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THE FELLOWSHIP
Our preamble states, 'Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women, who share their experience, strength and hope with each other …'
'There is, however, a vast amount of fun about it all. I suppose some would be shocked at our seeming worldliness and levity. But just underneath there is deadly earnestness. Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish.'
[page 16, "Alcoholics Anonymous" (Third Edition) ©A.A. World Services Inc., lovingly and amusedly referred to as "The Big Book" – from this volume, published in 1939, the Fellowship took its name]
'We are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among us a fellowship, a friendliness, and an understanding which is indescribably wonderful. We are like the passengers of a great liner the moment after rescue from shipwreck when camaraderie, joyousness and
democracy pervade the vessel from steerage to Captain's table. Unlike the feelings of the ship's passengers, however, our joy in escape
from disaster does not subside as we go our individual ways. The feeling of having shared in a common peril is one element in the powerful cement which binds us. But that in itself would never have held us together as we are now joined.
The tremendous fact for every one of us is that we have discovered a common solution. We have a way out on which we can absolutely
agree, and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action. This is the great news this book carries to those who suffer from
alcoholism..'
[page 17, "Alcoholics Anonymous" (Third Edition) ©A.A. World Services Inc.]
'We have shown how we got out from under. You say, "Yes, I'm willing. But am I to be consigned to a life where I shall be stupid, boring and glum, like some righteous people I see? I know I must get along without liquor, but how can I? Have you a sufficient substitute?"
'Yes, there is a substitute and it is vastly more than that. It is a fellowship in
Alcoholics Anonymous. There you will find release from care, boredom and worry. Your imagination will be fired. Life will mean something at
last. The most satisfactory years of your existence lie ahead. Thus we find the fellowship, and so will you.'
[page 152, "Alcoholics Anonymous" (Third Edition) ©A.A. World Services Inc.]
From our personal experience inside the Fellowship we have not found the above to be pipe dreams, or rash promises. We invite you to experience them, for yourself.
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AA WORLDWIDE
The AA programme of recovery has now been carried to most of the globe.
The following information, and riders, come from the "AA Fact File" to be found at the AA World Services site.
'Because A.A. has never attempted to keep formal membership lists, it is extremely difficult to obtain completely accurate figures on total membership at any given time. Some local groups are not listed with the U.S./Canada General Service Office. Others do not provide membership data, thus are not recorded on the G.S.O. computer records. The membership figures listed below are based on reports to the General Service Office as of January 1, 1999, plus an average allowance for groups that have not reported their membership.
There is no practical way of counting members who are not affiliated with a local group.
Estimated A.A. Membership and Group Information
1,989,124 Members
98,710 Groups'
©A.A. World Services Inc.
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INFORMING THE PUBLC
Whilst we believe in 'attraction rather than promotion, our primary purpose must always remain to 'carry this message to other alcoholics'.
We are reminded that, 'When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of A.A. always to be there. And for that: I am responsible.
The primary purpose of this website is to carry the message, rather than inform the public at large.
If you have any unanswered questions, or are seeking further information about what Alcoholics Anonymous does (or does not) do, we refer you to the AA World Services site already mentioned.
If your query relates to information of a more local (African and South African) nature, we recommend you make contact with the Johannesburg and West Rand site, whose servants will be more than willing to answer any queries, if they are able to.
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AA MEETINGS
Members of Alcoholics Anonymous go to meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Doing so keeps us focused on our recovery from alcoholism.
Meetings afford each of us the opportunity to break out of the isolationism which, for the majority of us it seems, rates high as one of the commonest symptoms of the disease.
'Inside the rooms' we also, some of us eventually, become 'a part of', instead of being apart from, the FELLOWSHIP, about which much has already been written elsewhere.
The advent of the Internet brought about the introduction of online groups of Alcoholics Anonymous. GrassRoots Africa is such a group; only one of many existing throughout cyberspace.
This new technology has suddenly afforded housebound alcoholics -- due to any number of causes, such as physical incapacitation, young schoolgoing children, infirmity and ill health, house arrest, etc -- the opportunity to 'rejoin' their fellows in the rooms.
We strongly recommend (to those who are able to do so) that online AA be used as a supplement to, not a replacement of, F2F meetings. [F2F=face-to-face]
Speak to your local area or regional AA office, to find out about F2F meetings near you. Attend them — regularly!
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IS LITERATURE AVAILABLE?
There is a wealth of AA literature available, from the Fellowship, and at community, university, and school libraries, as well as on the Internet.
Our basic text is the oft-mentioned Big Book -- also known as "Alcoholics Anonymous". Almost equally well read is "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions".
Obtain these two titles from your local AA, bookseller, or library — and study them — they are essentials in learning how to live life soberly.
For an expanded list of the book and pamphlet titles available from AA, visit these two sites:
AA World Services
Johannesburg and West Rand site
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WHAT ABOUT OTHER RESOURCES?
Sure, there's more still: audio cassettes, audio-visual recordings, 'speaker' tapes (recorded AA meetings), CDs, the Big Book in PC file format, etc, etc.
Find out about them from the two websites mentioned just above, or contact your local AA literature service person for information on how to obtain these items for personal use.
Then, there are the 'meetings-in-print' …
These booklets are mostly produced locally. The South African version, for example, is known as the "Regmaker". [©Alcoholics Anonymous South Africa] It is best that you enquire about your local version from the area or regional AA office near you.
AA South Africa also publishes "Alco-Solo" regularly. This newsletter publishes correspondence from 'loners' (see Loners International below) from around the world. It is similar In concept to the 'digest' format which many of the online groups use.
The longest established meeting-in-print is available internationally, however. It is known as "The AA Grapevine" [©The A.A. Grapevine Inc.] and you can get more information about its publication, subscription rates, etc, by clicking on the provided link.
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LONERS INTERNATIONAL
The Loners International Meeting (LIM) has been left to last, not to be singled out, but because it is such a unique body. Whilst it is a 'meeting' (see meetings above) and is registered, as such, with the General Service Office (New York), its members seldom (if ever) meet each other!
They 'meet' one another through the medium of snail mails (presumably some of them have now started using email?) which they exchange. In this manner they carry the message to one another.
Those of us fortunate enough to be living in, or in close proximity to, cities or towns where F2F meetings are held regularly, have much to be grateful for.
Similar to the Loners are the seafaring Internationalists.
Read more about these two groups of recovering alcoholics at the AA World Services site.
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online group of Alcoholics Anonymous.
