Declaration of Karl Slinkard  

One of the original members of the SF Bay Area chapter, Karl S. clearly saw and fought the SOS West leadership's slide away from the SOS abstinence philosophy into a slippery morass where you could drink or use whatever you wanted, provided you weren't addicted to it (in your opinion).  

The directors of SOS West debated two definitions of abstinence: "we don't drink or use, no matter what" vs. "we abstain from substances to which we are addicted." Karl S. and one ally favor the first. Lenihan and his allies favor the second.  Some couldn't tell the difference.  For the time being, the struggle is contained within the Board.  

In late October 1992, Lenihan gave a speech to a group of drug treatment counselors in San Francisco stating that he was no longer an alcoholic and could now drink normally, and that anyone could learn to do this, as part of the SOS philosophy.  Here the issue erupted into public controversy.  Jeff Morey was one of the counselors in attendance.

A few days after Lenihan's speech to the drug treatment counselors in San Francisco, the SOS West Board of Directors met and voted to secede from SOS National.  They also voted to expel Karl S. from the Board.

Trying to stem a tide of defections, SOS West issued this statement ostensibly denying support for "controlled drinking," but advancing a selective and subjective definition of "abstinence" that allowed for use of any intoxicant, provided the person didn't think they were addicted to it.  

Once an active and productive convenor who founded the SOS chapter in Marin County, Lenihan had "just one" in mid-1992, and concluded that he was no longer an alcoholic.  A few months later came No. 2, and before long he was drinking daily, all while holding the posts of President and  Director of SOS West and leading a recovery meeting.  The entire Board of Directors of SOS West, according to Lenihan, could go out for drinks after meetings without violating the SOS West philosophy.  The excerpts outline his relapse and his philosophical rationalizations for it.

Before trial, both sides agreed that certain facts were true and were beyond dispute.  The excerpts concern Lenihan's drinking and his consistent opposition to motions that would have committed SOS West to an abstinence position.  

Secretary of the SOS West Board of Directors, and close friend of Lenihan, Clark was aware of Lenihan's drinking in the SOS West office space.  She drank, also.  She, too, saw no violation of the SOS West philosophy there.  But she didn't want too many other SOS West members to observe it going on ... 

This Marin County counselor came to Mike Lenihan's "SOS" meeting to check out SOS and was appalled at the lack of sobriety and at the tenor of the discussion.  She wrote this letter to Jim C. to inform him why SOS had a bad reputation in the community. 

Members of the Los Angeles SOS chapter analyzed the SOS West abandonment of the SOS abstinence philosophy and the damage it had done to the SOS reputation. They demanded that SOS West either get back on track or change its name to something not confusingly similar to SOS.  Unfortunately, the letter was never mailed.  

Lenihan threatens Karl S. and other convenors of the loyal SOS meetings with legal action unless they change their name.

This letter from an attorney threatens suit unless convenors loyal to SOS National stop using the SOS name.

Clark reports to the SOS West Board on two legal actions she is trying to initiate:  (1) a bungled effort to force Pac Bell to stop listing SOS telephone numbers in the directory, other than numbers owned by SOS West; and (2) an effort to find a lawyer to sue the local convenors loyal to SOS National and its abstinence philosophy. 

Clark wrote this letter to a staff member of the California Attorney General's office, asking them to take legal action to stop Jim Christopher and CODESH from sending fund-raising letters into California under the SOS name.

The security guard at the Kaiser facility in Marin County where Lenihan's "SOS" meeting convened wrote him up when he admitted to drinking.  She had smelled alcohol on his breath on several previous occasions as he came to lead his meeting.  

The director of the Kaiser treatment program threw Lenihan and his "SOS" meeting out of the facility after confirming the substance of the security guard's report.

 

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