Official!
It seems that AA in Ireland at least have got their act together
when it comes to dealing with the recovery programme (Big Book)
'experts' ie. Primary Purpose, Joe and Charlie, the Raymer gang and
assorted fruitcakes blah blah ad nauseam that make up this branch of
the cult.
We
quote:
“Big
Book Study Movement is outside the structure of Alcoholics Anonymous
in Ireland.” (p.12,
http://www.alcoholicsanonymous.ie/download/1/ServiceHandbook 2012.pdf)
Further:
“The
Committee was surprised at the proliferation of the Big Book Study
Movement Groups being created and providing misleading and
inaccurate Information in order to gain entry to our directory,
with total disregard of our Conference decision (September 1995),
that the Big Book Study Movement Is outside of the Structure of
Alcoholics Anonymous In Ireland'. Our Committee was disturbed by
some of the practices, conditions, contracts and rules attached to
these meetings. (Appendix 1)
Alcoholics
Anonymous is a programme of self diagnosis, self motivation, self
action and the use of study guides, courses, classes, or
interpretations are. therefore, not appropriate. No group or
Individual should deem themselves an authority on how-to interpret
the Big Book on behalf of others. The steps are suggested and
experienced sponsors are wise enough not to give newcomers hard
and fast directives. There are no authorities in AA and even self
appointed teachers, have "feet of clay".
In
1977, faced with a rising number of requests, from AA members, to
reprint excerpts of the Big Book and other materials in Study Guides,
the Directors of AA World Services appointed a Committee, to explore
the question. Members of the Committee unanimously recommended
that the Board not grant permission, to use excerpts or our
literature in Study guides, and that AA itself should not
publish Study Guides and have declined to provide any
interpretative material, they chose to let our literature stand
alone. Our knowledge of recovery has been received In the Fellowship
through the experience of one Alcoholic sharing with another
Alcoholic and it was not received on an instructive basis or in a
classroom atmosphere”
(our
emphases)
Source:
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS GENERAL SERVICE CONFERENCE OF IRELAND News Sheet
Dec 2008/Jan 2009 – no longer available on the AA Ireland website.
We are endeavouring to obtain a copy)
Moreover
an AA member with direct knowledge of the Primary Purpose movement
comments on another site (vigorously):
"Before
everyone on this site gets their panties in a wad, they might want to
investigate what we are really dealing with...and it ain't AA!
I am
sick and tired as well of these self appointed messiahs we have here
in Texas at the PPG and other Groups that have teachers, gurus,
WORKBOOKS (DAMNED WORKBOOKS) which are nothing more than tools to
gain money and prestige under the guise of Carrying the AA Message.
It is a cancer in AA and creates some of the worst arrogant,
self-serving, sober monsters I have ever encountered.
Take a
peek at the website below. Since when do we do classrooms? Who among
us has the right to write our own workbooks...the height of selfish
arrogance? Who is so above the simple message found in the BB of AA
that they feel compelled (ego-starved) to add to what has been a gift
from God?
…..........
I
could go on for hours since I have years of experience dealing with
the self-serving clowns. The final product is usually a 1 1/2 to 2
year sober arrogant know-it-all self-righteous, angry cretins that
annoy the hell out of everyone and ends up in a very short time drunk
again. I lost count of how many I have seen end up that way. I
sponsor 4 guys that are refugees from their cult and they have lots
of sobriety now and are active in working with others.
I just
heard about one of there little monsters with three years sobriety in
far N. Dallas area that, when asked to speak at a group, announced to
the group that he needed 2 months of speaking dates at the group to
convey the full message he has to offer. What a tool.
It's
late, I'm tired. I have all sorts of other links and attachments to
send you about these clowns later. Good for the GSO in Ireland.
This
bunch really needs to read the long version of Tradition 3 where it
states "Any two or three alcoholic gathered for sobriety may
call themselves an AA Group provided that as a group, they have no
other affiliation." Affiliation oozes out of their pores. They
just need to start their own ego driven program and leave AA alone!"
(our
edits)
Comment: Our questions to the General Service Conference Great Britain are - if Ireland was able to identify these groups and take appropriate and decisive action way back in 1995 why is it that the GB conference is still waffling around ignoring the problem whilst steadily disappearing up its own orifice eighteen years later? What exactly are our “trusted servants” up to? How many more newcomers have got to suffer abuse and exploitation (and in some instances die) before they take REAL action? Any answers? You might like to begin by looking at our Cult Where to Find to get some idea of the scale of the problem. We believe our own listing contains only a fraction of the groups who have formed such outside affiliations!
Cheerio
The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
PS Our thanks to the member who brought this to our attention
