How did the idea and concept of sponsorship start in Alcoholics Anonymous? You will hear repeatedly in meetings the quote, “The word sponsor does not exist in the first 164 pages of the book Alcoholics Anonymous,” and that is a valid point. When they published the AA book in 1939, the purpose was to write down, in black and white, the purpose and formal steps the early AA’s performed to obtain sobriety. Up until 1939, the program was strictly a word-of-mouth set of ideas and principles, and believe me, many of the original MEMBERS WANTED TO KEEP IT THAT WAY AND NOT WRITE DOWN OR FORMALIZE THE PROGRAM.
Bill W. and Doctor Bob, though, knew they would not live forever, and if the program were to survive, it had to be written down. To spread the message, the book would need to be distributed to all corners of America, by using mail and traveling AAs who visited other cities in their work. The Big Book did not come with a sponsor. Some early members only had the book which they purchased for $3.50, so no reference was made of a “sponsor”. It just didn’t exist at that time, but an amazing thing was happening in Cleveland Ohio which added to the written message; it was the concept of each new member being “sponsored”, helped or mentored by an already sober member of the fellowship.
In early 1940, when there about 800 to 1,000 recovering alcoholics in the program, roughly half the membership were from Cleveland, Ohio, as noted in the history book “AA comes of Age” on pages 20 and 21. “It was soon evident that a scheme of personal sponsorship would have to be devised for the new people. Each prospect was assigned an older AA, who visited him at his home or in the hospital, instructed him on AA principles, and conducted him to his first meeting.” Because the Cleveland groups instituted sponsorship and took great pains to spread the message of recovery to churches, employers, family members, hospitals, and doctors, AA grew fastest in Cleveland, and the Cleveland results were the best at that time in AA. Sponsors not only helped newcomers through the steps, they sometimes “sponsored” sick AAs at hospitals so they could be treated.After all, AAs were not good at paying their bills, and sponsors did many times especially.
Te teaching and working of the program also grew out of sponsorship. Sponsors would teach newcomers how to work and use the steps to stay sober. Tat led to many varied workshops, which in the early days were sometimes referred to as “training sessions”. Te workshop idea is still used in most AA cities who have many and varied workshop sessions. In the city of Orlando itself, AA sponsors many varied subjects at local workshops.
Sponsorship and supporting sponsors remains a vital and important function in today’s AA. I doubt if I would have ever been able to get sober without the loving hand and support of my sponsor who showed me the way, and showed me the ropes and the obstacles to remaining sober.