Re:
online meetings
Submitted
by anonymous on Sat, 2012-03-24 09:52.
With
regard to Traditions Six and Seven, I think it has to be made clear
what is and what is not A.A. especially where the transfer of money
is involved. According to information on the online intergroup
website www.aa-intergroup.org it is a nonprofit corporation
registered in New Jersey. I have found no evidence on the GSO website
that this nonprofit corporation is part of the AA service structure.
However, the online intergroup does imply this on its member’s
page: "The Online Intergroup is a service entity established
pursuant to Tradition Nine of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) to operate on
behalf of the participating online AA groups in accordance with AA's
Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts."
http://www.aa-intergroup.org/members.php The "Tradition Seven"
monies collected by the online intergroup obviously go to the New
Jersey nonprofit corporation.
I think there needs to be a
greater awareness in the fellowship that private foundations and
nonprofit organizations registered with the Internal Revenue Service
are money making businesses which use their surplus profit to further
their mission. History records that when run by alcoholics or drug
addicts, these might not always be the legitimate charitable
organisations that they appear to be. The leader of one such
organization, which became a notorious cult in the USA during the
1960s and 1970s was interviewed by a national magazine in 1976 and
quoted as saying: “Our tax-exempt privilege gives us the right,
really, to hustle goods and services." Two years later in 1978,
he was arrested and the Internal Revenue Service sued for $17 million
in back taxes.
I would like to see some clarification from the
forum moderators as to whether the online intergroup is, or is not,
an official Alcoholics Anonymous corporation. If it is not, then the
claims made on its website are a fraudulent misuse of the name
Alcoholics Anonymous and AA members are being duped into thinking
they are contributing to AA, when in fact they are contributing to an
outside enterprise.
I
think the future of online A.A. lies in separating the official from
the unofficial; the latter being treated as AA members clubs. They
must be entirely separately incorporated, giving absolutely no
implication that they are A.A. I also think the AA Grapevine forums
should not be used as a vehicle for endorsing outside enterprises,
something which the AA Grapevine forum moderators could think about
for the future, regarding Tradition Six.
Re:
online meetings
Submitted
by anonymous on Wed, 2012-03-28 09:25.
In
addition to the above post I do not think that the New York GSO
website ought to be linking to the online intergroup nonprofit
corporation website when the Conference approved internet guidelines
state: “Due to the lack of a central geographic location, online
A.A. meetings are not a direct part of the U.S./Canada service
structure.” http://aa.org/lang/en/en_pdfs/mg-18_internet.pdf
The
online intergroup is composed of a number websites and internet
forums, some of which publicly solicit funds. Others link to recovery
related businesses, or are forums on host sites which contain
business adverts. I do not think it is sufficient for the General
Service Board of AA World Services to cover itself with the following
disclaimer on the link: “We have provided this link to facilitate
information about local A.A. activities. Our links do not constitute
or indicate review, endorsement, or approval. Thank you for visiting
the A.A.W.S. Web site. We appreciate your interest and hope that you
have found the information you were seeking.”
By its nature
of being at the public level of the internet, and with international
links, the online intergroup cannot be described as a local A.A.
activity. The fact that there is a link from the GSO website gives
the online intergroup website and all the websites linked therein, an
affiliation or endorsement, actual or implied, to A.A. Therefore by
providing the link the General Service Board of A.A.W.S. is in
violation of Tradition Six (Long Form): “While an AA group may
cooperate with anyone, such cooperation ought never go so far as
affiliation or endorsement, actual or implied.”
Relating to
Traditions Six and Seven, where the transfer of money is concerned
there cannot be the grey area of an organization not being a direct
part of the service structure. Either it is part of the AA service
structure or it isn’t. Either they are the transfer of AA funds or
they are not.
Bill W was clear of the dangers of public
solicitations of money on behalf of AA.
“And
already there have been a few alarming attempts at the public
solicitation of money in the name of Alcoholics Anonymous. Few AAs
will fail to imagine where such a course could lead us.” (Bill W.
AA Grapevine June 1946, The Language of the Heart page 31)
“Conservative
AAs realize that business ventures or solicitations carrying the AA
endorsement are truly dangerous to us all. Were this practice to
become general, the lid would be off. Promoters, AA and otherwise,
would have a field day.” (Bill W. AA Grapevine May 1947, The
Language of the Heart page 55)
Here is one public
solicitation from one of the sites listed by the online intergroup
non profit corporation website. (Dotted line indicates my removal of
a name)
“You
may send your contributions to: PO Box …..
You may make your
checks payable to:……
…… is our Treasurer and is also a
member of the Steering Committee. Any questions you may have
regarding contributions can be e-mailed to him at…….. Funds are
needed for renting Web server space and the balance of the funds
(after prudent reserve) will be sent to GSO and to OIAA (50/50
split).
We
would like to remind those wishing to contribute to …….. that AA
Tradition (s) states that AA may accept donations only from members.
You
may also contribute using PayPal by clicking the Donation button
below. You will receive an e-mail confirmation of your contribution.
PayPal is a fully secure site that allows contributions in Canadian
Dollars, Euros, Pounds Sterling, U.S. Dollars, Yen, and Australian
Dollars. You may use PayPal by clicking on the DONATE button
below:”
I cannot see that there are the checks and balances
of monetary transfers and accountability that exist in the AA Service
structure. In the above case payment is being made not to AA but the
website name and a private PO Box. Anybody can set up websites or
internet forums and then falsify the money accounts. Unless Websites
or forums are moderated by an actual intergroup, area committee,
General Service Office, AA Grapevine.org or AAWS, which are part of
the AA service structure, then I don’t think they can be considered
to be A.A. How can accounts which are formulated online be reliably
and independently validated and audited without there being any
personal contact?
Bill W was clear about of being mindful of
the careful use of the world communications net, for its potential to
benefit or destroy A.A. I’m not sure which influence has got the
upper hand at the moment. This is a matter which has to be considered
with the utmost seriousness and caution.
AA already has a
global internet forum called aagrapevine.org. I think there is
further scope for AA to connect globally in unity by providing links
to intergroup, Area, and GSO forums around the world on the New York
GSO website; and to make these local or regional forums open to
non-participant AA observers from around the world. This appears to
be the case with the AA (Great Britain) GSO conference discussion
forum
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/members/?PageID=256 . This
has registered users from the USA, Canada, India, Ethiopia,
Philippines, Honduras, Spain, Argentina, Netherlands, Austria, Fiji,
Burma, Greece, Iceland , Paraguay, Honduras, Zambia, Yugoslavia,
Cameroon, Armenia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Sierra Leone, France,
Germany, Hungary, Estonia, Guyana, Panama among other countries.
"A
vast communications net now covers the earth, even to its remotest
reaches. Granting all its huge public benefits, this limitless world
forum is nevertheless a hunting ground for all those who would seek
money, acclaim and power at the expense of society in general. Here
the forces of good and evil are locked in struggle. All that is
shoddy and destructive contests all that is best.
Therefore
nothing can matter more to the future welfare of AA than the manner
in which we use this colossus of communication. Used unselfishly and
well, the results can surpass our present imagination. Should we
handle this great instrument badly, we shall be shattered by the ego
demands of our own people--often with the best of intention on their
part.”
Bill
W. (Extract from "Freedom Under God: The Choice Is Ours" AA
Grapevine November 1960.The Language of the Heart pp 319-320)”
Comment:
We contacted AAWS (International Correspondence) in an attempt to get
further elucidation with respect to the Online Intergroup's
connection with the service structure. Their reply was as follows:
“Dear
Friends,
My
name is ….... and I am the staff member on the International
assignment here at the A.A. General Service Office for the U.S. and
Canada . Thank you so much for being in touch and for your question
about the A.A. Online Intergroup.
The
A.A. Online Intergroup is listed here in the U.S./Canada, and, as you
know, Intergroup and Central Offices are part of A.A. and existed before
the development of the Service Structure. It is our experience that
central offices and intergroups are the front line of A.A. in most
communities, as often the first contact a still-suffering alcoholic
makes is with an A.A. member on the phone. Similarly, the A.A. Online
Intergroup is a marvelous resource of A.A. meetings worldwide that
are conducted via the phone or computer. We also list the A.A. Online
Intergroup on our website.
For
additional sharing it is important that you contact your own General
Service Office in York , at:
(You
will note that the person in question got our names wrong –
“Friends”not “Fellas” - but no mind. Our follow up email
included the above extracts from the I-Say forum (an AA Grapevine
discussion forum). The next response was less friendly and in fact
distinctly frosty (including an objection on the part of the
correspondent that we had got their name wrong! Something of a side
issue given the nature of the subject):
“We
take no action on unsigned correspondence. Also, you are to contact
your
General Service Board, and they will contact ours if they believe it
is necessary. I will not be able to respond to the fellas again –
also, my name is …..., not …... “
What's
called a diversionary tactic in counselling circles! (strange too
that AAWS is insisting that people MUST identify themselves IN FULL
in order to get a reply from them.
Very interesting!). However we managed to discover from other sources
that discussions are ongoing as to the precise nature of this
“Intergroup”'s position (and accountability) in the service
structure – one apparently that has been going on for some years
now, and with no sign of any conclusion! We think we can see another
AA 'lash up' on the way! More to come on this we're quite sure!
Cheerio
The
Fellas (Friends
of Alcoholics Anonymous)
PS
Our last communication with AAWS was as follows:
“With
reference to previous communications you may take the name John Doe
as a signatory”
No
reply so far – apparently “John Doe” doesn't count – poor old
John!
We
also contacted the Online Intergroup itself – again no reply!
PPS
By the by: the Online 'Intergroup' lists (among other oddities) a
'special interest' group devoted to BDSM (ie. BonDage and
Sado-Masochism for the more innocent among you!), and another which
is affiliated to an outside organisation viz. Wally P's “Back to
Basics” gang (it has its own foundation and is similarly registered
as a “nonprofit corporation” - which does not mean incidentally
that someone cannot make a tidy living out of this enterprise!) Of
the two we'd opt for the BDSM connection – far less painful!
