GT, When I last looked this forum was called the secular 12 step forum not the secular 1step forum.
Perhaps that’s because there are many who find utility in aspects of a 12 step approach, and in doing so with other people. Contrary to the implication in your post, the Washingtonians did not “recover alone without contact with any other recovering people”. According to Wikipedia “The idea was that by relying on each other, sharing their alcoholic experiences and creating an atmosphere of conviviality, they could keep each other sober.”