"Dear aacultwatch,
Having read your information on what determines a 'cult' meeting, I have to say that the Tuesday evening meeting in Richmond [Richmond: How it Works Tuesday 20.00 Unitarian Church, Ormond Rd] is a bit of an odd one. I, personally, would not label it as a 'cult' group, but there does seem to be a 'group within a group' at that particular meeting that practises some 'cult-like' behaviour.
I have been around since 1989 and this meeting has been going for over 10 years. I used to attend regularly but then my attendance became more sporadic until I moved away from the area for a few years. I moved back to West London a year ago and the meeting is now very different. I still see many of the old faces, and most of these people I believe genuinely care about the newcomer and want what's best for them, but as for this 'core group', the ideal is you can't get well unless you have a sponsor, and suddenly it's all-too-obvious what's going on here. The 'core group' seems to be led by an individual (who I believe is a salesman by trade) and appears to have many sponsees who are all given the 'Six Suggestions' and I have heard of a couple of people (who weren't even sponsees of his) being almost 'shouted-down' by this man if they don't do every single item on the list, even if they don't call a newcomer that day. This sort of stuff is incredibly dangerous and off-putting for newcomers. My observation is that this 'core group' (and many of its newer members, such as the young female secretary) are heavily influenced by the nearby 'Ealing gang' (need I say more?). Before I moved away the aforementioned individual was the secretary and all his invited speakers came from Rochester/Strood, and the Tottenham area, plus a couple of people I recognised from 'A Vision for You' when I attended there. I know this website pertains to Alcoholics Anonymous, but an almost identical cult within Cocaine Anonymous has sprung up in the same area and has the same ideals, and it is believed that the 'ringleader' was at one time sponsored within this group.
You also mentioned the Friday meetings in Hampton Wick, and maybe it's worth mentioning that the same people go to this meeting as well. Again, same drill - the majority of those in attendance are working a good program and simply try to help the newcomer. But, quite worryingly, this meeting has some influence from a member from Plymouth (you know what I mean by that, I'm sure - from what I understand she relocated from Plymouth to the area, and no doubt she was told which meetings to go to!), who sponsors most of the women who attend the meeting. I can't help but wonder what kind of message gets carried - although I have heard her sponsees say "I've got to 'phone newcomers" and "I have to call my sponsor".
Once again, these two groups are undermined by the minority of its membership, but I've read on your website about the agenda the 'cult' groups follow (such as the 'politically-approved message' and 'sponsor dependence') and these meetings both spring to mind. Fortunately they don't seem interested on subverting intergroup (as I attend regularly and there has been nothing striking).
I hope this is useful for you. Feel free to publish any of it. I can be emailed for more information.
Regards,
.... [name omitted]"
(Our thanks to this contributor)
Cheers
The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
Showing posts with label Rochester. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rochester. Show all posts
Friday, 20 May 2011
Friday, 21 May 2010
Some things never change - and some people never learn
The Strood/Rochester gang - or is it the Rochester/Strood gang nowadays? The word is that attendance is falling at Strood (Cult HQ West Kent) - seems that even some of their own members can't quite stomach this extremist approach. Still it's a caring sharing programme isn't it? Except when it comes to newcomers .......
.......for it would seem that yet another of these unfortunates (unfortunate, that is, to fall under the influence of cult propaganda) has been on the receiving end of their version of "tough love" (cult speak for "getting the cold shoulder"). The individual in question had apparently been accelerated through the programme and was up to step Four (under the guidance of that all-embracing icon of the cult recovery programme - "THE SPONSOR") and this in a matter of three months. Somewhat bizarrely they picked up a drink (Who'd of thought it! An alcoholic relapsing - well we never!!). Needless to say the experience was quite devastating and some might even say necessary - after all - if you're unconvinced "step over to the nearest bar....."! Compounding their bewilderment they simply could not fathom why they were not getting it!! There they were, sitting in a meeting, week after week, surrounded by the massed (or not so massed!) ranks of the "happy, joyous and free" brigade, row upon row of faces fixed in that rictus grin of enforced bliss, giving it large with yet another rendition of the cult anthem beginning with the immortal words "My sponsor says....." - and yet nothing! They were left instead with that gradually dawning - and perhaps bleak - reality - a life without alcohol! It would seem that a smile and another chorus of "My sponsor says..." was just not going to fix this problem! So now the real work begins - real sharing about real problems, and this with real people with a real solution - no more Disneyland recovery! No more pretending, no more papering over the cracks, no more playing to the gallery and putting on yet another performance to gain the approval of your SPONSOR or whoever happens to be flavour of this particular month! Time indeed for a REALITY Check!
Needless to say (but we'll say it anyway) the relapser was dropped like the proverbial hot potato by their SPONSOR. Well maybe it was time for a change anyway! But then the word got round and a second attempt to get a SPONSOR was similarly rebuffed - persona non grata is the alcoholic indeed who has the temerity to relapse whilst under the direction of a cult SPONSOR - it just doesn't look good at all!
Fortunately there is life after the cult experience - it's called Alcoholics Anonymous. The individual in question had sufficient wit to ring up the AA helpline where they were listened to, not patronised, not lectured, not told off and then subsequently referred to an AA meeting - a real AA meeting.
This incident reminds us of another occasion where a newcomer at the Strood meeting fell off the wagon. When they managed to finally get back to the room they were actually told to sit at the back and keep quiet as if they were some naughty school child! Something of a contrast with an AA meeting where they would be welcomed into the centre of the room and encouraged to speak up - if only to remind the rest of us what could so easily happen to ANY alcoholic who fails to maintain their "spiritual condition" (and this according to their own - not their SPONSOR's - conception of what this might constitute).
Finally a little nugget from down Bournemouth way. It would seem that the local branch of the cult - "Bournemouth: Road to Recovery" has made yet another attempt to join the Bournemouth intergroup:
"Hi Fellas, An update from Bournemouth Intergroup. Last Wednesday evening the Intergroup dealt with an application from the Bournemouth "road to recovery group" to be allowed to join the Intergroup. At the February meeting the Chairman invited all GSR's to ask their groups to consult their conscience and vote if the RTR group could be allowed to join in the Bournemouth service structure. All groups within Bournemouth did take part and the issue was widely and fairly debated and principles of AA were followed.
The resulting vote at the Intergroup meeting led to just 3 groups supporting the RTR application. The overwhelming decision by Bournemouth group members was no.
Keep at it fellas.
ps. That's about 5 years now."
It's a pity this cult group doesn't get the message. Still it is an effective way of dealing with a cult meeting - quarantine the contagion, deny it access to newcomers, prevent its members from gaining access to the AA service structure and then watch it wither and die (take note other Intergroups - e.g. West Kent).
PS Maybe Bournemouth: Road to Recovery are now getting some idea of what it's like to be given the cold shoulder - perhaps there's a God after all!!
Cheerio
The Fellas
(Our usual thanks to AA members for the above contributions - information is power!)
.......for it would seem that yet another of these unfortunates (unfortunate, that is, to fall under the influence of cult propaganda) has been on the receiving end of their version of "tough love" (cult speak for "getting the cold shoulder"). The individual in question had apparently been accelerated through the programme and was up to step Four (under the guidance of that all-embracing icon of the cult recovery programme - "THE SPONSOR") and this in a matter of three months. Somewhat bizarrely they picked up a drink (Who'd of thought it! An alcoholic relapsing - well we never!!). Needless to say the experience was quite devastating and some might even say necessary - after all - if you're unconvinced "step over to the nearest bar....."! Compounding their bewilderment they simply could not fathom why they were not getting it!! There they were, sitting in a meeting, week after week, surrounded by the massed (or not so massed!) ranks of the "happy, joyous and free" brigade, row upon row of faces fixed in that rictus grin of enforced bliss, giving it large with yet another rendition of the cult anthem beginning with the immortal words "My sponsor says....." - and yet nothing! They were left instead with that gradually dawning - and perhaps bleak - reality - a life without alcohol! It would seem that a smile and another chorus of "My sponsor says..." was just not going to fix this problem! So now the real work begins - real sharing about real problems, and this with real people with a real solution - no more Disneyland recovery! No more pretending, no more papering over the cracks, no more playing to the gallery and putting on yet another performance to gain the approval of your SPONSOR or whoever happens to be flavour of this particular month! Time indeed for a REALITY Check!
Needless to say (but we'll say it anyway) the relapser was dropped like the proverbial hot potato by their SPONSOR. Well maybe it was time for a change anyway! But then the word got round and a second attempt to get a SPONSOR was similarly rebuffed - persona non grata is the alcoholic indeed who has the temerity to relapse whilst under the direction of a cult SPONSOR - it just doesn't look good at all!
Fortunately there is life after the cult experience - it's called Alcoholics Anonymous. The individual in question had sufficient wit to ring up the AA helpline where they were listened to, not patronised, not lectured, not told off and then subsequently referred to an AA meeting - a real AA meeting.
This incident reminds us of another occasion where a newcomer at the Strood meeting fell off the wagon. When they managed to finally get back to the room they were actually told to sit at the back and keep quiet as if they were some naughty school child! Something of a contrast with an AA meeting where they would be welcomed into the centre of the room and encouraged to speak up - if only to remind the rest of us what could so easily happen to ANY alcoholic who fails to maintain their "spiritual condition" (and this according to their own - not their SPONSOR's - conception of what this might constitute).
Finally a little nugget from down Bournemouth way. It would seem that the local branch of the cult - "Bournemouth: Road to Recovery" has made yet another attempt to join the Bournemouth intergroup:
"Hi Fellas, An update from Bournemouth Intergroup. Last Wednesday evening the Intergroup dealt with an application from the Bournemouth "road to recovery group" to be allowed to join the Intergroup. At the February meeting the Chairman invited all GSR's to ask their groups to consult their conscience and vote if the RTR group could be allowed to join in the Bournemouth service structure. All groups within Bournemouth did take part and the issue was widely and fairly debated and principles of AA were followed.
The resulting vote at the Intergroup meeting led to just 3 groups supporting the RTR application. The overwhelming decision by Bournemouth group members was no.
Keep at it fellas.
ps. That's about 5 years now."
It's a pity this cult group doesn't get the message. Still it is an effective way of dealing with a cult meeting - quarantine the contagion, deny it access to newcomers, prevent its members from gaining access to the AA service structure and then watch it wither and die (take note other Intergroups - e.g. West Kent).
PS Maybe Bournemouth: Road to Recovery are now getting some idea of what it's like to be given the cold shoulder - perhaps there's a God after all!!
Cheerio
The Fellas
(Our usual thanks to AA members for the above contributions - information is power!)
Sunday, 16 May 2010
The World as Will and Representation
For all those of you who are so eagerly anticipating Bob's (see below) contribution to western philosophy, and the general spiritual well-being of mankind (only 33 days to go – or 0 years 1 months 2 days), we thought we'd offer this little warm up item by Arty S (German philosopher and acknowledged expert on notions of will and surrender). We appreciate that the main event will probably cast Arty's offerings into the shadows but give the guy a break! He was only trying to do his best! Click here for the Wiki page and then here for links to various online editions.
Remember – just for today – try not to be a mental loofah!
On a lighter note, and because quite frankly we were feeling just a teensy weensy bit frivolous, we thought we'd take a gander at what our little anti-cultwatch Tweeter was up to. It's been some time since we perused his (or is it a her?) offerings and we were mightily disappointed to see that the abuse rate has slowed up somewhat. Indeed there was something of a long gap between August last year and February this year. We do hope everything is all right with our little friend! Unfortunately there does seem to be a bit of recycling going on with this - now - trickle of innuendoes etc but it is quite amusing to see how far to the edge this one is going to push it as he/she pursues his/her desperate course. The more malign spirits within the team even speculated as to what we might do to nudge this one a little bit closer to the chasm's brink but then wiser counsels prevailed – and we made a cup of tea instead – but only of course after we had consulted our respective sponsors!
Coming soon – more news from Strood and Rochester – it would seem that they still haven't learnt from their mistakes (quelle surprise!) – and with the usual dire consequences for those newcomers who are unfortunate enough to fall into their grasp
Good reading
The Fellas
Remember – just for today – try not to be a mental loofah!
On a lighter note, and because quite frankly we were feeling just a teensy weensy bit frivolous, we thought we'd take a gander at what our little anti-cultwatch Tweeter was up to. It's been some time since we perused his (or is it a her?) offerings and we were mightily disappointed to see that the abuse rate has slowed up somewhat. Indeed there was something of a long gap between August last year and February this year. We do hope everything is all right with our little friend! Unfortunately there does seem to be a bit of recycling going on with this - now - trickle of innuendoes etc but it is quite amusing to see how far to the edge this one is going to push it as he/she pursues his/her desperate course. The more malign spirits within the team even speculated as to what we might do to nudge this one a little bit closer to the chasm's brink but then wiser counsels prevailed – and we made a cup of tea instead – but only of course after we had consulted our respective sponsors!
Coming soon – more news from Strood and Rochester – it would seem that they still haven't learnt from their mistakes (quelle surprise!) – and with the usual dire consequences for those newcomers who are unfortunate enough to fall into their grasp
Good reading
The Fellas
Friday, 11 September 2009
More cult meetings in Kent
Kent
Gravesend: Beginners
Tuesday 20.00 Emmanuel Baptist Church, Windmill St
Rochester: There is a Solution Big Book Step & Tradition
Monday 20.00 The Quaker Meeting House, Northgate
Rochester:
Saturday 10.45 The Quaker Meeting House, Northgate
Gravesend: Beginners
Tuesday 20.00 Emmanuel Baptist Church, Windmill St
Rochester: There is a Solution Big Book Step & Tradition
Monday 20.00 The Quaker Meeting House, Northgate
Rochester:
Saturday 10.45 The Quaker Meeting House, Northgate
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