FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CLA



1. For all questions about meeting location and time, see Find a Meeting

2. There are no meetings in my area. What do I do?
    Every CLA meeting was started by someone who needed a meeting close to them. See answer to question #3.
3. How do you start a meeting?
    Send $15 suggested donation to cover cost of Meeting Starter Kit to P.O. Box 91413, Los Angeles, CA 90009-1413
4. Do you have a CLA online group, Bulletin Board, or a chat room?
    No, this is the only CLA site.
5. Is there a CLA book?
    Not yet. In the meantime, we use the A.A. Big Book as a guide.
6. Is there more CLA literature beyond the items on the site?
    These are the only pamphlets at present. More are in the development process.
7. What are the requirements for CLA membership?
    "The only requirement for membership is a desire to eliminate clutter and bring order into our lives." From the pamphlet, Clutterers Anonymous, A Brief Guide.
8. What happens at a meeting?
    Members share their experience, strength, and hope. Meetings have different formats. Some include listening to a speaker, discussing the literature, studying the The 12 Steps and The 12 Traditions. See Recovery from Cluttering: The 12 Steps of Clutterers Anonymous.
9. Do you have sponsors as A.A. does?
    Yes. "Sponsors are CLA members who are committed to recovery through the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions. A Step Sponsor leads us through the 12 Steps of recovery. We choose a sponsor who has what we want. The sponsor and buddy many be the same person." We also have Buddies. "Buddies are CLA members and helpmates in recovery. We may call them with our daily plan or ask for help with a project." From Tools of Recovery.
10. Who runs CLA meetings?
    The meeting's members elect officers such as Secretary, Treasurer, Delegate to World Service, and Literature person. Our officers are trusted servants, they do not govern. Giving service to the fellowship is part of our recovery. It gives us a chance to pay back what we have been freely given.
11. Do you allow outside speakers and non-CLA literature?
    No. Speakers must be CLA members. They share how they used the CLA program to recover. With the exception of the AA Big Book and the AA Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, only CLA-approved literature is to be used at CLA meetings.
12. How is CLA funded?
    By member contributions only.
13. Do you accept commercial ads on your web site?
    No, we do not run ads in our printed literature or on our web site.
14. Can I download and/or print out the pages from your web site?
    Yes, as long as they are used for your own personal non-commercial use or to refer someone else to our program. Short excerpts can be used for journalistic purposes, provided credit is given to our organization.
15. Let me know if you get people interested in starting a weekly meeting in my area.
    We don't keep inquiries or make referrals. Start a meeting by sending for our starter kit. It suggests ways to attract people to your meeting.
16. I would like permission to use the name of CLA to start a 12-Step meeting in my area. I have the beginners' packet and the CLA literature.
    As long as you follow our Traditions you have permission. Good luck with your meeting.
17. I started a meeting. What do I do now?
    Please register it with CLA World Service by filling out the Meeting Information Sheet and send it to us.
18. 18. Could I be permitted to start a CLA board at Yahoo Groups patterned on the casual friendly style of my alcoholic groups? The internet group is casual and not a meeting on the web -- everyone attends their home meeting, this is more like a meeting after the meeting!
    Sure, as long as you post a disclaimer that this is not an official CLA meeting.
19. Who runs CLA?
    According to our Traditions, our leaders are trusted servants, they do not govern. The members of the CLA-WSO Board are elected by Delegates from meetings. The officers of each meeting are elected by the members of that meeting.
20. How do you decide issues if you have differences of opinion about how a meeting should be run?
    Many meetings hold regular business meetings, say on the last meeting of the month. If a problem demands immediate attention, you can schedule a meeting sooner. At the business meeting, the meeting officers (secretary, treasurer, delegate) give reports and members bring up issues on their mind. We take what we call a "group conscience," trying to get a common understanding of the topic and then either agree by consensus or take a vote.
21. Do you have refreshments at meetings?
    That's decided by the meeting members who take a group conscience. Many of us feel that refreshments are a distraction. Those who want refreshments often have fellowship at a nearby restaurant.
22. How do we insure that what we say in meetings won't be repeated outside the meeting?
    You can't, but you can inform members of this by putting a sign where members can see it saying: WHAT YOU SEE HERE, WHAT YOU HEAR HERE, LET IT STAY HERE.
23. Is CLA a religious program?
    CLA is a spiritual program, based on the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. We believe that we are powerless over our clutter and that our recovery comes when we surrender the self-will which has brought us to our desperation. We then turn our life and our will over to a Higher Power, a power greater than ourselves. We each choose how to define Higher Power. Some people call this power God, or the group. Clutterers, whether they are religious or not, believers, atheists, or agnostics, are welcome to CLA. From The Twelve Traditions: "3. The only requirement for CLA membership is a desire to eliminate clutter and bring order into our lives."
24. How long is the term for meeting officers?

    If a weekly meeting, six months is suggested. If a monthly meeting, a year. Rotation of officers is healthy because it prevents burnout and gives members a chance to be of service and pay back what they have received.

25. Can we vary the format in the starter kit to meet the needs of our meeting?

    Each meeting is autonomous. The only proviso is that it follows the Twelve Traditions.

26. I am the spouse of a clutterer in denial. Is CLA open to me? Is there an Al-Anon for CLA?

    There is no CLA-Anon as of yet. Here are several possibilities: A. You might start a CLA-Anon meeting.

    B. You are welcome to attend CLA meetings to help you understand the problem.

27. How do you break through the denial barrier with a clutterer you care about and live with?

    A. Work on your own attitude first. Go to a CLA meeting. Read our literature. Work The Twelve Steps. Accept that this is an addiction just as real as alcohol.

    B. Realize that the cluttering is not meant to annoy and would be the same (probably worse) if you weren't there.

    C. Make sure your interest is compassionate, rather than a way to build your own self-esteem.

    D. The more you accept clutterers as they are, the more you show that you care about their welfare, the more they become willing to change.

    E. Don't expect instant change. Their way of coping by hoarding may be all they know and change can be scary. And expect relapses. They're part of the growth process.

28. Do you have a mailing list?

    Only for meeting officers and Board members. We use it to keep meetings and the Board informed.

29. Are you able to send me your pamphlets?

    All of our seven pamphlets are on our Web site and you can print them out if you wish. If you want printed copies, send a business size SASE with correct postage for quantity requested. Four pamphlets = 1 oz. of postage. We would appreciate any donation you might wish to make to cover our costs.

30. Does CLA have a defined abstinence and a specific approach to throwing things away?

    Each member defines their own abstinence and their own decluttering method. For some, abstinence it's not having anything they don't need, use, or want. For decluttering methods, see the Tools of Recovery, Decluttering Resentment, Declutter Your Mind. The problem is recognizing how clutter prevents us from achieving our life purpose. Once we grasp this, we will be able to organize our decluttering.

31. I'm interested in finding a person I can share with.

    We refer people only to meetings, as this violates anonymity. If there is no meeting in your area (check directory), you can start one. See FAQ #3.