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Thursday, 12 July 2012
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
The Primary Purpose Big Book Study Cult
….....
or how to exploit Alcoholics Anonymous' name! Don't miss out! Get a piece of the action! Sign up for your very own franchise NOW!
Extract
from our forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/aacultwatch
under thread: “TLM in Alanon UK?”
“The
business behind the Primary Purpose Big Book Study Cult:
Joe
McQ (Deceased) (Joe McQ of the “Joe and Charlie” Big Book
Study Tapes)
Author
of: “Carry this Message- a Guide to Big Book Sponsorship”
(published 2002),
“The Steps We Took” (published 1990)
Author
of “Recovery Dynamics” Alcohol and Drug addiction treatment
model: Kelly Foundation, Inc. 2801 West Roosevelt, Little Rock, AR
72204 http://www.kellyfdn.com/order.htm
(Incorporated 1978)
Wolfe Street Foundation, Inc. 1015 Louisiana - Little Rock, AR 72202 http://www.wolfestreet.org/ http://www.kellyfdn.com/index.htm
Serenity
Park Inc. 2801 West Roosevelt, Little Rock, AR 7220
http://www.serenitypark.org
http://www.kellyfdn.com/index.htm
List
of Recovery Dynamics Treatment Centers
http://www.kellyfdn.com/certifiedfacilities.htm
"Kelly Foundation has assisted over 500 facilities across the
United States and in 8 foreign countries since 1978."
http://www.kellyfdn.com/about.htm
Recovery
Dynamics in UK:
Serenity House of the United Kingdom, 43 St. Nicholas Street,
Bristol, United Kingdom http://www.serenityhouse.org.uk/index.asp
(Treatment Center: Alma, 29 Alma Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2ES)
An
observation of Recovery Dynamics in AA:
“I
have my doubts that “the Fellas” will be taken seriously, but I
congratulate them on trying! We have a lot of Joe and Charlie worship
in my area, we have a couple of treatment centers that use their
“Recovery Dynamics” program. It is very strange to hear some
young guy from a hard upbringing, no more than 25 years old, spouting
1930′s sentax [syntax] like a programmed machine, except with the
fire of an evangelical preacher. That’s what Recovery Dynamics will
give you though. That and the people in the treatment centers being
forced to endure painful dental surgeries and other medical
proceedures with no pain medication allowed afterward. Brain washing
and torture.
The
best slogan spouting examples of the most recent graduates of these
RD treatment centers are kept on as “assistant staff”. In other
words, they get to make the newer clients obsessively analyze the
alcoholic motives of their recurring belly-button lint and the center
pays them next to nothing for their trouble since they are eternally
grateful for the love of the center.” (Border Collie Mix) October
28, 2011 at 10:39 AM
(Leaving A.A.com, “News Stories”) http://leavingaa.com/
The
Primary Purpose Group of AA (Dallas) http://www.ppgaadallas.org/
Founder Cliff B. (Source: Was This Group meant to be? by Cliff B.) http://www.kellyfdn.com/BigBookStudy/bbstudygroups.htm
The
Primary Purpose Group of AA Big Book Study Guide by Cliff B and Myers
R. (Source: Was This Group meant to be? by Cliff B.)
http://www.kellyfdn.com/BigBookStudy/bbstudygroups.htm
Primary
Purpose Big Book Study Groups:
http://www.ppgaadallas.org/it_works!.htm
Chris
Raymer
Linkedin
Chris Raymer
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/chris-raymer/40/a56/694?trk=pub-pbmap
Origins
recovery centres: Staff: Chris Raymer
http://www.originsrecovery.com/our-staff/chris-raymer/
Myers Raymer: http://www.originsrecovery.com/our-staff/myers-raymer/
Myers Raymer: http://www.originsrecovery.com/our-staff/myers-raymer/
Chris
Raymer President at Mark Houston Recovery Center
http://www.markhoustonrecovery.com/
(Source: Linkedin, Chris Raymer) (Mark Houston Recovery is now
Benchmark recovery Center) http://www.benchmarkcenter.com/
Chris
Raymer, Director of Alumini services at La Hacienda treatment center
(Source Linkedin, Chris Raymer) La Hacienda Treatment Center:
http://www.lahacienda.com/
Myers
Raymer
Linkedin
Myers Raymer
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/myers-raymer/10/ab0/615?trk=pub-pbmap
Myers
Raymer; Cliff B, Lost & Found Bookbindery, 327 Ingram Loop,
Ingram, Texas 78025 http://www.bigbookfixer.com/
Myers
Raymer, Raymer Bookbindery Inc. 885 Northfork Circle, Lewisville, TX
75057 http://raymerbook.com/
Cliff
Bishop
Linkedin
Cliff Bishop:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/cliff-bishop/1b/982/83b?trk=pub-pbmap
For
more info search: “Cliff Bishop AA speaker” “Myers Raymer AA
Speaker” “Chris Raymer AA Speaker”
Words
of Bill W (A.A. Co-Founder):
“As
we ponder protection, we see that our Traditions warn against
the perils of public fame and power, against the making of
compromising alliances, against professionalism.” (Bill W. The
Language of the Heart p 316)
“That
we must, at all costs, avoid the professionalization of AA; that
simple Twelfth Step work is never to be paid for; that AAs going into
alcohol therapy should never trade on their AA connection; that there
is not, and never can be, any such thing as an ‘AA therapist’.
(Bill W. The Language of the Heart page 29)
“The
danger, of course, is the possibility that we may one day recklessly
abandon the principle of personal anonymity at the top public level.
This possibility arises from the fact that many of us AAs have been,
and sometimes still are, possessed by enormous power drives. These
are frequently fueled by an almost irresistible craving for money,
approval, and public acclaim.” (Bill W. The Language of the Heart p
319)”
Comment: We can't say we weren't warned! Ignorance is no longer a defence!
Comment: We can't say we weren't warned! Ignorance is no longer a defence!
Cheers
The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
Monday, 9 July 2012
Behind the façade........
“Hello
again,
Yes I
know, another email! I'm sorry but I haven't been able to stop
reading your website today. I've been in AA for over 6 years now and
have experienced many of the groups discussed in your blog. From the
Westway meetings, to Plymouth, to Vision for you (my sponsor
originates from them) to the Pacific Group.... I've been reading as
much as I can. …...
Last year
I was teetering on my breakdown and my home group was becoming more
and more of a chore to attend. All the old crap about keeping your
emotions and problems out of meetings still haunted me. I felt like a
failure for feeling this way. I had embarked on the first proper
relationship in my life and the consequences of not knowing how to
relate in one became apparent very quickly. I had no-one to turn to.
I didn't want to share in meetings about it, I didn't want to talk to
anyone about it, I trusted no-one. I kept this charade going.
Pretending I was dealing with it... the thing is, I’ve been doing
that ever since I came into AA. It started in the Road to Recovery
meetings.
Those
meetings have hindered so much of my development. Thank god I found
my partner and a very responsible and trustworthy therapist. Both him
and her have given me a real life not a pretend fantasy life. It's
that old cliché of - if you think it's so, then it will be it. What
a load of crap. Magical thinking eh. Not being able to cope with pain
was the bedrock of my recovery and the backbone of the R2R Groups...
What I mean by that is the R2R meetings were obsessed with good
upbeat stories, lots of smiles, lots of happiness, great chairs,
sparkly eyes, laughter, jokes...what they despised was reality,
problems, thoughts of suicide, drinking again, relapsing, money
worries, REAL LIFE ISSUES!! I got used to this. I liked it so much.
My life had been full of devastation and depression. So when I
entered these meetings it was only natural that I would fall under
their alluring spell. In the end the spell began to wear off. I
didn't fully wake up though... no, that happened last year.
My partner
used to be an investigative journalist and when we first got together
he challenged my thinking more than anyone had ever done. I was
living in a protective bubble fooling myself that I was living or
even happy. I was focusing on helping so many people and I put myself
always to the back of the queue. I was out 5 nights a week around
London meeting this person and that person. Then at the weekend I was
so exhausted that I would sleep from Friday to Sunday night before I
had to start it all over again. Working 40 hours a week also. It was
ridiculous... something had to give and it was me. I was signed off
work last year and started the hard and painful task of facing up to
real life. I'd been putting it off for years.
I probably
wasn't ready to read your blog then, but now I’ve got some sort of
life now which has meant I’ve been re-evaluating my relationship
with AA. What it means, where I go next, what's the road ahead? It's
tough actually. I still have those old tapes running around my head.
Even in my meeting I felt emotionally blackmailed into being the
'perfect' AA'er! Members would regularly say that they thought it was
disgusting when they found out people didn't do 12 stepping calls. Or
how effing rude it was if people didn't shake people's hands or make
an effort to talk. I found this judgement particularly hard to
swallow. I wanted to shout at this person (many decades sober too!)
to say, "what if that man/women had lost their family today??
And all they needed was somewhere to feel safe so they didn't drink?"
The bull that I heard in a lot of meetings really got to me.
It felt
more like a pub than a meeting. People joking with each other whilst
others shared. Silly giggling and snide remarks. I would watch the
expressions of newcomers and visitors. Some looked dumbfounded. They
didn't know whether to laugh or walk out. The people with mental
illnesses were also looked down upon. Tutting or general rudeness if
they disrupted the meeting somehow. Allowing people to be verbally
violent and aggressive in meetings and finding it funny was typical.
But love and compassion for someone who was obviously very sick was
lacking. I couldn't stomach it any more. Funny enough not one person
from that meeting ever checked to see how I was doing. I was one of
the so called 'star' group members. Not that I wanted that accolade.
So when I went off even sicker at …...... I heard nought, nothing,
nada! Fellowship my arse... the obsessive reminders of the need to be
part of a 'fellowship' is only ever on the group's or individual's
terms.
I've had a
mish-mash of experiences since I came into AA. Not all of them bad
and not all of them good. The jury is still out on my future in AA. I
still check in with some of the most vulnerable AA'ers and some of my
old sponsees. I just like to say I’m thinking of them now and again
so they know someone in the world is. Personally my health and …...
are my priorities right now. I've been incredibly absorbed in doing
life how others told me to do it. I'm interested finally in finding
my path and my way of life. I don't care any more if it doesn't
'satisfy' the elders. I haven't turned my back on AA but I certainly
won't be pushed into something I haven't considered.
What is
the future of AA? The cults have infiltrated so much the last 20
years with little apprehension. It's disturbing to think that the
problem has been left to fester like Japanese knot weed. And if you
have any experience with this weed you'll know that it slowly takes
over things and kills it without so much as a hello or goodbye. And
it's next to near impossible to destroy. I never knew what the word
Cult really meant, I always assumed it was of an extreme murderous
nature. But then when I’ve watched how innocuous and subtle certain
personalities can be and what devastation they leave I’m under no
illusion that the Westway, Ealing, Greenwich, Plymouth, Bristol and
the notorious Pacific Groups are all poison.
Will York
or New York Head Quarters do anything? Can they do anything? It's
scary to think that our most vulnerable individuals in society are
out there being abused and used as we speak and no-one is doing
enough to help them.
Keep up
the great work, all the best …..”
(our
edits)
Our
response:
"Hi....
Again
thanks for the emails. …........ And thank you for the Share
extracts. We were aware that Happy Dennis is a frequent if somewhat
saccharine contributor to them (as well as the Plymouth gang etc) [so
much so that perhaps Share magazine should be renamed the Plymouth
Road to Recovery Echo!]. Lastly we are always happy to receive
information about people's experiences of the cult groups. It serves,
in some instances, a cathartic function when you know who you are
communicating with has been through the same sort of stuff. A lot of
AA members still don't grasp the implications of what these people
are up to – but we're getting there!
Your
experiences are by no means unusual for those who have had prolonged
exposure to the cult meetings. The subtle - and sometimes not so
subtle - manipulation does become very wearying after a while. And
they are fundamentally dishonest 'showcases' for recovery without any
corresponding depth or breadth of message. It is vitally important
that people attending AA meetings feel they can be honest about what
is going on in their lives – good, bad or indifferent. AA should be
a liberating experience for everyone and yet in the cult meetings
this is the last consideration. A script has been written for you and
you'd better not ad lib it – or else! As for the future …....
that's really in our hands. Either we take responsibility for our
conduct – individually and collectively – or AA will simply fall
apart. For our part we're pretty optimistic although we think it's
going to be a bit of haul getting there. We look forward to hearing
from you in the future........”
Cheers
The Fellas
(Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
(our usual
thanks to our correspondent)
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Saturday, 7 July 2012
Conference Questions (2012) forum discussion (contd)
Question
2:
“Would
the Fellowship ask itself the question: “Are there too many
meetings and not enough groups?”
Background
Pamphlet
‘The AA Group’
The
Home Group: Heartbeat of AA
Consider
the contribution to the carrying of the message, financial and
practical implications when deliberating each question.”
Extracts
“The
Home Group: Heartbeat of AA” was published in 1993 with the intent
to “promote harmony between groups” (Forward to the second
edition). Almost 20 years on there appears to be little evidence to
show that it is achieving its intended purpose. The promotion appears
to be back firing. If anything there is more disharmony between
groups now than there was 20 years ago.
The
new “Home Group” concept and some of the book’s suspect content
may be contributing to egocentric and insular group behaviour,
leading to their disconnection with the rest of the service structure
and disharmony with other groups. Suggest that the book’s contents
are reviewed and that it is re-titled, because it appears to be a
mistake that contradicts the functioning of the AA service structure
as a whole.
The
heart of A.A. according to Bill W. is clearly the General Service
Conference, AA Grapevine Inc, GSO, The General Service Board, AA
World Services Inc. These are the vital organs which give life to the
whole body. They pump the “Heartbeat of AA” via the arteries of
communication throughout the world service structure, to the AA
groups. “The Heartbeat of AA” is therefore, communication between
AA groups and their central services; and to the world outside:
Extract
from “What is the Third Legacy?” by Bill W:
“The
most vital, yet the least understood group of services that AA has,
are those which enable us to function as a whole; namely, the AA
General Service Office, the AA Publishing, Inc., the AA Grapevine,
Inc., and AA's Board of Trustees, recently renamed as the General
Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous. Our worldwide unity and much
of our growth since early times is directly traceable to this cluster
of life-giving activities located, since 1938, at New York……
….Nearly
all of the last dozen years of my life have been invested in the
construction of our General Headquarters. My heart is there, and
always will be. AA's Headquarters seems that important to me. When,
therefore, the hour comes at St. Louis for me to turn over to you
this last great asset of the AA inheritance, I shall feel not a
little sad that I must no longer be your Headquarters handyman. But I
shall rejoice that Alcoholics Anonymous has now grown up and, through
its great Conference, can confidently take its destiny by the hand.
So, my dear friends, you now have read my final accounting to you for
the World Services of Alcoholics Anonymous.” (AA Grapevine July
1955, The Language of the Heart page 165)
“I'm
sure you have already seen that AA world service is utterly necessary
to our future unity and growth--even to our survival as a fellowship.
To maintain these life-giving arteries of world communication in full
flow, and in good repair, will always be a top-priority task for each
new generation of our Society. This will require of us a greatly
increased understanding of the immense need to be met, and a
sustained devotion of the highest order.” Bill W. “A Message from Bill, AA Grapevine May1964, The Language of the
Heart page 349)
Suggest
the “Home Group: Heartbeat of AA” is re-titled “The AA Group
-Where it all begins” with another chapter added entitled:
“Heartbeat of AA – Our Third Legacy” This to contain Bill W’s
AA Grapevine writings explaining the group’s relation and
responsibility to support AA’s world services, lest as Bill W. put
it: AA “suffer heart failure at its vital center.” (“Let's Keep It Simple, But How?” AA Grapevine July 1960, The Language
of the Heart page 306)
Cheerio
The
Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
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