SPONSORSHIP

Sponsor: n
spon·sor [spónssər]
(plural spon·sors)
1. somebody responsible for another: somebody who undertakes responsibility for another, especially during a period of education, apprenticeship, or probation

The early members of Alcoholics Anonymous typically found the group by introduction from someone who had put themselves forward as willing to take responsibility for their welfare. Ebby (Bill Wilson’s “sponsor”) was taken under the wing of Rowland H. and Cebra G., they becoming his sponsor when he appeared before Cebra G’s father who was the judge charged with determining whether or not Ebby should be committed for alcoholic insanity. Rowland and Cebra sponsored Ebby in the cause of sobriety employing the tenants of Moral Rearmament (Oxford group), presenting Ebby with first century Christian principles as a way to stay sober. This was the message that Ebby then brought to Bill at his kitchen table a few months later. Many if not most of the early sponsors were not alcoholics themselves. From the first page of the early pamphlet A MANUAL for ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS published by the King School Group (1st AA group): “To the Sponsor: If you have never before brought anyone into A.A. the booklet attempts to tell you what your duties are by your ‘Baby,’ how you should conduct yourself while visiting patients, and other odd bits of information, some of which may be new to you.”
Sponsorship has always been an integral part of the A.A. way of life. Today sponsors are typically members who have worked the steps and have been invested in the process long enough to help those asking for their help over the inevitable rough spots in sobriety and their experience strength and hope as it relates to recovery from the disease of addiction.
The early members accepted sponsorship as a given. Because of this when the book Alcoholics Anonymous was penned, much to their later chagrin, the concept was not specifically touched on in the text (pages 1-164) of the “Big Book”. To their credit the decision was made not to rewrite the text to reflect this, instead relying on members accounts, both in the stories section of the book as well as one on one to make the point. Anyone who questions the concept of sponsorship need only take a few minutes and read the members accounts and any doubt as to the necessity of sponsorship for successful long term recovery will be dispelled.