Sponsorship? We think not

Extract from the aacultwatch forum (old)

“There is much more emphasis on sponsorship in AA today than used to be in the past. I can remember in my early days hardly ever hearing the word. It wasn’t until I heard David B. (founder of the cult movement within AA in the UK) do a chair on Step 4 around 1986 that I heard sponsorship being promoted so avidly. From then on sponsorship was promoted more and more. Incessant indeed. It has almost become a religion in its own right. The dangers of this are obvious. Unregulated, unmonitored, unaccountable individuals setting themselves up as gurus, teachers, lecturers and therapists. The damage has been done and is still being done. Vulnerable new members of the fellowship are pounced upon and subjected to bullying, psychological blackmail and other kinds of coercion and abuse, by certain well-known sponsors and self-appointed group "leaders". Websites, like David C Icon's effort, have been concocted which carry a message that is all about putting sponsorship on a level that was clearly never originally intended when the sponsorship idea was first introduced within the fellowship. We now have cults of sponsorship, sponsor-worship, sponsorship "lines", a riot of self-willed individuals who have invested themselves with infallibility and godlike powers over others.

What is to be done about this? In my opinion AA needs not only to take its own inventory regarding this dangerous out-of-control sponsor juggernaught, but we need to enlist the help of outsiders too. As our fellowship was founded with the help of outsiders in the medical and religious professions, we also need to enlist persons in the medical, legal, political, religious and media domains.  The scandals that have engulfed the Catholic church in recent years would not have come to light had the victims of clerical abuse relied solely on the mechanism of church hierarchy and procedure. Indeed the ecclesiastical hierarchy concerned tried their best to cover it up and sweep it under the carpet. No. It took a concerted media campaign and the help of medical, legal and other professionals to make change happen, and to stop the abuse.  And to develop and put in place procedures to prevent abuse happening again.

I remember a time many years ago in the fellowship when there was constant controversy about smoking in meetings. There would be hard effort to get a meeting to be non-smoking for those who suffered from serious lung problems (like me!), only to have Traditions quoted, and group consciences turn and overturn previous decisions. This controversy went on for years, and generated much heated debate, with little satisfactory outcome for those who felt excluded from many meetings because of choking cigarette smoke. The fellowship was largely incapable of solving this problem unaided. Then the law of the land intervened. All meetings are now non-smoking because it is now illegal to smoke in public buildings. People who want to smoke can still do so, outside.

Likewise I think it will require a change in the law to stop sponsor/cult abuse within AA. In my opinion the sort of sponsorship practiced by the likes of Wayne P, David C Icons, Happy Dennis et al, should be illegal. No unaccountable person should have that kind of power and control over a sick and vulnerable person. Sponsorship, if it is to exist at all, should be carefully monitored, possibly even licensed. An outside agency should be involved if possible. Clear boundaries should be set, and those breaking them prevented from sponsoring ever again at the very least.  Let them practice Step 12 in another and harmless way.

Prior to his death in 1997, the sponsorless David B did not have any AA service commitment for over 10 years. His excuse was that he was "ill". However he wasn’t so "ill" that he could not establish and command an empire of sponsees, and control meetings and group consciences through a "steering committee". The man was a fraud. It would have been better for him, and for AA as a whole,  had he washed up a few cups at the end of a meeting, rather than play at being God in other people's lives. So, as I said earlier, let these deluded and self-appointed avatars of "God's will", do some other less harmful and truly more humble service if they want to practice Step 12.

It is vitally important to expose the abusive behaviour of individuals such as those mentioned above, and others like them. We must have more stories of victims of sponsorship and cult abuse within AA. These must be sensitively publicized as much as possible, with of course, the approval of the victims.  We must enlist the help of as many allies and professionals as possible, and get them on our side.

10 years ago there was nothing about the abuse taking place daily within AA. Now there are websites, magazine articles, and forums. I feel optimistic that history is on our side and this problem will be eradicated one day. But, like the 12 step Program itself, we must keep working at it !”

And check this out:

http://www.thefix.com/content/sponsorship-levels6010

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

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