Said to be the first pamphlet ever written concerning “sponsorship”, the following text is credited to Clarence H. Snyder, founder of the first A.A. group in Cleveland, Ohio. The original title was to be “A.A. Sponsorship...Its Obligations and Its Responsibilities,” though the Cleveland Central Committee printed it with the title: “A.A. Sponsorship... Its Opportunities and Its Responsibilities.” [This essay is adapted from material downloaded off the Internet; the source document shows its author is Dave Rioux. The authenticity of the text is uncertain but the lessons presented here deserve consideration.]

A potential sponsor is a recovered alcoholic (not a hard drinker) who has discovered the "common solution" presented in the Big Book, the one upon which we recovered alcoholics can absolutely agree and upon which we can join in brotherly and harmonious action (See page 17).

Upon meeting a "newcomer" - a real alcoholic who has not yet taken the steps that produce a spiritual awakening that removes the obsession to drink - the sponsor, a recovered alcoholic who has

1. Taken the steps and
2. Had a spiritual awakening, and
3. Is willing to take the time and effort to take the action required of a sponsor, will

• Help the newcomer understand the Program of Recovery,
• Guide the newcomer through the steps, and
• Then "walk day by day in the path of spiritual progress" with the newcomer.

Page 18, in paragraph 5. describes the qualifications of a Sponsor (in one looong sentence).

"That the man who is making the approach has had the same difficulty, that he obviously knows what he is taking about, that his whole deportment [his behavior] shouts at the new prospect that he is a man with a real answer, that he has no attitude of Holier Than Thou, nothing whatever except the sincere desire to be helpful; that there are no fees to pay, no axes to grind, no people to please, no lectures to be endured--these are the conditions which we have found most effective."

The "Big Book" entitled "Alcoholics Anonymous" is the basic text that presents the A.A. 12-Step program of Recovery from alcoholism. Though the words "sponsor" and "sponsorship" are often heard in A.A. circles, the word "sponsor" does not appear anywhere in the book (go ahead, try to find it!). Nonetheless, the Basic Text emphasizes "carrying the message" to still-suffering alcoholics - in fact, several chapters are devoted to this vitally-important and often misunderstood subject.