Short form:
"Nine—A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve."
Long form:
"9.—Each A.A. group needs the least possible organization. Rotating leadership is the best. The small group may elect its secretary, the large group its rotating committee, and the groups of a large metropolitan area their central or intergroup committee, which often employs a full-time secretary. The trustees of the General Service Board are, in effect, our A.A. General Service Committee. They are the custodians of our A.A. Tradition and the receivers of voluntary A.A. contributions by which we maintain our A.A. General Service Office at New York. They are authorized by the groups to handle our over-all public relations and they guarantee the integrity of our principal newspaper, the A.A. Grapevine. All such representatives are to be guided in the spirit of service, for true leaders in A.A. are but trusted and experienced servants of the whole. They derive no real authority from their titles; they do not govern. Universal respect is the key to their usefulness."
Comment: A fairly straightforward pair of statements and mostly unambiguous (although in the case of Alcoholics Anonymous Great Britain the General Service Office is based in York and the home-grown version of Grapevine is Share magazine). The key phrases presented here are "least possible organisation", "trusted and experienced servants" (who do not "govern"), and who are, moreover, "DIRECTLY responsible to those they serve". (our emphasis). "Least possible organisation" does go some way to ensuring that the development of formal power hierarchies and the corresponding evil of bureaucratisation are minimised. Unfortunately we would argue that the trend seems to be in the other direction especially with the establishment of the largely unnecessary Regional structure in Great Britain (which we will discuss in more detail at a later date). Moreover it is difficult to see quite how it is possible for these “leaders” to be “DIRECTLY responsible to those they serve” where there do not appear to be any mechanisms (or even forums) in place by which such accountability might be demonstrated (we assume here that the two concepts ie. responsibility and accountability, are necessarily indivisible.
Finally, of course, such principles (even in their currently attenuated forms) are entirely inimical to the 'philosophy' of those cult groups that have infiltrated the fellowship. Their emphasis on “sponsorship idolatry” (which concept has in many instances been elevated to such a position as to be regarded as an adequate substitute for that of Higher Power) has produced precisely the kind of hierarchy that this tradition was intended to forestall, with an almost 'professional' class of members (and we include here the circuit speaker brigade) who seem to have attributed to themselves not only some kind of “specialist” - if not esoteric - knowledge concerning the programme but assigned to themselves moreover the authority - and the right - to “suggest” (note: “suggest” is cult-speak for “direct”) how AA members should conduct their lives, and with virtually no “nook or cranny” remaining exempt from the scrutiny of these self-appointed “experts”. The arrogance of these individuals has to be seen to be believed but their general lack of any kind of humility or even “true perspective” might easily be summed up (and exemplified) in the words of David B (the originator of one arm of the cult in Great Britain) when he addressed one of his less compliant sponsees with the immortal words: “If I want an opinion from you I'll give it to you”.
Cheerio
The Fellas
Saturday 27 November 2010
Sunday 21 November 2010
AA founders debated approach in the original manuscript
(by Lindsay Barba, Associate Editor, Addiction Professional)
"Long before word processors gave us the luxury of tracking our text edits for the next reader, Bill Wilson, founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), passed around 400 physical copies of his recovery doctrine for revisions and suggestions. Afterward, he and a few of his colleagues copied the most significant of those contributions onto one manuscript, which would eventually become AA's Big Book -- a text used faithfully by addiction professionals and those in recovery since its first publication in April 1939.
The Big Book went on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide, but the original manuscript and its many contributions remained hidden from public view. It was stored in Bill and Lois Wilson's home until 1978, when Lois passed the manuscript on to friend Barry Leach, who maintained its privacy for 30 more years.
The manuscript eventually went up for auction in 2007 and was secured by Ken Roberts for $850,000. Roberts then presented the manuscript to Hazelden, who will release the book in two editions, one cloth and one leather-bound, this October.
"It's arguably one of the most important books of the 20th century as it relates to addiction and recovery," says Nick Motu, senior vice president of Hazelden and publisher at Hazelden Publishing. "To those that use the Big Book and the 12 Step process as core to their profession, it would be very interesting for them to understand what went into the conceptual beginnings of the 12 Step model of treatment."
The manuscript shows text revisions and comments inked in a variety of colors, indicating the work of four to eight core contributors that Hazelden will identify in its release this fall. "Readers … will see the rejected suggestions, inserts, crossed-out comments, and then last minute changes," Motu says.
Along with the original manuscript, Hazelden's editions will include:
Comments from leading archivists in the margins;
Two essays by Big Book and AA historians;
Annotated notes on the text;
A publication timeline; and
A 1954 speech by Bill Wilson on the making of the Big Book.
Debate over spirituality uncovered
Though it's no secret to the addiction profession, much debate arose over how AA would present its principles, which relied heavily on religion.
"Of special interest in the manuscript will be the debates that occurred … over the role of religion and spirituality in AA," says Motu. "Bill Wilson really was adamant about making AA spiritual rather than religious, and you will see that not only in the comments of those that were accepted but also of those that were rejected."
For example, on the opening page of Chapter 5, one contributor noted that ideas in the text "should be studied from the mold angle." Fred Holmquist, historian and director of Hazelden's The Lodge Program, attributes this commentary to the fellowship's fear of triggering newcomers' religious prejudices.
"It talks about their understanding that religions sometimes pour people into a mold, and it's a little bit one-size-fits-all," he says. "Typically, alcoholics had not found relief from alcoholism in their religions, yet some had, but the idea was that they did not want to arouse religious prejudice that already existed in people."
Click here for larger image
Similarly, another contributor makes a note of "His Divine Consideration" across the bottom of the page near Step 9, which states, "Made direct amends to people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." To Holmquist, this reference is still obscure, but he has some speculations.
"If it's referencing Step 9, then the idea of doing what you need to do unless it will injure them or others would be a matter of Divine Consideration," he says. "They were avoiding the density of religious-sounding language, and that would be an example of somebody maybe noting what spiritual or religious principle it represented, simultaneously written in pragmatic language."
From "prescribing" to "describing" a program of recovery
Widespread changes in the manuscript signal AA's decision to avoid prescriptive language -- such as "you should do this" -- in favor of descriptive language -- such as "we did this." Holmquist says this typifies AA's strategy of addressing the newcomer with gentleness and accessibility while maintaining respect for the medical community.
"They were respecting the attitude of the newcomer as perhaps being defensive or quick to run," he says. "Also, to other professionals, it was clear they took out specific references that could make the authors sound like they were prescribing medical or psychiatric or psychological recommendations."
Holmquist attributes the original use of a prescriptive voice as the result of the founding members' sincerity and seriousness about their program of recovery. "Their heart was right, but they realized in looking at it that it would probably be overwhelming for a newcomer to look at and think, ‘I have to do all of this stuff,'" he says. "So they just reverted to sharing what they did, which is what I think is at the heart of attraction not promotion."
Click here for larger image
This is evident in the paragraph following the final step on page 31, where the original text read: "You may exclaim, what an order! I can't go through with it!" The contributors changed this to, "Many of us exclaimed," which allows the newcomer to share in the original AA fellowship's own experience of feeling overwhelmed by the program's requirements.
"These people realized it was far more pragmatic to … settle for doing a little bit better each day," Holmquist says. "That's why the idea of this being both a program of action and a fellowship is so important, because you get so much from the combination of both versus just one.""
"Long before word processors gave us the luxury of tracking our text edits for the next reader, Bill Wilson, founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), passed around 400 physical copies of his recovery doctrine for revisions and suggestions. Afterward, he and a few of his colleagues copied the most significant of those contributions onto one manuscript, which would eventually become AA's Big Book -- a text used faithfully by addiction professionals and those in recovery since its first publication in April 1939.
The Big Book went on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide, but the original manuscript and its many contributions remained hidden from public view. It was stored in Bill and Lois Wilson's home until 1978, when Lois passed the manuscript on to friend Barry Leach, who maintained its privacy for 30 more years.
The manuscript eventually went up for auction in 2007 and was secured by Ken Roberts for $850,000. Roberts then presented the manuscript to Hazelden, who will release the book in two editions, one cloth and one leather-bound, this October.
"It's arguably one of the most important books of the 20th century as it relates to addiction and recovery," says Nick Motu, senior vice president of Hazelden and publisher at Hazelden Publishing. "To those that use the Big Book and the 12 Step process as core to their profession, it would be very interesting for them to understand what went into the conceptual beginnings of the 12 Step model of treatment."
The manuscript shows text revisions and comments inked in a variety of colors, indicating the work of four to eight core contributors that Hazelden will identify in its release this fall. "Readers … will see the rejected suggestions, inserts, crossed-out comments, and then last minute changes," Motu says.
Along with the original manuscript, Hazelden's editions will include:
Comments from leading archivists in the margins;
Two essays by Big Book and AA historians;
Annotated notes on the text;
A publication timeline; and
A 1954 speech by Bill Wilson on the making of the Big Book.
Debate over spirituality uncovered
Though it's no secret to the addiction profession, much debate arose over how AA would present its principles, which relied heavily on religion.
"Of special interest in the manuscript will be the debates that occurred … over the role of religion and spirituality in AA," says Motu. "Bill Wilson really was adamant about making AA spiritual rather than religious, and you will see that not only in the comments of those that were accepted but also of those that were rejected."
For example, on the opening page of Chapter 5, one contributor noted that ideas in the text "should be studied from the mold angle." Fred Holmquist, historian and director of Hazelden's The Lodge Program, attributes this commentary to the fellowship's fear of triggering newcomers' religious prejudices.
"It talks about their understanding that religions sometimes pour people into a mold, and it's a little bit one-size-fits-all," he says. "Typically, alcoholics had not found relief from alcoholism in their religions, yet some had, but the idea was that they did not want to arouse religious prejudice that already existed in people."
Click here for larger image
Similarly, another contributor makes a note of "His Divine Consideration" across the bottom of the page near Step 9, which states, "Made direct amends to people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." To Holmquist, this reference is still obscure, but he has some speculations.
"If it's referencing Step 9, then the idea of doing what you need to do unless it will injure them or others would be a matter of Divine Consideration," he says. "They were avoiding the density of religious-sounding language, and that would be an example of somebody maybe noting what spiritual or religious principle it represented, simultaneously written in pragmatic language."
From "prescribing" to "describing" a program of recovery
Widespread changes in the manuscript signal AA's decision to avoid prescriptive language -- such as "you should do this" -- in favor of descriptive language -- such as "we did this." Holmquist says this typifies AA's strategy of addressing the newcomer with gentleness and accessibility while maintaining respect for the medical community.
"They were respecting the attitude of the newcomer as perhaps being defensive or quick to run," he says. "Also, to other professionals, it was clear they took out specific references that could make the authors sound like they were prescribing medical or psychiatric or psychological recommendations."
Holmquist attributes the original use of a prescriptive voice as the result of the founding members' sincerity and seriousness about their program of recovery. "Their heart was right, but they realized in looking at it that it would probably be overwhelming for a newcomer to look at and think, ‘I have to do all of this stuff,'" he says. "So they just reverted to sharing what they did, which is what I think is at the heart of attraction not promotion."
Click here for larger image
This is evident in the paragraph following the final step on page 31, where the original text read: "You may exclaim, what an order! I can't go through with it!" The contributors changed this to, "Many of us exclaimed," which allows the newcomer to share in the original AA fellowship's own experience of feeling overwhelmed by the program's requirements.
"These people realized it was far more pragmatic to … settle for doing a little bit better each day," Holmquist says. "That's why the idea of this being both a program of action and a fellowship is so important, because you get so much from the combination of both versus just one.""
Friday 19 November 2010
12-step manuscript rare glimpse into early AA
(By Associated Press Writer Leanne Italie - Tues., Sep 28, 2010)
"In 1939, about 5,000 copies of a book offering hopeless drunks a spiritual path to recovery through 12 steps were released by a fledgling fellowship of alcoholics.
They called it "Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism."
Sales were dismal at first, but interest picked up in 1941 with help from a story in The Saturday Evening Post and grew into a recovery revolution for everybody from over-eaters and the over-sexed to gamblers and shopaholics.
More than 27 million copies of the so-called Big Book in more than 50 languages have been sold, but little was known about how the manual where none had ever existed was conceived. Did AA's co-founder Bill Wilson, a fallen New York stockbroker, really write much of it himself with the help of early adherents?
Turns out the group's bible was heavily vetted, as reflected in a working manuscript to be published Friday for the first time. Called "The Book that Started it All," the document is filled with cross-outs, inserts and notes, presumably based on feedback sought from about 400 hand-picked outsiders who included doctors and psychiatrists.
Some of the edits made it into print, especially in early chapters for fragile readers. Many others were rejected as the still-anonymous personalities behind the notes fretted over how to handle God and religion, a Higher Power "bigger than ourselves" and the influence of the Oxford Group, a religious movement embraced by Wilson and his fellow founder, Ohio physician Bob Smith, but later considered a preachy hindrance in working with problem drinkers.
"The goal was to increase the likelihood that there would be fewer distractions and fewer reasons for throwing the book across the room," said Fred Holmquist, a student of AA history and director of the Lodge Program for the treatment program Hazelden.
Hazelden's publishing arm was given high-resolution scans of the typed manuscript by its current owner, an Alabama businessman. They show off the mysterious edits and marginalia and are being published with commentary from AA historians. The manuscript passed to Wilson's widow, Lois, after he died in 1971 and has surfaced twice at auction since, including one sale for $1.56 million in 2004 to a California lawyer.
It's a rare glimpse into the inner-workings of an organization that was shrouded in mystery (some early members wore face masks when speaking in public) but remains the dominant force in addiction recovery.
"The spirituality side is what enabled the movement to grow very rapidly," said Nick Motu, a Hazelden senior vice president and head of the publishing division. "Had this been about religion, I have doubts it would have succeeded as it had."
Striking that tone is evident throughout the manuscript, including this note in one margin: "We have said constantly the trouble with org (sic) religion is that they try to dogmatically pour people into moulds. So why should we give specific instructions in the book such as saying do this and do that? You can obscure many alcoholics."
Walking the God tightrope has taken AA far over the years, with the book now in its fourth edition, circulating in China and Iran -- and in Russia and Romania before the fall of Communism, Motu said.
Founded in 1935, before addiction was truly understood as an illness, Wilson believed "you can't tell drunks what to do. That was his genius," said Susan Cheever, who wrote the Wilson biography "My Name is Bill."
Wilson's spiritual "inclusiveness," as Cheever put it, apparently struck the right tone in a chapter for atheists and agnostics that made it through vetting with few changes. One telling sentence weighing a life in "alcoholic hell" against being "saved" was edited to say "alcoholic death" or life "on a spiritual basis."
Patrick H. of Las Vegas knows that chapter well. He's four years sober with help from AA, and he's also an atheist.
"I kind of have a cafeteria plan, where you take the things that work for you and discard the things that don't work," he said.
Among other accepted edits was a softening of the book's "directive" tone to a more suggestive one, especially in the early chapters.
"Do people like to be told they will be instructed," wrote one of the editors in red pencil as he nipped away at a passage discussing a solution in Chapter Two: "This volume will inform, instruct and comfort those who are, or who may be affected."
The word "instruct" was dropped.
In Chapter Five, "How it Works," the opening line was: "Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our directions." In the same red pencil, the language was changed in the book's first edition to "followed our path."
In the opening chapter, which tells Wilson's story, one commenter questions this sentence: "God has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish."
The criticism? "Who are we to say what God has to do." The reference, at a Dr. Howard's suggestion, was changed to "Faith."
Some mentions of God became "God as we understood him," and the famous "We" at the beginning of the first step was added later at the suggestion of one among five or six to make notes on the manuscript, including Wilson himself.
In the seventh step, where Wilson and his collaborators indicate to their readers that they "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings," a reference to doing so "on our knees" was crossed out and never made it into print.
There were other slippery slopes.
In the heavily edited second chapter is a note warning against saying AA members who have "found this solution" would be "properly armed with certain medical information" to quickly win over other drinkers.
"Doctors are a jealous lot and don't like this," one note says. "I have had to ask WHAT MEDICAL INFORMATION? Why not cut?"
The risky phrase was changed to "properly armed with facts about himself ..."
While some critics question whether AA really works for most, Cheever said Wilson would have hated the idea of forcing it down the throats of anybody, including prison inmates or court defendants, against their will.
"He understood that very well," she said. "He said over and over and over again that never works."
___________________________________________
Photos: Hazelden Publishing
(our emphases in bold italics)
Comment: No comment! The amendments speak for themselves!
Happy reading!
The Fellas
"In 1939, about 5,000 copies of a book offering hopeless drunks a spiritual path to recovery through 12 steps were released by a fledgling fellowship of alcoholics.
They called it "Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism."
Sales were dismal at first, but interest picked up in 1941 with help from a story in The Saturday Evening Post and grew into a recovery revolution for everybody from over-eaters and the over-sexed to gamblers and shopaholics.
More than 27 million copies of the so-called Big Book in more than 50 languages have been sold, but little was known about how the manual where none had ever existed was conceived. Did AA's co-founder Bill Wilson, a fallen New York stockbroker, really write much of it himself with the help of early adherents?
Turns out the group's bible was heavily vetted, as reflected in a working manuscript to be published Friday for the first time. Called "The Book that Started it All," the document is filled with cross-outs, inserts and notes, presumably based on feedback sought from about 400 hand-picked outsiders who included doctors and psychiatrists.
Some of the edits made it into print, especially in early chapters for fragile readers. Many others were rejected as the still-anonymous personalities behind the notes fretted over how to handle God and religion, a Higher Power "bigger than ourselves" and the influence of the Oxford Group, a religious movement embraced by Wilson and his fellow founder, Ohio physician Bob Smith, but later considered a preachy hindrance in working with problem drinkers.
"The goal was to increase the likelihood that there would be fewer distractions and fewer reasons for throwing the book across the room," said Fred Holmquist, a student of AA history and director of the Lodge Program for the treatment program Hazelden.
Hazelden's publishing arm was given high-resolution scans of the typed manuscript by its current owner, an Alabama businessman. They show off the mysterious edits and marginalia and are being published with commentary from AA historians. The manuscript passed to Wilson's widow, Lois, after he died in 1971 and has surfaced twice at auction since, including one sale for $1.56 million in 2004 to a California lawyer.
It's a rare glimpse into the inner-workings of an organization that was shrouded in mystery (some early members wore face masks when speaking in public) but remains the dominant force in addiction recovery.
"The spirituality side is what enabled the movement to grow very rapidly," said Nick Motu, a Hazelden senior vice president and head of the publishing division. "Had this been about religion, I have doubts it would have succeeded as it had."
Striking that tone is evident throughout the manuscript, including this note in one margin: "We have said constantly the trouble with org (sic) religion is that they try to dogmatically pour people into moulds. So why should we give specific instructions in the book such as saying do this and do that? You can obscure many alcoholics."
Walking the God tightrope has taken AA far over the years, with the book now in its fourth edition, circulating in China and Iran -- and in Russia and Romania before the fall of Communism, Motu said.
Founded in 1935, before addiction was truly understood as an illness, Wilson believed "you can't tell drunks what to do. That was his genius," said Susan Cheever, who wrote the Wilson biography "My Name is Bill."
Wilson's spiritual "inclusiveness," as Cheever put it, apparently struck the right tone in a chapter for atheists and agnostics that made it through vetting with few changes. One telling sentence weighing a life in "alcoholic hell" against being "saved" was edited to say "alcoholic death" or life "on a spiritual basis."
Patrick H. of Las Vegas knows that chapter well. He's four years sober with help from AA, and he's also an atheist.
"I kind of have a cafeteria plan, where you take the things that work for you and discard the things that don't work," he said.
Among other accepted edits was a softening of the book's "directive" tone to a more suggestive one, especially in the early chapters.
"Do people like to be told they will be instructed," wrote one of the editors in red pencil as he nipped away at a passage discussing a solution in Chapter Two: "This volume will inform, instruct and comfort those who are, or who may be affected."
The word "instruct" was dropped.
In Chapter Five, "How it Works," the opening line was: "Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our directions." In the same red pencil, the language was changed in the book's first edition to "followed our path."
In the opening chapter, which tells Wilson's story, one commenter questions this sentence: "God has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish."
The criticism? "Who are we to say what God has to do." The reference, at a Dr. Howard's suggestion, was changed to "Faith."
Some mentions of God became "God as we understood him," and the famous "We" at the beginning of the first step was added later at the suggestion of one among five or six to make notes on the manuscript, including Wilson himself.
In the seventh step, where Wilson and his collaborators indicate to their readers that they "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings," a reference to doing so "on our knees" was crossed out and never made it into print.
There were other slippery slopes.
In the heavily edited second chapter is a note warning against saying AA members who have "found this solution" would be "properly armed with certain medical information" to quickly win over other drinkers.
"Doctors are a jealous lot and don't like this," one note says. "I have had to ask WHAT MEDICAL INFORMATION? Why not cut?"
The risky phrase was changed to "properly armed with facts about himself ..."
While some critics question whether AA really works for most, Cheever said Wilson would have hated the idea of forcing it down the throats of anybody, including prison inmates or court defendants, against their will.
"He understood that very well," she said. "He said over and over and over again that never works."
___________________________________________
Photos: Hazelden Publishing
(our emphases in bold italics)
Comment: No comment! The amendments speak for themselves!
Happy reading!
The Fellas
Thursday 11 November 2010
Anti-bullying policy
(Download: Personal Conduct Matters (Guidelines for Alcoholics Anonymous in Great Britain: No. 17)
This guideline makes it abundantly clear that ALL forms of “Bullying, harassment and offensive behaviour are negative and UNACCEPTABLE forms of DISCRIMINATION that are in conflict with the AA Traditions and our way of life in recovery. ANY such behaviour needs to be taken seriously, and sober AA members MUST deal with it as it arises”.
(our emphases)
Now in the case of the cult groups such coercive behaviour has become the norm within their group “consciences” (if such conduct can be considered to occupy this category!) and thereby legitimised and indeed rationalised as being the authentic means by which the recovery programme of Alcoholics Anonymous may be communicated. Manipulation, indoctrination, discrimination, coercion, segregation, isolation, threats, (in some instances blackmail), general control “freakery”, and even outright thuggery are the norm within these groups, and include some of the techniques deployed from within the cult armoury to gain the “compliance” of newcomers: their “victims” (and we use this last term because that in fact is what they are). Given the “institutionalisation” of such behaviour this naturally implies that anyone on the receiving end of this abusive conduct will fail to find any redress from within these groups. The guideline goes on to make it clear that: “If the situation is sufficiently serious or complex, it may be necessary to involve members from outside the Group” (under the much misquoted Tradition Four). In practice this means that other groups (via Intergroup but not solely) have a moral obligation to tackle any such problems. The guideline goes on to propose that at the individual level we should: “Treat other people with respect and dignity” and that at the group level: “Your Group may wish to discuss and agree, at a Group Conscience meeting, upon a 'clear statement' to display for example”:
This Group does not tolerate:
Bullying
Harassment
Discriminatory behaviour
Personal Conduct Matters!
The guideline also makes it clear that such individuals actually have a legally enforceable right to be treated properly (under the Protection Against Harassment Act, 1997 and the Human Rights Act, 1998). Moral considerations aside, too few groups are currently aware of this fact and fail to act accordingly.
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullying
This guideline makes it abundantly clear that ALL forms of “Bullying, harassment and offensive behaviour are negative and UNACCEPTABLE forms of DISCRIMINATION that are in conflict with the AA Traditions and our way of life in recovery. ANY such behaviour needs to be taken seriously, and sober AA members MUST deal with it as it arises”.
(our emphases)
Now in the case of the cult groups such coercive behaviour has become the norm within their group “consciences” (if such conduct can be considered to occupy this category!) and thereby legitimised and indeed rationalised as being the authentic means by which the recovery programme of Alcoholics Anonymous may be communicated. Manipulation, indoctrination, discrimination, coercion, segregation, isolation, threats, (in some instances blackmail), general control “freakery”, and even outright thuggery are the norm within these groups, and include some of the techniques deployed from within the cult armoury to gain the “compliance” of newcomers: their “victims” (and we use this last term because that in fact is what they are). Given the “institutionalisation” of such behaviour this naturally implies that anyone on the receiving end of this abusive conduct will fail to find any redress from within these groups. The guideline goes on to make it clear that: “If the situation is sufficiently serious or complex, it may be necessary to involve members from outside the Group” (under the much misquoted Tradition Four). In practice this means that other groups (via Intergroup but not solely) have a moral obligation to tackle any such problems. The guideline goes on to propose that at the individual level we should: “Treat other people with respect and dignity” and that at the group level: “Your Group may wish to discuss and agree, at a Group Conscience meeting, upon a 'clear statement' to display for example”:
This Group does not tolerate:
Bullying
Harassment
Discriminatory behaviour
Personal Conduct Matters!
The guideline also makes it clear that such individuals actually have a legally enforceable right to be treated properly (under the Protection Against Harassment Act, 1997 and the Human Rights Act, 1998). Moral considerations aside, too few groups are currently aware of this fact and fail to act accordingly.
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullying
Friday 5 November 2010
Tankerton (cult – East Kent) group outed!
A member of Alcoholics Anonymous has kindly brought to our attention a website news article (entitled: “How Alcoholics Anonymous can help” - although in this instance it might more aptly be renamed: “How the Tankerton group can help”, that is given the degree of self-promotion involved thereafter) which promotes the Tankerton cult group and even includes their own version of the Twelve Steps. This group (together with others in East Kent – see elsewhere on blog) is already notorious in the area for its activities, which include interweaving literature derived from non-AA sources into the readings employed at its meeting, and advocating moreover the much loved (much loved in the cult that is!) cult sponsorship 'DO EXACTLY WHAT YOUR SPONSOR SAYS' system. They have also produced a flier:
– note the use of the AA logo which is in breach of AA guidelines) publicising their group (this together with a map of its location) and which has formed a central part of this group's self-promotional campaign.
The article itself begins with a brief introduction relating to the death of a local man which is attributed to “his alcoholism and drug-taking”. We then go on to another account given by a “member of the Tankerton group of Alcoholics Anonymous” who outlines his own story (which in itself is fairly typical). However all of this seems merely a prelude to the 'advertisement' for the Tankerton group which then follows. Here it is explicitly acknowledged that this group pursued (and quite probably is still pursuing) a leafleting campaign publicising itself in local businesses. There is mention of the fact that there are actually other meetings in Kent (AA meetings that is) but of this there is no indication on the flier itself (perhaps they forgot). We are even treated here to a summary of the Tankerton group's meeting format before the article continues with a brief history of Alcoholics Anonymous. And now the coup de grace – and after such an authoritative rendition - we have the Tankerton group's very own version of the AA recovery programme! So impressed are we (NOT!) by this masterpiece that we simply couldn't resist reproducing it in full here. So for your edification (if not elucidation) - Voila!
“The Twelve Steps
1. Admit you are powerless to beat alcohol by yourself.
2. Recognise need for help from something bigger than you - a higher power.
3. Make a decision to seek help from your higher power.
4. Draw up an honest appraisal of yourself and things you have done in your life.
5. Admit to yourself and someone you trust what is in your appraisal.
6. Became willing to have your higher power remove your defects of character.
7. Ask this higher power of yours to remove your shortcomings.
8. List persons you have harmed.
9. Make amends where possible.
10. Continue to monitor self.
11. Seek help and direction in your life through prayer and meditation of your style and choosing.
12. Carry this message of recovery to other alcoholics.”
And there you have it! Now for our part we've got to admit (and contrary to our previously expressed negative attitude) that this is a blinding version and should be adopted post haste by Alcoholics Anonymous in place of its own rather timid 'interpretation' of the recovery programme. There really is no need for all that “God rot” anyway – and of course the main advantage of this particular formulation is that you can quite easily substitute the word “sponsor” for where it refers to “higher power” and Bob's your uncle – you've got the whole cult package nicely wrapped up! Genius! Pure genius! … Well maybe not.
What do you reckon?
Cheerio
The Fellas
– note the use of the AA logo which is in breach of AA guidelines) publicising their group (this together with a map of its location) and which has formed a central part of this group's self-promotional campaign.
The article itself begins with a brief introduction relating to the death of a local man which is attributed to “his alcoholism and drug-taking”. We then go on to another account given by a “member of the Tankerton group of Alcoholics Anonymous” who outlines his own story (which in itself is fairly typical). However all of this seems merely a prelude to the 'advertisement' for the Tankerton group which then follows. Here it is explicitly acknowledged that this group pursued (and quite probably is still pursuing) a leafleting campaign publicising itself in local businesses. There is mention of the fact that there are actually other meetings in Kent (AA meetings that is) but of this there is no indication on the flier itself (perhaps they forgot). We are even treated here to a summary of the Tankerton group's meeting format before the article continues with a brief history of Alcoholics Anonymous. And now the coup de grace – and after such an authoritative rendition - we have the Tankerton group's very own version of the AA recovery programme! So impressed are we (NOT!) by this masterpiece that we simply couldn't resist reproducing it in full here. So for your edification (if not elucidation) - Voila!
“The Twelve Steps
1. Admit you are powerless to beat alcohol by yourself.
2. Recognise need for help from something bigger than you - a higher power.
3. Make a decision to seek help from your higher power.
4. Draw up an honest appraisal of yourself and things you have done in your life.
5. Admit to yourself and someone you trust what is in your appraisal.
6. Became willing to have your higher power remove your defects of character.
7. Ask this higher power of yours to remove your shortcomings.
8. List persons you have harmed.
9. Make amends where possible.
10. Continue to monitor self.
11. Seek help and direction in your life through prayer and meditation of your style and choosing.
12. Carry this message of recovery to other alcoholics.”
And there you have it! Now for our part we've got to admit (and contrary to our previously expressed negative attitude) that this is a blinding version and should be adopted post haste by Alcoholics Anonymous in place of its own rather timid 'interpretation' of the recovery programme. There really is no need for all that “God rot” anyway – and of course the main advantage of this particular formulation is that you can quite easily substitute the word “sponsor” for where it refers to “higher power” and Bob's your uncle – you've got the whole cult package nicely wrapped up! Genius! Pure genius! … Well maybe not.
What do you reckon?
Cheerio
The Fellas
Wednesday 3 November 2010
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