Regarding the so-called Six Daily suggestions.....

We quote:

“From what I have learned recently this phone conversation happens a quite a lot around the cult meetings that promote the so-called “Six (or more, depending on the cult group) Daily Suggestions”. These “suggestions” have been made up by the cult and are foisted upon the unwary and unfortunate newcomer. This is how it goes....

Cult member rings newcomer.

Newcomer answers phone.

Newcomer says: “Hello”

Cult member says: “Hi. I'm just ringing you to complete one of my 6 daily suggestions. Bye.” (Cult member then hangs up phone)

Newcomer is left confused and pissed off at the unwanted intrusion.

This is what happens when a list of daily tasks, made up by a cult loony, supposedly based upon the Steps, but which in fact is not AA approved or endorsed, The performance of these tasks or suggestions becomes nothing more than a banal chore. Naive cult members in early days who have little or no experience of the Steps or the real program of AA, are ordered to 12-step newcomers over the phone when they are clearly not ready to do any such thing. Some cult members have been known to ring newcomers at ridiculous times in the morning e.g. 6am, or even earlier, thus disturbing sleep and the family members of the newcomer. I am told that Happy Dennis in London is a particular offender. It was reported to me that he rings people up at ludicrously early hours of the morning and recites his cringe-awful “poetry” to them. His rhyming rubbish is comparable to the sort of doggerel you would find in the cheapest box of Christmas crackers at a bottom bargain basement shop. Something you read with embarrassment and want to throw away as quickly as possible. He also sends “happy clappy” texts to AA contact numbers he finds in Share magazine for new meetings that are set up around the country (cult or non-cult). In my opinion he is a pest and has no right to send people unsolicited messages to strangers. I understand from one AA member I know in another part of the country that at least one of his texts has been answered with a firm “ f””k off, you nutter” Apparently Happy Dennis has concocted a Daily Suggestion card which contains a lot more than Six Suggestions. Next time I am in that area of London I will try to get my hands on one of his cards. As soon as I do I will scan it and send it to you guys. I also understand that group money (which is AA money) is used to pay for the printing of these cards.

The Six (or more) Daily Suggestion card is a fraud perpetrated on the newcomer. It is not AA literature. It never will be AA literature. In fact it contradicts AA literature. Handing this card to the newcomer in the name of AA is misrepresenting the fellowship and the AA program to the newcomer. Nowhere in AA literature does it say we have to “get on our knees” twice per day. Nowhere does AA say we must ring 2 newcomers every day. Nowhere does AA say we have to have 2 home groups. Nowhere does AA say that we must do everything a sponsor says. Nowhere does AA say we must read the Just For Today card every day. Actually, the whole point of the Just for Today card is to practice it, not just to read it. Someone still drinking could be reading the Just For Today card and still fulfil one or more of the six daily suggestions !

None of the longest sober people known to me do the Six Daily Suggestions. Why” Because you don't need to do them in order to stay sober, and 99.999% of sober AA members would testify to that. The Six Daily Suggestion card complicates the program for the newcomer. It creates for him or her a daily burden which becomes nothing more than a tedious and banal check-list to be completed in order to win approval from a group and a sponsor. And therein, I believe, lies the true purpose of the card. It is all about recruitment to a group/gang/cult in AA. Doing repetitive tasks assigned by a leader is one of the hallmarks of a cult.

Thanks to the aacultwatch team for their work in exposing the cult nonsense that is weakening AA and destroying its reputation. "

Cheers

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS Thanks to our correspondent

The voice of experience....

“Hallo chaps

Thanks for all you do

I write this in a fit of writing pique on reading a piece in The [F]Ix and wondered whether it may be of any use or relevance to the AA cult watch site?

Regards and fellowship ….... _____________________________

I got sober in 1985 and used to frequent meetings around Pont Street [popular with the cult back then] etc.

I was crazy coming in but I still retained some type of innate smarts about the peeps I was meeting in AA. I wanted AA to be full of angels and after going on 30 years continuous sobriety I realise exactly what AA is, which for me is very helpful

Around that time I met the very creepy David B, possibly around 1986 or 1987 I think. He asked me if I had a sponsor and I blanked him. I remember going to meets where I felt very creeped out by the goody-goody vibes and the automaton responses to various dodgy guys, including the celebrated David B. I think there was a portly American there called Frank [now a Clancy acolyte], who was also hero worshipped and generally revered. There was a type of collective orgasm every time this guy shared and he sounded like he self worshipped his pronouncements as well, a happy family of yes men in recovery. All lapping up the same robotic responses.

It's funny but where I live now, I know a guy that sponsored David B before he got "famous" in AA as a Joys promoter and thus elevated himself to a much higher ground than the average AA goer.

I did not know back then I was dealing with bonkers "Joy boys" as we subsequently  called them but soon found out and continued to get sober well away from this arrant nonsense.

One of the things I have noticed strongly in AAs ( both male and female) is that as soon as they get a bit of sober time, is the overarching need to control everything around them.

The Big Book speaks of this phenom (??) I believe in the Chapter 5 [pp. 60-62] segmen [sic]

........begin quote.....
Most people try to live by self-propulsion. Each person is like an actor who wants to run the whole show; is forever trying to arrange the lights, the ballet, the scenery and the rest of the players in his arrangements would only stay put, if only people would do as he wished, the show would be great. Everybody, including himself, would be pleased. Life would be wonderful. In trying to make these arrangements our actor may sometimes be quite virtuous. He may be kind, considerate, patient, generous; even modest and self-sacrificing. On the other hand, he may be mean, egotistical, selfish and dishonest. But, as with most humans, he is more likely to have varied traits.......end quote.....

This rigidity and control is a defining and common factor that I became aware of pretty early on. The self proclaimed experts in AA deciding what course people's meds should take for example, the would be doctors in AA with a few years ( if that) early recovery. All of this coming from people usually not gifted with great intellect and in many cases seemingly downright thick.

The "joys" people have generally dwindled in the area of the UK (Sussex) where I live. Their obnoxious antics at Intergroup and time wasting drivel has produced nothing locally, except rancour and tedious boredom.

Another individual called Dennis from Ealing, London popped up in Sussex a couple/few years back and was laughably and totally insane.

He did his "hopping for Joy" routine which made my skin crawl at this ludicrously oblivious tosser who is obviously suffering with borderline ( or more pronounced) mental health issues.

What is alarming, is the potential effect of this junk on newcomers to the rooms; a supposed haven for the broken and the needy.

I have stayed sober in AA in spite of certain things .......joy boys, control freaks, sociopaths, rude individuals who think they can take the mick, abusive cross sharing and over the years I have seen loads of that. Passive aggression dressed up as cross talk in AA rooms.

I have also benefitted from good AA friends (very few though) an initial good non-control freak sponsor and my own inability to KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid and other abuse laden crap doled out by you guessed it - the truly stupid).

AA is a potentially great fellowship, marred by many inner (cultic?) forces attempting to impose their own agendas, I hope it survives and I am sure it should and will.

However; if God forbid it did get riven and broken from within, I believe my recovery could continue and stay and develop without it as it is not my Higher Power.

I'm not perfect and have a hopefully healthy view of AA unvarnished by sentiment or over optimism. I am also glad I came in pre- treatment centre era too.

Anyway here's to some good days ahead for one and all.”

Comment: None needed really but all very familiar! And the above section on control freaks in Chapter Five should be made compulsory reading for our cult friends!

Cheers

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS Thanks to our contributor

To kneel or not to kneel, that is the question?

Extracts from the aacultwatch forum (old)

“Hello ….....,

Thank you for your delightful response. You are clearly an intelligent person. So I will be fearless and thorough in my response :)

I would be interested to know what Higher Power requires you to kneel twice per day? Did this "suggestion" come as a direct communication from your Higher Power, or did it come from a sponsor (a human power)?

Although the Big Book mentions "humbly" and "humility", please can you also tell me where in the Big Book it specifically tells us to kneel twice per day, every day. Or is this yet another sponsor-invented "suggestion"??.

As kneeling is a religious practice connected with worship and adoration, I would be interested in the origin of this "suggested" practice.

Would you also please tell me how kneeling equates with being "humble"? I have encountered a number of kneeling fetishists in AA and they seem to me to be very far from being humble. Both in their attitude and behaviour. For example. a man in Ealing - Happy Dennis - talks incessantly about kneeling and being "humble" and coerces others to do likewise. Yet he produces his own literature contradicting AA, breaks the traditions, misquotes AA literature, and doesn't listen to anyone except the voice of his own deluded self-will, which has been running riot in Ealing for some time now causing a lot of disruption to the local fellowship and confusion among newcomers.

Another self-procaimed "humble" and kneeling fetishist is David C Icons, who has set up a website that lies about and distorts the AA program, knowing that it is causing division and conflict within AA, and offering dangerous and potentially fatal advice on medical and psychological matters which he is certainly not qualified to give. Please can you tell me how this is being "humble".

It seems to me that kneeling as an alleged expression of "humility" lacks both depth and weight, and, given the examples above, is nothing more than fakery and posturing.  As the program, according to the Big Book, is about connecting with and doing the will of a Higher Power, I would really like to know what Higher Power requires this daily charade. It certainly isn't my Higher Power!

I can assure you that I do have a conscious contact with my own Higher Power who requires humility to take place in my heart, in my attitudes and behaviour, and not as a mere pose on the floor, easily feigned.  Would I be able to share that in your Hampton Wick [Friday] meeting without being "cross-shared" or "blanked" by the assembled company of ever so "humble" cult-sponsors ? Somehow I doubt it. As has been said elsewhere in the aacultwatch site, and is my experience, - "the more they kneel, the more arrogant they become". It is a sad, but true irony.

I will deal with your other points later when I have more time. Please bear with me, I will address them.  Look forward to your reply.

….....”

Cheers

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS To use “comment” system simply click on the relevant tab below this article and sign in. All comments go through a moderation stage

PPS For new aacultwatch forum see here. Have your say!

Adopt the position!

Extracts from the aacultwatch forum (old):

“.........

I have found the advice given on page 95 of our basic text Alcoholics Anonymous to be most sound and helpful in the matter of sponsorship. It also runs counter to the actions and attitudes of the Cult in its various forms. Here it is (with my emphases underlined):

..Never talk down to an alcoholic from any moral or spiritual hilltop; simply lay out the kit of spiritual tools for his inspection. Show him how they worked with you. Offer him friendship and fellowship. Tell him that if he wants to get well you will do anything to help.

If he is not interested in your solution, if he expects you to act only as a banker for his financial difficulties or a nurse for his sprees, you may have to drop him until he changes his mind. This he may do after he gets hurts some more.

If he is sincerely interested and wants to see you again, ask him to read this book in the interval. After doing that, he must decide for himself whether he wants to go on. He should not be pushed or prodded by you, his wife, or his friends. If he is to find God, the desire must come from within.

If he thinks he can do the job in some other way, or prefers some other spiritual approach, encourage him to follow his own conscience. We have no monopoly on God; we merely have an approach that worked with us. But point out that we alcoholics have much in common and that you would like, in any case, to be friendly. Let it go at that.

(From Big Book page 95 - working with others.)

The exact opposite is practised by the Cults!

For example - people in the Vision cult are told they MUST get on their knees and pray to a God they may not really believe in. This, it seems to me, goes against freedom of conscience and may also be a denial of human rights. To coerce people into a religious act is a denial of basic human rights I would say.

I used to be involved in the Vision cult and I remember a sponsee  I had at the time who asked me what was the point of going through the steps to stay sober - if all you had to do was pray on your knees for a sober day. God either gave you a sober day or he did not. If he did, then any further steps were irrelevant.  And if God didnt give you a sober day, then kneeling and praying for a sober day was a waste of time. I can remember thinking at the time that he had a very good point. When I asked my Cult sponsor why exactly we had to pray on our knees for a sober day - he said that it was an act of "humility". This didn't make sense to me either. It reduced humility to being a mere "pose" easily feigned.

Indeed it is easily faked for it also struck me that the leading members of the Vision cult - David B and David C (Icons) and others, were VERY FAR from being humble in their interactions and attitudes within AA. Also it struck me as somewhat a contradiction to be kneeling in the morning and then jumping around AA telling everyone all about it and coercing others to do likewise.

"True humility doesn't make a presentation of itself" was what one real AA oldtimer told me later. And its true.

Today in the west london area of AA, we have a deranged individual - "Happy Dennis" (sponsored and directed by David C Icons - Happy Dennis is one of his "successes" by the way LOL !!) - who has set up over 20 meetings in one area which he controls with no democratic mandate. His performance/sharing usually involves a overly long lecture about how many times a day he kneels and how humble he is, (he even writes "poetry" about it! ). Meanwhile this same man ignores the decisions of the local intergroup, publishes his own literature which is a total distortion and travesty of AA , and indeed contradicts it in many respects. Recently he told a sponsee that he couldn't have a relationship because " relationships were only for the production of children in marriage". He dictates, bullies and coerces newcomers on matters of life-style, work, sex, relationships, morals and medication etc - matters on which he has absolutely no legal authority or warrant to direct others.

It would seem to me that Cult "humility" is really nothing more than an ego-inflating pose, a charade - a self-satisfied self-righteous posturing, closely followed up by arrogance, attention-seeking, lies, fraud, boasting and bullying.

…....”

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

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PPS For new aacultwatch forum see here. Have your say!

Happy Dennis – getting happier (or madder) by the minute!

Some time ago we were sent the following by a member from the Ealing area - a letter from the aforementioned 'Happy Dennis' addressed to the archivist. The two documents referred to in this correspondence simply contain more of the same (so we won't inflict them on you). We strongly advise the reader to have a sick bag readily to hand. You're going to need it!

“Dear All, I pray that whoever reads this, is happy, healthy, joyous and free, and enjoying all the beauty of this God given wonderful sober life.

I was recently asked by the AA Archivist for our area, to write something about my own time in AA; and also to write something about how I have seen AA develop, in the Ealing area in that time.

I therefore attach two documents regarding this. I pray that they help in some way, to help beautiful life-saving lovely AA, to happily and healthily spiritually grow and glow, not only in Ealing but elsewhere, everywhere.

Please remember that all these words are written by a man who seventeen years ago, was killing himself, not only with alcohol, but by his stupid, silly, selfish, self-centred, arrogant, agnostic, lustful, hedonistic approach to life.

I was a know all, who actually knew nothing, who over 17 years ago turned up at an AA meeting, completely and utterly beaten. In my opinion, I was the lowest of the low.

I met people at my first meeting, who knew that AA is a spiritual programme of recovery; who stressed 'the spiritual feature freely', as mentioned on Page 93 of the Big Book; who passed on to me simple spiritual ideas, that they were doing themselves, and that I started to put into practice that very first night.

Ideas that I thought strange, but I now realise that they were all taken from the book Alcoholics Anonymous, our wonderful Big Book, the God inspired spiritually healing book, that is the cornerstone of our fantastic fellowship, and guess what, they all worked.

Silly, silly, stupid me, but now a very humble and grateful me, has been doing these simple humble spiritual suggestions since that first day, and I have not had or wanted a drink in that period, thank God.

Not only have I been sober all that time, but I am very glad to say that because of lovely God, AA, sponsorship, steps and service, I have continued to grow spiritually each day, as mentioned in Step 11, by daily improving my spiritual connection, with a God of my own concept. It has been without a doubt the best most beautiful and wonderful period of my life.

I am not a religious person, but I know that a Higher Power of my own concept does exists. The world calls this power God, and the whole purpose of the Big Book, is to help the newcomer find such a connection.

It say this on page 45, "Our human resources as marshalled by the will, were not sufficient, they failed utterly.

Lack of Power that was our dilemma. We had to find a power by which we could live, and it had to be a Power greater than ourselves. Obviously. But where and how were we to find this Power?

Well, that's exactly what this book is about. Its main object is to enable you to find a Power greater than yourself which will solve your problem."

AA makes this so very, very simple to accept and understand. At my first meeting, I met people who knew what I had to do, to keep and stay sober. As well as them, I also had this tough teacher called pain. This made me sit up and take notice, and put into practice the very simple and very, very effective spiritual ideas being presented.

I am so very, very grateful, not only for my sobriety, but for the beautiful spiritual experience that the Big Book promises; by completing our 12 step, ego deflating, spiritual programme of action.

It is there for all of us, if we are humble, grateful and honest enough to go through with the simple spiritual programme of recovery. Pain certainly made me very teachable and humble, and gave me the willingness to pick up the spiritual tools of recovery.

I certainly was a silly, stupid self-centred, know-it-all idiot when I arrived, some people may say I still am, that is their right, but I now know that all my pain was necessary, for it made me listen and learn,and then put into practice the simple, but very, very effective spiritual programme of AA.

Believe me no one despised myself more than myself when I arrived, but thanks to the love of God, and the beauty of the AA spiritual programme of recovery, I have been allowed to change; and to have and enjoy the spiritual awakening promised in the Big Book.

I would also like to think that I am now not so silly, stupid or self-centred, and because of AA, I am now able to say that I am not a body with a spirit, but a spirit with a body, a body that the world calls Dennis. This is a great fantastic, wonderful gift or thing to know.

I pray that the attached, answers some, if not all the questions asked, and leads to even more wonderful growth in AA, all so the beautiful newcomer can obtain the fantastic beautiful sober spiritual life on offer.

This beautiful gift that I have been so freely given by lovely God and the beauty of AA and its wonderful members, I must daily give away in my every thought, word and deed, to everyone I meet, greet, or think about, in my every thought, word and action.

It is a joy to do it, and I do it with joy, humility, gratitude, strength, purity, clarity, understanding, brightness, enthusiasm, and confidence in my ever loving heart; health, enlightenment, knowledge, youth, beauty, fitness, tidiness, cleanliness, energy, vitality, suppleness and discipline, in my body, and love, gratitude, wisdom, purity, clearness, wellness, sincerity, honesty and humility in my spirit, all wonderful qualities given to me by my lovely God, and all beautiful attributes, given to me to help me help the wonderful newcomer.

Thank you lovely God, I am so very grateful, and so very, very appreciative of the new sober life you have given me, and also for the spiritual gifts and understanding, that you have allowed me to receive and be aware of.

I am also so very grateful,for the beautiful sober, spiritual, life, available to us all, if we are humble enough and honest enough, 'to pick up the simple kit of spiritual tools laid at our feet.' (Page 25 of the Big Book.)

Thank you lovely God, thank you lovely tremendous, brilliant, wonderful AA. Mere words can never ever express my gratitude to you lovely God, and to lovely wonderful, beautiful AA.

Thanks for reading this, whoever does, is in my prayers, as I am sure I am in theirs, in fact the whole world is in my prayers these days.

May we also pray that lovely AA does happily and healthily spiritually grow and glow, all to help the newcomer, always realising that we were all at one time newcomers, and remembering, how beautifully and wonderfully we were received. God bless all, your all always in my prayers, from a very, very grateful, humble, happy, healthy, joyous and free, Dennis. Thanks God, I love you lots, lots of love,XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

PS Are we not blessed that AA was conceived in our lifetime. Alcoholism has been a problem throughout the ages, and yet only since 1935, has there been an effective answer to the problem; one that not only leads to sobriety, but includes a beautiful connection to God, the 'promises,' and the spiritual awakening mentioned in step 12.

Thank you lovely God, all I can say in gratitude, is Wow,Wow, Wow, a million, billion, trillion Wows and more. Thanks we are all so very, very grateful, lots of love from all of us. Fantastic, Fabulous, Happy, Joyous & Free, Friday 22 March 2013”

Comment: He's barking!

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS Our thanks (?) to the member who sent us this information

Traditions! What Traditions?

Extract from the aacultwatch forum (old):

“I remember during my involvement with the Vision for You cult in the late 1990's there were many splits and breakaways, usually over the most trifling and trivial of matters.

Outside the cult fold the Vision group earned itself the nickname "Division for You" ! The Vision itself was a breakaway from Joys. No doubt there have been subsequent splits and factions. It's the tedious nature of the Beast !

These cult groups break the Traditions in so many respects it is difficult to know where to start. Of course, they are always personality centered, with a "Leader" - a chief sponsor who fancies himself as a guru. The real requirement for membership of these groups is not a desire to stop drinking (as set out in the AA Traditions) but a desire to agree with and be obedient to this chief know-it-all sponsor in every respect. This is how these groups pervert the message of AA.

We now have a situation where some cult meetings are no longer referring to AA conference approved literature at all, but to something some headcase sponsor-guru has made up, as in Ealing right now, where an "abridged" version of the Big Book called the "Yellow Book of Big Book Quotes" is being used. This 28 page booklet is minus many serious omissions from what the Big Book actually says, and may well be in breach of copyright as it uses quotes from later editions of the Big Book. One individual personality - "Happy Dennis" - cobbled this perverted opus together and, aside from some dogrel "poetry" composed by Dennis himself, the AA name is linked to and used to promote an outside enterprise - a non-AA website largely concocted by David "The Icon" C which purports to be Big Book recovery but is actually no more than a collection of his private and narrow-minded religion-based opinions of what is in the Big Book.

These groups really are shameless in their disregard for AA Traditions. And the culture of these groups is dismissive and contemptuous of the fellowship as a whole. I know because I used to be part of it - to my past shame, yes, - but, believe me, experience is the best teacher!”

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

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PPS For new aacultwatch forum see here. Have your say!

And so the weirdness continues …..

Well you're definitely not going to believe this! We don't! And if you think we're that gullible then think again! 'chew think we were born yesterday! Come off it! You're 'avin a laugh ain't 'cha! Still they said “keep an open mind” .. so 'ere goes!

The word is (well several words as it happens) there's a whole new 'spin' been given to the recovery programme. Now mentioning no names (as if we'd ever!) but a certain 'guru' (a member of the “happy, joyous and free” brigade and ardent advocate of the “do as your sponsor tells you” approach so beloved of control freaks everywhere!) who hangs about the Kingston/Richmond area - South west London intergroup - what is it about south west London that attracts so many nutters? Firstly Happy Dennis, then Billy the Kid, and now introducing ….. drum roll … The Sprinkling Vicar! Tah rah! So what's the low down on this programme innovator. Well apparently the 'tom-toms' tell us that he can be found almost nightly (and sometimes daily) at AA meetings entertaining the troops with his latest offerings. Clearly the guy puts an enormous amount of effort into his 'sermons' delivered as they are with an almost professional aplomb, the result no doubt of frequent repetition both in front of an audience and we suspect, no less, the bathroom mirror! As a consequence he has gained something of a reputation for being 'spiritual' whatever that means! Well so far nothing really of great moment we hear you say! But wait! By day (and sometimes by night for all we know) he transforms himself into ….... the 'Sprinkling Vicar'! Hallelujah! Not content, or so it would seem, with saving the 'heathen' (that's you and us by the way!) in the conventional fashion our 'spiritual entrepreneur' has opened up a whole new franchise based (or so we're told) on a tome entitled 'A Course in Miracles' (yet another rehash derived from yet another 'divine' revelation!)! Our intrepid 'spiritual healer' has been known to conduct private ceremonies of 'cleansing and forgiveness' for the chosen few. These seem to consist mostly of women newcomers in whom he has discerned (no doubt in some mystical fashion) some kind of urgent need to have water sprinkled over them. Apparently this 'baptism' (yes .. we're quite familiar with the symbolism)i is conducted behind closed doors and whilst the subjects are lain prone (or is it supine?) upon the floor! Well you could have knocked us over with a …... modest sized paperweight! “Never!”, we gasped as we struggled to come to terms with this radical concept. Eagerly we rushed to the book case to consult the Big Book (or the AA 'bible' as it's regarded in some dogmatic quarters). It must have slipped our minds! How could we have missed that section about getting a thorough 'sprinkling'? This was a mystery we could not abide! We MUST have an answer!! In vain we flicked through the tome searching desperately for this unquestionably essential part of the recovery programme. Well if not in the Big Book then surely the 12 and 12? But again our efforts led us ….. absolutely nowhere! Suddenly there came a moment of inspiration! We'll use our well thumbed Big Book concordance! Surely this will hold the answer we so urgently seek! Plugging in the word 'sprinkling' we discovered in a matter of moments …. absolutely nothing - “sprinkled” yes but “sprinkling” .. no! How could we be so blind! How was it that we so failed to see? Again we turned to the Book but this time praying for that moment of intuition. And then it appeared as if in a vision in the Foreword to the 2^nd edition:

“Alcohol being no respecter of persons, we are an accurate cross section of America, and in distant lands, the same democratic evening-up process is now going on. By personal religious affiliation, we include Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Hindus, and a sprinkling of Moslems and Buddhists. More than 15% of us are women. “

There it was – as plain as the nose upon our face! Glory be! But then puzzlement struck. Did this mean that the “sprinkling” should actually consist of Buddhists and/or Moslems? Surely not! Or was it the case that only Moslems or Buddhists could carry out the ceremony? Or perhaps you had to be either a Buddhist or Moslem in order to get 'sprinkled'! Most perplexing and no mistake! At this point we would have turned to our sponsor to ask for clarification/direction/have our fortunes told etc before remembering we don't have one! Such was the rush of relief at the complete absence of any kind of 'advisor' that all thoughts of 'sprinkling' completely passed from our minds and we passed into a state of profound tranquillity blah di blah di blah. Anyhoo ….. the upshot of our investigation revealed absolutely no reference to being sprinkled with water (holy or otherwise) whilst laying on the floor. Not in the Big Book, not the steps, not the traditions,not the concepts. There is in fact a complete absence of any kind of dousing with water alluded to therein.

In light of this might we suggest in all humility (is there any other way!) that anyone seeking 'forgiveness' or 'cleansing' pop along to see the local vicar where they will find an amiable enough fellow in a lacy white frock who will do the business (and for only a small fee). Or to put it another way – leave it to the pros! Similarly we really do believe our 'guru' should take up another hobby more in keeping with his predilections (although for the life of us we really can't think of one entirely suitable at this present time – suggestions may be sent SAE)

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

Suicide in Gerrards Cross

A recent email: 

“Hi love your site - don’t suppose you can tell me who runs it? Does it originate in Beaconsfield? I don’t like the cult meetings. Never been to Ealing but I've experienced Harefield Friday. I've met that Richard. He scares the shit out of me. He came to Uxbridge and told everyone they were sick. Said he wanted to take me through the book and help me recover. I'm sober in AA 34 years. What does he think I did in 79! I want to go to Bayham Road Ealing but I don’t know what to expect. Never met Happy Dennis. So I got the message you do the steps in 6 weeks then you have recovered - people like me are sick. Some lady involved with the idiots at Harefield committed suicide - jumped in front of a train at Gerrards Cross. I was sat next to her on Friday. She was dead on Saturday. That was 2 years ago. They where turning up at her house taking her to AA. She didn’t want to go. Was a good friend of mine. Someone tried all that with me in 77. It didn’t work. The cult took over South Harrow. Everyone left and it closed down. They had a look at Pinner but we are too strong for them. Thanks for the site. I read it every few days. Will you e mail me back. I don’t care you can print my e mail online if you want. Too many groups using the AA programme. Too many different interpretations of it. Thanks again. Keep up the good work ….....”

Our response: 

“Hi …...,

Thanks for the mail. We're glad you find the site useful. As for us we prefer to remain anonymous – there are far too many 'personalities' floating around AA as it is! But the site was started off by a few members in …... and then expanded from there. We've even gone international with contributions coming in from the US and Australia amongst others! But we're not exclusive - as far as we're concerned anyone is a member of the aacultwatch team who understands what we're about and supports us. Obviously some people are more active than others but we depend solely on information supplied by AAs to keep us up to date with what is going on in different areas (and countries). As for Happy Dennis not all the Bayham Rd meetings apparently are run by him. There have been a number of defections and some of the meetings have reverted to standard AA ie. relatively sane. But if you really want to see a show apparently the Sunday Bayham Rd meeting is where they all “jump for joy” …. rather you than us!

We don't believe we've heard about the suicide you mentioned but that's precisely the thing we're trying to ensure doesn't happen in the future. Certainly we'd be interested in any details that you are able to supply about that.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Cheerio

The Fellas”

(our edits)

Share Magazine – should it be renamed …... The Plymouth Express?

A member contacted us with regard to a recent issue of Share (spot the misspelling on the webpage!) magazine. In their perusal they had noted the predominance of contributions from the Plymouth area (usually from the local cult group: Plymouth Road to Recovery). This is not the first time that mention has been made of this phenomenon. Indeed Share magazine not infrequently resembles the official publication for that group so infested is it with the 'lack of experience, strength and hope' emanating principally from that source. Article after article from this cult group merely restates their central philosophy: get a sponsor and do what your sponsor says! No need to bother with all that God mumbo jumbo! A human power is the answer …. and make no mistake! However if you finally tire of the bland outpourings from Plymouth and find your 'psychic defences' crumbling under this avalanche of dross you can always take recourse in the ramblings of Happy Dennis (see blog for more). Now Happy Dennis is well known in the Ealing area of London. He is the founder of a series of meetings mostly based at the Centre for Independent Living, Bayham Rd. His sponsor is David “The Icon” C, a professional Roman Catholic and self-proclaimed aesthete based in the US (although formerly from the UK), and himself and ex-sponsee of David B (founder of the Joys of Recovery which itself has produced the Road to Recovery franchise ….. and so the incestuous circle is rendered complete!). But to return to the Happy One.... Dennis it would seem is straying more and more into the realms of total unreality. We thought he had reached his apogee in the Sunday meeting (at the above location) where the participants are exhorted literally to “jump for joy” at the end of the proceedings. But no... various pronouncements have now followed with respect to a number of alcoholism unrelated subjects including sex outside marriage, saunas and women, all of which seem to reflect some aspect of David “The Icon” C's rather extreme brand of Catholicism. Clearly 'fooling around' outside marriage is out of the question but one must wonder how the souls of our more distant ancestors are faring given that Roman Catholicism has only been around for the last couple of thousand years? Are we to take it that these ignorant unfortunates are condemned to do a 'bit of porridge' in purgatory to expunge thereby all traces of sinfulness from their souls or perhaps they are presently languishing in that hellish realm forever abandoned for merely doing what nature clearly intended? However given the present debate (and possible legislation) on same sex “marriage” we are eagerly looking forward not only to some pronouncement on the subject from the Vatican but also as to what David “The Icon” C (in his current manifestation as Dennis) has to say on these vexing questions! Any guesses? But when it comes to saunas it is obvious why such cautions have been issued. It is well known that these are the favoured resorts of those dreadful malefactors – THE HOMOSEXUALS – whose sole ambition in life is to seduce all innocents and lead them down the path of eternal damnation. Finally women …. well what more need be said? It was after all that awful hussy Eve whose fatal allure finally led us all to inhabit this vale of woe and misery. Mind you that Adam was a bit 'easy' wasn't he! All that for just a bite of an apple? Really? But such creatures fashioned thus from this flawed template should be avoided at all costs, and moreover without hesitation lest we too be cast down into the eternal pit! Etc etc blah blah blah...... and so it goes on and on and on ….ad infinitum.

So to return to Share..... Is it really that difficult to get contributions from the remainder of the fellowship? There are after all about 20,000 regular members of AA in Great Britain (but see *). Or is there something else going on here? When we previously contacted the magazine to ask for an explanation for their apparent bias towards this group (and indeed Happy Dennis) we were told that there was such a dearth of submissions that they had no other choice! We pointed out that we were aware of a number of articles sent in by members but which had subsequently never seen the light of day! What about these? Here we were pointed in the direction of the editorial policy which effectively rules out anything but the bland and 'politically' correct (even if this does only serve to mask a more insidious corruption!). But one only has to look at the I-Say forum hosted on the Grapevine site in the US to find out what AA members REALLY think about what's going on in their fellowship. Perhaps it's time for Share to grow up and follow their example. A more robust debate might serve to blow the cobwebs away and alert the fellowship to what's going on in their very midst? A little less censorship if you please!

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS The argument that a more lively debate necessarily leads to a weakening of unity …. We don't buy that for one minute! Indeed we believe the precise opposite! Obviously!

* Error - this figure refers only to a sample of groups.  See here

Suicide …... the medication issue..... yet again!

From Ealing:

“There have been 2 suicides in the fellowship recently, both of whom I knew personally. One being a friend of 15 years standing. Difficult stuff to come to terms with. Both had serious mental issues other than alcohol.”

…......

“Regarding the 2 suicides. The first was a guy called ......., who was 28 years old and 3 1/2 years sober. He was a paranoid schizophrenic and needed medication. I was told by a few who knew him well that Happy Dennis sent this chap a text when he was a newcomer and told him to come off his medication. ......... had to spend some time in hospital because of this. He was very anti Cult and anti Dennis after that. He used to read the cultwatch website, and often talked about it in the coffee bar after the meeting. ….... I don't think his suicide was the direct result of the cult, although the cult did him no favours initially. He left a note saying he was just sick of his life, he couldn't silence the" voices" and took an overdose. His funeral was very well attended and his family were grateful that AA had helped him stay sober for the last 3 years of his life.

The other suicide was someone I have known for 15 years. He suffered from severe depression and needed anti-depressants. Unfortunately he felt that he was not "practising the program" by taking this medication in spite of the fact that many, including myself, told him that he must do as the doctors have told him, and that taking prescribed medication was not "a slip". However, the anti-medication culture in some meetings affected him. I know that he had stopped taking his medication prior to his suicide. He hung himself and leaves a wife and 2 children. I have no doubt that although this chap didn’t have a sponsor telling to come off medication, he was adversely affected by the guilt that some people try to induce around medication issues. His first meetings were Vision For You circa 1997, then he followed the Happy Destiny breakaway for a while until around 1999. He left them both a long time ago, but I think they left their ugly mark on him psychologically. His family did not want any AAs at his funeral. Very sad.”

And on a relatively – but only relatively – lighter note:

“I thought you would like to hear Happy Dennis' latest words of wisdom. According to several sources ….... he says that.....

"given a choice between a relationship with a woman, and jumping into a pit of snakes, he would jump into a pit of snakes".

So, jumping for joy one minute - jumping into a pit of snakes the next....

Believe me …... if you had ever met this dangerous nutter, you would soon realize that no one in their right mind would ever want a relationship with this arrogant, goon-like over-elated, narcissistic control freak. Any self-respecting woman would keep him at arms length.”

Comment: The above clearly illustrates the importance of 'minding our own business' when it comes to medication issues. AA members are NOT qualified to issue advice on such matters and should leave these (diagnosis and treatment) in the hands of the professionals. The consequences otherwise are evident from the foregoing......

See also: Dual Recovery Anonymous: Medications and Recovery and here and The A.A. Member—Medications and Other Drugs

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS Our thanks to our Ealing correspondents

A further miscellany (various sources)

“I would like to talk to you about the origins of the Vision cult and its connection with Brompton Oratory and Mother Theresa! David B [founder Visions cult UK] read a lot of Mother Theresa but seems to have got it all garbled. David C "The Icon" [similarly connected] proceeded to import fundamentalist Catholic spiritual discipl[ine] and moral teaching into AA (Vision) and present it to his sponsees and newcomers as being "real AA" when of course it isn’t. By the way the guy called "Derek" who was involved in the North London Intergroup meeting where his meeting was shut down a few years ago ?? His assertion that he didn’t know that the Step 4 material he was distributing came from a non-AA website is a lie. …......David C "Icon" [one of the authors of the website] is his sponsor! He would have known fine [and] well where it [had] come from.”

“I witnessed many regular members leave too, sometimes in the most hostile and acrimonious manner. David B. sacked sponsees for the slightest failure to obey his every whim. Not long before David B died there was another acrimonious split. The Vision meeting at Eaton Square was very well attended and the numbers exceeded the limit for the building fire regulations. Following a group conscience, (which, through sponsorship, David B controlled of course), it was decided that once a certain number of attendees had been reached the door would be closed not allowing any further people to enter. Some people had a problem with this, notably Tony M, one of David B’s chief sponsees. At that time, Tony M was openly disagreeing with David B at the Wednesday night meeting. Other differences developed between the two. Eventually Tony M and his sponsees and some others, broke away from Vision and they formed their own group called "Happy Destiny" which met on Wednesday night in Pimlico.“ [long time defunct]

Ealing:

“According to Dennis relationships are only for the production of children in marriage....so tough if you are too old, don’t want children, gay, or medically infertile.. David C "Icons "is the author of that one. He knows all about relationships - he's never had one in recovery.

This same person has been told by Dennis that the only reason for relationships is to procreate children within marriage. Any other kind of relationship is invalid and a distraction from "being spiritual". There you have it !! I told my friend that statement was about more about AVOIDANCE of relationships than real spiritual growth. Dennis got that nonsense from David C of course.

(our edits)

Comment: Thus the bigots flourish!

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS Our usual thanks to our correspondents

Ealing: Insights into some of the cult 'personalities'

“There are actually 2 brands or strains of the cult here. One is led by a man called Patrick who is sponsored by a Scottish old timer called Don who was a sponsee of David B and attended the Joys of Recovery in the old days before Vision[s] was established. The groups Patrick influences are much more toned down. They preach the 6 [suggestions] things and 14 defects version of step 4 etc, but it is not as "cult like" as the Vision[s]. However having said that, Patrick is getting worse and more extreme. He is mesmerized by Dennis and has swallowed the yarn about AA being less successful than it was because of the mainstream of AA adopting treatment centre ideas and not doing the steps properly.”

“Then we have our "Happy Dennis", who is, I think, still sponsored by David [Icons] C. His groups are off the Richter scale in happy talk. People are expected to jump up and down for joy after they say the serenity prayer. Also the last time I attended one of his groups, on Saturday morning at Bayham Road, Dennis was sharing that he was "supercalifragilisticexpialidociously happy" (!!!!) He also "jumps" every time he speaks to you, to show you how happy he is. From a distance it looks like he has a permanent bad case of hiccoughs. (!!!!)

Finally to Denis' execrable sponsor - the Icon. You mentioned his so-called "way of beauty" (a fascist concept if ever there was) . Have you seen his TV series [web show] ?? ...

He rubbishes modern art in a most ignorant way. And in the program about the art of other cultures he successfully insults Buddhism and Hindu art saying that he wouldn't have it in his house or even his garden, but would (mercifully!!) stop short or smashing it with a hammer!! Wow, how good of him! You really couldn't make up this level of arrogance. It reflects everything ….. regarding his prejudice against "eastern" art and philosophy and his obsession with extreme Catholicism. So sad he also pushes this puke-inducing garbage into the domain of AA !!”

An Ealing cult meeting:

“There were about 30 people present. On each chair there was a copy of a little yellow booklet (A6 size) of about 28 pages entitled " BIG BOOK QUOTES" and containing selected quotations from the Big Book taken from every chapter of the first 164 pages (main text) plus a few pages from the stories section of the book.....

 

The format of the meeting was that a passage from the Big Book was read out (on this occasion it was a few pages from Bill's Story) However I did notice that at least half of the meeting (which largely consisted of young men in their early days/years), were looking at and reading from the yellow BIG BOOK QUOTES rather than from a copy of our AA Big Book.

After the passage was read out, they were instructed by Dennis (aka "happy Dennis" or "Mad Dennis" depending on your perspective) to share according to his numbered selected quotes from his compilation of BIG BOOK QUOTES. This was to be their reference for sharing in the meeting. The format is explained in the little yellow booklet. The yellow book of course has been compiled and concocted by Mad Dennis himself. …..... And on the back cover, the website of our modern-and-pagan-art-iconoclast extreme Catholic friend David C........, …..... is advertised - apparently "we" find it a very good website to look at!! Who "we" are is not fully explained.

In addition to the yellow book of quotations there was a PINK CARD [Ealing cult meeting list] on the literature table. The literature table was not very well supplied with the full range of AA literature by the way.”

“Dennis F is a VERY self-willed and somewhat childish, yet charismatic individual. He uses very flamboyant and exaggerated language. He says things like "I'm very very very very very very happy... and I'm even more happy than that" etc. Then he giggles in a childish way. Ken Dodd is a good comparison, but not so benign. Dennis has no humility whatsoever. For him, humility is just a morning pose (kneeling posture) and then he gets up and dedicates himself to control and domination ...”

“The best comparison I can make about Dennis is he talks fast like someone hypermanic. He is always "happy" but I would call it mania more than happiness. It isn’t a sober happy anyway. He is an attention seeker and a control freak and has been since day one. His idea of humility is that you get on your knees - in other words humility is a pose or a posture not a modus operandi or an attitude. He giggles childishly and makes up doggerel "poetry" about being happy etc. He constantly misquotes the literature to suit his own ends. He is overbearing and domineering. He is a narcissist - he wants everyone to agree with him and to be a reflection of himself. In other words he is a typical cult guru with a personality disorder.......”

Comment: It's nice to know that AA is in such safe and SANE hands!

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS We have received some complaints about the Monday Step 3 7 and 11 meeting held at Richmond Bridge at 6.15pm (?)