Inventory AftermathInventory Aftermath
Alcoholics Alive!
Shank and Wayne talk through AA conference business, from archives and regional forums to flag ceremonies and inventory reports, using humour and straight talk. They also challenge some familiar AA slogans and urge members to focus on the basics of the programme and supporting their delegates.
52:51•30 Apr 2026
Inventory Aftermath: Flags, Forums, and Scrapping AA Slogans
Episode Overview
- Sobriety doesn’t require gloom; humour and light-heartedness can coexist with deep respect for AA meetings and principles.
- The book Alcoholics Anonymous is presented as containing clear, specific directions for those who “want to get over” alcoholism.
- Local service issues, such as who can serve as a trusted servant, are best handled at the group and area level rather than pushed up to national structures.
- Lengthy debates over flag ceremonies, nationalism, and extra processes risk distracting from AA’s core purpose of helping alcoholics.
- Conference inventories show heavy workloads and confusion around advisory actions, prompting a call to simplify, focus on essentials, and keep AA’s message clear.
“If you can't tell someone else what you've done, you probably haven't done it.”
Get ready to be moved by real-life accounts of what happens when AA takes itself a bit too seriously – and when it doesn't. Shank and Wayne sit down in Alcoholics Alive! to chat through the “Inventory Aftermath” of Alcoholics Anonymous service structure, mixing sharp critique with plenty of humour.
Right from the start, they push back on the idea that being spiritual means being grim, laughing about being accused of not taking AA seriously simply because they joke around: they insist sobriety can include “goof[ing] off and clown[ing] around quite a bit” without losing reverence for their home group. The pair then walk through conference agenda items on archives, regional forums, and inventory implementation.
They question why local disputes about who can serve as trusted servants are being pushed up the chain instead of handled by groups and areas themselves. One of the sharper lines comes when they describe some of this as “bubbl[ing] that up to mommy and daddy,” highlighting their concern that AA’s structure risks becoming bogged down in bureaucracy rather than focused on helping alcoholics.
International conventions and the flag ceremony also come under scrutiny, particularly long debates over sovereign state flags and nationalism. Shank, who’s been to multiple conventions, calls some of the complaints “completely fake” and urges members to watch the ceremony and judge for themselves. They spend time on the conference inventory, pointing out how overloaded delegates and trustees seem to be, noting that “40% of GSO staff time” is reportedly spent clearing up confusion about advisory actions.
Their solution is simple: fewer actions, more focus on the basics, and actually using the book Alcoholics Anonymous as intended. To round things off, the “Meeting Shrapnel” segment dismantles popular sayings like “I didn’t come into AA to learn how to be happy” and “If I don’t change, my sobriety date will,” scrapping anything that makes recovery sound gloomy or overdramatic.
If you’re sober, curious, or active in service, this is a sharp, funny reminder to keep AA simple, free, and focused on carrying the message – are you doing your part?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.