Well we should all be
thinking (with gratitude) of those fine boys and girls who have already trudged
the Road of Happy Destiny to Burgess Hill on this damp and foggy November morn
to attend the South East Region Annual General Meeting and Conscience. Generally
speaking such events pass by almost unnoticed by the fellowship at large but
today we think the occasion is worthy of some modest comment. Indeed (or so we
are told) there are a couple of items on the agenda which should be of interest
to all AA members who are concerned about the current state of the fellowship in
Great Britain, and have an interest, moreover, in where we might be heading in
the distant and then not so distant future.
Firstly there is to be
some discussion on the subject of what are referred to as “alternative groups”
operating within AA in the South East region (and elsewhere). Now we know that
some AA members have a tendency to come over all coy at the merest suggestion of
any “controversy” within the fellowship (and would rather bury their heads in
the sand and suffocate than face what is placed directly before them!) but we'll
go for the “call a spade a spade” option and refer to them as “cult groups”.
There! That wasn't so painful was it? It would seem this debate has been
prompted by representatives of at least three intergroups that have been
experiencing “problems” with CULT groups in their respective areas. South East
Region itself is currently made up of 10 intergroups (as follows):
Brighton Area
East Kent East Sussex
Mid Surrey
North East Surrey
Northdown
Solent
Southdown
West Kent
West Sussex
Of these we have
received reports of cult activity (and groups) in at least six. We're pretty
sure that if we looked really closely we'd find cult activity in every single
IG. Perhaps during the course of the meeting some more of these will come out of
the closet!
Secondly (or firstly –
we don't have the AGM agenda to hand), and of greater interest perhaps (but
directly related to the aforementioned), there will be some discussion of the
minority report which has been submitted to the 2012 AA Conference (GB). This is
entitled: "To Alcoholics Anonymous from Alcoholics Anonymous - A call for moral
inventory and leadership in A.A.".
In summary this
comprises the following:
“This document
comprises an analytical and critical survey of the Fellowship in 2011,
discussing the complex dynamics surrounding current events occurring in the USA,
UK and Canada and relating these to past events and to AA Traditions and
Concepts.
The discussion begins with two examples of active leadership, one by Bill W. in the 1940s, the other by a committee in Santa Monica California USA, in 1958; it then moves on to include current events. The outcome exposes a hazardous departure from Tradition, serious and growing internal divisions and public concerns. It also exposes a widespread and hazardous misconception in the application of A.A. Traditions. And a situation where neither A.A. Tradition, nor General Warranties of Conference are withstanding in today’s fellowship. This causes us to feel duty bound to place this as a minority report before the UK General Service Conference 2012.
Background
The grounds for
submission of a minority report;
The principle of
anonymity upheld.
1) The conference
procedures are given in the AA Service Handbook for Great Britain section 10-3,
10-4. This can be accessed online at the UK GSO website:
Concept V explains the
criteria and reasons for sending a minority report.
A minority report can
be sent by any AA members, at any level in the service structure from A.A. group
to Conference.
Concept V states that
all minorities should be encouraged to file minority reports whenever they feel
that a majority is in considerable error. That they should charge themselves
with the actual duty to file a minority report if they consider the issue to be
such a grave one that it could affect A.A. as a whole. The main function of a
minority report is to protect against the making of a grave error and to
restrain those in authority from unjust uses of their power. The well heard
minority is therefore our chief protection against an uninformed, misinformed,
hasty or angry majority.
The Conference steering
committee will decide whether to put the contents of the report and any
questions arising from it to conference for discussion.
2) “Anonymity is the
spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place
principles before personalities.” (Tradition 12)
It is AA Tradition that
the names of those who make submissions of topics /questions to conference are
kept confidential. The same principle of anonymity applies to minority reports.
It also applies to officially published AA pamphlets and books, the authors are
not accredited except for a few titles by Bill W. The names of authors of the
report are not accredited since this, according to AA Tradition is irrelevant,
the subject matter of the report is what is important. It was co-authored by a
number of AA members residing in the UK.
In
fellowship”
[Apparently the above has now been circulated to every region in Great Britain shortly to be followed no doubt by distribution to their respective intergroups. Indeed some intergroups are proposing to further disseminate the report to all of their constituent groups so important do they regard its implications for the future of the fellowship in this country (and elsewhere). A number of particularly enthusiastic supporters have even mailed copies to every area in the US and Canada (incidentally under the Traditions this is not only entirely appropriate but even required given the nature and scope of the problem under discussion)].
Finally, of course, a
copy can be downloaded here
We trust that you will
make the effort to read it – and then take action!
Cheerio
The Fellas (Friends
of Alcoholics Anonymous)
