A 'financial awakening'! Yippee!

“SPONSORS

Recently, I attended a meeting at an AA "clubhouse" [which shall remain nameless] at the …...... . It was a noonie, It was a closed discussion meeting. 

After going through the opening rituals and introductions and readings, someone who is "newish" stuck up his hand to share. 

This "newbie" went on to share about some problems that he was having with his sponsor. Based upon what the "newbie" said, it appears that his sponsor was micromanaging his life. The sponsor was telling him not to look for a job. The sponsor was telling him how to treat his parents, with whom he lived. The sponsor was balancing his check book. Etc. 

So, the topic of the meeting turned to Sponsorship. 

People began to share about their sponsors who now how to answer all their questions. Others shared about their sponsees and how they would answer all of their problem and tell them what to do. 

As this progressed, I recalled my first sponsor. It took me about 4 months to join a home group, and when I did, I told the leader that I needed a sponsor. She reached her arm out, grabbed a guy, pulled him over and said "...say hi to Dave, he will be your sponsor..." 

Dave and I exchanged phone numbers and Dave told me to call him, to check in with him, every day. 

So, I began calling Dave - daily. Being a "newbie" I was full of questions and confusion, etc. And, I learned that, by today's standards, Dave was a terrible sponsor. When I would ask him about a problem that I was experiencing, this answer was "...don't drink, go to a meeting.." I can't tell you how many times I heard that ...don't drink, go to a meeting.." When I asked him about the Steps, he said "...go to a Step meeting..." Other times when I would complain about stuff he might say things like "...did you ever try....? or "...did you ever consider..." and things like that. He never answered my questions. He never told me what to do. In fact, once, when I was complaining about the Steps. I forget the reason, which really doesn't matter, Dave said one of the sternest things that he ever said to me. He pointed his finger at me and said "...Stop trying to work the Steps, let the Steps work You..." In hindsight, I now understand what he was saying. 

What did Dave do? Well, he listened to me. He talked to me. He talked to me as equal. He never talked down to me. When I took my first coffee commitment, he was there with me to help make the coffee and set up the chairs. 

And I did follow Dave's advice, I did "...don't drink, go to a meeting.." 

Dave helped, was instrumental in getting through my first several years of sobriety. 

During my journey in AA, however, things have changed. Sponsors have now become deified. Sponsors are now all-knowing gurus. Sponsors are able to tell their sponsees what to do. 

Listening to people share, I feel very inadequate as a sponsor. I sort of copy what Dave did with me. When a sponsee asks me that to do, I tell them "...don't drink, go to a meeting.." When I sponsee has a problem, I try to listen. Often I must tell them "...I donnuh..."  With my sponsees, we can bounce ideas back and forth, but the playing field is level. I have learned that I am not a guru. I am not competent to tell someone else what the should do. In fact, when I was new, I didn't like to be should on. 

So, with all this conflict raging in my head, I had a brilliant I idea that I need to share! This is such a brilliant idea that I do need feedback to work out many details. I invite anyone who is interested to make suggestions that we can consider. 

Here is my idea [ absolutely brilliant ]. 

We develop a training course for Sponsors. We develop course material. We develop lesson plans. And we charge tuition to the course, and we sell the course material to the students. We design a course of approximately 100 hours, with written and oral exams at the end.

Then, upon successful completion [ graduation ] the person is presented with a certificate, suitable for framing, and a wallet sized card, with photo ID, proclaiming that person to be a "CERTIFIED AA SPONSOR." 

So, waddayatink? Brilliant isn't it. I realize it will need some tweaking of the details, which is why I am looking for feedback. 

We can develop the course. 

We can publish the course materials. 

We, alone, become the certifying organization for AA Sponsors.

And we can do this as a TransAtlantic project, and just think of the money that we can make! 

Please let me know. 

Oh, by way of PS, I attach hereto several samples of that I have in mind. 

Let me know your thoughts on these as well.”

Comment: Our thoughts? We can smell the dosh already! Quick! Quick! Before anybody else thinks of it! [looks around furtively]. Oh damn! They already have! (see Back to Basics/Primary Purpose etc).

Still it was a nice dream while it lasted!

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous …. and still broke!)