The CSTCC welcomes Questions from the Fellowship concerning the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts. Our responses are individual, and neither binding nor authoritative. We do not speak for the whole of S.L.A.A.
Question from the Fellowship (Committee Reference #2024-10):
At a recent meeting, our literature person announced that all of our meeting literature was free. This took everyone by surprise. While the group does offer 3 free pamphlets to newcomers, we do not offer all of the literature for free. There was a previous business meeting where the literature person made a motion to give newcomers a free Basic Text. This motion was voted down, but the group did agree to offer a free Basic Text to someone if they were having a financial hardship.
When we asked the literature person for clarity about the announcement, he said he didn’t turn in a receipt for his last literature purchase and he would like to donate that literature to newcomers, despite the motion he made previously not getting approved by the group. It is also important to note that the meeting purchased a lot of the current literature stock and we did not take group conscience to give that literature away. The question is, does offering free literature without taking group conscience conflict with the Steps, Traditions, and Concepts, even if the literature person has offered to pay for (some of) it?
Response #1:
The literature persons decision to give away literature appears to be guided by Tradition Five: “Each group has but one primary purpose – to carry its message to the sex and love addict who still suffers”. While the intention is noble, the action taken to achieve it directly conflicts with Tradition Two: “For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority – a loving God as this Power may be expressed through our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern.” Whether the literature person paid for some of the literature they are giving away does not change the fact that they overrode a clear group conscience.
The Concepts also provide some guidance on this issue. Concept Ten states that: “Each service responsibility is matched by equal service authority – the scope of this authority is always well defined whether by tradition, by resolution, by specific job description or by appropriate charters and by-laws.” In this situation, the authority of the literature person stops where the group conscience begins. In this case, it was well defined during a business meeting by a motion to give the literature away, that was voted down.
There is also general guidance for the Conference in Concept Twelve, Article “f”: “…that it never perform acts of government, and that, like the Fellowship it serves, it will always remain democratic in thought and action.” While this Article directly references the Conference, the spiritual principle can be applied to all levels of service within the fellowship. The literature person made a unilateral decision to give the literature away, which is undemocratic in thought and action.
Having said this, I believe there could be a solution that honors the democratic process, respects the will of the group, and still allows the literature person to help the newcomers with free literature. The literature person could purchase their own stock of literature, and then as a regular member of the group announce during the open announcements portion of the meeting that they are personally giving it away to anyone interested. I have seen members give away literature before, so while it would be a bit odd for the literature person to be both giving it away (as a member) and selling it (as a trusted servant), there would be no conflict with the Traditions or Concepts.
