The show must go on and on and ….....

We recently came across an article (AA's Culture Clash: NYC vs. LA) in The Fix (an online magazine of variable content and moreover extremely variable quality!) which gave an account of one chap's transition from New York AA 'culture' to that of LA. Briefly:

“..... was only one of many differences I was to encounter between New York AA and its Los Angeles counterpart. You’d think with all the traffic between the two cities, there would be some uniformity in the meetings. That was not the case. Los Angeles, I came to see—perhaps suffering from a second-city complex, or maybe reflecting it’s own unique showbiz personality—had developed its own take on AA.

For starters, LA meetings are held in strange places. In New York, meetings are pretty much held in churches, conference rooms or schools. These official-seeming locations lend a certain gravity to New York meetings. In LA meetings are held on fishing piers, in the back yards of yoga studios and in underground parking garages.

The format of New York meetings is fairly consistent: A speaker tells their story for 20 minutes, followed by sharing from the floor. In LA, every meeting has its own format: Sometimes there are two speakers, sometimes there are three; sometimes the speaker reads, sometimes he or she answers questions. Sometimes there are free-rolling, debate-style conversations, sometimes there is no participation at all. Occasionally everything stops for a meditation. Or a coffee break. Or for further announcements (there are lots of announcements in LA). In many meetings the speakers are recorded so you can listen to it later in your car. In LA, you get the feeling that each new meeting feels obligated to add some new spin on the traditional format.

There are more private meetings in LA, held in people’s private homes. This is presumably to protect celebrities, film executives and CAA agents from having to mix with the common people. There are also larger “cool-people” meetings that are open to the public but not listed in meeting books. You find out about these meetings by word of mouth, like you would find out about an exclusive nightclub. And like a nightclub, once there, you feel instantly self-conscious because everyone is younger than you and much better looking.

Perhaps the most jarring difference between the two cities’ meeting styles is the way people decide who should speak. In New York, the object is to have everyone who regularly attends a meeting speak at some point, the idea being that even the least articulate person from your group might have some unexpected nugget of wisdom to share. Also, if nothing else, everyone should hear each other’s story, and thereby have a basic knowledge of their fellows.

But in LA, chair-people are more concerned with entertainment value—also with speakers carrying an “appropriate” message. This creates an inevitable reliance on circuit speakers and AA “stars.” The idea of putting someone unproven, or unknown, at the podium is frowned upon. Nobody wants to sit through amateur hour. In one way this is good: There are fewer dull meetings. But in another way, you could be sober in LA for several years and never speak at a meeting. Which is not good.

Another source of tension between the two cities is the idea LA people have that New York AA is “therapy-based”. Meaning that New York people talk about themselves too much. It’s too character-driven. It’s too personal.

In LA, they consider their program to be “solution-based.” In LA, members who talk about personal issues are told: “Your problems are for your sponsor; your solutions are for the meeting.” Which sounds good, but unfortunately results in the repetition of the same slogans and truisms everyone’s already heard a million times. In New York, especially in early sobriety, I found it helpful to hear the specifics of people’s problems and how they dealt with them. I found it interesting.

But in a way this difference makes sense. Individual predicaments, individuality in general, is not as valued in LA—a city dominated by the film and TV industries, where teamwork and consensus rule the day. In New York, the land of cranky eccentrics, novelists, artists, etc., a certain self-involvement is to be expected.”

(our emphases)

Comment: When reading this a section of the Big Book came almost instantly to mind. From The Doctor's Opinion:

“Frothy emotional appeal seldom suffices. The message which can interest and hold these alcoholic people must have depth and weight. In nearly all cases, their ideals must be grounded in a power greater than themselves, if they are to re-create their lives.”

It would seem that the New York 'style' of presentation is far more in keeping with this sentiment than the gloss - and all too frequently dross - presented at the LA 'show biz' meetings. Consistency, egalitarianism, credibility, veracity, gravity all seem to characterise the New York 'culture' with their opposites predominating in the LA “cool-people” meetings. Unfortunately the author loses his nerve towards the end of of his disquisition and attempts to reconcile the two contrasting approaches via the usual device of presenting AA as something of a 'broad church' (if you'll forgive the 'religious' analogy). Of course that would be fine if it were simply a matter of appealing to varying tastes. But the LA model lends itself far more easily to abuse of the narcissistic kind (a 'virtue' which we suspect is rampant in the City of Angels) with all the (sometimes) serious consequences which follow from this. New York, on the other hand, with its more - dare we say - traditional egalitarian emphasis, is far less likely to fall prey to this kind of folly and excess. For our part we'll forego the 'bread and circuses' approach and opt for the weightier substance of those rather “dull”, “amateur” meetings so beloved of our New York brethren. After all, if you want 'slapstick' you can always switch on the TV. There's plenty of 'entertainment' to be had here - and at the flick of a button!

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous .. and of 'amateurs' everywhere!)

The Pacific Group/Clancy I

“Hey Fellas,

…....

I personally know where several members of the Pacific Group meet/live in the Chicago area. ….........

One of them here is Taylor M ….... She is a very high-up in the organization. She sponsors about 100 women across the country (never visually sees them). She was actually the main reason I even added this to my blog. I was attending a meeting with a friend of mine that was a PG group meeting about 7 years ago. Very strict rules of dress, action, sponsoring. However, I had already been sober awhile and used the meeting for what it was, a meeting.

Well, Taylor went to this meeting and sponsored several people there. I actually worked with her for about a month while my sponsor was away. We did not mesh too well. That is when I learned more about how PGers sponsor. Everything is "untreated alcoholism". Depression, anger, pain, etc. Just stop drinking, follow what I tell you, and all will be well kind of thing. She actually read the Big Book TO me. She also gave me several Clancy tapes.

I later met him when he came to town to visit his sponsees. She being one of them. Then, I was at a get together one day and she told a good friend of mine who was new to the program, to quit taking his medication (for bipolar). She said his problem was just "untreated alcoholism". He went on to not only relapse, but to end up inpatient at a mental hospital.

I personally confronted her on the situation, showed her the part in the Big Book telling us we are not doctors, but there are doctors to treat our other problems besides alcoholism. I also told her that I would be letting people know about her and what she did and warning people about the PG in general. Ever since, I have given information to anyone I meet who might go to their meetings.

The internet was the next logical step.

When I met Clancy about 8 years ago, he outwardly stated that he sponsors men and women of any age. The way the whole crowd treated him, you'd think he was God or something. it was freaky! Clancy has spoken out in meetings and to the press about people such as Anthony H being one of his sponsees. It is disgusting. it's bad enough that regular AAers forget the anonymity a lot of times, but people like Clancy, who get paid to be circuit speakers and drop celeb names, are just the things that AA is completely against.

In a very weird way, the Pacific Group is much like the Scientology nitwits who use people like Tom Cruise to recruit their underlings and get money, leading people unknowingly into a very bad way of life and living.

Please add me to any lists for any help you might need in the States. I would be glad to help in any way I can.

I am 16 years sober, in the REAL AA, and I actively sponsor women and am sponsored by someone who I have known for years.

I attend meetings, do service work, and am not afraid to confront people who are using AA to further their own agendas.

What about you? What is your PG experience? Is it big in the UK?

It is largest in Los Angeles in the States, however, there are several meetings in Florida, New York and other large cities in the States.

Take care!

….....”

(our edits)

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

PS Our thanks to our correspondent

We are responsible!

We received the following communication some while ago. After careful consideration we decided to publish the article in full such is the serious nature of its content (with only one edit to preserve anonymity):

“March 1, 2011

Re: Making AA Safer for all members.

We know there was a Member Safety subcommittee formed in New York General Service Office and we know that no real action of any kind was taken. So we are wondering if you on the General Service Board (GSB) and in the General Service Office GSO could ask other trustees what’s going on in their areas and do they have some of these problems.

One of the problems we experience is that there are some 3000 AA meetings in the Los Angeles Area and there are only 70 General Service Rep’s that attend any one Westside Monthly District Meeting. (This group never gave us time to discuss this issue although we repeatedly tried.)

We were thinking it would be great if AAWS AA GSO and the Board/Delegates and all our groups could participate and act in unity with us to help make AA safe. AA is no longer safe.

So, the fact that AA has had predators in it’s fellowship since it’s beginning, is its skeleton in the closet, that we feel needs to be addressed.

A good case in point, two women who were raped in Covina, California by an AA member that they met in an AA meeting. Clearly this is an AA issue that must be addressed by AA as both victim and predator met in an AA meeting.

Following is the rest of the story; These two women were told by the fellowship that they should trust the fellowship, “that their best thinking had got them to Alcoholics Anonymous.” They were also told that until they could find a God of their own understanding that they should “Make the group their higher power”. These are not uncommon terms used in the room. And based on these beliefs, when the men offered them rides etc. they accepted on the basis that they could trust these individuals.

What is wrong with this picture?

As fellow sober members, we’re sure we can all agree that we want to stop the victimization of newcomers in any form.

A group of concerned long time and new AA members decided this is very important. So important, we have written literature and made a pamphlet. We feel it is imperative that we act swiftly in regards to this internal problem. Too many have already left AA never to return. Too many will die. Many will drink again. Years of this behavior can’t be ignored any longer. Other women will be raped and sexually assaulted as well as young gay men will be preyed upon. Even new comer men will be harassed and many members will be scammed on by members with lots of sobriety. We are so frustrated. But here’s what we have done.

We have held two (2), “Make AA Safer Workshops”. Another District had a workshop in Monrovia, CA. on August 7, 2010. What was revealed was there was a man coming to the meeting and pulling out a gun and putting it in his lap. Using intimidation. No one escorted him out. Only after many times a newer member went to the police station.) They should have known what to do. Step outside, call the police and let them handle it. . People were too afraid to say anything.

When the traditions were first written AA members were carefully screened and only those wanting to get sober came. Everyone knew each other. It was a small fellowship. Around 20 years ago A Judge in Los Angeles began sending DUI’s and criminals to AA meetings who did not want to come to AA. Yet the traditions were never altered to accommodate for these strange new additions to our meetings sitting amongst us. Our traditions have been twisted. And the traditions were never intended to handle criminals. There is no bouncer. No Sergeant at Arms.

We hope all our districts will host workshops like this all over our region. It needs to be addressed and new folks need to be warned that AA is not safe. We feel the general population needs to be warned that things are not so safe in our meetings, nor have they been for years as we have written accounts to highlight this.

We all know what Tradition One is.

“Our Common welfare should come first. Personal recovery depends upon AA Unity. “

The principal of this tradition is to Carry the message, not harass and 13step the newcomer!

SO here is a statement that we all seem to like.

We of Alcoholics Anonymous feel that everyone should feel safe. If you don’t’ feel safe please tell the secretary or someone you trust.

"It is up to all of us as individuals in the rooms and in our groups to protect all members, particularly the minor and the new person, whether young or old, from any unsafe, or unspiritual behaviors.” No one should be sexually harassed or financially pressured in any way.

General Service in Every capacity has this same responsibility. Yet it passes it off to the groups at large. Which in no shape, way or form runs AA. That is a complete falsehood.

If Criminal behavior is going on and AAWS is not warning people or taking corrective measures to protect where we can, and our groups see this and also do nothing, then our public relations policy is not promoting attraction! Rather it is breaking the law and turning a blind eye.

We are all mandated reporters.

It’s our understanding that this is the law. Hence, this must be addressed in our preamble, in our literature, on our public website, and at General Service.

This criminal behavior grossly affects our public image. If the public at large knew that;

women have been raped by men in AA, that gay men have been told to take off their clothes to read their 5^th step, that women in the Spanish community are taken to the mountains and coerced to have sex with old timer men as part of reading their 5^th step to them, we believe things would be very damaging to our society and reputation as a whole.

Great Britain, Australia AA, and CODA in America have published literature and provided it to their fellowships.

• Awareness must be raised.
• We want literature written.
• We want literature read.
• We want warnings on our website.
• We want safety posters in the entry way to all AA meetings Halls and clubs.

If churches knew what was going on we could be thrown out of all churches due to liability insurance policies.

So these are the facts told to us since October 2009.

1.At Westside district meeting on Saturday January 23, 2010: A women approached me and told me that a women in her meeting had just been raped by an AA member, in the Pacific Palisades, CA.

2.Tuesday January 26^th, 2010. I was contacted by another old-timer and was told another woman was date raped and that she was unsupported by her large group of AA’s.

3.Young woman age 18 was 13 stepped (sexually harassed)by some guy who 13stepped hundreds of women. Most of them did not stay sober. (1975) She was harassed sexually by two middle age men. They wanted her to have sex with them and her sister all together. When she refused a second time they asked her to move out.

4. A Woman age forty, sober two years, at age 5 was molested by a sober man who dated her sober mother. She spoke of her experience at our May16, 2010 all day Area Assembly.

5. A woman who got sober in 1969 told me she was vulnerable when she was new and her daughter was molested by a sober man.

8. April 3, 2010; one 29 year old female was raped by a 49 year old male who is 23 years sober. He took her to a rural area in the mountains and raped her.

(He is now in jail) after 8 months of sitting in meetings intimidating new women with just days of sobriety.

9. Another young woman was taken to abandoned house in Azusa, CA. and raped.

10. A Man with 19 years sober age mid Fifties is taking brand new sober young women to Motel 6, getting them drunk and date rapping them.

11. Newcomers (male & female) have been sexually harassed for dates, sex and money for years…it’s still going on.

12. Oldtimer men have abused their power asking new comers and sponsee’s for money. Happening for years at a big men’s stag in Hollywood by a guy with 30 years of sobriety. When they ask him for their money back he tells them to go write about it!

13. Old timer men have told young new women that needed to have sex with them to get a spiritual awakening. This story was in “Newsweek Magazine” 2007

14.Gay new comers are running to straight meetings to get away from the old timers in West Hollywood.

15. Women are predators too. Male reported he will not attend certain meetings anymore because a woman is preying and hitting on him.

16. AT the PRAASA Predator workshop Mar 2010, I was told that the Spanish Community that there are “24 hours groups” in the United States. In these “24 Hour groups” they are tying people up and forcing them to stay against their will for days on end.

17. At PRAASA another young Spanish girl told of a young man who killed himself recently in regards to a sexual predator. She was crying as she shared this story.

Aren’t we liable if we know that there are meetings that are not safe and still we do nothing? The effective change we want is responsibility on your part along with our grass roots movement. Things have gotten completely out of hand in Los Angeles, CA. And from what I heard at PRAASA it is going on all over the region.

Many of us have stopped going to co ed meetings because the Sexual Predator vibe is so bad

What can be done?

Ask groups all over the country to hold workshops and round table discussion and every regional assembly. (Like NA did 5 years ago) AA’s establish a subcommittee to address this issue and hold workshops with Your Monies with the Professional Community. (NA did this 5 years ago)

Ask groups to read a simple statement in their format.

Issue a release to Treatments Centers

We are not safe.

Issue a release to professionals. We are not safe.

More new facts:

18. Friday Night January 29, 2010. 414 Lincoln in Venice

Three women approached me. Two were raped by sober members.

19. Friday Night Feb 5^th, 2010

A male age 52 clean/sober 12 years tells me he is very disturbed with the element of guys he was seeing in the meetings. Who are they? They don’t even look like alcoholics.

The girl who was raped approached me again. She has never gone to the police.

20. Went to Radford Club in Sherman Oaks..

A priest approached me. Late 60’s, sober 22 years. He said “Thank you so much for doing this work. It really needs to be done.” He said “25% percent of all the women he send to AA get harassed and never come back after 1 meeting.”

21. Another man age 62 with 28 years said “it’s been going on all the years he’s been coming to Radford.”

I said but “Rape” he said …worse” He said “I would not believe the things that have happened. All these years!”

A female age 50, sober 18 years said that at a meeting place, Moorpark and Whitsett. there is a man there going up to new pretty girls asking them if they would suck his cock.

Both men and women are Predators.

22. The Marina Center. Male age 32 sober five years said that he was 13 stepped by a women when he was 3 months sober. She had 13 years. He was furious!

23. March 2010, I went to ACYPAA in San Diego.

From the panel on “Keeping Minors Safer in AA” I heard a Judge said he was afraid to send some young women to AA because he knows what might happen.

24. Another panelist said that A sober member who works as a parole officer who works with Sex offenders said” that sex offenders who are being released laugh at us because we are happy hunting grounds for sexual predators. In conclusion, some of them are coming to our meetings. They are not even Alcoholics.

25. February 17, 2010 Young 30 something pretty women came to our meeting on purpose. She heard what we are doing. She was in a treatment center and she was sexually harassed by the Director, a sober member of AA. She was terrified. He actually molested her while giving her a ride in his car.

She was coerced to have sex with him. She left the country she was so afraid.

26. March9, 2010 Marina Center. Culver City, CA.

Another member said that he was so mad that he fantasized about taking a gun and shooting the Sexual Predators at the meetings.

27. Friday Night March 12, 2010.

Rodeo Meeting Young very angry guy said he was a newcomer. And sees the old guys hitting on the new women. Male sober 10 years said older members said to him when he was new “get them while they are new and easy. After they sober up they won’t sleep with you anymore!

He said “it really needs to be addressed.” He also said, “yea there’s four or five guys here doing that.

28. I was told by a male 17 years that he was hit on by a professional prostitute in this meeting.

29. March 29, 2010

A man told me a woman was raped five years ago. After her first meeting she was followed home and raped. She did go to the police.

30. April 1, 2010 a 24 year old, 3 month sober female was harassed by 40 year old male sober 14 years.

She told us a man at The Marina Center was calling and texting and harassing her

Asking her where she was.

She is afraid. He tells her that he needs to know where she is or he might get drunk.

AT PRAASA IN LA…“Predators in AA” was given a late night round table discussion. One Hundred and thirty members attended.

Nine states and 15 regions were represented. They took minutes.

April 7, 2010, Culver City, CA

First MAAS (Make AA Safer) Workshop addressing Sexual and Financial Predators in AA. The minutes are attached in this packet.

The Latest News given to me as a result of handing out our green pamphlet.

31. Gay Male sober 15 years tells us that his first sponsor told him to take his clothes off to read his 5^th step.

32. 24 year old female sober 110 days He is being harassed for money at the Marina Center and she and he were hit on by a couple sober 28 years in their mid 50’s to have sex with them and swing.
33. Rosie, Harassed at Marina Center touched, sexually harassed. Unsupported by the women. They said stupid stuff to her. She drank and will not return there.
34. Elli, sexually harassed my member for 5 years, grabbed for 2 more years, then she punched him in the face. They are using our literature.

What would be great?

• We would love to speak with you on the phone.
• A letter sent to all GSR’s , Secretary’s and Central Office’s asking them to go to their groups and discuss this topic and start reading a safety statement and making announcements. And knowing we are dealing with Crime we also hope that General Service agrees that we need to address this issue as fast as possible.

Every state could have

• A Make AA Safer representative that is trained to go to meetings where there is serious trouble.
• There is a hotline number
• E mail address
• Write literature
• Have a workshop

To support the member to call the police when a crime has been committed

We also feel that the judges, the rehabs and sober living homes need to understand what is really going on in our fellowship right now. (This is a legal liability if our government sends innocent women to AA and they are raped and sexually harassed and battered)

Although we have no control over individuals…Crime is Crime…Inside AA or outside on the street. AA will have a zero tolerance for crime and sexual harassment in our meetings.

In keeping with more then one of our traditions we think AAWS needs be in unity with our fellowship.

As I mentioned earlier, the small percentage of General Service Rep’s representing our vast amounts of groups makes it is easy to see that we are not really connected to NY or even to each other except by word of mouth, and in LA meetings are very spread out. This is where the traditions are NOT working in our urban areas.

Revealed at the MAAS workshop in Covina. A Male age 70, sober 34 years, said “that in the old days they took the bad ones out back and beat THEM UP”. Tear rolls down his face as this oldtimer said he did not know how to handle these predators anymore.

AA is not above the law. Why do AA’ers think they are special and above the law?

Oct 21, 2010

“Kristine and Saundra Cass Murdered by AA member she was dating in Honolulu, HI. Aug 20, 2010.”

Man followed woman home from meeting and murders her.

Lance Glock rape in West Covina, CA.

I have personal letters written by the two woman who were raped by the men they met in AA. Both men having teen years sober and 20 years older then most of the woman.

And lastly, A woman wrote me a 6 page letter how her son was 13 and was sexually molested by a sober man (his AA sponsor and was later killed) 2005 it made news and it was a 7 state pedophile ring targeting AA meetings and rehab. * “America’s Most Wanted.”

Nov 6^th, 2010. Meeting in West Hollywood. Woman tells me a woman was murdered outside a clubhouse in Glendale in 2007 by a man who everyone knew was mentally unstable. No one told him he had to leave. He stabbed her to death right outside the meeting hall. Says she is really disturbed by the downward turn of AA meetings.

Finally, newest tragedy…Herbert Tracy White Murdered in Downtown Los Angeles by a couple who he met in an AA meeting. They were trying to rob him, things went bad. They stabbed him to death and dismembered him.

It’s true there are good AA people, and they do exist, are being targeted. We feel both newperson and Oldtimer need to be warned. Pretending things are ok is a… bad idea!

Despite the resistance from our District and Area, 45 groups are already using our “Make AA Safer Pamphlet.” It has been translated into Spanish and is being duplicated and posted on the walls of meeting halls in Palm Springs Ca.

About ten meetings have written a safety statement and is read at the beginning of the meeting. My home group provides this Non-approved GSO literature with great pride. Knowing our literature helps raise awareness.

My home group may host one more MAAS (Make AA Safer Workshop in late May 2011. A large Workshop was help in Carlsbad in February 2011.

In Closing I want to say that the idea of sending criminals and DUI’s to meetings was discussed in our fellowship through a group conscious is preposterous. When this began to happen there is no way that 3000 groups in Los Angeles, had a business meeting, discussed the pros & cons in regards to the breaking of the Third tradition. “The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking.”

Sending folks to AA when they don’t want to be there greatly infected the vibe, culture and environment that had been an esoteric place where one on one passing of sobriety was now replaced with judgmental, angry participants who were court ordered to attend AA instead of being sent to jail.

I personally sat in meetings in Honolulu when this first happened. It overwhelmed our little meeting at St Augustine’s Church in Downtown Honolulu. We were outraged. But none of us knew what to do.

In Addition to the fact the entire fellowship did not and is not capable of making this kind of decision. When the Traditions were first written, AA was a secret and small society. AA’ers would carefully screen each individual to see if they were really ready. They were in debate as to weather they would allow prostitutes, criminals or nonprofessional types. Once AA got Prison Wardens and the like on their National Board, they began in drove to sent these types to our meetings, but they DID NOT put into place safety measures or rewrite the traditions to attend to the new changes made to letting forced people to attend our intimate meeting setting.

AA touts it self on being non-professional. So why would a judge send hard criminals with a violent past to a group of for treatment. Most of them still don’t handle their anger well. AA’s GSB, its sub committee, has it’s head in the sand. Perhaps many of them don’t remember those days, before court ordered folks. I do. I was sober before it happened. I watched it change AA for the worse.

Unless serious Safety measures are taken and the innocent public are warned I fear that AA will simple die from the inside out. With folks like me and my friends just leaving to create some other kind of support groups, find and make a safer space to support each other with sobriety issues. There are hundreds of thousands of us. You can find us on Stinki-thinkin.com

& stop13stepin aa.wordpress.com

Sincerely,

[name omitted to preserve anonymity – our edit]

sober 35 years

Note* WE already know that it’s a problem that is going on all over the Pacific Region (consists of 9 states and 15 regions) that was discussed in detail at The Pacific Regional Forum last March in Los Angeles at The Round Table discussion for “Sexual and Financial Predators in AA”

And because of the Internet we can follow the stories all over the country and in Europe. Things have really escalated this past 12 months with violent behavior.”

Comment: None required

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

Greetings from Northern California

“The description of …...... seems to 'highlight' a couple more red flags to watch for. Your site already mentions the 'Joe&Charlie' Big Book dog and pony show, these lectures are often to be encountered. The warning is that the 'study' is held in a private location, or a space not used by any AA group. These classes indoctrinate newcomers into a false understanding of AA's history and create flocks of disinformed 'AA history experts' who push their agendas in real AA groups business meetings and elsewhere.

We have one such 'leader' near me (El Cerrito, California across the bay from San Francisco) his 'Big Book Studies' held in his house, or in rented spaces, are carried on by followers now that he is getting old. They follow J&C, and include the Gresham's Law pamphlet, the draft version of 'How it Works,' and the false claims of AA's failure rate.

There is also a widespread mania for marching newcomers through the big book with highlighters in hand, often of coded colors for different 'themes.' I have found our fellowships supply of reading copies includes many that are heavily marked on almost every page--for the first two or three chapters; evidently their owners abandoned the books after their indoctrination failed.

I don't know if the two phenomena are directly linked, but I suspect that we will find the same individuals promoting both.

Thanks”

and:

“Of course studying the Big Book is not a Bad Thing, nor are 'beginner's meetings' or sponsorship. I think the 3rd and 4th traditions are compatible with holding any sort of Big Book study as an AA meeting. For that matter, even as a 'non-meeting.'

The problem comes with the intrusion of outside influence. The 'studies' I am thinking were intellectual dead-ends; they repeated Joe&Charlie-isms with no curiosity or inquiry. Every mistake, falsehood, and inaccuracy repeated as holy writ.

In this manner 'Big Book' studies, beginner's mtgs. and sponsorship easily glide into tools for cult recruiting, enforced conformity, and the training of 'experts' who tour from meeting to meeting, group to group, carrying what they believe to be the real AA.

I gather that your troubles in the Home Counties really do represent 'a' cult, with the same individuals and the same agendas surfacing again and again. Here it seems that there are a snowballing accumulation of cultish influences: Joe&Charlie, Clancy/Pacific Group, 'Back to Basics,' Mel B's AA 'History,' Primary Purpose in Texas etc. While these do overlap a great deal, I feel that the general effect is a sort of gravitational pull into cultishness, with American Right-Wing Xianity casting a pall over all.

Last week I talked with a fellow who had gotten sober in Los Angeles around '81. He had drifted away from meetings and was returning now that he had retired and moved to Marin County (across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco). He was shocked by the uniformity, excessive reading, and pushy sponsorship he saw there. When he got sober, the meetings he saw showed none of this, even reading 'How it Works' (which originated in LA) was not typical. Evidently the Pacific Group's version of 'old time' AA is false even for Los Angeles.”

(our thanks to this contributor)

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

So where is the 7th Cavalry!!

We recently received a most disturbing communication from a member concerning Alcoholics Anonymous in the Los Angeles area (US). A whole catalogue of incidents were detailed (in some cases including dates and locations) which in some way related to the conduct of AA members, and most of which would fall into the category of serious criminal acts (including murder and rape). Evidently such cases should always be reported to the appropriate authorities in the first instance so that an investigation might ensue, arrests be made, and, where the evidence allows, prosecutions follow. From our point of view, and where this conduct is proven, such behaviour is utterly repugnant in any context, but when it is associated with AA it has the further impact of bringing us into disrepute thereby undermining our reputation as being a place of security for those who come to us for assistance. Our reporter identified the measures they and others had taken to tackle these serious issues which included notifying the General Service Office in New York as well as the local service structures. It would seem that the responses they received were less than satisfactory. To their credit they have themselves been active in seeking to raise the profile of this situation as well as taking practical steps to ensure that newcomers to our fellowship are protected. Clearly this chimes with aacultwatch's own efforts in this area (although to date we have no evidence that this degree of criminality is associated with any particular cult group in Great Britain). However we would take this opportunity to remind you of the Midtown groups (again the US – and which present an unmistakeable cult profile) where the local service structure failed largely to deal with the problem (and as far as we are aware continue to remain inactive when dealing with these rogue elements). Our reporter identifies a number of factors contributing to this state of affairs which we paraphrase below:

1) A poorly co-ordinated local service structure with insufficient GSR representation to ensure that such anti-social conduct is reported, exposed and then dealt with ie. a lack of transparency and accountability.
2) The court referral system where – and especially in the US – individuals are required to attend AA meetings as part of their sentencing. This results, in some instances, in completely inappropriate referrals being made (ie. individuals who are not alcoholics at all (using any generally accepted definition of the condition)) and/or are unwilling participants and therefore entirely hostile towards AA and engage thereafter in anti-social behaviour causing disruption to AA meetings ie. AA is being used as an inexpensive “dumping ground” by the court system. We have argued elsewhere that the “chit” system leaves itself wide open to abuse and moreover our participation in this form of sentencing is a breach of our own traditions.
3) The failure of the AA collectively - nationally and internationally – and through its respective conferences – to address these issues. The GB conference has issued a set of guidelines in relation to “bullying” within meetings but these are only effective insofar as members and groups are willing to enforce them.
4) Sexual predation specifically is widely reported in the above communication (or 13 stepping as it is referred to within the fellowship). We are not talking here about “boy meets girl and falls in love” (and other variations on this) or even – more commonly - “boy meets girl and falls in lust” but rather a deliberate and serial targetting of vulnerable AA members by “predators” (of both sexes). Even the term “13 Stepping” has in our view the effect of trivialising what in some instances might otherwise be termed “constructive rape”.

We would argue that with reference to the above the single common factor which determines whether this conduct continues or is eliminated (or at least minimised) is whether AA members, acting singly or in groups, are willing to take responsibility for ensuring that every new person coming to our fellowship is not subjected to any form of abuse whatsoever. Too frequently we hear people complaining “Why doesn't York do something?” (in the case of Great Britain), or “Why doesn't intergroup do something?” The fact is that these elements of the service structure can do no more than offer guidance; they have absolutely no powers of enforcement. We would emphasise here that the AA pledge should not be taken as a mere form of words; it means what it says: “I am responsible” - it does NOT say: “Someone else is responsible”. We would urge members to act where any such abuse is going on. In the case of criminal activity this should ALWAYS be reported to the police and as soon as possible (incidentally there exists a legal obligation to do so). In other situations of a non-criminal nature sexual predators, bullies (cult or otherwise) etc may simply be outed. Expose them for what they are. Do NOT collude with them or give them space to continue with their abuse both of members and of the fellowship. Their actions are depriving newcomers of the right to recover and to live free of this deadly disease. Finally: there is NO 7th Cavalry to come to the rescue at the last minute – only you!

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)