Road to Recovery Plymouth Cult group – not so happy, joyous and free these days?

The word is that all is not well in Happy Land. Apparently there has been something of a breakout amongst “Satan's Rejects” (and before you all get into a sweat about this choice of phrase these are not our words but those of the inestimable Little Wayne, in his latest (recycled) article on the R2R website). Here he extols the virtues of sponsorship and even an admission of his own imperfection: “ I have never claimed to be humble nor perfect and I often fail in living up to the ideals that others seem to practice so well”. This might be a most encouraging sign if voiced by another but we're not at all sure that this particular article is directed towards any other end than a bid to hang on to control of the group by plugging sponsorship (for those of you who are not in the know this cult group practices the “cascade style” of control – Wayne sponsors those who then sponsor those who then sponsor those etc. So if the dictum “Do exactly what your sponsor tells you” is followed, essentially this amounts to Wayne “running the whole show”). Unfortunately - or maybe fortunately - we shall have to see how things develop - it would seem that a significant number of the gang have decided they no longer want to follow Little Wayne's direction. From what we can gather some twenty odd members of this little fraternity have decided to split off and form their own group. The schism seems to have been prompted by a “unity” meeting held recently at the R2R venue. Here it was put to the assembled ranks that it was a case of 'fall into line and back the leader' or go for the 'high road' option – as already indicated a score or so decided upon the latter course, and so this “unity” meeting concluded with the resultant split (more of a “disunity” meeting by the sound of it. It's worth remembering that this is a group whose members regularly lecture the rest of us on the value of AA solidarity??) It is not in itself an unusual event for a cult group to split – usually the fracture occurs around a clash between “personalities” (for personalities read “egos”) and the disgruntled ones head off to start their own brand of madness (usually more extreme – hence our caution in defining this event as fortunate or otherwise). On this occasion, however, it would seem that the issue may revolve around what might be called a disparity between what is said, and what is practised – or as it is more simply put in AA “Someone who talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk”. The danger of placing anyone on a pedestal is that sooner or later they topple off – and the higher the pedestal the bigger the drop, which, of course, illustrates the whole point of Tradition Twelve – the central importance of placing principles before personalities. But unfortunately the cult have not learnt this lesson, and through their advocacy of sponsorship idolatry fall easily and frequently into this trap.

Still – the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak ….. Man can but propose, only God may dispose.... To err is human, to forgive Divine....and finally … There but for the grace of God …..

And so, on that uncharacteristically spiritual and compassionate note (for us at least), we shall conclude

Cheers

The Fellas