General Service Office now costs us $1.50
                  per member a year. As a fact, the New York office asks the
                  groups for this sum twice a year because not all of them
                  contribute. Even so, the sum per member is exceedingly small.
                  If an AA happens to live in a large metropolitan center where
                  an intergroup office is absolutely essential to handle heavy
                  inquiries and hospital arrangements, he contributes (or
                  probably should contribute) about $5.00 annually. To pay the
                  rent of his own group meeting place, and maybe coffee and
                  doughnuts, he might drop $25.00 a year in the hat. Or if he
                  belongs to a club, it could be $50.00. In case he takes the AA
                  Grapevine, he squanders an extra $2.50!

                  So the AA member who really meets his group responsibilities
                  finds himself liable for about $5.00 a month on the average.
                  Yet his own personal income may be anywhere between $200 and
                  $2,000 a month -- the direct result of not drinking.

                  "But," some will contend, "our friends want to give us money
                  to furnish that new clubhouse. We are a new small group. Most
                  of us are still pretty broke. What then?"

                  I am sure that myriads of AA voices would now answer the new
                  group saying: "Yes, we know just how you feel. We once
                  solicited money ourselves. We even solicited publicly. We
                  thought we could do a lot of good with other peoples' money.
                  But we found that kind of money too hot to handle. It aroused
                  unbelievable controversy. It simply wasn't worth it. Besides,
                  It set a precedent which has tempted many people to use the
                  valuable name of Alcoholics Anonymous for other than AA
                  purposes. While there may be little harm in a small friendly
                  loan which your group really means to repay, we really beg you
                  to think hard before you ask the most willing friend to make a
                  large donation. You can, and you soon will. pay your own way.
                  For each of you these overhead expenses will never amount to
                  more than the price of one bottle of good whiskey a month. You
                  will be everlastingly thankful if you pay this small
                  obligation yourselves."

                  When reflecting on these things, why should not each of us
                  tell himself: "Yes, we A.A.s were once a burden on everybody. We
                  were 'takers.' Now we are sober, and by the grace of God have
                  become responsible citizens of the world, why shouldn't we now
                  about-face and become 'thankful givers'! Yes, it is high time
                  we did!"


                  Copyright © The A.A. Grapevine, Inc., June 1948