Kensington Road to Recovery

Extract from a recent email:

“Hello the fellas,

…......

A few weeks back I went to:

Kensington: Road to Recovery

Wednesday 19.30 Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church, Kensington Church St

In my home town my meetings are very healthy, good people, good message, healthy conversation, no big book obsession and sponsoring is done with a kind caring attitude.

I went to this meeting when I was on a work trip many months ago. It was the closest meeting to me and was handy to get to.

When I went in to the meeting, people were friendly and shook my hand. As a visitor, all seemed normal and well. That was until, the meeting started.

What happened next ensured I would never go the meeting again.

1. I was advised I may not get a chance to share as the secretary picks the speakers.

2. If you wanted to speak, you had to raise your hand. I came in like I usually do in my home group and I was stopped from sharing because the secretary didn't pick me.
3. You had to sit in silence, no thanking someone when they were finished sharing. Just an eerie silence.
4. 99% of sharing had an air of sponsor worship, and seemed like pre-scripted waffle.
5. The secretary eventually picked me, and being quite annoyed at this point, I shared that my sponsor is a friend and human and we have a healthy friendship, I do NOT ring him everyday and this has kept me sober for the last few years. Cue eye rolling and tutting from those around me.
6. Alcohol wasn't mentioned once and drinkalogues seemed forbidden.

I left this meeting and realised what is mentioned in AACultwatch about R2R meetings is scarily true when attending one. It had a cult like quality and people had to behave a certain, somewhat like robotic way.

I have been around a few years and this experience hasn't cost me a thought. However, what scares me is that if a newcomer comes to this group, I imagine they leave frightened and disillusioned and this is their experience of AA.

I believe this group is an offshoot of the old Eaton Sq vision for you/joys of recovery and it certainly feels so.

Thanks for your work fellas and I wish ye all the best. AA in general is fantastic and I wouldn't be alive today without it. Its a shame these kinds of meeting exist but all the same, we have you guys to thank so we can steer clear in the future.

All the best,

…....”

(edited to preserve anonymity)

Comment: Although it is frequently the case that 'raised hand' sharing is employed in larger meetings in London (and elsewhere) the risk this entails is that the secretary tends to pick 'favourites' or 'on message' members to speak. We remember well the Pont Street Monday evening meetings where David B would regularly be allocated his 'slot' to bore the rest of the group into a semi-catatonic state with his endless (and entirely hypocritical) sharing on sponsorship, sponsorship and yet more sponsorship (in the cult read 'sponsor' for Higher Power!). Robotic or 'clone' speak is de rigeur in cult circles comprised entirely of a lifeless recitation of whatever passes for the 'message' amongst this collective of increasingly pointless dogmatists.

Note to cult sponsees: If the sacred word 'sponsor' is not mentioned at least once a minute in your sharing you are seriously at risk of relapsing! Yawn......

Cheers

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS Our thanks to this AA member for sending in their contribution