The Big Book Study Movement

Final Report: Leinster (Eire) Intergroup Sub-Committee (September 2008)

Source: Alcoholics Anonymous General Service Conference of Ireland

Alcoholics Anonymous News Sheet – update – Dec 2008/Jan 2009

Extracts:

“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”.

“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”.

“Many times we have heard an argument supported with one part of a tradition whilst the second part is completely ignored. This phenomenon seems to occur, quite often, in Tradition 4. “Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or AA as a whole. Autonomy seems to be used as an argument, to explain or defend, why a group ought to do what a certain member wants it to do”.

“Sponsorship

In AA sponsor and sponsored meet as equals, just as Bill and Dr Bob did”.

“The Internet and Website

Conference, (a collective Group Conscience of all the Groups in Ireland, both North and South) requested that there be only one website for Alcoholics Anonymous in Ireland and that the Groups, if they chose, would list the times, dates and places of meetings, as in the Directory, without the contact names and phone numbers, in the interest of unity. Conference felt that if Groups started to host their own websites [eg. The Road to Recovery (cult) group Plymouth], it might create competition between them and would dilute the very purpose of what was intended, which is simply to inform the public and their members, of where and when meeting [sic] are held”.

And finally:

“Tradition 5 …..The unique ability of each AA to to identify himself with and bring recovery to the newcomer in no way depends upon his learning, eloquence or any special individual skills”.

(our emphases – in bold print)

Comment: As we've said before (see The Big Book Study Movement is outside of the Structure of Alcoholics Anonymous In Ireland) the General Service Conference of Ireland seems to be light years ahead of its GB equivalent. They have identified the problem, discussed it and evolved a clear strategy to deal with the issues raised. What a contrast they are with Great Britain's service structure which seems barely able to acknowledge that a problem exists at all let alone begin to respond to it! Ostrich-like they bury their heads in the sand in the hope that these dogmatists will just go away (see Minority Report 2013 and Primary Purpose/Back to Basics). We repeat our previous question to our “trusted servants” (??): Precisely how many newcomers have to suffer and die before clear action is taken to exclude these meetings (Primary Purpose, Back to Basics, Visions) from our fellowship? How long are AA members going to continue to inflate the egos (and the pocket books) of the sundry circuit speakers, Big Book 'experts' and other parasites by subscribing to their so-called 'workshops' and assorted 'study guides' together with all the other accessory junk they produce? In fact just when is “I AM RESPONSIBLE” going to be something more than a mere form of words to be mouthed meaninglessly at AA meetings?

Over to you

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS Our thanks to the member who obtained a copy of the newsletter from GSO Ireland