“I
reckon Skype
meetings and online sponsors have something to do with spreading
cults so the following article might also be of interest to the
members in Perth. (I came across it while on the trail of Clancy I.
of the Pacific Group. I wonder why Clancy I is cited with this issue
of AA in Australia on Google?)
Extracts
from 'AA in the Twenty First Century–Speakers via Video Chat'; 'AA
Around Australia pp1,3:
http://www.aa.org.au/members/documents/AAAroundAustraliaMarch2012.pdf
“With
a decent-sized screen and a reasonable sound system, it's almost as
if the speaker were there in the room. Any slight disadvantages seem
to be far outweighed by the ability to invite the speaker you want,
at very low cost, irrespective of location world-wide"
"Q
How did the idea come about?
A:
I have been using Skype for years now as a tool to communicate with
my sponsor and also for holding AA meetings online with friends and
sponsees who live in different places. it enables us to do Big Book
studies.."
Q:
I've heard speakers at your meeting from as far apart as Perth,
Silicon Valley in the US and Darwin. How does the group find these
speakers?
A:
Having been around a while I have gotten to know a lot of friends in
the Fellowship. This comes from attending National Conventions and
other Round-ups and Rallies......I have also had the privilege of
having an American sponsor who is very active in General Service in
the USA and so I have met many highly experienced members through him
who are more than willing to share their experience, strength and
hope. It would only be a matter of contacting via email or phone one
or more of the many Central Service Offices in the US/Canada or in
other countries to ask them to recommend speakers"
Q:
I understand that online sponsorship is also possible. How does that
work?
A:
I have only ever had long distance sponsorship. This was more God‘s
choice than mine and personally I think a local sponsor is the
best.."
(Extract
'AA in the Twenty First Century –Speakers via Video Chat'; 'AA
Around Australia pp )
Comment:
We've been aware for some time that Skype is being utilised by cult
groups to disseminate their 'message', and the fact that Clancy I's
name (Pacific Group) seems to come up in a Google search in
association with this is hardly surprising. His name seems to be
linked with virtually every prominent (?) cult group we've
investigated from the Plymouth Road to Recovery (GB) to the
“Sponsorship Group” (New Jersey) to the Bristol Reunion (GB)
(which “promoted” this speaker on a number of occasions) to the
notorious Midtown groups (Washington DC) (he sponsored Mike Quinones
– now deceased – who presided over this cesspool for a number of
years and even acted as an apologist for their conduct). Clancy I
(who we sometimes refer to as the Venerable C) is yet another
anti-prescribed medication freak with a strange aversion to bearded
men. He believes they are hiding something! (Are there some issues to
be explored here?). He has also been described as an addiction and
recovery expert but we're not aware that he holds any qualifications
with respect to the former nor that there is any evidence for the
latter. In fact two of our the team on different occasions have met
him personally. One described him simply as arrogant and the second
offered him his phone number believing the fellow to be a newcomer
who was struggling! Or maybe it was a different Clancy I? (For more
information on some of the above simply type in the relevant key
words into Google Custom Search at the top of our blog)
Cheerio
The
Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
PS
Our thanks to our correspondent
