Yep!
The missives are flying in thick and fast - and from every direction.
Never have we seen so much animation generated in the fellowship
since …. well never! But gradually the fog begins to clear and we
discover that ….
…...
the fight reported to have taken place at the above meeting was no
more than an exchange of cliches! The instigator – a fellow who
goes by the name of Bernie – as in Bernie the Bore or the Richmond Camel “ - "was lecturing everyone …. saying [that the] "Bridge
to normal living" isn't in the Big Book (like, so what?) and
someone shared afterwards to say that they found him offensive and
then someone else shouted "that is because you are not on the
program" This created a tense atmosphere in the meeting.
Bernie is increasingly a pain in the proverbial ass. He lectures and
thumps the big book like a baptist preacher only ten times more nuts
and boring.”
Now
that's not what we'd call a fight or at least not in the traditional
AA sense ie. fisticuffs with a few tables flying!
As
for David (see previous entries) he claims that the missing Surbiton group
funds were despatched to GSO (York) but without the group's
permission. (Incidentally GSO currently holds funds well in excess of
the stated prudent reserve. Next time you hear a treasurer bleating
on about how hard up AA is check the yearly accounts). This seems
rather unlikely since money sent to York usually consists of an
excess over the 'prudent reserve', something which the Surbiton
group can rarely manage to accumulate. Still the matter should be
relatively easy to resolve. York can easily be contacted, the
transfer confirmed, and the return of the funds requested. If it
turns out that they have not received the funds then that leaves two
possible alternatives: the treasurer needs to repay the money or,
failing this, the police should be contacted forthwith (such a
disposition of funds is referred to as “fraudulent conversion”
or “theft” - a criminal offence). The cash book (which we take to
mean the group accounts) has also disappeared with the errant
treasurer. Now the group has no record of any transactions (including
literature purchases where there also seems to have been some
irregularities!). Finally, and as if to add insult to injury, David
(it is said) has also taken off with the groups's coffee cups and
mugs! Now that really is below the belt!
Now
the moral of the story is …...pretty bloody obvious!
Cheerio
The
Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
PS
Thanks to our various correspondents
PPS
Now this really is traditional AA! David has threatened to set up his
own rival group on Sundays! Like they say – all you need to start a
meeting is a resentment and a tea pot! Now who should be the
secretary or the treasurer of this new group? Hmmmm ….... We do
hope that David is aware of Tradition Four … probably not!
