Twelve in Twelve - SA Back to Basics Hello All,
Back to Basics is the life-saving path to taking the 12 Steps as they were taken with high success rates in early AA in the 1940s.
The
Vietnam veteran who started Back to Basics had seen people die in Vietnam and had seen people die of alcoholism. He said, "The only body count due to alcoholism I can accept is zero."
Here on GUE you can take the 12 Steps of SA with the Back to Basics method, exactly as they are being taken by the members of a face-to-face Sexaholics Anonymous (SA) group. We frum yidden in SA need to say, "We cannot afford to lose a single Yid to sex addiction"
Our SA Back to Basics, which will be available here online on this board in GUE and also in a weekly conference call (please
email for details) will take you through all 12 Steps of SA, first for yourself as a
sponsee and then as a
sponsor, to carry the 12 Step message to others.
Unlike the "overbearing" sponsor in certain circles within the 12 step fellowships, the Back to Basics sponsor is really a
co-sponsor. He is neither Boss nor Therapist and he is certainly not a Higher Power. It is not his job to "fix" the sponsee. See
here and
here.
This program requires a 12 week commitment. This program can be done in one of two ways or both by:
1) Online by reading material posted twice/three times a week and posting questions or comments
2) Phone conference by calling in once weekly Wednesdays 9 PM EDT/EST with emailed/faxed sheets Please share on this thread your opinions of this overview and any other questions for discussion. Your friend,
Boruch
boruchshemo@gmail.com *Back to Basics “The Original Beginners Meetings”* *Pages 1-4*
*Introduction*
Prior to the publication of the
Back to Basics book in 1997, the Beginners’ Meetings were a forgotten piece of Alcoholics Anonymous history. Very few people in recovery knew anything about the four one-hour sessions that played such an important role in the initial success of the Twelve Step movement.
These meetings were held throughout the United States and Canada during a period of time when A.A. enjoyed an 50-75 percent recovery rate from alcoholism. Newcomers quickly learned “*
How it Works*.” They had conversion experiences, discovered a new way of living without alcohol, and carried this message of hope to others.
By taking the Twelve Steps in these Beginners’ Meetings, tens of thousands of A.A.’s found the spiritual solution to alcoholism. They completed the Steps in about a month. Then, in order to ensure their own sobriety, they helped others through the Steps and in turn they led Beginners’ Meetings.
This program is based on the Back to Basics
book and is a re-enactment of the sessions as they were held in the mid 1940’s. The format is based solely on the
author’s interpretation of the available source material.
In the early days, no two meeting leaders conducted these session in exactly the same way. The same is true today. We urge those interested in starting a Beginners’ Meeting or Group to use this format as a guide – a starting point. Feel free to modify this program, but please keep in mind that those who have remained true to the Dr. Bob “keep it simple” philosophy have had the greatest success. In addition, the General Service Conference did not exist in 1946, so there was very little discussion as to what could or
could not be used as A.A. support material in these Beginners’ Meetings.
Even Bill W., the co-founder of A.A., insisted that we let God rather than “control committees” guide us in our lifesaving efforts. In September 1945, he wrote an article for *The Grapevine* in which he stated that if A.A. was to succeed, it must be governed by God and not by rules or rule makers:
“Were we to proceed by rules, somebody would have to make them and, more difficult still, somebody would have to enforce them. ‘Rule-making’ has often been tried. It usually results in controversy among the ‘rule makers’ as to what the rules should be…
Our experience tells us these universal truths (the 12 Steps) work. (We are) ruled, not by people, but by principles… and, as most of us would say, (we are) ruled by God.”
This concept later became the cornerstone of A.A.’s Second Tradition, which states, “For our group purpose there is but one Ultimate Authority, a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience.” In the 1940’s and 1950’s, God spoke to numerous A.A. Groups, and guided them to start
Beginners’ Meetings throughout the United States and Canada. The format served a very important purpose – to present the A.A. program in a way that would save as many lives as possible.
This program is excerpted from Chapters Two through Five of the Back to Basics
book and is a re-enactments of the four one-hour Beginners’ Meetings as conducted in 1946. In these sessions, the author has tried to remain true to the “Big Book” as well as to the old-timers who originally led these meetings.
Please remember that in the mid-1940’s there was only one Twelve Step program and only one publication that described the spiritual solution to addiction – The “
Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous.
If you are “*interested in a spiritual way of life*,” you are welcome to take the Twelve Steps along with us using this 1946 A.A. format. All we ask is that you take *ALL* Twelve Steps in four one-hour
sessions.”
Experience has shown that, you can recover at the same rate as the alcoholics of the 1940’s, provided you remain involved in these re-enactments of the Beginners’ Meetings for a minimum ninety days. Nothing more is required other than the “*willingness, honesty and open-mindedness*” to take the Steps, help others through the Steps and, if possible, lead the meetings.
Although a considerable amount of recovery literature has been written since the “
Big Book,” it is still the only book that provides the directions on how to take the Steps. *
Alcoholics Anonymous* provides clear-cut, step-by-step instructions on how to develop an intimate, two-way relationship with the “*Spirit of the Universe*.” The authors of the book state that our Creator resides “*deep down within us*” and is all knowing, all loving, and all forgiving.
The “
Big Book” authors instruct us to solve our problems by relying upon a “*Power greater than ourselves*.” We surrender our lives to this Power, identify and remove the blocks that have “*shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the Spirit*,” and listen to and follow Divine guidance. The authors provide us with a simple test to separate self-will from God’s will. They emphasize that “*working with others*” is essential in order to “*keep in fit spiritual condition*.”
On page
59, the “
Big Book” authors describe the solution to all of our problems, including alcoholism:
“*But there is One who has all power – that One is God. May you find Him now*
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