Update to “multi fellowship Big Book” event

The latest - in a typical murky saga emanating from Plymouth - is that the event is NOT in fact the work of our pointed headed friends (for a change).... We're informed by Drug Addicts Anonymous that it's actually organised by the partner of a now deceased DAA member. However we note that the flier has been circulated around AA members and, as part of its design, bears the AA logo. This might lead the unwary to believe it is in some way associated with Alcoholics Anonymous … it ISN'T... and a disclaimer to that effect would be helpful in ensuring that newcomers especially are not led to believe otherwise....

Cheers

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

Thanks to our various correspondents for setting us straight... (yeah ...we did a moral inventory, rang our sponsor, got on our knees etc etc....)

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

Plymouth Road to Recovery (cult) goes into the addiction business!

It seems (or so we've heard) that the Plymouth R2R cult group, not satisfied with inserting their sticky fingers into AA's business, now have designs on DAA (Drug Addicts Anonymous). A member drew our attention to their activities recently. DAA (for those of you who've never heard of them – which included us) seems to be in many ways similar to NA but eschews their literature in favour of AA's. Apparently in the Plymouth area there was a bit of a bust up a couple of years ago and some NA members severed their links with Narcotics Anonymous and swapped over to the DAA format. Moreover it would seem - there being something of a dearth of home-grown sponsors - they've shipped in a few of these from the Road to Recovery (cult) group, who, as we all know, are more than willing to evangelise at the drop of a hat! In the process the R2R gang have also somehow managed to draw a local Christian treatment project called Ovis Farm into their web. The latter of course have no idea what they've let themselves in for! But they will soon enough!

Prompted by this news we cast our eyes over the R2R site – it's always good for a laugh - and came across a couple of 'gems' including one by Alexis K in which he holds forth on his experience of Tradition One. Here his summation “Unity comes from a choice to tolerate, not from a demand to conform” might be considered admirable, that is until both its intent and advocate are subjected to closer examination! In the hands of a cult member tolerance is an entirely one way process ie. we (the cult) do what we like - and you (AA) put up with it! The cult hierarchy are quite happy to ride rough-shod over any tradition, concept or guideline devised by AA if it does not suit their purpose, one which essentially boils down to self-(will)power and control of others (see Step Three, AA, pp. 60-62). Any attempt to criticise this conduct will be met either with indifference or an air of assumed hurt (something along the lines of “But we're only trying to carry the AA message” etc). The only message though that the cult are actually interested in transmitting is one of personal power, this made incarnate in the cult Sponsor – he or she who must be obeyed in all things and whose will may not be thwarted! But Alexis himself is, of course, a well practised exponent of the cult mentality. Who could forget (and we're certainly not going to let you!) his exemplification of these lofty principles of “tolerance” at the AA Conference!  As usual it's a case of “Do what I say and not what I do”

The other piece of “fool's gold” for offer on the site comes under the title “Parable of a Sponsor”. Here the heroine of the title offers some Zen like guidance to a stray sponsee who has fallen by the wayside! The very title of the piece sends a shiver down our collective spines....... it's only a matter of time before we hear the first report of a cult sponsor walking on water! We await this news with breath all baited!

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS Our usual thanks to our local correspondents