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| Strategies We will consider some of the strategies employed by the cult to ensure its proliferation within the Fellowship and some of the responses that groups and individuals have employed to undermine their position.
Of course it remains up to the individual and/or group to decide on the most appropriate responses and these will mostly be determined by local circumstances. The following are of course only suggested.
Poaching
This particular approach is covered in considerable detail in the overview. But to recap briefly it involves a kind of “trawling” of local mainstream AA groups usually by a couple of cult members. They attend the meeting usually under the guise of “carrying the AA message to the still suffering alcoholic”. The newcomer generally is collared at the end of the meeting by these friendly “members” and given the low-down on the cult group. They are cordially invited to attend the group and telephone numbers are garnered.
Potential responses
The first thing is to be aware that this is happening at all. When members are familiar with the strategy it is important to distinguish between genuine 12 step work and cult recruitment; careful observation over a period of time is important to ascertain whether or not you have cult members operating in your area. Once this has been established some important principles should be observed. Firstly, it should be recalled that, cult member or not, if they have a desire to stop drinking, then they have an inalienable right to attend any AA meeting in pursuit of that aim. However they do NOT have an unconditional right to promote their own meeting to the detriment of other meetings (Tradition 4) nor malign other groups to their home groups’ advantage (same tradition). In most instances it is sufficient for the host group members to place themselves in sufficient proximity to these cult members to ensure that any attempt to pursue this tactic with a newcomer is inhibited. If they persist, however, it is perfectly acceptable to challenge their assertions. They frequently rely on other members’ reluctance to get into a confrontation for the following reasons: a) an understandable dislike of conflict; b) that such a confrontation might be indicative of AA disunity. It is worth remembering that in pointing out their inappropriate behaviour AA unity is being upheld.
An even better response is to ensure that the group has its own greeters who will ensure that any newcomers to the group are welcomed and introduced to regulars at that group. This will sometimes preclude any need to intervene at a later time although this does not mean that the cult members will still not try to recruit the newcomer.
Newcomers can be advised not to hand out their phone numbers to anyone that they do not know well. They should be informed that if they are given numbers by anyone in AA this does not place them under any obligation to ring that person and if they do so they can always use call barring to conceal their own number. This should reduce the incidence of phone harassment by cult members. If they should be on the receiving end of such behaviour, in any form, they should be encouraged to report the matter to a friend and ask for their assistance – not to keep it to themselves.
Newcomers should be provided with the basic information pack as soon as possible together with an up-to-date Where To Find and it should be explained to them that they are free to go to whatever meetings they wish – but should be wary of anyone trying to promote their own meeting or denigrate other meetings.
Again as soon as is possible the newcomer’s attention should be drawn to the relevant AA literature as it applies to sponsorship (“Questions and Answers on Sponsorship”. The abusive style of sponsorship employed by the cult groups means that this particular piece of information is vital to ensure that newcomers do not fall prey to their controlling and manipulative techniques. Newcomers should also be advised that it is usually the case in AA that the initiative for starting a sponsorship relationship usually lies with the sponsee and not with the potential sponsor. They should be made aware that if they are approached by someone offering to be their sponsor, or indeed if anyone should actually attempt to assign them a sponsor, they are perfectly at liberty to decline the offer and that this does not in any way affect their membership of the Fellowship. Channelling
This is another tactic employed by the cult groups to gain access to newcomers. This is carried out via the telephone response system. Members of the cult who are on 12 Step list will obviously have direct contact with newcomers and will use this opportunity to “channel” newcomers into their groups.
Potential responses
Clearly it is up to other members to ensure that other groups are adequately represented on the twelve step lists but also to monitor the proportion of responders coming from a cult group. If it should become clear that a disproportionate number are represented here then steps should be taken to rectify the imbalance. This will need to be carried out at intergroup level although individual members will have to make their own choices about their commitment to service in this area.
Medication issues
The abuses of this policy by cult groups and members have already been documented and despite their apparent compliance on the matter they still continue. To quote the policy:
The General Service Conference which represents the Group Conscience of our whole Fellowship has on a number of occasions made specific recommendations in respect of members advising on matters of a medical nature; "... recommends that members of AA should not, under any circumstances, meddle in the relationship between doctor and patient, especially in matters of treatment and medication. AA's position is and should always be non-interference in such matters ...' 'Our society therefore will prudently cleave to its single purpose; the carrying of the message to the alcoholic who still suffers.'
(GSO York)
[DAF correspondence – see Trans1 on site]
Potential responses The AA guidelines on this matter should be communicated to all newcomers as a matter of the greatest priority. The potentially life threatening nature of this misinformation requires that all members are made fully aware of the AA stance and ensure that that guideline is implemented in full. | |
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