Hello all,

A group of us in my home town are working on opening a 501c3 Non-Profit Club, following WSO guidelines and other clubs I have consulted with. I made this general recovery video that is not specific to any organization. I'd love to get feed back as to how it comes across. One of the main reasons for a NP Club in the area is to foster meetings rooms available to all substance abuse fellowships. Much like any other club. The video does make reference to AA and NA in regards to my main area of concern. That being a clean, safe, managed facility available to fellowships, to be paid for by 7th traditions monies. No affiiation between the fellowship and the NP. What you do behind your doors is al you and your fellowship and your group concious. The NP acts as a building management company to make sure the facility is maintained, a coffee shop and bookstore. Besides that....meeting rooms. Above the door to the NP something along the line of RESPECT for all fellowships in the common areas and codes of behavior in the common areas.

Now, that's just about any WSO guideline club. No problem there. What I've been concerned about in my community, and elsewhere, is the lack of respect, the bitterness, infighting, competition etc between fellowships. In my area there have way to many youths and adults that come straight out of treatment yearning for a place to be around recovery only to feel like the unwelcome addict at AA and unsafe at our (please note that I said OUR) local NA meetings. Then those that are dual...they're torn. This video, you'll see, does reference both AA and NA, as they are the main two recognized fellowships, but I am curious about how the presentation comes across because I want to MAIN focus to be on RECOVERY. I would love to have feed  back from everyone/anyone.

 

Regards,

Shorn

 

http://youtu.be/zYlw3X7pZnY

 

We have the same infighting problem in my area as well, but there is a new club house (named "the clubhouse") that houses both fellowship meetings. And idk how wide spread the grapevine is, but they had a whole 3 pages expressing the similarities and differences between the two fellowships. I love that on fri sat and Sundays the doors are open from 11am to 11pm regardless of if there is any fellowship meeting or not. I'm happy to hear this is going on elsewhere in the world :D

Thanks guys. This is exactly the sort of feedback I'm looking for.

The club, as you might have seen, is named "New Foundations". We're in the paperwork and networking with other non-profits and drug courts phases right now. "Ground breaking" is no doubt a good bit away.

As I was responding, I am a rather long winded drunk by way of a Seminary and then found the Spirituality I had been seeking all along in the rooms of AA and I have the bad habbit of writing a disortation with all sort of spelling mistakes and rambling sentences, it hit me that I have a big question that's more to the point: In your communities what are the major reasons you see and hear the fellowships bickering and having meeting envy?

I mean, I see and hear what people are saying here, in my community,  AND I had addressed those issues with about 7 paragraphs before I realized I had gone over my three minutes  (anyone wanting me to post those other paragraphs need only ask and I'm sure I can indulge you with a sudden burst of self...afterwhich I'll have to do some step work for posing the idea to begin with). But what are the issues you see there and what are the justifications?

Thanks again for helping with this! And thanks to all for the kind words on the video. It really was all HP the night I made it. I came home at 11pm with an inspired feel and just did it through the night...and that came out. In retrospect...if I had TRIED to make it the way it was by "planning" it....it never would have worked. "New Foundations" has been on my heart for over a year but my HP told me from the beginning to take a step on it...then pause and wait for Him...the another couple of steps....then step out of it and listen for that small still voice...and then follow directions as they came. Now, over a year later and with much more insight and direction, He said MARCH...and with a very LITTLE amount of wor the doors are opening in ways I NEVER knew they could or even realized there was a door for. It's really amazing. This is where faith come in. If I had known how he would do it...it would not be faith. Rather, it would have been expectation I suppose.

 

Thanks All  and PLEASE send that video to as many people as you like.

 

 

 

Hi Pappy,

 

As always thank you so much for the reply .

   So far as the bickering that goes on within and outside of the meetings and the addressing of the issue within any particular home group...oh yes I DO understand the issues LOL. My home group, and God Blessem, only refers to NA as "that other fellowship". Now some mean it with full respect and some not. However, I remember a time when people were referred to as "those other people" or "those people" and the root of it was based in prejudice, bigotry, intolerance and in some, if not many, cases eliteism. But I also do agree that each group is autonymous and each persons recovery is their own responsibility.

   New Foundations, hereafter referred to as NFHS, is based on a "club" model as outline by GSO. It's a 501c3 Non-Profit thatis not affiliated with any fellowship and can be more closely considered a property management company.

   Here's the general premise. NFHS provides a "Safe, Clean and Managed Facility" for the purpose of, and I'm not sure of the wording here yet, "fostering" or "hosting" or perhaps "sponsoring" Recovery from Substance  Addiction activities. The meetings rooms, that would be paid for by a groups 7th tradition monies, are available to any qualifying group and what that group does behind it's doors during it's meeting are it own business and group concious. If you have a AA group that is open to NA then fine...that's your own call, no problem there. If you want a room during for, lets say every day at 7pm till 8pm, a NA meeting then fine...sign the agreement and knock yourself out.

   The purpose of the NFHS facility is simple. Rooms, coffee shop, recovery book store, common area, wi-fi that is fully managed by the NFHS staff and not ANY fellowship. The bathrooms are clean just like any other retail center. The coofe shop and book store the same way. The responsibility for safety and a clean facility too are fully the responsibility of the Non-Profit which is NOT AA, NA, CA, MA, GA, ISA or anything else and is top down managed by a Board of Directors.

   Now HERE is one of the BIG issues for our community. Not only the RESPECT in the common ares and parking lots for other fellowships, based on rules of behavior posted at the door, but the PERSONAL SAFETY of the individuals attending those meetings. If you attend a meeting of a certain group and you don't mind sitting in and accepting the behavior of a certain member making sexual overtures to other members...hey that's on you and the members of your group. Traditions make it a difficult proposition to police the group or ask someone not to attend due to their behaviors (Tradition Three) BUT, if you start doing that in the parking lot and/or the common areas the building management  has not only the right but also the resposibility to maintain a safe, clean environment and has every right, not being affiliated with a group much like a Church is not affliated with any group meeting in on of it's rooms, to let a person know that the behavior is not only not acceptable but if it does not cease they can not return if it continues. Should it be neccessary to ask someone not to return by the management the resposibility is NOT on the group and no traditions are broken...and the group has the choice if they want to continue to meet there or not.

   So THAT is a closer look as to how NFHS will be operated. No interference with AA, NA, MA, CA, OA or ANY A's....just a recovery building

 

Shorn

 

 

 

 

I watched about 4.5 minutes of the video. didn't see anything out of the way. Not sure AA would appreciated the borrowing of their icons etc... but that doesn't concern us. I thought the needles were a little over the top and I was waiting for the advertisment to begin. Did I miss something? btw, welcome back Pythonpappy!

No you didn't miss anything  There is no add.

At the end of the video it references "New Foundations". NF is a project that has been on my heart for well over a year but my HP has given my slow steps over the year. Do this...now stop.  Look into this, file a form....now wait for me. So on and so forth. A little more than a month ago someone approached me "out of the blue" and now it has sprouted legs and is moving forward by leaps and bounds. If you view the video of youtube there is a comment for the video with some brief information and an email address. That's it! There are no ads. NF is not up and running yet. Paperwork is being filed, buildings looked at, board of directors being put together etc. HP has not given me DIRECTION ONE in regards to money and as much as possible I want to use the tradition of attraction rather than promotion for NF (but still operating as a business as a 501c3 has to).

The needles and logo's...that video came together two weeks ago on an inspiration and working one night from 11pm to 5am. What you see is pretty much the inspirations bulk works. I'm trying to change it as little as possible for now.

 

Regards,

Shorn