The Marina Dock November 2002 Newsletter

The Marina Dock Newsletter November 2002

Dear Marina Dock members and patrons alike,

The big news of the day: The San Francisco Giants just blew a five run lead in game six of "The Fall Classic". Tomorrow, Sunday will be "the day of reckoning" game seven in Disneyland. No matter what the outcome the Giants are no longer boring and Bonds has silenced his critics batting close to 500 with eight home runs in the past season. Meanwhile, the Marina Dock is batting close to 1000. We have not struck out in close to 17 years. Admittedly, we have had some clutch hits in some key situations from the meat of our lineup. Note to mention some big plays by our lesser-known players. In a nutshell, everyone has contributed up and down the lineup and that's the way it has to be in order for this to work. Small donations and monthly membership dues are so crucial to our survival. This month we have added an additional one hundred people to our mailing list thanks to the sterling work of our counter staff who basically put this project together all by themselves.

it's a team effort

It's important for me to remember that the Marina Dock involves the contributions of many individuals who wish to remain anonymous. Others like the counter staff manage to skillfully sustain a high level of professionalism to a clientele that is diverse and eclectic in nature. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of them for their compassion and tolerance under conditions that are sometimes less than ideal. Not to mention having to deal with someone like me with a reputation for the flamboyant and a penchant for the phantasmagoric. They definitely deserve credit.

THE MAILING LIST

As I mentioned, we now have over six hundred people on our mailing list. Of that six hundred, there are currently just over two hundred paying members. In an ideal world we would like all six hundred to contribute or if we could convince the remaining four hundred to come up with $20 apiece, we could buy new chairs and pay off some bills. We are now encouraging people to get on the mailing list. Even if you are not in a position to contribute, you may someone who would like to support our cause. I say that for a reason. Recently, a lady who came in specifically to make a donation simply because she "likes what we do". I am sure that there are others out there who would also like to donate if they knew about us and what we are about. Based on that assumption I have decided to re-issue a pamphlet we put out last year that gives an overview of our operation and objectives. If you know someone who could be a potential donor feel free to share the information with him or her and encourage him or her to contribute. Also a reminder all donations are 501(c) (3) tax deductible. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and you can pay over the Internet. Check out our website at www.marinadock.org for details.

THE WEBSITE

If you visited our website recently you can see that it has been completely revamped by that erstwhile and mercurial Irish webmeister, Ultan. Everyone raves about the site and the high degree of expertise and professionalism that Ultan has freely invested in the project. Our web site is widely acclaimed as an invaluable source of information to the recovery community. On a related issue, with the support of Frank A. we are now in the process of exploring funding research for non-profits through the San Francisco Foundation Center. We hope to learn about the overall grant seeking process, find funding prospects, develop a fundraising plan and how know-how to write a good proposal. If any of our members have experience in this area and you want to share your expertise, we are open to ideas.

ABOUT OUR RENT

I managed to get another $250 off the rent. It was the best I could do given the fact that we are in a lease agreement with two years remaining. We did not have a lot of leverage. The way I see it is that it is $500 less than we were paying last year. Our rent is now $4,500 per month for the next two years with no annual CPI adjustments.

IN-HOUSE NEWS

The secretary's workshop has proven to be a big success. Every month more and more people show up eager for knowledge on AA traditions and principles. Gayle D. has devoted an enormous amount of time and energy to this project. This is one of those situations where everyone wins. When AA members and secretaries are well informed, meetings adhere to the format. The common welfare of the group and AA's spiritual principles are protected. If you are new and secretarying a meeting for the first time or are an old timer who needs a refresher course on conducting a meeting it comes highly recommended. The workshop is held once a month. Look for the flyer or call the Marina Dock for the meeting time.

Until next time,

Anthony T Murray (Irish Tony)