“Section
Two
Business
has no business in A.A.
Extract
from Tradition six:
“An
AA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to
related facility or outside enterprise lest problems of money,
property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.”
Business
has no business in A.A. If A.A. members allow it on separate tables
in A.A. meetings and events, then as Bill W. put it “every ad man
and salesman in Alcoholics Anonymous would soon be selling A.A.’s
wares, willy-nilly. We would loose control of our public relations.”
(Bill W. A.A. Comes of Age page 130-131). Our ubiquitous and ever
perennial “promoter friend” has been, and always will be, with us
and he will always need to be restrained. Today A.A. business
thrives, anything from a Big Book study guide, CD, T shirt, to a
bumper sticker. (Google search: Alcoholics Anonymous merchandise for
a list of companies trading off the A.A. Name). By Tradition, A.A.
members need to be aware that these outside enterprises ought never
be mixed in A.A. groups or A.A. events.
A
few select items:
SPEAKER
WATER
Sober
Speaker Water from Natural Springs - 16.9floz.
“Attention
Meeting Secrataries!!! [sic] Let your speakers feel the gratitude
with our signature SPEAKER WATER!! The most refreshing h2o available
for speakers of all kinds Attention Speakers!!! We thank you for
carrying The Message of experience strength and hope. Each sleek
plastic bottle is 16.9floz. Guaranteed to keep you sober while you
share. Our Price: $1.00
Recovery
"Welcome" Newcomer Chocolate Bar
…this
Premium Chocolate Bar is the perfect gift for any Newcomer! This is a
very unique and fun way to say Welcome! This Recovery Bar comes in
either Milk Chocolate or White Chocolate. It measures approx. 6.5"
x 1.5".
Our
Price: $4.95
Bill
W. Bobblehead
This
Resin figure of the AA Founder makes a super fun gift! 7 inches tall.
Our
Price: $21.95
AA
Big Book Study Edition
6"x9"
Leather Bound Hard Cover Retail Price: $32.00 The First 164 pages of
The Big Book with lined pages opposite text for note taking
Lost
and found Book Bindery
If
you have a Big Book, then you already know how important they are.
Most of us (including me) owe our lives to the message this book
carries. We have "marked them up" in every way imaginable
and every note has a special meaning in our recovery.
Big
Book Study Guide
The
purpose of this Study Guide is to enable the student to better
understand the information the authors of the book Alcoholics
Anonymous … …
Gold
plated medallion
4c
Gold Leaf Plated AA Annual Sobriety Birthday Medallion/Coin £15.00
Plated
with 24c gold leaf, this beautiful AA sobriety medal has a raised
circle/triangle showing the year of sobriety with the Legacies of;
Recovery, Unity & Service. The words, “To Thine Own Self Be
True”, are stamped around the coin’s edge. The Short version of
the Serenity Prayer is stamped on the reverse.
A
newcomer victim of Big Book Study struggles with her step workbook:
“I
am concerned that we are not reaching people who cannot read well or
cannot read at all. I am new to the program and making my way through
the Steps. I struggle to understand the "Twelve and Twelve,"
even with a college degree and help from my sponsor and other AAs.
Meanwhile, my roommate, also newly sober and with a grade school
education, can't make any sense of her Step workbook and is about to
give up. How many people do we lose this way? How many, when asked to
read from the Big Book at a meeting, stumble through a few sentences,
acutely embarrassed, and never come back? A literature-based program
effectively shuts out people who desperately need help but do not
have good reading skills”. (Dear Grapevine, Shut Out; A.A.
Grapevine November 2010)
Kelly
Foundation Big Book Study/ step guide books, Recovery Dynamics
materials, Books by Joe McQ:
Other
newcomers’ views:
“I've
been doing telephone service since I got sober. I answer the phones
at our intergroup office in the mornings. Some of my favourite calls
are from newcomers who say, "I need to go to some of your
classes." They think we're in school! …” (Class is in
Session. A.A. Grapevine November 2010)
The
view of Bill W. Co-Founder of A.A:
“Education
will not only pay off in numbers treated; it can pay off even more
handsomely in prevention… … Now who is going to do all this
education? Obviously, it is both a community job and a job for
specialists. Individually, we AAs can help, but AA as such cannot,
and should not, get directly into this field.” (Bill W. AA
Grapevine March 1958. Language of the Heart page 186-187)
The
view of Norman Y in 1977, who Joined A.A. in 1939:
“‘I
never read a word in A.A.’ he said. ‘You don’t have to read.
You don’t have to have all these pamphlets they put out. You can
learn to live this program by learning to think. A.A. is a wonderful
thing to know and apply’ he said, ‘- but in your life. You’ve
got to live it out in the street. You see somebody having a little
problem, help them, no matter who they are. That’s A.A.” –Norman
Y. (Dr. Bob and The Good Old Timers page 251-250)
“When
Norman finally got a job, in 1940, helping other blind people, he
started to put aside ten percent of his salary to pay for speaking
trips, contributions at meetings, and other A.A. expenses.” (Dr.
Bob and The Good Old Timers page 182-183)
Have
some quarters of the fellowship lost sight of the A.A. spirit of
gratitude and service, freely given without need to satisfy their
cravings for personal prestige or material reward?
This
trend in A.A. merchandise began perhaps, many years ago with our
“promoter friend” in the plastics moulding industry selling bits
of plastic to the A.A. group; a reward to man, for what is but God’s
grace; The chip to wedge open the door to a free market. “To Thine
Own ‘Self’ be True” instead of “But for the grace of God go
‘I’ ” An appeal to the senses and a round of applause to
inflate an ego. Afterward this can be viewed as an A.A. group that
“wallowed in emotionalism and had mistaken it for true religious
feeling” (Step 2 Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions page 33). “This
had been our blind spot. We had supposed we had humility when we
really hadn’t.” (Step Two, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
page 33). If reward is to be given at all, better a gift of A.A.
literature to encourage a newcomer’s deeper understanding of his
illness and to broaden his understanding of honesty and humility.
A
victim of A.A business shares her story:
Extract
from “unrecorded”, A.A. Grapevine August 2007 Vol. 64 No. 3
“..Some
speakers are recorded without their knowledge or permission. For
instance, one friend of mine, a gay schoolteacher, was horrified to
discover that his AA talk had been recorded and sold without his
knowledge. Since part of his story included a description of how his
recovery from alcoholism helped him accept his sexual orientation, he
was concerned that his professional standing would be jeopardized if
the recording wound up in the wrong hands. Of course, the whole
situation could have been avoided if the taper simply had asked his
permission to record the talk.
Another
AA member I know, a clergyman, delivered a rather earthy talk at an
AA convention. Someone sent the recording to his bishop, landing the
clergyman in hot water. Certainly, the tattletale was a large part of
the problem here. But if there's one place where we shouldn't have to
worry about the repercussions of our sharing, it's an AA meeting. So,
what does "anonymous" mean to members during these times of
ever-present audio recorders?
….One
time, I walked into an AA convention where I was speaking and was
surprised to see the taper set up with dozens of pre-made labels with
my full name emblazoned on them. I told him to blot out my last name.
He begrudgingly complied. No one on the committee had mentioned that
they intended to record and sell my talk… … Another time, I was
seated on the dais as a banquet speaker during another AA convention.
The tapers bustled about, setting up their recording system. Finally,
I said, "Is anyone going to ask me if it's all right to record
my talk?" They were perplexed by the question……………
Similarly, if we have to agree to be recorded before being invited to
tell our AA stories, then Alcoholics Anonymous has lost its way……….
Evidently, many audio recording businesses aren't familiar with the
last page of the "A.A. Guidelines on Conferences…….Some
tapers act as "booking agents" for AA meetings,
conventions, round-ups, and conferences. They're business people, and
they recommend, as speakers, those whose recordings sell lots of
copies: the polished, the sensational, the humorous, and the
well-known. Generally, tapers won't recommend speakers who won't
allow their talks to be recorded, because it's a bad business
decision for them…….. I'd like to see AA wean itself from its
dependence on tapers……………….. I don't want to walk away
from the AA meeting with a brand-new CD. I want to walk away from the
AA meeting with an empty hand, a full heart, and a new twist on an
old message that gives the recipient a big spiritual dividend--while
no one realizes a dime in profit. Anonymous
It
is a sad day for A.A., when speakers are chosen for their innate
ability to captivate and entertain an audience. Have conventions
become a business? Have they become a power game for “Our promoter
friend” to exploit what Dr. Silkworth described as “unhealthy
emotionalism”? (A.A. Comes of Age appendix E:a)
“Say
no to nothing, A German recluse bursts out of her shell at ICYPAA 51
…I
set down my bags, went out for a smoke, and was kidnapped by ICYPAA
old-timers. I got back about 13 hours later with two other AAs who
crashed in my bed. After two hours of sleep, I jumped out of bed and
yearned for more. That was two days before the conference actually
started… … I have truly been rocketed into a fourth dimension I
never knew existed. I always believed I would experience the Promises
in my life, but I never expected them to all be thrown at me over one
short weekend. I stood in the meeting room with 3,500 drunks under
the age of 30, and I had chills running down my spine and tears in my
eyes. Little did I know this was the mere beginning--the
pre-conference speaker. I stood on my chair and danced to Bob Marley.
After all, this was why I came; however, I was feeling very
uncomfortable and uncool… … … The spirituality in the room
could have knocked me over. I took a second to recompose myself, then
I leaned over to my new friend, with his green, red and yellow
mohawk, and said, "This is it." He smiled and looked down
at me and just said, "Yeah, ha-ha, awesome, right?" I knew
at that moment I had found that feeling I had chased since my first
drink: total acceptance, absolute love and a freedom to act stupid…
… … The first bit of advice I received was very useful. I was
riding through Atlanta in the back of a pickup truck, and the
"old-timers," who had been to at least three ICYPAAs
before, said, "Say no to nothing, do it all, and sleep as little
as possible… … … But before I knew it, I was on the stage at a
nightclub full of sober people, raving with the D.J. I stopped and
thought, Can this be right? Can this be spiritual? Can sobriety be so
much fun? I asked God for an intuitive thought or decision, only to
be thrown back into reality by a song that said, "Shut up and
dance… … … At the beginning of each meeting, the speaker would
introduce him or herself, "Hi, I am_____ and I am an alcoholic,"
and then the thousands of young people would return with, "Hi,
_____, we love you, _____, lots and lots and lots and WHOOOOOLE
BUNCHES! Whooo!" (This was accompanied by a group pelvic thrust
toward the speaker which seemed to get bigger later in the weekend)…
… … That is the attitude I left with. If you think you can't
enjoy life in sobriety, "B__________t!"
There
was so much power, gratitude and inspiration in Atlanta that I can
never imagine having the desire to drink return to me… … … We
are the next generation of old-timers, the future of this Fellowship.
We, young people in AA around the world, are on fire with recovery.”
(Say no to nothing, A German recluse bursts out of her shell at
ICYPAA 51 AA Grapevine February 2010)
“THAT
voice, I thought. That's the woman on the tape! ... … … The woman
whose voice I recognized was sitting in front, sharing on gratitude …
… I had goose bumps as I listened to her; I began to shake, and my
heart pounded in my chest… … It was Sandy… … After the
meeting I turned to my sponsor and my friend and said, ‘I have to
talk to that woman.’… … … I touched her arm… … … she
had no idea who I was. ‘I recognized your voice,’ I managed to
choke out. "I have one of your tapes. You saved my life.’… …
… I dragged out one of my boxes of AA speaker tapes. I probably
have over 100 tapes. I was going to find Sandy's tape. I hadn't
listened to it in years, but I knew it was in one of two boxes. I
opened the first box and sighed. The tapes were piled on top of each
other with no order to them, no neat little rows. I knew I was in for
a long afternoon. I reached in and pulled out the first tape my
fingers touched. I turned it over: The tape had a black and red label
on it and the name Sandy was written across it with a date. (THE
VOICE ON THE TAPE After almost two decades, she stumbles upon
the woman who saved her life. AA
Grapevine November 2010)
Extract
from “A New Approach to Psychotherapy in Chronic Alcoholism,” by Psychiatrist
Dr. W.D Silkworth M.D Journal Lancet, July 1939:
“These
ex-alcoholic men and women number about one hundred at present … …
… Many creeds are represented among the group and the greatest
harmony prevails. … … … Considering the presence of the
religious factor, one might expect to find an unhealthy emotionalism
and prejudice. This is not the case, however;” (A.A. Comes of Age,
appendix E:a, pages 304-305)
A
victim of unhealthy emotionalism shares her story:
“At
the 2005 International Convention, an old-timer began to tell his
story onstage at the closing meeting… … Audience members called
out, "Who are you? ... … The old-timer couldn't hear what they
were shouting, and he began again. Again the audience shouted at him,
"Who are you?" He became flustered and lost his train of
thought. He couldn't regain it, and he was ushered off the stage. I
was so sad that we missed this treasured member's story due to
formality of introduction. Please, let's remember to honour our
old-timers and all our members …” (Dear Grapevine, formulaic
greetings; AA Grapevine July 2010)
The
history of Synanon tells its own story. Synanon cult leader Chuck D.
was “said to be an admired speaker at A.A. meetings”:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synanon
The
Synanon cult provided everything its members needed, from merchandise
to alcohol free dances:
“Every
year companies donate products to the Synanon Foundation by the
carload: beef, shoes, furniture, clothing and building materials.
("Our tax-exempt privilege gives us the right, really, to hustle
goods and services," says Dederich. "And they can write it
off.") Synanon is also the nation's second largest supplier of
promotional specialities—those ballpoint pens, wallets and T-shirts
given away as merchandising gimmicks.”
(Chuck
Dederich Still Rules Synanon, but Now He Has 1,300 Subjects and a $22
Million Empire -- By Barbara Wilkins --PEOPLE magazine's archive:
October 11, 1976, Vol. 6, No. 15:
“Many
men flocked to Synanon's alcohol-free dances to do the Hoopla with
attractive Synanite women--after first playing The Game.”
[Photo Los Angeles Times]
Comment:
There's always a fast buck to be made and Alcoholics Anonymous is no
exception! Now we've decided to get into the true spirit of private
enterprise and so we'll be bringing out our own “Get rich quick”
scheme in the near future complete with workbooks, CDs (even DVDs)
etc and featuring our very own panel of Big Book experts who will
available both online (via Skype) and LIVE at a meeting near you!
Can't get a sponsor? No worries! Just sign up for our special deal,
all inclusive sponsorship package! For a very modest fee we will
provide someone to harangue you over the phone, ask you if you've
done your “six suggested things” for the day, and whether you
have adopted the appropriate position for your morning prayer. We
can guarantee regular scolding, berating, reproofs, rebukes,
reprimands and any other forms of abuse that spring to mind! In no
time at all you will feel like a totally inadequate adult – we even
provide an extended warranty to that effect – and at only a small
additional cost! Find out how good it feels to be humiliated! No
stone left unturned! Every area of your life invaded! That'll put
you in your place!
Just
kidding! …. Wellllll... maybe not!
Cheerio
The
Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
