Questions and Answers on Sponsorship (contd)

The AA (General Service conference approved) booklet: Questions and Answers on Sponsorship)

Extract:

“For groups planning sponsorship activity

How does sponsorship help a group?

The primary purpose of an A.A. group is to carry the message of the recovery program to alcoholics who want and ask for help. Group meetings are one way of doing this. Sponsorship is another.

In some groups, the idea of sponsorship is broadened to include working with alcoholics in nearby institutions and, through correspondence, with isolated Lone Members, Internationalists (seagoing A.A.s), and Homers.

Active sponsorship programs within a group remind all members of the group’s primary purpose. They serve to unite a group, keep it mindful of “First Things First.

What procedures can a group set up to sponsor new members?

Carefully planned sponsorship activity within a group is often likely to produce better results than sponsorship left to chance. [Evidence?]

A typical pattern of planned sponsorship within a local group might include the following:

• A regular committee on sponsorship or a Twelfth Step committee, with members rotating frequently. If there is an intergroup or central office that keeps a list of local groups and the members available for Twelfth Step calls, such a committee may check to see whether the group has enough of its members on the office list to fulfil its responsibility.

• Regular beginners meetings (also called newcomers meetings) — particularly in larger communities where there are many newcomers. A Guide for Leading Beginners Meetings may be ordered from G.S.O. [These meetings are frequently exploited by the cult to target and subsequently engage in the systematic abuse of newcomers]

• Regular assignment of members to greet newcomers at meetings and introduce them around. In large groups, people on a hospitality committee may wear badges for the benefit of the newcomer. In smaller groups, the secretary may, during the announcements, simply ask newcomers to come up and make themselves known after the meeting, so they may be introduced to other members. [Another extremely daft idea – just what a newcomer wants to do when they come to AA – get up in front of a crowd of strangers and announce themselves – NOT! Get a grip!]

• Another suggested announcement. “If any person here does not have a sponsor and wants one, please see the secretary, who will arrange a temporary sponsor.” Where this practice is followed at each meeting, members say, it reminds the group of the value of sponsoring and being sponsored. [This just gets worse and worse! The initiative should remain with the newcomer at all times to decide when and where they (may) wish to ask someone to sponsor them – or not at all!]

• Closed-meeting discussions of sponsorship problems and opportunities. Some groups schedule meetings especially for this purpose.

• A file of names, addresses, and phone numbers of newcomers (who wish to volunteer the information), with notations showing sponsor or sponsors for each one. [Next thing they'll be suggesting is that we keep even more files on AA members including race, age, gender, sexual orientation, shirt size etc ….. In fact perhaps we should start registering our membership in future – see Traditions on this]

• Table display of Conference-approved A.A. Literature on recovery (including this pamphlet).

• Review of newcomers list by steering committee (or Twelfth Step or sponsorship committee) — with followup activity where it seems needed. [Wouldn't it just be easier to corral the newcomers to stop them straying off?]

• Study of Chapter 7 in the Big Book (“Working With Others”). [Probably the first sensible suggestion so far]

• Regular procedure (carried out by the secretary or the sponsorship committee) for welcoming newcomers who have just left institutions, treatment centers, or halfway houses. For instance, the secretary may receive word from the secretary of a prison group that a newly released person is about to attend a meeting, and the “outside” group is then alerted to the arrival of this newcomer. If it is feasible, a member of the group may even offer to meet the person immediately upon release.”

(our emphasis in bold print)

Comment: (some of our commentary is included in the body of the text above - in red between square brackets).

The above sounds ….. well.... dodgy ….. especially when you consider the activities of the cult … then it sends a cold shiver down your spine. This is an example of AA 'over-organisation' at its very worst. Whoever came up with this section bears all the hallmarks of a neurotic! Maybe a 'repressed control freak' in the making! Alternatively we suggest that when a newcomer comes to a meeting someone brings them a cup of tea (or coffee) – half cup just in case they've still got the shakes.... and then sits down with them one-to-one (so they're not subjected to 'greeting overload'). That member explains the format of the meeting, assures them they are under no obligation to stay, that they don't have to say anything (unless they want to in which case they are welcome). Moreover they are not obliged to sign any papers or pay any fees. If they're not happy with what they hear they're free to leave at any time and maybe try another meeting if they want. Above all that they are welcome. No posturing or 'showing off' is required here nor do they need any more literature thrust at them other than a Where to Find, a Newcomer's pack and maybe a couple of phone numbers. They should NOT BE ASKED for their phone number or contact details (let alone put on a bloody list!). In other words pretty well the complete opposite of what is proposed in the pamphlet. It's not SO hard to behave normally is it! KEEP IT SIMPLE!

But remember: a sponsor is NOT ESSENTIAL to recovery. And NO sponsorship is better by far than BAD sponsorship!

Cheers

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)

(to be continued)