We are pleased to announce that by popular demand we are starting our own recovery group (the first of many we hope!):
Ferret
Fanciers in AA (non-restrictive)
The meeting will commence on Wednesday 20th July at 8.00pm at the Littlethorpe Working Men's Club. (When we say “Non-restrictive” what we actually mean is you can show up but you probably won't feel very comfortable what with us all being part of the ferret fanciers BROTHERhood ….. so it's probably better if you go to another meeting any way …... but otherwise …... all welcome!). (Dress code: flat caps, clogs - baggy trousers optional))
Perhaps it
would be wise at this stage to make a few prefatory comments in order
to clear up any misunderstandings which might arise. Firstly to
those who might level at us the accusation we are a “dual purpose”
group (a mistake perhaps easily made given our name) we would answer
thus. Firstly we believe our “interest” in this area should be
taken into account when establishing the context within which we are
attempting to gain and maintain our sobriety as “RECOVERED”
alcoholics. Rather surprisingly ferret fanciers are a much maligned
group within society and our condition presents difficulties with
which only other ferret fanciers might empathise. The ordinary
common-or-garden variety of alcoholic may of course face enormous
obstacles to their own recovery but their travails – with all due
respect - are as nothing compared to those faced by the average
ferret fancier. We don't wish to elaborate on these here because we
cannot be certain of an entirely sympathetic audience. However our
special “needs” (as distinguished from mere adventitious “wants)
can only really be understood by those who have undergone the same
kind of painful experiences as ourselves ('thigh rash”, “blue
ball syndrome” etc). Naturally in the course of our discussions
there will be some reference to matters “ferretorial” but not to
the complete exclusion of alcohol, its attendant problems and
recovery thereof. We believe that our recovery can best be served in
an environment which is free of any such bias or prejudice. Who
among us for example has not had to suffer the ignominy - and indeed
in the very throes of our disease - of being posed the question: “Is
that a ferret in your trousers or are you just pleased to see me?”
Only those who have had to endure such crass observations can fully
appreciate what sort of impact these might have on the newly
recovered ferret fancying alcoholic.
We are,
moreover, by definition a “minority” voice within the fellowship
and therefore expect to be treated accordingly. In the interests of
fairness and equality (and given our relatively small numbers) it
seems only right that our wishes be accorded even greater prominence
than those of the more privileged majority. We naturally assume therefore that
our participation within intergroup is a 'given' as we are keen to
carry the 'ferret fancying' alcoholic message to the wider
fellowship.
[It may be
of interest to those unversed in AA history that both Dr Bob and Bill
W were keen ferret fanciers themselves. Indeed during their first and
indeed seminal conversation at Henrietta Seiberling's house it is
reported that most of the conversation revolved around the
aforementioned beasts and their handling rather than on the question
of alcoholism itself. So enthused was Bill by their conversation
that he later recorded almost the entire discussion in his diary.
When finally it came to drafting the Big Book Bill initially had the
intention of devoting a chapter to this very issue and thus it
appeared in the first multilith edition prepared for circulation
amongst the neonate fellowship. Conceived as a chapter in its own
right - As a Ferret Fancier Sees It – this was downgraded to a
single appendix entitled “A Ferret Fancier's Opinion” before
finally being omitted altogether. Some among us feel that the whole
programme as it was subsequently presented suffered greatly from its
absence. Although the work was in parts derivative (much of it
influenced by the Frank Buchman's treatise “Ferrets: The Eternal
Enigma”, whose principles were subsequently embodied in the
movement he set up known generally as the Oxford Group (or “Ferrets
– The ONLY Way Forward” amongst its most fervid adherents) many
of the old timers (including Clarence S – another ferret fancier)
believed that the programme in its original ferret oriented purity
lost much of its efficacy as a consequence]
Any way we
digress! Suffice to say that under Tradition 4 (each group is
autonomous) we are of course entirely at liberty to do what we like -
and the rest of you can take a running …...!
Cheerio
The Fellas
(Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous …. and of ferrets everywhere!)
PS We
would like to take this opportunity to express our warm appreciation
to both Joe and Charlie for their unique (and expert) contribution to
our own recoveries, and particularly their little publicised commentary
on the above mentioned chapter. Their work book “A Vision for
Ferret Fanciers” was an inspiration to us all!
