WISDOM_MARTIN's Blog

I think that is a horrible idea. First of all, if you are going to let someone use your trusted "name", then you should monitor what goes on within each group. People start attending AA for the reputation of the organization as a whole; in otherwords, they trust the name, and they assume that the program is the same wherever you go. In fact, you are encouraged to attend AA meetings wherever you go (vacation, etc). That implies a common format/goal of all AA meetings. If one chapter deviates greatly from the rest of the groups, as in the case at Midtown, then you are putting trusting people at risk.

Second of all, who do these people think they are? I doubt that they are experienced medical professionals, so how can they legally advise someone to stop taking their medication, etc.? Also, if you are "assigned" a boyfriend that is sounding a little bit like prostitution if you ask me....You may think I am reading too much into it, but I don't think so. If you look at most of the "cult-like" organizations that have been exposed, most of them used sex as a form of control.

The blog before read, "The most important thing is to begin recovery from the addiction and maintain that recovery". I disagree. If you are trading one unhealthy addiction for another (cult-like environment), you are only asking for trouble. These people clearly aren't able to make their own decisions, so they are being set up for failure.

I think that the overall AA Headquarters (if you can call it that) should be monitoring to ensure that the field offices are performing according to their rules/regulations. I understand that you may need to tailor the program some but not where it takes away from the foundation and reputation that put the organization into existence.

The final of the "twelve concepts for world service" that serve as guidance for the various offices and organizations that coordinate AA functions on a regional and national level reads:

"XII General Warranties of the Conference: In all the proceedings, the General Service Conference shall observe the spirit of the A.A. Tradition, taking great care that the Conference never becomes the seat of perilous wealth or power; that sufficient operating funds plus an ample reserve , be its prudent financial principle; that none of the Conference members shall ever be placed in a position of unqualified authority over any of the others; that all important decisions be reached by discussion, vote, and whenever possible, by substantial unanimity; that no Conference action ever be personally punitive or an incitement to public controversy; that, though the Conference may act for the service of Alcoholics Anonymous, it shall never perform any acts of government; and that, like the Society of Alcoholics Anonymous which it serves, the Conference itself will always remain democratic in thought and action."