Time for AA to wake up! An AA member's analysis

"Ultimately the solution to this lies in awareness and action by intergroups. I think that at the moment the fellowship is still in the stage of waking up to implications as to what is happening. I think this movement represents the beginning of all the ingredients of what Bill W. outlined in concept XII, warranty five, the grave situation of a split running right accross AA and the formation of a separate fellowship, with the exception that this new separate fellowship has no intention of separating, so the onus is on AA to insist on conformity to tradition four or initiate the separation. The concept is clear that such a situation demands action. The longer this movement is left alone , the more damaging to AA it will be.

Why the primary purpose approach to carrying the message is not AA, is summed up quite nicely in the the words of both Bill W and Dr. Bob:

" A very tough minded prospect was taken to his first AA meeting, where two speakers (or maybe lecturers) themed their talks on "God as I understand Him." Their attitude oozed arrogance. In fact, the final speaker got far overboard on his personal theological convictions. Both were repeating my performance of years before. Implicit in everything they said was the same idea: "Folks, listen to us. We have the only true brand of AA- and you'd better get it!" The new prospect said he'd had it- and he had. His sponsor protested that this wasn't real AA. But it was too late; nobody could touch him after that." (Bill W.) from: Arrogance and its opposite, Page 199, As Bill Sees It.

"As finally expressed and offered, they (the twelve steps) are simple in language, plain in meaning. They are also workable by any person having a sincere desire to obtain and keep sobriety. The results are proof. Their simplicity and workability are such that no special interpretations and certainly no reservations have ever been necessary......" (Dr. Bob) from: Dr. Bob and The Good Old Timers, page 227.

I think the message here in the words of Bill W and Dr. Bob are that the interpretations of the AA progamme, published on the internet and by ego driven indivualists such as Mess'rs Dick B, Wally P, Joe MacQ, Cliff B and Myers R are perhaps best used to kindle a bonfire.

Keep up the good work"

Seven possible responses to the cult

Some don't know anything about them, don't know there's a problem, wouldn't believe you in some cases;

Some are uncomfortably aware but don't want to "hurt AA" or rock the boat, or upset their own "serenity";

Some are clued up and absolutely determined not to have anything to do with them OR their opponents;

Some would love to see something done but don't know what to do;

Some are trying to do something but flailing about wildly and/or making things worse;

Some have always stood up to them and been demonised by them, marginalised and given up;

Some are now organising with those of like mind to take them on and put them outside AA for once and for all.

We think the last one a rather good option

Cheers

The Fellas

Musings of a Medway moron

(on what an AA group might be)
For those of you not in the know (how fortunate you are!) the rather odd title derives – in modified form – from the view held in (some quarters) that AA members in the Medway area fall into two basic groups – idiots (not ‘morons’ – this term was used for its alliterative value) and schemers. It is not clear whether these groupings are co-extensive – although it is difficult to see how they might be – for the former is so profoundly lacking in intelligence that it is hard to fathom how they might possess sufficient wit to pull off the kind of strokes that have been attributed to them; anyway we are either idiots or rascals with the manipulative skills that would make JR (of Dallas fame) look like a boy scout. Anyway a few of us idiots (or schemers) got together and by dint of intensive gene therapy and putting our numerous heads together we scraped together some ideas on what an AA group might be – and then we actually had the temerity to put these ideas into practice. Now there are some people (in some quarters) who really don’t like other AA members having their own ideas about how things should be, who are quite offended when these AA members bother to research the traditions and other AA literature and then decide for themselves how they want to run their very own autonomous groups (this latter could equally well be applied to the cult groups as to the cult-proofed groups – the differences will be discussed later). These people (from certain quarters) think that they know what’s best for everybody else and are not too bothered about how they go about inflicting those opinions on others even if that involves getting some basic facts seriously wrong (or to quote the old journalistic adage – why let the truth get in the way of a good story – although it must be said that the views expressed (in certain quarters) don’t even qualify as a entertaining yarn).

So it you will forgive this idiot here are a few ideas on what an AA group might be: -

Firstly to have a group you have to have more than one person – it comes in handy and makes it more interesting. If it’s an AA group then the basic assumption has got to be that it is composed of AA members. Next question: What is an AA member? Answer: Anyone who has a desire to stop drinking. So one day Dave, or Davina, wake up and decide that there’s a gap in the market and they reckon there’s need for an AA meeting in a particular place and on a particular day. Their motives might be noble or base, but either way they want to start a meeting (with or without other people’s involvement) and they go off and find a venue. They check out what the rent is, if there are facilities for making refreshments, good access, weekly availability etc. They might ensure that their meeting is not going to conflict with any other meetings in the area (ie that it can be self supporting). They don’t need to check with any other AA member to do this, or consult with York, or notify Intergroup – they can just go off and do it. They then tell other AA members that a new meeting is going to start and that’s it. The appointed day arrives and the odds are that it won’t just be Dave (or Davina) turning up - so now we have a meeting (though not necessarily a group).

Now we come to the Preamble and Tradition Four.

It’s customary at the beginning of an AA meeting to read the preamble out. This describes what AA (as a Fellowship) is and is not about; it approximates to an outline of the Traditions of AA (which are presented in both Short and Long form in the book Alcoholics Anonymous). However this preamble does not necessarily describe what this particular collection of AA members is about. But if it is read out at the beginning of the meeting it is reasonable to assume that the people there assent to it and it provides the basic framework within which they conduct their business in the meeting as AA members. If individuals there do not agree with it (as they are free to do) then they have a number of choices. They may withdraw and look elsewhere for a solution to their problem, or they may argue that the preamble should be changed to reflect their own views or they may privately abide by some of what is indicated and ignore those parts that they do not like (and any other variations that you can think of). But it remains the case that whatever is read out is the only indication of what that meeting stands for and is the only information available to a newcomer (or for that matter any other member) initially to guide them as to what he or she is getting involved with. If we take it that the preamble is read out in an unaltered form and that the members there refer to it as an AA meeting then we have to take it at face value. The only requirement for membership of AA is a desire to stop drinking and therefore we have to assume (given the unmodified preamble) that the only requirement to attend that particular AA meeting is based on the same condition. If there are any other conditions, either explicit or implicit, over and above that specified in the preamble with regard to the right of an AA member simply to attend the meeting then these guidelines are being broken and likewise the Traditions of AA. If that is the case then we would argue that it has ceased to be an AA meeting and has become something quite different.

Now we come to Tradition Four which is:

“Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or AA as a whole”.

The statement is quite brief but packed with significance - so now to unpack. Firstly it is explicit that this Tradition refers to “each” group or a group in the singular. This tradition does not refer to AA as a whole, or to AA groups collectively, but to AN AA group. Additionally the term “autonomous” is used which emphasises this singularity - this is the group on its own. The word “autonomous” is the adjective from the noun “autonomy” which means “the power or right of self-government, esp. partial self-government” (Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary, 1972). Therefore this refers to the power or right of the group to govern itself, to run its own affairs as it sees fit but also acknowledges that this activity may be within the bounds of a greater authority. The tradition explicitly states that the only greater authority that the individual group need acknowledge is that of “a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience”. But the tradition goes on to add a further qualification to a group’s autonomy – that this should operate “except in matters affecting other groups or AA as whole”. Finally it is worth nothing that this Tradition is frequently misquoted – usually the first half is cited whilst the second half is frequently left out. This is usually raised as a defence to accusations of aberrant behaviour that may be causing problems for AA locally or nationally. Additionally the word “should” is used in the Tradition and this has been frequently replaced by the word “is”; there is a world of difference between these two modalities. “Is” simply refers to the actuality – “the sun is shining” is a statement of fact. There is no value or weight appended to this observation; it “is” as it simply “is”. “Should” however is a different kettle of fish. The modal verb “should” can be used in three senses: a) recommendation, advisability – as in “People with high cholesterol should eat low-fat foods”. b) obligation – as in “I should be at work before 9:00am”. c) expectation – “Susan should be in New York by now”. It would seem that the first two forms apply in the case of Tradition Four. On the weakest reading of this it is recommended or advised that groups should be self- governing. On the stronger reading it is regarded as an obligation that each group should run its own affairs as it wishes.

If we take the Tradition as a whole it appears that not only is this a guideline that it would be wise to follow but it may even be essential to ensure that AA groups do not simply become bland, cloned versions of each other but that diversity (within the qualifying bounds) should be encouraged. So following the advice (or obligation) proposed by this Tradition it would seem that a collection of AA members may form a group where the members of that collective agree upon a common approach to the problem and that these group members are free to run the meeting in anyway that they wish so long as they observe the conditions set by the Preamble (and therefore the Traditions) and the second part of Tradition Four specifically. Otherwise there is nothing in the Traditions (or Preamble) that excludes members of that group deciding who should qualify as a member of that particular group, what conditions must be satisfied for a member to be involved in service in that group, what the voting rights of members are within the group, who may do a chair at the group and so on….

So now to the specifics: With reference to the Traditions of AA the cult-proofed AA groups oppose the persistent and deliberate breaches of these Traditions that have taken place now over a number of years by the cult groups.

The cult and the Traditions of AA

Tradition One: The cult has its own agenda. It regards its perversion of the AA message to be superior to that of AA. It has deliberately and systematically sought to subvert AA and actively discourages members attending its groups from attending non-cult (ie AA meetings) meetings on the grounds that AA meetings carry an inferior message. Through a network of so-called Newcomer (Beginners) meetings it seeks to gain access to people new to AA as rapidly as possible so that it can impose upon these vulnerable people its warped message of recovery. In this way it undermines AA unity.

Tradition Two: Group consciences within the cult are undermined by its strictly hierarchical structure. Larger groups (in apparently conformity with AA guidelines) have steering committees which run the affairs of the group. However given the cult’s espousal of a dictatorial sponsorship system this ensures that group voting is carried out under the direction of a clique of sponsors who effectively run the group. Thus this Tradition is made a mockery.

Tradition Three: Newcomers have been led to believe that unless they follow the direction of their sponsors in every respect (or indeed fail to avail themselves of this questionable resource itself) and in every area of their lives, unless they give up medication (with or without their GPs advice), if they fail to do the Steps as indicated by their sponsor, and a raft of other conditions seemingly arbitrarily imposed then they will surely drink again. Some newcomers have as a result formed the impression that failure (ie relapse) means expulsion from the group and therefore from AA. Indeed one member we are acquainted with was in fact told by his sponsor when he failed to fall into line to “Fuck off and die!” – nothing ambiguous about that particular message. Another member (again who we are personally acquainted with) who relapsed and returned to their (cult) home group was told by their sponsor to “sit at the back of the meeting and keep quiet” as if they were some naughty school child who had to be shamed into submission. We have no doubt that these examples simply reflect the institutionalised response of the cult to any “failure” by its members.

Tradition Four: Cult groups have no interest in other AA groups (except that they exemplify an inferior brand) and have consistently disregarded the impact of their activities on neighbouring AA groups viz. provision of hot meals, free Big Books, timing of meetings, and most seriously advising newcomers not to attend AA meetings in the area, to get only a cult-approved sponsor etc.

Tradition Five: Apparently one of the few Traditions that it can be said the cult enthusiastically upholds – unfortunately the message it carries is but a dull and sickly shadow of the message of AA.

Tradition Six: The running of non-AA conventions (Road to Recovery in Plymouth) and the Canterbury convention (advertised by cult groups in the Medway area). The latter is not advertised as an AA convention yet is being publicised by these groups.

Tradition Nine: see above for cult steering committees. By no stretch of the imagination can these be considered “directly responsible to those they serve…”

Tradition Ten: see above for medication issues. AA’s guidelines on this area have been (and continue to be) ignored by the cult groups and members.

Tradition Eleven: Although this refers to AA as a whole and its public relations policy the cult have repeatedly sought to promote their own groups above those of AA generally by the use of targeted advertising using AA posters but putting on a group contact number rather than the AA national number. This tactic has been employed to divert newcomers to cult groups where they can be safely brainwashed with the cult’s dubious message.

Tradition Twelve: The cult’s sponsorship system (see above and elsewhere on site) completely turns this tradition on its head.

Now we come to the Medway cult proofed AA groups. These exclude no one who has a desire to stop drinking from their meetings. Anyone who has a desire to stop (or “stay stopped” as it’s sometimes modified) is welcome to attend the meetings. Any member can share at these meetings as they see fit. Any member of AA can attend group consciences. No member is told what meetings to attend, whether they should have a sponsor or not, whether they should do the steps or not, and if they relapse they are welcomed back and encouraged to try again – or to put it briefly, we’re about as directly opposite to the cult groups as you can get.

However these AA groups (via their group consciences) have a right – and we would argue an obligation – to run their groups as they see fit so long as they are not in breach of AA Traditions, and they have chosen to exercise that right. The cult-proofing element has been introduced specifically to prevent the intrusion of cult members into AA “group” membership (not AA membership) who do not subscribe – both in principle or in practice – to the Traditions of AA, nor its programme as laid out in the literature of Alcoholics Anonymous, nor to the spirit of the programme as embodied in its Fellowship. With regard to other AA groups no cult-proofed AA groups have told members not to attend these meetings, nor that they should only get their sponsors from within the cult-proofed groups etc; we will not labour the point further.

Anyway this Medway idiot is now completely exhausted by the cerebral effort that has been expended so far in writing this piece. If there are any errors, repetitions, false arguments, non-sequiturs, logical inconsistencies herein then you’ll just have to put it down to my intellectual impairment and have the appropriate compassion for a poor fool. Anyway far better in our view to be an idiot than a buffoon – oooohhhh!

Cheers

A Medway Moron

Cult proofing

30/05/08 

Cult-proofing card format

In response to enquiries relating to the actual card employed at the cult-proofed meetings in West Kent we have decided to include it below. The rationale behind the card and its conformity to the Traditions, Preamble and other Conference Approved Literature (ie the booklet the AA Group) are explored in Musings of a Medway Moron . A more detailed account of the measures that an AA group may take to ensure its autonomy both with respect to other AA groups and to cult infiltration is contained in the section Cult proofing below.
 
Most importantly it should be noted that the cult-proofing policy works!
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

THIS AA MEETING

Re: ‘A Vision for You’ and ‘Road to Recovery’ Groups


At a recent group conscience meeting the following was agreed on:

1. Anyone ‘with a desire to stop drinking’ is welcome to attend our meetings.

2. However, any member of the above mentioned groups or anyone who promotes or advocates these groups shall not be allowed to:-

a) Chair a meeting.

b) Take the position of secretary our group.

c) Take any other service position within our group

d) Vote at Group Conscience or attempt to influence voting.

e) Exchange telephone numbers with newcomers before, during or after meetings with the intention of promoting the above-mentioned groups.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2/10/07

Cult proofing

In response to requests from groups and individuals about how they might protect themselves from the influence of the cult groups and cult members the following suggestions may be considered. All of these can be implemented without breaking any tradition.

This is a fairly detailed account and each group must make its own decisions on whether and how to implement it. The tactics that each group employ are best decided by that group given local conditions. We are quite sure that you have the resources and imagination to handle anything that is not outlined below; adaptation is the key to survival. We hope our ideas helpful.

Firstly it is important to identify if in fact you are unfortunate enough to have a cult group in your area. The information on the site communicates quite a lot of detail on the kind of stuff that they get up to eg. inappropriate advice on medical matters, exclusivity, steering committees, promotional tactics, (food after meeting, free Big Books, “we’re the ones who carry the TRUE AA message” etc), maligning other groups, members and sponsors (“they’re sick, they’ve lost their way, theirs is not the TRUE message” etc), dogmatic and dictatorial sponsorship styles (rushing people through recovery programme, assigning them sponsors, dictating what service positions they should hold, interfering in their private lives eg. sex, employment, child rearing, finances, medical matters, marriage guidance, religious beliefs etc), focussing on newcomers (getting them to give their phone numbers out, ringing them up and using mind control techniques, telling them which meetings they should be going to etc), non-Conference approved literature (the 6 point card, edited readings in meetings that deviate from mainstream AA literature), “trawling” local meetings and “poaching” newcomers and so on. Again you should be careful not to jump to any premature conclusions and be sure that the group and individuals in question correspond substantially to the above points. When you are quite sure then it is a relatively simply matter to cult-proof your group (and eventually your intergroup and region and finally AA itself).


The following are suggestions:

1) You need to work together on this so it is important to ensure that a group conscience is held to make everyone aware what is going on and agree on the action to be taken. The above points need to be raised so that everyone is clear that a cult group is operating in your area. The cult uses infiltration as a means of taking over other meetings in the area. If you already have cult members who hold office in your group you are quite entitled to remove them from their positions. In the same way as a group approves someone to hold a position they are equally entitled to remove that person from that role. This does not amount to banning someone from a meeting – the fundamental principle: “The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking” is not broken here. These individuals are still entitled to attend the meeting – but not to hold office in it, be a member of the group (as opposed to being a member of AA) and vote in group consciences. By this means they are no longer able to influence the group conscience.

2) If your group is as yet free of cult members then it needs to ensure that it remains that way. The distinction between being an AA member and a “group” member is frequently misunderstood. As indicated above no one may be stopped from attending AA meetings if they have a desire to stop drinking. However groups are quite at liberty to determine who should become a “group” member. Up to recently this has been a fairly casual matter. Generally people can declare themselves a “group” member simply by turning up regularly at the same meeting over a period of weeks and months. They make no declaration of their view that they are a group member and no one else in the group seems to question this. That system worked well enough in the past although it has led to some abuses especially when it comes to votes in group consciences. However the new climate means that groups can ill afford to continue like this if they wish to remain free of the cult influence. So it is entirely legitimate for groups to insist that anyone who wishes to join their group assents to the group conscience on a range of matters. For this purpose it is useful to have a “written” group conscience which can be kept in a desk diary bought for that purpose and kept up to date by the Secretary of the meeting (or any suitable group member). In this can be stated the principles by which that group agrees to abide; generally these would include the Steps and Traditions. Also added to these would be the guidelines laid out in the Group Handbook (although we would argue that some of those guidelines quite clearly break AA traditions and therefore should be treated with caution); regular attendance, supporting the group conscience, attending conscience meetings, service in the group, upholding the Traditions and Steps may all be included as requirements for “group” membership. Importantly reference should also be made to one of the three legacies of AA; Unity. The cult groups through their actions and their message clearly demonstrate that they are a threat to AA unity (specifically through their self-promotion and “slagging off” of other groups and members). On this basis alone they may be excluded from group membership. If the new member agrees to abide by the group conscience then they may be proposed for group membership and the proposal seconded. But the same principle applies as for group officers; they can become a group member but they can also be removed from that position. This should apply to every member of the group – but the main point to be recalled on every occasion is that no AA member can be barred from an AA meeting if they have the desire to stop drinking. They can only be removed from “group” membership – not “AA” membership.

3) Once you have established your “cult free” group it is important to ensure that the group holds regular consciences to remind its members of what they have signed up for and to ensure that any visitors to the group are made aware of the group’s position on AA Unity. At this point it is useful to draw your attention to the cult’s policy of “trawling and poaching” other AA meetings. This usually takes the form of a couple of cult members coming to the meeting as “visitors” (not group members). Under the guise of twelve stepping they will seek to influence any newcomers there to come to their own cult meeting. They will attempt to swap phone numbers (usually seeking to obtain the newcomer’s phone number so that they can implement part of the “6 point card system” which is to contact two newcomers a day - this is a kind of “pyramid selling” scheme run by the cult). It is entirely legitimate for your group to include a statement at the beginning of the meeting stating your support for AA unity and indicating that the group will not tolerate any kind of “poaching” behaviour. Newcomers can be advised NOT to give their phone number out to anyone unless they have established some kind of genuine relationship with them. They can be told that if they are given a phone number they are under no obligation to ring it. If they do choose to ring this number they can use “call barring” to prevent that number being recorded by the other party. They can be advised that they are free to visit any group that they like but that they should be wary of members who seek to promote their own group or induce them to attend their own meetings – something along those lines. Additionally group members will need to be made aware if any cult group members are attending the meeting. This need not be done in a confrontational fashion – those who know who they are should point them out to other members and make them aware of that fact. Within the statement it can also be made clear that any member found to be ignoring this warning will be asked to desist and if they continue with their behaviour will be required to leave the meeting (for this to take place group members will need to take responsibility for monitoring any suspect behaviour which will usually necessitate two or more group members actually placing themselves in a position to intervene if they should witness any of the above poaching conduct. This should usually be sufficient to get the message across). However, as with a disruptive drunk it may be necessary to physically eject them from the meetings (in this instance it is better to use the services of the police or security (if available). It should be pointed out that this relatively drastic action does not usually need to be sustained for long. Once the cult has been challenged in this fashion they usually go elsewhere looking for softer targets. HOWEVER YOU SHOULD REMAIN VIGILANT.

4) Some of these techniques have already been successfully applied. If you wish you can make other individuals and groups in your area aware of your actions. It is important that groups co-operate here and communicate with each other – inside and outside the normal channels within the service structure. As indicated above the cult members will always seek out soft targets or individuals who are amenable to their influence (see Bleeding Deacons under Participants page on website). The more people who become aware of their activities the harder it will be for them to propagate their perversion of AA’s message. These same tactics can be equally applied in Intergroup, Region, the Conference, GSO and even the service Board. The cult has infiltrated pretty much all levels of the service structure. It is our belief that the most effective way of countering their influence is from the bottom up. Letters to GSO, conference questions etc all have a place but direct action by concerned members (and it does not have to be a great number of them) will quite easily halt their progress in AA, reverse it and then marginalise them within our Fellowship. It would be too optimistic to believe that they can be completely eradicated but they can be reduced to an insignificant factor quite rapidly.

Finally it should be remembered that ANYONE WHO HAS A DESIRE TO STOP DRINKING HAS THE RIGHT TO ATTEND AA MEETINGS – EVEN CULT MEMBERS.