SURRENDER UNDER THE STARS

Letter to the Fellowship
From: Surrender Under the Stars Planning Committee

The Surrender Under the Stars campout is an annual fundraiser for the Volunteer Regional
Convention. The purpose of the campout is to raise funds for the convention, while at the same
time allowing addicts to share a weekend of fun in recovery.
In recent years, our emphasis on hosting an event where “no addict will be turned away” has
fostered an atmosphere where addicts with years of recovery and the means to be self-supporting
have been almost encouraged to attend the event without registering, at the expense of the
Fellowship.

Our agreement with the church that owns the campground is that we will pay $5 per night for
every person who camps (tent, RV, camper, etc.) and $15 per night for every person who sleeps
in the lodge. If anyone stays at the campsite without paying, the Fellowship must pay the fee for
them.

In addition to the campground rental, we incur charges of approximately $2,000 for food,
approximately $1,000 for logistics (rental of portalets, chairs, trash removal, etc.), approximately
$1,000 for entertainment and about $800 for speaker travel. These costs must be shared by the
400 addicts who attend. When a member goes through the dinner lines without paying
registration, it costs the Fellowship about $5 for them to eat. By attending the dances and
meetings without registering, these addicts fail to share in the cost of putting on the event.
Once all of the bills are paid, the balance of our income is passed on to the Regional
convention. When addicts do not pay registration, the purpose of our event is subverted.
This year, our focus for the campout will be to encourage all addicts who attend to pay their fair
share of the expenses and to participate in the fundraising aspect of the event. Please help us
achieve our purpose by stopping at the registration desk and paying your registration and
camping fees.

Thanks very much for helping us to make this a successful and fun event.

If you have any questions regarding this communication, please feel free to contact Bob McD. at
423-903-0013 or bob030779@yahoo.com.

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