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Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
AA Conference Approved Literature
See the following quotes:
“SOME GENERAL SERVICE
CONFERENCE LITERATURE COMMITTEE ADVISORY ACTIONS
It
was recommended that:
1968:
Conference-approved literature and G.S.O. Guidelines be displayed and
distributed at assembly meetings.
1969:
One group member be chosen to be solely responsible for the
distribution of Conference-approved literature and its display.
1971:
The delegates assume responsibility for informing A.A.s of all
available Conference-approved literature, and that the updated spring
and fall literature order blanks which are mailed with Box 4-5-9
be reviewed at district and assembly meetings.
1972:
It be suggested that when a local A.A. facility (central office,
intergroup, group,
etc.) sells non-Conference-approved literature, it be clearly
designated as such.
1977:
It was suggested that A.A. groups be discouraged from selling
literature not distributed by the General
Service Office and the Grapevine.
1986:
In an effort to strengthen our network of literature representatives
to ensure that A.A. literature is available at meetings, as well as
catalog order forms for books and cassettes that individuals are
likely to want, it is suggested that groups appoint literature
coordinators.
1986: The spirit of the 1977 Conference action regarding group literature displays be reaffirmed, and recommended the suggestion that A.A. groups be encouraged to display or sell only literature published and distributed by the General Service Office, the A.A. Grapevine and other A.A. Entities.”
“LET
LITERATURE CARRY THE MESSAGE, TOO
Today,
as in the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous, the A.A. Message of
recovery from alcoholism is carried by one alcoholic talking to
another.
However,
since the publication of the first edition of the Big Book in 1939,
literature has played an important role in spreading the A.A. Message
and imparting information about the A.A. Twelve Step program of
recovery.
A.A.
co-founder Bill W., who often called the influence of A.A. literature “incalculable,” wrote in the May 1964 issue of the Grapevine, “Suppose, for
instance, that during the last twenty-five years A.A. had never
published any standard literature…no books, no pamphlets. We need
little imagination to see that by now our message would be hopelessly
garbled. Our relations with medicine and religion would have become a
shambles. To alcoholics generally we would today be a joke and the
public would have thought us a riddle. Without its literature, A.A.
Would certainly have bogged down in a welter of controversy and
disunity.” (The Language of the Heart, p. 348)
Bill’s
words ring just as true today. The newcomer, walking into an A.A.
group for the first time, may be given a meeting list, basic recovery
pamphlets and, depending on the individual group conscience, perhaps
a copy of Living Sober or the Big Book. In 1992, the Conference
Literature Committee suggested that the trustees’ Literature
Committee develop literature committee guidelines comprised of shared
experience from the Fellowship.
These
guidelines provide a summary of shared experience of A.A.s in the
groups, central and intergroup offices, general service areas and
districts who have formed literature committees.”
(From;
AA Guidelines – Literature Committees p. 1)
"The
term 'Conference-approved' describes written or audiovisual material
approved by the Conference for publication by GSO. This
process assures that everything in such literature is in accord with
AA principles.
Conference-approved material always deals with the recovery program
of Alcoholics Anonymous or with information about the AA Fellowship."
"The term has no relation to material not published by GSO. It does not imply Conference disapproval of other material about AA. A great deal of literature helpful to alcoholics is published by others, and AA does not try to tell any individual member what he or she may or may not read."
"Conference approval assures us that a piece of literature represents solid AA experience. Any Conference-approved booklet or pamphlet goes through a lengthy and painstaking process, during which a variety of AAs from all over the United States and Canada read and express opinions at every stage of production."
"The term has no relation to material not published by GSO. It does not imply Conference disapproval of other material about AA. A great deal of literature helpful to alcoholics is published by others, and AA does not try to tell any individual member what he or she may or may not read."
"Conference approval assures us that a piece of literature represents solid AA experience. Any Conference-approved booklet or pamphlet goes through a lengthy and painstaking process, during which a variety of AAs from all over the United States and Canada read and express opinions at every stage of production."
(our emphases)
and:
Finally:
Comment:
From
the above it may be seen that the question of whether literature has
been “approved” or not should NOT be taken lightly. Most of the
material we have studied that has been produced by 'outside sources' - although
relying heavily on existing AA literature (approved) - contain
references which quite definitely run contrary to AA principles and
are even actually misleading in some instances e.g. prescribed
medication issues, directive sponsorship styles, religious bias,
recovery rates etc (and from sources such as Joe and Charlie, Dick B,
Primary Purpose, Back to Basics). All such should be
assessed judiciously and where they fail to meet appropriate standards of validity be discarded forthwith.
Cheerio
The
Fellas (Friends
of Alcoholics Anonymous)
Monday, 13 August 2012
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Derbyshire Intergroup minutes – an interesting read!
Comment:
This is what happens when the traditions are ignored! Chaos!
Cheerio
The Fellas
(Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
PS More to follow! Our usual thanks to our correspondent
Saturday, 11 August 2012
Friday, 10 August 2012
Cult “Where to Find” (GB) – update – and other matters!
YORKSHIRE
Halifax
Primary Purpose Group
Saturday
10.30 The Ebenezer Center, St. James Road
[Contact:
comes under Ebenezer Centre Tel: 01422 342654]
(outside
affiliation with the Primary Purpose movement)
Back To Basics Meeting
Wednesday
6:30 Harrogate Baptist Church. Victoria Avenue,
[Contact:
comes under Baptist Church]
(described
in the AA directory as a Big Book multi-meeting group but affiliated
with the Back to Basics movement – a US separately incorporated
“not for profit” outside enterprise)
EAST
KENT
Herne
Bay: Big Book Salvation
Wednesday
7.30 The Retreat, RC Church, 2 Clarence Road
[Contact:
comes under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Southwark]
(outside
affiliation with the Primary Purpose movement)
Dover
Big Book Study
Monday
7.30 Our Lady of Dover RC Church, Roosevelt Road
[Contact:
comes under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Southwark]
(outside
affiliation with the Primary Purpose movement).
PS
The word is that the two Primary Purpose contacts for these East Kent meetings –
Harry K and Harry A (aka Batman and Robin) - have some rather
interesting habits. We've learnt through the grapevine (no – not
THAT Grapevine!) that Harry A (Robin), when challenged by the East
Kent Intergroup about his inclusion in this outside directory
as a contact for one of the above groups, denied all knowledge and
claimed ….. identity theft! According to Harry A (aka Harry the
Handbag) some person (or persons unknown) had maliciously ripped off
his name and number and posted it off to Dallas (HQ of the Primary
Purpose movement). In the subsequent interrogation (which did not
include the use of thumbscrews) his story changed and he was asked if
either group had agreed (through a group conscience) to their details
being placed in the Primary Purpose directory. Obfuscation followed
upon obfuscation whilst Harry A sought to evade his ruthless
inquisitors. No one (including the hapless Handbag) seemed at all
convinced by his feeble explanations. And yet the groups and his
contact details still remain posted on the Primary Purpose website!
As for Harry K (aka Batman – and holder of our prestigious Thug of the Month award) it would seem that he likes to get all
“touchy feely” when it comes to carrying the one true, pure and
unsullied AA message to the heathen (we mean you and us!) …. and
most especially with the ladies. Apparently he's a fellow who likes
to 'get up close and personal' when transmitting what he's got!
Perhaps we've got this all wrong and he's merely a repressed tree
hugger who's all confused! Or maybe it's just a hobby! Who can say!
Cheerio
The
Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
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