Hi Phil,

There's no prohibition of any kind on dating. And some members have
developed long-term relationships from meeting people in S.A. It
does seem sad when someone approaches another who is new to the
program, especially if the other person doesn't wish that to happen.
I saw it happen once in Joanne's group, and the woman who was
approached quit coming to the meetings.

One kind of general guide of behavior at meetings could be the Golden
Rule, of giving the same respect to others that you would wish to
have yourself. Maybe folks could see that letting a newcomer have
time to get accustomed to the group, and maybe get some recovery
under her/his belt is the most important thing for the new member.
More important than a date. This isn't a hard and fast rule though.
It's more on the lines of everyday kind behavior.

Marriage proposals to the group leader? It's sort of a sensitive
thing to deal with. There needs to be some kind of tactful way of
explaining that this is not the right way to relate to the group
leader. When done nicely, feelings don't get hurt (most of the time
that is case.

Thanks for keeping S.A. alive in Utica.
Reagrds,
--John P.