AA Back to Basics

A tip-off to all London intergroups via the unofficial grapevine

Coming up soon….

‘The Messiah Complex World Tour’…

‘Undiluted’ Cult Workshop

Kingston United Reformed Church
Richard Mayo Centre
Eden Street
Kingston Upon Thames, KT1 1HZ

March 7- 9, 2014

Details of the world tour: http://www.aabacktobasics.org/

And a flyer for the Kingston event….

Yep, Wally P’s back on stage in 2014, with his brand new “Messiah Complex World Tour’’ coming to London in March with the ‘UNDILUTED’ show in Kingston. (Not be confused with Russell Brand’s ‘The Messiah Complex World Tour’ at the O2 Academy, Brixton, 9^th March, 2014). Like Wally, comedian Russell Brand is also back on stage with his brand new show -- "Messiah Complex". (A 'Messiah Complex' is a mental disorder where the sufferer thinks they might be God, and we think the show’s going to be hilarious) Now then, here’s a coincidence - Two ‘Messiah Complex’ comedy shows coming to town in one weekend! - an act of Providence even?  For details of the Russell Brand show see below.

With Wally P’s double act however, there’s the serious downside to any hilarity generated. AA groups in the UK may need to brace themselves for a fresh infiltration of hyped up cocaine addicts/ alcoholics infected with the ‘Wally Messiah Complex’, followed by a mass exodus of alcoholics to Rational Recovery. Symptoms of those so afflicted may be recognised by overt displays of “double think,” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doublethink and “duckspeak.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Newspeak_words The worst infected cases may also exude a vociferous harping back to the Oxford Group’s successful 75% failure in sobering up alcoholics - a classic example of the contradictory terms typically ejaculated in “duckspeak.”

Here’s a little insight into how the double-thinking, duck-speaking, Wally cult complex works in the USA, (an AA member’s post on our aacultwatch forum

(‘Back to Basics Movement’ thread, 22/02/11)

“In this USA area, about 2 1/2 years ago in 2008, a Yellow cover book - "Back to Basics " by Wally P., began to be passed around; soon many were buying it and some malcontented people from a few AA groups began to gather to discuss the book. They were generally outspoken and not recieved well by AA groups and the strong opposition seemed to bond the malcontents to each other. They had a fixed idea of how the 12 steps should be done, an out of balance view of AA history and statistics. Like claiming that AA once had 75% success rate; and futher claimed AA lost that sucess rate when AA became organized!

The movement has grown more active and now "seeds" meetings and discussion rooms with individuals who push thier views. Now, there seems to be an organized effort for 6 to 10 "Back to Basics" people to meet before a target meeting - they split up a few small groups - go to various tables or each Meeting Room and steer discussions into issues which give them a format to present half truths and thier "sprituality" claims.

Many of us "regular" AA people are concerned. It seems to me that your experiences are similar and may be repeated here in this USA area. I found your "Cultwatch" site on the Bing search engine. The information is valuable and appreciated by me and I have passed the web address on to a DCM friend.”

(Not anonymous) cult leader Wally Paton (pictured on left, with side kick) in Dallas, 12/7/01. (Photo Courtesy of Wally’s Faith With Works Publishing Company) http://www.aabacktobasics.org/Faith%20With%20Works%20Pub%20Co/index.html 

Comment: Our usual thanks to the AA member who alerted us to this cocaine addict’s enterprising event. Wally P’s Back to Basics, is a multi purpose 12 Step cult - not to be confused with Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.

Of course, the twisting of history through an educational programme in which certain historical facts are selectively chosen whilst others are carefully erased, in order to present a half truth which is then laced with a few lies, is not a new idea. It is a well known method of millieu control http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milieu_control used by politicians, conmen, bankers, insurance brokers, cult leaders and totalitarian regimes, in order to control the masses. As George Orwell once wrote,

“…And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed – if all records told the same tale – then the lie passed into history and became truth. ‘Who controls the past,’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.’ And yet the past, though of its nature alterable, never had been altered. Whatever was true now was true from everlasting to everlasting. It was quite simple. All that was needed was an unending series of victories over your own memory. ‘Reality control’, they called it: in Newspeak, doublethink.” - George Orwell, (Nineteen Eighty-Four, part I, chapter III)

Since we’re still happily living in the uncontrolled reality of ‘oldspeak,’ our memories remind us of a number of things, too many in fact, to put on the blog all in one go. So we’ve decided to run a series of “Back to Basics Specials” between now and March 2014. In the mean time though, why not get back to basics and ponder the undiluted (or should we say uncensored) ‘oldspeak’ of the AA Co-founders in 1939 and 1940, as they appear in AA Conference Approved literature?

“Have definitely shaken off the shackles of the Oxford Group.” –Dr. Bob, 2^nd January 1940 (Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers p. 218)

“1. The principle of aggressive evangelism so prominent as an Oxford Group attitude had to be dropped in order to get any result with alcoholics. Experience showed that this principle, which may have been absolutely vital to the success of the Oxford Group, would seldom touch neurotics of our hue.” …. ….“3. The principles of honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love are as much a goal for A.A. members and are as much practiced by them as by any other group of people; yet we found that when the word ‘absolute’ was put in front of these atttributes, they either turned people away by the hundreds or gave a temporary spiritual inflation resulting in collapse.” “4. It was discovered that all forms of coercion, both direct, and indirect, had to be dropped….” –Bill W., 30^th October 1940. (Extracts, Pass It On p.172)

After you’ve had time to ponder, we also suggest taking a tip out of the undiluted Big Book p.102 http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/en_bigbook_chapt7.pdf (the page we havent seen quoted by Wally) Then plan to pop along to one of the legitimate (non cult) social events to be held in London on the weekend, March 7- 9, 2014. There’s lots to choose from, but heres a few suggestions.

Russell Brand: “The Messiah Complex World Tour” 9th March 2014, O2 Academy Brixton

http://www.o2academybrixton.co.uk/event/59340/russell-brand-messiah-complex-world-tour-tickets

Ellie Goulding

9th March 2014, The O2, theo2.co.uk 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NKUpo_xKyQ

Mark Thomas: “100 Acts of Minor Dissent”

8th Mar 2014, Leicester Square Theatre  http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=21492

The Stranglers

8th Mar 2014, Hammersmith Apollo http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=23505 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnWVCWNnkQE

Verdi’s “Rigoletto”

7th Mar 2014, London Coliseum

http://www.londondrum.com/events/?p=22296

Might see you at the O2 Academy, we’re going to have a fun weekend!

Cheerio,

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

P.S. If any of these entertainments don’t grab your fancy, you could always nip along to the “most sordid spot on earth” (Big Book p. 102) - We’ll leave that one to your imagination! Or you can see more of Wally P. for free in AA Minority Report 2013. Click here

Herne Bay Big Book Salvation (Wednesday)

Yes! They really call themselves that! This meeting (still listed in the AA Where to Find despite being affiliated with the Primary Purpose movement – an outside organisation) is, however, on the way out! Since the departure of the local 'guru' Harry K, who has gone on to pastures new (ie. Cocaine Anonymous) - his exit much encouraged by the locals who had had quite enough of his brand of 'recovery' - the group has kind of …well …. disintegrated. But that's what happens when you cut off the head of a snake. It wriggles around a bit and looks like it might have some life in it but it's just plain had it! Herne Bay used to be a bog standard AA meeting. Its members helped newcomers (and themselves) when they could and otherwise just got on with it. No fanfares .. no fuss …. no Big Book 'experts', no 'personailty' (?) speakers, no work guides, no lectures, no 'know-it-all' sponsors …. just plain ordinary AA. But then the Tankerton/Canterbury Friday (cult) crew decided that Herne Bay were doing it all WRONG. They just hadn't GOT IT, and so they decided to stick their oar in - and thus began the process of disintegration. Then the 'messiah' arrived in the shape of a pair of carpet slippers - Harry K (together with his side-kick Harry A (otherwise known as Harry the Handbag – don't ask!!)) He was even more sure that they hadn't GOT IT and proceeded to bring THE WORD to the benighted heathen! Finally the heathen had had quite enough of Harry's 'missionary' work and invited him to go forth and multiply!  Of course in the good old days we would have just popped him in a pot and had him for supper … Ah! Happy times! Still …. mustn't complain. CA's loss is our gain! And maybe Herne Bay can be resurrected in its original form and return to being just an ordinary, cult free AA meeting.

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

Our “Thug of the Month”: Richard E

Yep! Yet another addition to our pantheon of dishonour … introducing ….. Richard E …..who will be joining the likes of Harry K, Glynne M, Billy (the Kid) and numerous other 'unsung heroes' of the cult movement in Great Britain. The list goes on .. but not quite 'ad infinitum'.....

We quote:

“Hi chaps just a little report on the dangerous actions of Richard E. He is a member of AA and CA and is part of the fierce control sponsorship movement sweeping many AA and CA groups. A friend of mine visited an AA meeting in the South Harrow area recently and saw a female member crying outside and when he asked what was wrong she stated that Richard E had told her she is not a real alcoholic and is killing people in AA. This meeting has been taken over by Richard and his army of sponsees who are all ordered to introduce themselves as grateful recovered alcoholics. Richard hunts newcomers in AA and proceeds to tell them they will not recover in mainstream AA and demands they attend his CA home-group in Ormond Road Richmond hence the meeting is full of alcoholics who in my opinion are in the wrong fellowship. He also demands they ring him every day at a set time and write and review a gratitude list none of which I can find in the AA book. He was recently arrested and charged with assault for spitting in a female member's face in a Sunday night meeting in Barnes south-west London but fails to mention this when he speaks in meetings ….. only claims to be happy joyous and free at all times. Please keep my name off this as I don’t want conflict when I see him and his gang at meetings. Keep up the good work. God bless.”

And from another correspondent:

“Perhaps you have already heard of these meetings, nonetheless for your information...

South Harrow, London 8pm Thursday 13th September. The chair was by Harry K - "That's Harry K......., not Henry Kissinger!" he says. Alcoholics "Anonymous". Travelled in from Margate. From the top down he was wearing a black cowboy hat, black overcoat and what looked like blue slippers. Noticed lots of people in attendance never seen before - my view is they had probably also travelled some distance to this meeting. Relatively few locals in the meeting. Didn't count attendance - though guess at least 45.

Also Harefield, London Friday 7pm. Sponsorship and "Big Book Study" offered there. Smaller meeting.

Keep up the good work. I enjoy reading aacultwatch on a regular basis.

Best wishes”

When we checked with our first contact we received the following information:

“Sure. Richard E and Harry K are pals that’s why Harry will have been there. Harry K is actually a heroin addict who cleaned up in AA. He was introduced to CA one year back through Richard and his flock of sponsees so he is now attending CA meetings and has an awful habit of telling everyone else what to do. Also loves to quote his knowledge of the book ….... what page is what etc.. He has also been invited to speak at our CA UK area convention in Hayling Island this November. This has been heavily influenced by Richard. There is plenty of us who can see these people for what they are. We continue to carry the real message of love and tolerance to alcoholic or drug addict who still suffers. God bless fellas.”

Comment: By all accounts these two are just made for each other! Not a lot of people know this (well actually a lot of people know this) but although Harry is something of a self appointed 'authority' on the Big Book he's not so adept when it comes to other people's property. Indeed he seems to have come rather unstuck not that long ago when an employer sacked him for shop lifting from one of their stores! Still to err is human, to forgive divine .. and we're sure that Harry has forgiven himself already!

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS Thanks to our various correspondents... keep up the good work!

The plot thickens – update to the R2R (Plymouth cult group)/DAA connection

It seems that the Road to Recovery cult group has been even busier than we thought. Our latest information (and update to our previous entry) is, and we quote:

“Hi Fellas,

I just read your article and you've got the cart before the horse. Way back ….. addicts were turning up at the Roads meeting. The sponsors that they got at the group passed this up the line, and the directive came back down to start an NA group along the lines of the Roads meeting. This caused massive problems within the local NA community as they were up to the tricks that they usually are, sharing in a shaming way, everyone else is doing it wrong, never had a bad day bla bla bla. …. Also taking over the PI committee etc. They also set up an NA meeting in the Dorset Area of Narcotics Anonymous, but there being a more established NA community they couldn't really pull their usual stunts. Matt the Message and Rik the Vet were prominent in this meeting.

Eventually they took the strong hint in Dorset and buggered off to CA, where they carried on with their usual …... making friends and influencing people; pissing everyone off! Meanwhile, back in Plymouth, as the NA community grew and became more established they weren't able to get away with their usual practices and eventually the NA meetings there became DAA meetings

That's a quick off the cuff précis. As I said they were Roads meetings from their very beginning when they were flying under the NA banner, indeed the NA meetings were started at the Roads sponsors' sponsors' direction!

Best,”

(name omitted)

and:

“Hi again,

Indeed, my understanding is that DAA as a Fellowship was expressly started by the NA/Roads members

Best,”

(name omitted)

Comment: So it would seem that the R2R gang have been most proactive as they busily extend their tentacles into both NA and CA. We were already aware that they had developed offshoots in both of these (as well as Al-Anon) and with exactly the same modus operandi (though not to the extent of actually fracturing these fellowships!) This particular parasite though seems to be quite indiscriminate, settling as it does on any victim that may present itself. But perhaps it's time they took the hint and stopped feeding off AA and kindly went forth and ….. well we'd hardly encourage them to multiply! Then they can play God to their hearts' content!

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS Our usual thanks to our local correspondents

More on the cult "network" - Richmond, Tolworth ....

"Thank you for your reply,

John B does indeed attend Hampton Wick and he was one of the founders of the Richmond meeting along with a chap called Donald (who was sponsored by David B) and a few others. From my memory I remember Hampton Wick was opened on Kingston Hill shortly after the Richmond meeting was formed in 1997 or 1998. Another meeting was formed from the Richmond meeting: Tolworth Newcomers - a Thursday night meeting with printed literature cards containing 'the six suggestions' displayed on the top table where the secretary and chair sit. They also used to attend a restaurant after the meeting but they opted to have a food buffet in the hall after the meeting instead. Also, most worryingly, you are assigned a sponsor at this meeting. If you are new you have your number extracted from you and then told who your sponsor is going to be. When I was new to AA over 20 years ago I had great difficulty in saying no, so I can imagine how newcomers feel at this "newcomers" meeting.

I am personally fairly familiar with the Ealing meetings myself. What's been going on is Happy Dennis has made there be four meetings a day in Ealing, most of them being at either Bayham Road or Green Man Lane. Unfortunately some long-standing AA meetings have been dwindling and thinning-out to the point of closing as a result of an earlier meeting opening round the corner. Keep an eye on the Northfields meeting on Sunday morning; this meeting is a long-standing AA meeting, or should I say 'was', but it seems to be getting taken over by various sponsees of the Ealing brigade.

Keep an eye out for a guy called Richard E; he is the one who started the cult within CA and is famous (or infamous) in AA among West and South-West London. He is exactly like David B (I met David B on several occasions); when he attends AA meetings (which is uncommon now as he mainly does CA), he introduces himself as a 'recovered' alcoholic and then proceeds to tell the meeting that they're doing it wrong. He sponsors many individuals at once, and they are taken through the steps and begin sponsoring others after around four weeks of sobriety. Many of them relapse. He will point out to his sponsees who in the meeting is and is not alcoholic. He elects himself to sponsor others (i.e. "I will be your sponsor"). Every sponsee of his is required to attend a 'Big Book Study' at his house, where all he does is gets them to highlight the parts of the Big Book which he thinks are relevant (although he doesn't highlight the bit in The Family afterward which says "Now about health..." or the part in Working with Others that talks about not rushing the newcomer). He brainwashes his sponsees with the '3% recovery rate' (or is it 2%? I think he changes it each time), and as a result, his sponsees all attend meetings with chips on their shoulders and share that everyone else is doing it wrong, or 'not really an alcoholic'. His sponsees are not allowed to attend NA meetings, and the only AA meeting they are allowed to attend seems to be Hampton Wick Friday. He tells everyone (not just his sponsees) that they should not take medication. One of his sponsees was secretary at the Saturday morning meeting at Bayham Road and one time when I was there he shared "my sponsor told me what to do, he told me which meetings to go to and he told me how to recover" (does that sound like an oxymoron?). You people of aacultwatch would probably assume this is cult standard, but what worries me is that I was talking to one of Richard's sponsees after a meeting the other week in Ealing and he was telling me how Richard called him and said "pick me up and give me a lift into Kingston", and when the sponsee said he was busy, Richard apparently responded "I am your sponsor. You will give me a lift to Kingston". If there's anything that makes me think of a cult it's this; not only is controlling what people do in AA he's controlling what they do outside AA. There is unfortunately a lot of contempt towards him in the Richmond/Twickenham/Teddington area - an area that is otherwise harmonious within AA, with a wide fellowship.

Sorry I've waffled, but I thought it would be of interest, seeing as there wasn't any mention of Richard on the site. Some individuals have stood up to him, but most people shrug it off and say "I can only keep my side of the street clean".

Glad to be of service. May it continue.

... [name omitted]"

(our thanks again to this contributor)

Cheers

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)