A number
of allegations have been levelled at the Derby City meetings (as
reported by a member from that group) as follows:
“That a
complaint had been received from some local mental health team that
one of their punters had come to our meeting, and drank that night,
and that we had somehow caused this. We cannot recall a newcomer like
the one supposedly involved in this incident, and have no way of
verifying if a complaint was ever made.
That our meeting was not a proper AA meeting because we do not close the meeting with the serenity prayer.
That we are in some way misogynistic, as evidenced by the fact that few women attend.
We consider these allegations to be not even wrong. We are not misogynistic, are not required to pray, and are not responsible for whether a newcomer drinks or not.
…........
The local IG would like us to be compelled to join, and to accept their authority over us. Their clearly and repeatedly expressed wish is to be able to tell us how to run our meeting and how to do 12-step work. They would like to be able to define an AA meeting as one proceeding along the lines described on their website, to say that anything else is not a proper AA meeting, and to prevent anyone at such a "rebel" meeting from doing AA service.
It only seems odd that we were not invited to comment on allegations if one assumes that we have a functional IG. As an example of where things are locally, I will tell you about how we all came to barred from 12-step service:
….... was a helpline responder sponsored onto the helpline by our meeting. He received a call from a vulnerable female who expressed concern that she had heard that women like her were targeted by sexual predators in AA, and that she was thinking of going to a meeting in Derby at which ….... knew there were many such predators. He suggested to her that she might wish to go elsewhere as the meeting she was proposing to go to had a problem of the sort she was concerned about. …..... subsequently received a call from the then TLO, who wished to interrogate him about the call without being willing to disclose to him what allegations had been made. Having been forced to defend himself against allegations which could not be disclosed to him the interview with him was discussed in camera in both IG and region based solely on the account of this hostile interviewer. After all of this, he was allowed to stay on the helpline, but a little while later, everyone who attended the meeting was barred from the helpline and 12-step work on the grounds of ….. being convicted in his absence, and without disclosure of the charges of something so terrible that no-one is permitted to know what it is. You may agree or disagree with …...'s actions, but the concept of natural justice is clearly lacking here. It is against this background that the IG becoming a kangaroo court for meetings which have never acknowledged its legitimacy should be understood.
I do not have information on all of the meetings where the IG minutes have been discussed, and used as the basis for making a petition to York, but I believe that it was defeated at Belper, and passed by a majority at Kimberley and Ripley. Away from the Nottingham/Derby border where the cults dominate, I am not sure it has been discussed in a group conscience at all. Despite dissent in all forums where it has been discussed, a clear defeat in at least one, and a likelihood that it will not be discussed at all in meetings away from the cult zone, I predict that it will be taken as carried on the grounds that the majority of people in the small number of meetings in which it was discussed.
We will once again be struck from the list of meetings, and York will be petitioned. Whilst I know that York will not act on their petition, they can easily remove us from the local where to find and prevent helpline references to us. Many of the most aggressive meetings already scribble out out our entries on the where to find card, tell people we have closed, and that we have left AA.
Whilst it is true that substantial unanimity is not essential, it is my understanding from past group Step Tens that it is an ideal to be aimed for. The need to make decisions means that debate cannot proceed endlessly, but a quote from your own site demonstrates my point here perfectly:
"All service bodies are reminded that AA is an inclusive fellowship. Adherence to AA Traditions, concepts and warranties ensures inclusivity. This committee found that strained relations between some groups and Intergroups can inhibit the effectiveness of our primary purpose. The principles of Unity, right of participation, that minority opinion must be heard and that no service body has the authority to take punitive action were emphasised to help resolve some of the difficulties encountered."
We have no right of participation, and punitive action is being taken against us. That the IG does not have the legitimate authority to do so does not stop them from acting ultra vires. It merely stops us from calling in a supervisory level of organisation to stop them.
As far as acting at IG level to call ….... to account, the IG has a very small and highly unrepresentative membership, and does not allow those who disagree with it to even attend, let alone vote. Members of CALYX and Visions have held those of its officerships which are filled since its inception, and some of the posts have had a single incumbent during that time. We applied to join all three local IGs and were turned down on unity grounds. We have been told that the only way we will be allowed to join is if we change our conscience to one more to their liking. I can see you are having difficulty understanding how an IG can so lose its way, but it is so. Investigate the matter for yourselves.
Regards
…....... “
That our meeting was not a proper AA meeting because we do not close the meeting with the serenity prayer.
That we are in some way misogynistic, as evidenced by the fact that few women attend.
We consider these allegations to be not even wrong. We are not misogynistic, are not required to pray, and are not responsible for whether a newcomer drinks or not.
…........
The local IG would like us to be compelled to join, and to accept their authority over us. Their clearly and repeatedly expressed wish is to be able to tell us how to run our meeting and how to do 12-step work. They would like to be able to define an AA meeting as one proceeding along the lines described on their website, to say that anything else is not a proper AA meeting, and to prevent anyone at such a "rebel" meeting from doing AA service.
It only seems odd that we were not invited to comment on allegations if one assumes that we have a functional IG. As an example of where things are locally, I will tell you about how we all came to barred from 12-step service:
….... was a helpline responder sponsored onto the helpline by our meeting. He received a call from a vulnerable female who expressed concern that she had heard that women like her were targeted by sexual predators in AA, and that she was thinking of going to a meeting in Derby at which ….... knew there were many such predators. He suggested to her that she might wish to go elsewhere as the meeting she was proposing to go to had a problem of the sort she was concerned about. …..... subsequently received a call from the then TLO, who wished to interrogate him about the call without being willing to disclose to him what allegations had been made. Having been forced to defend himself against allegations which could not be disclosed to him the interview with him was discussed in camera in both IG and region based solely on the account of this hostile interviewer. After all of this, he was allowed to stay on the helpline, but a little while later, everyone who attended the meeting was barred from the helpline and 12-step work on the grounds of ….. being convicted in his absence, and without disclosure of the charges of something so terrible that no-one is permitted to know what it is. You may agree or disagree with …...'s actions, but the concept of natural justice is clearly lacking here. It is against this background that the IG becoming a kangaroo court for meetings which have never acknowledged its legitimacy should be understood.
I do not have information on all of the meetings where the IG minutes have been discussed, and used as the basis for making a petition to York, but I believe that it was defeated at Belper, and passed by a majority at Kimberley and Ripley. Away from the Nottingham/Derby border where the cults dominate, I am not sure it has been discussed in a group conscience at all. Despite dissent in all forums where it has been discussed, a clear defeat in at least one, and a likelihood that it will not be discussed at all in meetings away from the cult zone, I predict that it will be taken as carried on the grounds that the majority of people in the small number of meetings in which it was discussed.
We will once again be struck from the list of meetings, and York will be petitioned. Whilst I know that York will not act on their petition, they can easily remove us from the local where to find and prevent helpline references to us. Many of the most aggressive meetings already scribble out out our entries on the where to find card, tell people we have closed, and that we have left AA.
Whilst it is true that substantial unanimity is not essential, it is my understanding from past group Step Tens that it is an ideal to be aimed for. The need to make decisions means that debate cannot proceed endlessly, but a quote from your own site demonstrates my point here perfectly:
"All service bodies are reminded that AA is an inclusive fellowship. Adherence to AA Traditions, concepts and warranties ensures inclusivity. This committee found that strained relations between some groups and Intergroups can inhibit the effectiveness of our primary purpose. The principles of Unity, right of participation, that minority opinion must be heard and that no service body has the authority to take punitive action were emphasised to help resolve some of the difficulties encountered."
We have no right of participation, and punitive action is being taken against us. That the IG does not have the legitimate authority to do so does not stop them from acting ultra vires. It merely stops us from calling in a supervisory level of organisation to stop them.
As far as acting at IG level to call ….... to account, the IG has a very small and highly unrepresentative membership, and does not allow those who disagree with it to even attend, let alone vote. Members of CALYX and Visions have held those of its officerships which are filled since its inception, and some of the posts have had a single incumbent during that time. We applied to join all three local IGs and were turned down on unity grounds. We have been told that the only way we will be allowed to join is if we change our conscience to one more to their liking. I can see you are having difficulty understanding how an IG can so lose its way, but it is so. Investigate the matter for yourselves.
Regards
…....... “
(our
edits)
The Fellas
(Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
Coming
soon: Yet another perspective
