Questions

&
on Answers
Sponsorship

This is A.A. General Service Conference-approved literature.

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 Alcoholics Anonymous ® is a fellowship of people
who share their experience, strength and hope
with each other that they may solve their com-
mon problem and help others to recover from
alcoholism.
The only requirement for membership is a
desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or
fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting
through our own contributions.
A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination,
politics, organization or institution; does not wish
to engage in any controversy; neither endorses
nor opposes any causes.
Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help
other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

Copyright © by AA Grapevine, Inc.;

reprinted with permission.

Copyright © 2017
by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

Revised June 2022.

All rights reserved.

Mail address:
Box 459
Grand Central Station
New York, NY 10163

www.aa.org

130M – 7/22 (DG3)

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 Questions & Answers
on Sponsorship

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 Contents

Contents

What Is Sponsorship? 7

For the Person Seeking a Sponsor

How does sponsorship differ from
Twelfth Step calls? 8
How does sponsorship help the
newcomer? 9
How should a sponsor be chosen? 9
Should sponsor and newcomer be
as much alike as possible? 9
Must the newcomer agree with
everything the sponsor says? 10
What if the sponsor is
unavailable when needed? 10
May a newcomer have
more than one sponsor? 10
May a newcomer change sponsors? 10
If a newcomer has received a thorough
course of treatment and indoctrination
in an alcoholism program outside A.A.,
will a sponsor still be needed in A.A.?
Is a special approach needed? 11
Is it ever too late to get a sponsor? 11

For the Person

Wanting to Be a Sponsor
How does sponsorship help the sponsor? 12
Can any member be a sponsor? 12
When is a member ready for
sponsorship responsibility? 12
What does a sponsor do and not do? 13
Is there any one best way of
sponsoring a newcomer? 15

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 How can a sponsor explain
the A.A. program? 15
Should a sponsor recommend
hospitalization? 16
How can a sponsor work
with an alcoholic’s family? 17
Should a sponsor lend money
to a newcomer? 17
Should a sponsor intercede
with an employer? 18
Can a sponsor be too firm? 18
Can a sponsor be overprotective? 19
Can a sponsor be too casual? 19
How can a sponsor handle an
overdependent newcomer? 20
How can a sponsor work with a
newcomer who rejects help? 20
When newcomers resist “the
spiritual side” of the program,
what can sponsors do? 21
How should a sponsor deal with slips? 21
Can a member sponsor more than
one newcomer simultaneously? 22

For Groups Planning

Sponsorship Activity
How does sponsorship help a group? 23
What procedures can a group set up
to sponsor new members? 23
How may “outside” A.A. groups
help groups and members in
institutions? 24

Service Sponsorship 25

Summary 27

Twelve Steps 28

Twelve Traditions 29

Twelve Concepts 30

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 6

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 What is sponsorship?

A lcoholics A nonymous began with sponsor-

ship. When Bill W., only a few months sober,
was stricken with a powerful urge to drink, this
thought came to him: “You need another alco-
holic to talk to. You need another alcoholic just as
much as he needs you!”
He found Dr. Bob, who had been trying desper-
ately and unsuccessfully to stop drinking, and out
of their common need A.A. was born. The word
“sponsor” was not used then; the Twelve Steps had
not been written; but Bill carried the message to
Dr. Bob, who in turn safeguarded his own sobriety
by sponsoring countless other alcoholics. Through
sharing, both of our co-founders discovered, their
own sober lives could be enriched beyond measure.
What does A.A. mean by sponsorship? To join
some organizations, you must have a sponsor —
a person who vouches for you, presents you as
being suitable for membership. This is definitely
not the case with A.A. Anyone who has a desire to
stop drinking is welcome to join us!
In A.A., sponsor and sponsored meet as equals,
just as Bill and Dr. Bob did. Essentially, the pro-
cess of sponsorship is this: An alcoholic who has
made some progress in the recovery program
shares that experience on a continuous, individual
basis with another alcoholic who is attempting to
attain or maintain sobriety through A.A.
When we first begin to attend A.A. meetings,
we may feel confused and sick and apprehensive.
Although people at meetings respond to our ques-
tions willingly, that alone isn’t enough. Many
other questions occur to us between meetings;
we find that we need constant, close support as
we begin learning how to “live sober.”
So we select an A.A. member with whom we
can feel comfortable, someone with whom we can
talk freely and confidentially, and we ask that per-
son to be our sponsor.

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 Whether you are a newcomer who is hesitant
about “bothering” anyone, or a member who has
been around for some time trying to go it alone,
sponsorship is yours for the asking. We urge you:
Do not delay. Alcoholics recovered in A.A. want to
share what they have learned with other alcohol-
ics. We know from experience that our own sobri-
ety is greatly strengthened when we give it away!
Sponsorship can also mean the responsibility
the group as a whole has for helping the newcom-
er. Today, more and more alcoholics arriving at
their first A.A. meeting have had no prior contact
with A.A. They have not telephoned a local A.A.
intergroup or central office; no member has made
a “Twelfth Step call” on them. So, especially for
such newcomers, groups are recognizing the
need to provide some form of sponsorship help.
In many successful groups, sponsorship is one
of the most important planned activities of the
members.
Sponsorship responsibility is unwritten and
informal, but it is a basic part of the A.A. approach
to recovery from alcoholism through the
Twelve Steps. Sponsorship can be a long-
term relationship.
We hope that this pamphlet will provide
answers to some of the often-asked questions
about the rewarding two-way street called spon-
sorship — for people who may be seeking spon-
sors; for A.A. members who want to share their
sobriety through sponsorship; and for groups that
wish to develop sponsorship activity (see What
procedures can a group set up to sponsor new mem-
bers? page 23).

For the person seeking a sponsor

How does sponsorship differ from

Twelfth Step calls?
A Twelfth Step call — visiting an alcoholic who
has asked for help and talking about the A.A.
program with him or her — may become the
beginning of sponsorship, but by itself it is not
necessarily sponsorship.
Sponsorship, with its continuing interest
in another alcoholic, often develops when the

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 prospect is willing to be helped, admits having a
drinking problem, and decides to seek sobriety as
a solution.
Sponsorship is Twelfth Step work, but it is also
continuing responsibility for helping a newcomer
adjust to a way of life without alcohol.

How does sponsorship help the newcomer?

It assures the newcomer that there is at least
one person who understands the situation fully
and cares — one person to turn to without embar-
rassment when doubts, questions or problems
linked to alcoholism arise. Sponsorship gives the
newcomer an understanding, sympathetic friend
when one is needed most. Sponsorship also pro-
vides the bridge enabling the new person to meet
other alcoholics — in a home group and in other
groups visited.

How should a sponsor be chosen?

The process of matching newcomer and sponsor
is as informal as everything else in A.A. Often,
the new person simply approaches a more expe-
rienced member who seems compatible, and
asks that member to be a sponsor. Most A.A.s are
happy and grateful to receive such a request.
An old A.A. saying suggests, “Stick with
the winners.” It’s only reasonable to seek a
sharing of experience with a member who seems
to be using the A.A. program successfully in
everyday life. There are no specific rules, but a
good sponsor probably should be a year or more
away from the last drink — and should seem to
be enjoying sobriety.

Should sponsor and newcomer be

as much alike as possible?
Often, a newcomer feels most at ease with a
sponsor of similar background and interests.
However, many A.A.s say they were greatly
helped by sponsors totally unlike themselves.
Maybe that’s because their attention was then
focused on the most important things that any
sponsor and newcomer have in common: alcohol-
ism and recovery in A.A.
A.A. experience does suggest that it is best for

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 men to sponsor men, women to sponsor women.
This custom usually helps our members stay
focused on the A.A. program. Some gay men and
lesbians feel an opposite-sex sponsor is more
appropriate for similar reasons.

Must the newcomer agree with

everything the sponsor says?
No. If the sponsor’s ideas sound strange or
unclear, the newcomer had better speak up and
ask questions. Theirs is supposed to be an easy,
open relationship, in which both parties talk free-
ly and honestly with each other.
The A.A. program is simple, but it didn’t seem
that way to many of us at first. Often, we learned
by asking questions, at closed meetings or — most
especially — in conversations with our sponsors.

What if the sponsor is

unavailable when needed?
It is the whole A.A. program — not the individ-
ual’s sponsor — that maintains the newcomer’s
sobriety. Sponsorship is just the best way we
know of introducing a newcomer to the program
and helping them continue in A.A.
So we have many recourses when we are
unable to contact our sponsors. We can telephone
other members; go to an A.A. meeting; phone
or visit the nearest A.A. office or clubroom for
sober alcoholics; or read A.A. books or pam-
phlets or our magazine, the A.A. Grapevine, to
find answers for almost any problem troubling us
at the moment.

May a newcomer have

more than one sponsor?
Many feel it is best for a newcomer to have only
one sponsor. Choosing one sponsor helps to
avoid the precarious practice of a newcomer
going from sponsor to sponsor seeking the advice
he or she wants to hear.

May a newcomer change sponsors?

We are always free to select another sponsor with
whom we feel more comfortable, particularly if
we believe this member will be more helpful to
our growth in A.A.

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 If a newcomer has received a thorough
course of treatment and indoctrination
in an alcoholism program outside A.A.,
will a sponsor still be needed in A.A.?
Is a special approach needed?
The alcoholism programs of government, indus-
try, and other agencies are referring more and
more alcoholics to A.A. These newcomers usu-
ally reach us in a physically dry condition, at
a somewhat later stage in recovery than the
shaking newcomer of the past. Detoxification is
often weeks and even months in the past and the
physical compulsion to drink is gone. But the
mental obsession with alcohol may still be there,
and, as A.A. groups that have welcomed such
newcomers generally believe, sponsorship is
necessary as soon as possible to help overcome
that obsession.
This newcomer may have learned many medi-
cal facts about the disease of alcoholism. But
learning about alcoholism in an institutional set-
ting is one thing, and functioning as a sober alco-
holic in a drinking world is quite another, we
find. The sponsor is ready to share experience
in how to cope with this situation. The sponsor’s
personal experience can enable the newcomer to
find guidance in applying A.A. principles to every-
day life — just as any other newcomer does who
arrives at A.A.’s doors for help.

Is it ever too late to get a sponsor?

No. An A.A. who has been in — or “around” the
Fellowship for many years often finds that get-
ting a good sponsor, talking frankly, and listening
can make the whole program open up as it never
did before. Most A.A.s feel that sponsorship is
a vital part of their ongoing growth and progress
in recovery, including persons who have long-
term sobriety.
Sponsorship can be the answer for the person
who has been able to achieve only interludes of
sobriety or who has attended meetings casually
and has not really taken the First Step. For such a
person, a sponsor with a firm grounding of sobri-
ety in A.A. can make all the difference.
Even if we have many dry years behind us,
we can often benefit by asking an A.A. friend to

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 be our sponsor. We may have been feeling dis-
contentment or real emotional pain because we
forgot that the A.A. program offers a whole new
way of life, not just freedom from alcohol. With
a sponsor’s help, we can use the program to the
full, change our attitudes, and, in the process,
come to enjoy our sobriety.

For the person

wanting to be a sponsor

How does sponsorship help the sponsor?

Sponsorship strengthens the older member’s
sobriety. The act of sharing sobriety makes it
easier for a member to live without alcohol. By
helping others, alcoholics find that they help
themselves.
Sponsorship also offers the satisfaction that
comes from assuming responsibility for someone
other than oneself. In a very real sense, it fills the
need, felt by most human beings, to help others
over rough spots.

Can any member be a sponsor?

There is no superior class or caste of sponsors in
A.A. Any member can help the newcomer learn
to cope with life without resorting to alcohol in
any form.
In most instances, A.A. custom does suggest
one limitation: sponsorship should be avoided
whenever a romantic entanglement might arise
between sponsor and sponsee. We A.A. mem-
bers, no matter how long we have been sober,
remain thoroughly human, subject to emotions
that might divert us from “our primary purpose.”

When is a member ready for

sponsorship responsibility?
Our primary purpose is to carry the message of
A.A. to the alcoholic who still suffers. A.A. mem-
bers who have actually worked the Steps of A.A.
as a way to attain sobriety are often in the best
position to share their experience, strength and
hope. The most successful sponsors seem to
be men and women who have been in A.A. long
enough to have a good understanding of the A.A.
program outlined in the Twelve Steps. Many of us

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 think it wise to seek advice from our own spon-
sors about when we may be ready to take on the
responsibility of sponsoring another alcoholic.
The member who has been sober for months or
years is usually — but not always — able to work
more effectively with newcomers than the mem-
bers whose experience is limited to only a few
weeks or days. Thus, length of sobriety is a factor,
but not the only factor, in successful sponsor-
ship. Just as importantly, the sponsor should have
capacity for understanding, patience, and the will-
ingness to devote time and effort to new members.

What does a sponsor do and not do?

• A sponsor does everything possible, within the
limits of personal experience and knowledge,
to help the newcomer get sober and stay sober
through the A.A. program.
• Shows by present example and drinking history
what A.A. has meant in the sponsor’s life.
• Encourages and helps the newcomer to attend
a variety of A.A. meetings — to get a number
of viewpoints and interpretations of the A.A.
program.
• Suggests keeping an open mind about A.A. if
the newcomer isn’t sure at first whether he or she
is an alcoholic.
• Introduces the newcomer to other members.
• Sees that the newcomer is aware of A.A. lit-
erature, in particular the Big Book, Twelve Steps
and Twelve Traditions, Grapevine, As Bill Sees It,
Living Sober and suitable pamphlets.
• Is available to the newcomer when the latter
has special problems.
• Goes over the meaning of the Twelve Steps,
and emphasizes their importance.
• Urges the newcomer to join in group activities
as soon as possible.
• Impresses upon the newcomer the importance
of all our Traditions.
• Emphasizes the relevance and spiritual value
of anonymity, both on a person-to-person basis,
as well as at the public level, including social
media. (For more information see the pamphlet,
“Understanding Anonymity.”)

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 • Tries to give the newcomer some picture of
the scope of A.A., beyond the group, and directs
attention to A.A. literature about the history of
the Fellowship, the Three Legacies, the service
structure, and the worldwide availability of A.A.
— wherever the newcomer may go.
• Explains the program to relatives of the alco-
holic, if this appears to be useful, and tells them
about Al-Anon Family Groups and Alateen.
• Quickly admits, “I don’t know” when that is the
case, and helps the newcomer find a good source
of information.
• The sponsor encourages the newcomer to work
with other alcoholics as soon as possible, and
sometimes begins by taking the newcomer along
on Twelfth Step calls.
• Never takes the newcomer’s inventory except
when asked.
• Never tries to impose personal views on the
newcomer. A good sponsor who is an atheist
does not try to persuade a religious newcomer to
abandon faith, nor does a religious sponsor argue
theological matters with an agnostic newcomer.
• Does not pretend to know all the answers, and
does not keep up a pretense of being right all the
time.
• An A.A. sponsor does not offer professional ser-
vices such as those provided by counselors, the
legal, medical or social work comunities, but may
sometimes help the newcomer to access profes-
sional help if assistance outside the scope of A.A.
is needed.
• Stresses the importance of A.A. being a safe
place for all members and encourages members
to become familiar with service material available
from the General Service Office such as “Safety in
A.A. — Our Common Welfare.”
The sponsor underscores the fact that it is
the A.A. recovery program — not the sponsor’s
personality or position — that is important. Thus,
the newcomer learns to rely on the A.A. pro-
gram, not on the sponsor. A sponsor well-ground-
ed in the A.A. program will not be offended if
the newcomer goes to other A.A. members for
additional guidance or even decides to change
sponsors.

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 Is there any one best way of
sponsoring a newcomer?
The answer is no. All members are free to
approach sponsorship as their own individual
experiences and personalities may suggest. Some
sponsors adopt a more or less brusque, “Take
it or leave it” approach in dealing with newcom-
ers. Others exhibit extreme patience and great
personal interest in the people they sponsor. Still
others are somewhat casual, content to let the
new person take the initiative in asking questions
or seeking help in special situations.
Each approach is sometimes successful and
sometimes fails. The sponsor has to decide which
to try in a particular case. The experienced spon-
sor recognizes the importance of flexibility in
working with newcomers, does not rely on a
single approach, and may try a number of differ-
ent approaches with the same person.

How can a sponsor explain

the A.A. program?
Sponsors will want to explain A.A. in the manner
that each finds most natural and most likely to be
clear to the newcomer at hand.
Some sponsors find that reminding the new-
comer of the First Step — that they are power-
less over alcohol and that their lives had become
unmanageable — is key to a successful recovery.
Many sponsors make it a point to emphasize
that together they can do what they could not do
alone — stay away from the first drink.
These sponsors remind the newcomer that
A.A. offers a practical program, and that it has
already helped more than two million men and
women. They suggest the need for open-minded-
ness in facing alcoholism as a personal problem,
and they underscore the fact that it is up to the
newcomer alone to decide whether he or she is
an alcoholic and whether A.A. can help.
Nearly all members who work with newcom-
ers look upon the A.A. program in terms of their
own experience. They tell the new person that no
one speaks for A.A. and that every member is per-
fectly free to arrive at an individual understanding
of the program.

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 Some sponsors talk about the program in a
more spiritual way than others do. But nearly
all call attention to the source of strength to be
found in “a Power greater than ourselves.” Again,
the sponsor points out, it is up to the newcomer
to determine what that A.A. phrase means. It
expresses an idea that people of many faiths — or
of no particular faith — can and do accept with
complete harmony.
Many sponsors discuss the significance of
anonymity at a personal level and public level
early on. Anonymity at a personal level provides
protection for all members from the identification
as alcoholics, a safeguard often of special impor-
tance to newcomers. At the public level of press,
radio, films, and other media technologies, such
as the internet, anonymity stresses the equality
in the Fellowship of all members by putting the
brake on those who might otherwise exploit their
A.A. affiliation to achieve recognition, power,
or personal gain. The sponsor is quick to point
out the benefit of anonymity at this public level.
Sponsors may provide examples from their own
experience of maintaining public anonymity.

Should a sponsor recommend

hospitalization?
The important thing to remember is that hos-
pitalization is not part of the A.A. program and
that a doctor, not a sponsor, is the person who
should say whether it is required. Experienced
sponsors are careful not to set themselves up as
substitutes for doctors in dealing with any phase
of alcoholism.
An A.A. oldtimer offers this reminder:
Hospitalization or other professional care given
to a newcomer “does not in any way lessen the
responsibility of the A.A. member to carry the
message in the best way possible, and to furnish
good sponsorship. It is not good A.A. simply to
dump an alcoholic into the lap of others because
we do not have enough time, or because the alco-
holic is troublesome and demanding. Most of us
recall with gratitude the enduring patience and
great kindness older members showed us when
we were new ourselves.”

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 How can a sponsor work with
an alcoholic’s family?
The sponsor can explain the A.A. program to a
spouse, partner or relative, and point out that
most members have found it easier to live a life
without alcohol when their relatives took an inter-
est in A.A., became familiar with A.A. literature,
and attended open meetings of a local group.
In general, the sponsor can help the alcoholic’s
family give the newcomer every chance to make
good in A.A. and can urge the family not to expect
too much, too soon, from the recovering alco-
holic.
In some cases, family relationships have
slipped seriously as a result of the alcoholic’s
behavior while drinking. The sponsor should not
act like a professional counselor in such situa-
tions. However, many threatened relationships
have been saved once the primary problem of
alcoholism has been brought under control, and
the sponsor can point this out.
The sponsor will also want the family to know
about Al-Anon Family Groups and Alateen, made
up of relatives and friends of alcoholics — alco-
holics who may or may not be in A.A.
The Al-Anon program parallels A.A.’s but
Al-Anon is an entirely separate fellowship. It helps
relatives of problem drinkers to understand the
illness and its effect on family life. In Alateen
— a part of Al-Anon — teenagers who have alco-
holic parents share their own experiences. Local
groups of Al-Anon and Alateen meet regularly
in many communities, where an Al-Anon listing
often appears in the phone book.
Al-Anon literature and meeting information
may be requested by writing to 1600 Corporate
Landing Pkwy., Virginia Beach, VA 23454-5617,
or at al-anon.alateen.org.

Should a sponsor lend money

to a newcomer?
This is, of course, a matter of individual judgment
and decision. Involved in it is the basic fact that
A.A. has a single purpose: to help alcoholics with
their drinking problem. A.A. is not a philanthropic
or job-finding society.

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 Money, or the lack of it, has never been a key
factor in an individual’s ability to get sober in A.A.
The sponsor who lends money to a newcomer
does so at risk and may even be slowing down the
new person’s progress toward sobriety. The new-
comer who turns to A.A. for money, clothes, or
assurance of employment is coming to the wrong
place for the wrong thing. A.A. has something far
more important to offer: sobriety.
Professional agencies can furnish other kinds
of help if any are needed. But many alcoholics
when sober can solve their own domestic, voca-
tional, or legal problems.

Should a sponsor intercede

with an employer?
By the time an alcoholic turns to A.A., he or she
may already have lost a job or be in danger of los-
ing one. If there is a job, it may involve working
for an employer who is uninformed about prob-
lem drinkers and knows little or nothing of A.A.
Whether or not a sponsor should intercede to
preserve another alcoholic’s job depends upon
the individual circumstances of each case. A sur-
prising number of employers, anxious to restore
competent employees to maximum efficiency,
welcome the news that a worker has turned to
A.A., and are interested in knowing more about
the recovery program.
An informative pamphlet, “Is There a Problem
Drinker in the Workplace?,” has been prepared to
acquaint employers with the help that A.A. can offer.

Can a sponsor be too firm?

Some sponsors believe in being fairly blunt with
a newcomer. They describe the A.A. program
as they understand it. They explain what A.A.
has meant to them. They point out that there is
no known cure for alcoholism, but that it can be
arrested.
Having done these things, they leave the next
move up to the newcomer. If the still-drinking
alcoholic does not reach a decision immediately
to join A.A., this sponsor believes in letting the
situation alone.
This approach is not totally unsympathetic.

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 Many alcoholics respect it and recognize it as an
attempt to be completely factual about A.A., to
avoid emotion.
The A.A. program is based on certain tested
principles, which a newcomer may disregard only
at risk. Firm sponsorship emphasizes this and
usually works well in convincing the newcomer.
Most A.A.s, however, recognize that firmness
overdone can upset a newcomer. It should be
tempered with sympathy and understanding.

Can a sponsor be overprotective?

In their enthusiasm to help a newcomer achieve
sobriety, some sponsors may tend to be overpro-
tective. They worry unduly about the persons
they sponsor and tend to smother them with
attention. In doing so, they may run the risk
of having a newcomer depend on an individual
member, rather than on the A.A. program. The
most effective sponsors recognize that alcoholics
who join A.A. must eventually stand on their own
feet and make their own decisions — and that
there is a difference between helping people to
their feet and insisting on holding them up there-
after.
Another danger of overprotectiveness is that it
may annoy the newcomer to the point of resent-
ing the attempts to help — and expressing that
resentment by turning away from A.A.

Can a sponsor be too casual?

Some sponsors prefer to adopt a casual attitude
toward newcomers with whom they work. For
example, they are perfectly willing to spend time
with the new member who asks for it, but rarely
take the time or trouble to call between meetings
or help the newcomer get to meetings.
Some newcomers actually flourish best left
pretty much on their own. But there may be some
danger in this approach: A timid or reserved
newcomer may conclude that the group and the
individual sponsor are not interested in helping.
Many present members report that they did
not make a firm decision to adopt the A.A. pro-
gram until months or years after their first con-
tact with A.A., simply because they were allowed

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 to drift away from the group. A growing num-
ber of groups try to avoid this by establishing a
program for following up with newcomers dur-
ing a period of weeks or months after an initial
approach is made to the group (see pages 23-24).

How can a sponsor handle an

overdependent newcomer?
In the first days of sobriety, a newcomer is some-
times so bewildered and frightened — or so men-
tally fuzzy and physically weak — that he or
she needs to be taken to each meeting and per-
haps helped in making personal decisions. But
such utter dependence on the sponsor, when
carried past the earliest stages of recovery, often
becomes damaging to both parties. It has already
been pointed out that we stay sober through
reliance on the A.A. program, not on any one
member, so the newcomer’s chances in this situ-
ation may not be very good. And the sponsor
may either feel harried by constant, unreasonable
demands, or feel flattered and let the ego build up
dangerously.
How can this dilemma be solved without leav-
ing the newcomer disheartened? Many A.A.s,
when first asked to sponsor, will have met with
the newcomer and reviewed this pamphlet in an
effort to avoid pitfalls. Most likely, the sponsor
and newcomer will have discussed their commit-
ments and agreed-upon expectations early in the
relationship. The sponsor will also have encour-
aged the newcomer to talk to other A.A. members
with longer-term sobriety. Now might be the time
for a heartfelt talk in which the sponsor again
explains the importance of relying on the entire
A.A. program, as well as their concern regarding
the overdependence of the newcomer. If this con-
versation fails to provide a solution, the sponsor
may offer to remain as a temporary sponsor until
the newcomer can find a sponsor they feel more
comfortable with.

How can a sponsor work with a

newcomer who rejects help?
In such cases, there is little a sponsor can do
except assure the newcomer of willingness to
help, when and if needed. Occasionally, it may

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P-15_Q&A_On_Sponsorship.indd 20 7/19/22 10:17 AM

 be wise to introduce the newcomer to an A.A.
member who shares more of the newcomer’s
background and interests. Sponsorship is a flex-
ible venture, and good sponsors are themselves
flexible in working with new people. It is just as
much a mistake to thrust unwanted help upon
a newcomer as it is to refuse help when a new-
comer asks for it.

When newcomers resist “the

spiritual side” of the program,
what can sponsors do?
First of all, we can relax and remember that
sponsorship does not mean forcing any specific
interpretation of A.A. upon newcomers. Most
men and women who have been in A.A. for more
than a few months recognize that its program is
based on spiritual principles. At the same time,
they appreciate that alcoholics have been able to
achieve and maintain sobriety without any belief
in a personal Higher Power.
Perhaps the sponsor might point out the dis-
tinction between the words “spiritual” and “reli-
gious.” As our Preamble says, A.A. is not allied
with any sect or denomination, and no sort of reli-
gious belief is required for membership — only
“a desire to stop drinking.” On the other hand,
the help offered by our program is certainly nei-
ther material nor physical; we do not offer money
or medicine — only ideas and the A.A. love of one
alcoholic for another. In this sense, the entire pro-
gram, rather than just a “side” of it, may be called
“spiritual,” and almost any newcomer can appreci-
ate a concept so broadly defined.

How should a sponsor deal with slips?

It can be most discouraging to work with a new-
comer who gets sober for a period, then has a
relapse, or slip, and starts drinking again. This
can be a delicate, difficult time for both the spon-
sor and the newcomer. The sponsor may be
tempted to consider the newcomer ungrateful or
even to give up. Here, we sponsors need to look
carefully into our own attitudes, to steer a middle
course between harsh criticism that would only
build up the newcomer’s remorse, and maudlin
sympathizing that would add to self-pity.

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P-15_Q&A_On_Sponsorship.indd 21 7/19/22 10:17 AM

 The newcomer, of course, may be even more
discouraged and bewildered, and may find it
extremely difficult to return to the sponsor and
the group for a fresh start. (For this reason, many
sponsors believe it important to take the initiative
and call the newcomer.) In order to make the
return truly a new beginning, it may be wise at
this point to avoid postmortems on the reasons
for the slip. Instead, the sponsor can help guide
the newcomer back to the simplicity of the First
Step and the prime importance of staying away
from the first drink just for the day at hand.
Later, the newcomer may want to check the
kind of thinking that possibly led to the slip, in
order to guard against its recurrence. Here, the
sponsor’s role depends completely on the two
people involved. If the sponsor was aware of the
danger signals beforehand, one newcomer may
say, “If only you had told me!” but another may
rebel at the idea of having been “watched.”
Regarded realistically, the slip can become a
learning experience for both the person spon-
sored and the sponsor. For the sponsor, it may
serve as a push toward humility, a reminder that
one person cannot keep another person sober
and that the Twelfth Step says, “…we tried to
carry this message.…
Most good sponsors emphasize that people
who have slipped continue to be welcome in
A.A. Successful sponsorship activity depends to
a large degree on the understanding and love
that the individual and group offer to a newcomer
who may have one or more slips despite sincere
efforts to achieve sobriety.

Can a member sponsor more than

one newcomer simultaneously?
A.A. members differ in their enthusiasm for spon-
sorship work, in their ability to handle it effective-
ly, and in the time they can give. Members who
are willing and able to sponsor several newcom-
ers simultaneously should certainly not be dis-
couraged. At the same time, it should be kept in
mind that sponsorship is, in a sense, a privilege to
be shared by as many members as possible and
an activity that helps all members to strengthen
their sobriety.

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P-15_Q&A_On_Sponsorship.indd 22 7/19/22 10:17 AM

 Further, members who do too much sponsor-
ship work may get exaggerated ideas about their
abilities, may even risk their own sobriety. As
in so many phases of A.A., common sense is the
best guide.

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 alcohol-
ics 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 pur-
pose. They serve to unite a group, keep it mindful
of First Things First.
Sponsorship can also help a group to create a
welcoming and secure environment. Safety is an
issue affecting all members, and it is important
for groups to remain accessible to all who are
seeking recovery. Sponsorship can help keep the
group focused on the common welfare.

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.
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 frequent-
ly. 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 fulfill
its responsibility.
• Regular beginners meetings (also called newcom-
ers meetings) — particularly in larger communi-

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P-15_Q&A_On_Sponsorship.indd 23 7/19/22 10:17 AM

 ties where there are many newcomers. A Guide
for Leading Beginners Meetings may be ordered
from G.S.O.
• Regular assignment of members to greet new-
comers at meetings and introduce them around.
In large groups, people on a hospitality com-
mittee may wear badges for the benefit of the
newcomer. In smaller groups, the secretary may,
during the announcements, simply ask newcom-
ers to come up and make themselves known after
the meeting, so they may be introduced to other
members.
• Another suggested announcement. “If any per-
son here does not have a sponsor and wants one,
please see the secretary, who will arrange a tem-
porary sponsor.” Where this practice is followed at
each meeting, members say, it reminds the group
of the value of sponsoring and being sponsored.
• Closed-meeting discussions of sponsorship prob-
lems and opportunities. Some groups schedule
meetings especially for this purpose.
• Table display of Conference-approved A.A. lit-
erature on recovery (including this pamphlet).
• Study of Chapter 7 in the Big Book (“Working
With Others”).
• Regular procedure (carried out by the secre-
tary or the sponsorship committee) for welcoming
newcomers who have just left institutions, treat-
ment centers, or halfway houses. For instance,
the secretary may receive word from the sec-
retary of a prison group that a newly released
person is about to attend a meeting, and the “out-
side” 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.

How may “outside” A.A. groups help

groups and members in institutions?
This subject is fully covered in the pamphlets
“A.A. in Correctional Facilities” and “A.A. in
Treatment Settings.” Also see Guidelines on
Corrections Committees and Guidelines on
Treatment Facilities Committees, Treatment
Facilities Workbook and Corrections Workbook,
all available from G.S.O.

24

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 Service Sponsorship

“…A.A. service is anything whatever that helps us

to reach a fellow sufferer — ranging all the way
from the Twelfth Step itself to a ten-cent phone call
and a cup of coffee, and to A.A.’s General Service
Office for national and international action. The
sum total of all these services is our Third Legacy
of Service.” — The A.A. Service Manual/Twelve
Concepts for World Service.
Sponsorship in A.A. is basically the same,
whether helping another individual’s recovery or
service to a group. It can be defined as one alco-
holic who has made some progress in recovery
and/or performance in service, sharing this expe-
rience with another alcoholic who is just starting
the journey. Both types of service spring from the
spiritual aspects of the program.
Individuals may feel that they have more to
offer in one area than in another. It is the service
sponsor’s responsibility to present the various
aspects of service: setting up a meeting; working
on committees; participating in conferences, etc.
In this matter it is important for the service spon-
sor to help individuals understand the distinction
between serving the needs of the Fellowship and
meeting the personal needs of another group
member.
A service sponsor is usually someone who
is knowledgeable in A.A. history and has a
strong background in the service structure. The
A.A. member is introduced to a new language:
G.S.R., D.C.M., area assembly, minority opinion.
They will become familiar with the Traditions,
Concepts and Warranties, as well as The A.A.
Service Manual/Twelve Concepts for World
Service, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age and
other A.A. literature.
The service sponsor begins by encourag-
ing the member to become active in their home
group — coffee, literature, cleanup, attending

25

P-15_Q&A_On_Sponsorship.indd 25 7/19/22 10:17 AM

 business or intergroup meetings, etc. The service
sponsor should keep in mind that all members
will not have the desire or qualifications to move
beyond certain levels and, thus, the service spon-
sor might help find tasks appropriate to individu-
als’ skills and interests. Whatever level of service
one performs, all are toward the same end —
sharing the overall responsibilities of Alcoholics
Anonymous.
Eventually, the service sponsor encourages
the individual member interested in this form of
service to attend district meetings and to read
about the history and structure of Alcoholics
Anonymous. At this point, the individual begin-
ning this work should begin to understand the
responsibilities of service work, as well as feel the
satisfaction of yet another form of Twelfth Step
work. Such individuals should be encouraged to
take an active part in district activities and con-
sider being elected to alternate positions in the
district so as to learn about the responsibilities of
various jobs in the service structure.
During this process it is important for the
individual to continue to learn about the Three
Legacies — Recovery, Unity and Service, and
to understand that the principle of rotation not
only allows them to move on in service, but also
gives newer members the privilege of serving.
Rotation also allows them to understand that no
one should hold on to a position of trust long
enough to feel a proprietary interest and thereby
discourage newcomers from service.
Co-founder Dr. Bob said, “I spend a great deal
of time passing on what I learned to others who
want and need it badly. I do it for four reasons:
1. Sense of duty.
2. It is a pleasure.
3. Because in doing so I am paying my debt to
the man who took time to pass it on to me.
4. Because every time I do it I take out a little
more insurance for myself against a pos-
sible slip.”
The basis of all sponsorship is to lead by exam-
ple. Service sponsors can impart to their spon-
sees the pleasure of involvement in the work
of Alcoholics Anonymous. This is best done by

26

P-15_Q&A_On_Sponsorship.indd 26 7/19/22 10:17 AM

 stressing the spiritual nature of service work and
by pointing out the usefulness of simple footwork
and faith.
Now, through knowledge and experience,
the newer member is aware that service is our
most important product after sobriety. With
this knowledge, the individual is able to share
their vision with others and ensure the future of
Alcoholics Anonymous.

Summary

Most present members of Alcoholics Anonymous

owe their sobriety to the fact that someone else
took a special interest in them and was willing to
share a great gift with them.
Sponsorship is merely another way of describ-
ing the continuing special interest of a seasoned
member that can mean so much to a newcomer
turning to A.A. for help.
Individuals and groups cannot afford to lose
sight of the importance of sponsorship, the impor-
tance of taking a special interest in a confused
alcoholic who wants to stop drinking. Experience
shows clearly that the members getting the most
out of the A.A. program, and the groups doing
the best job of carrying the A.A. message to still-
suffering alcoholics, are those for whom sponsor-
ship is too important to be left to chance.
By these members and groups, sponsorship
responsibilities are welcomed and accepted as
opportunities to enrich personal A.A. experience
and to deepen the satisfactions that come from
working with others.

27

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 THE TWELVE STEPS
OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

1. We admitted we were powerless over alco-

hol — that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than
ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our
lives over to the care of God as we understood
Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral in-
ventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to
another human being the exact nature of our
wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove
all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our short-
comings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed,
and became willing to make amends to them
all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wher-
ever possible, except when to do so would in-
jure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and
when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to
improve our conscious contact with God as we
understood Him, praying only for knowledge of
His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the
result of these steps, we tried to carry this mes-
sage to alcoholics, and to practice these prin-
ciples in all our affairs.

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 THE TWELVE TRADITIONS
OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

1. Our common welfare should come first;

personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.
2. For our group purpose there is but one
ultimate authority — a loving God as He may
express Himself in our group conscience. Our
leaders are but trusted servants; they do not
govern.
3. The only requirement for A.A. member-
ship is a desire to stop drinking.
4. Each group should be autonomous except
in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a
whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose
— to carry its message to the alcoholic who
still suffers.
6. An A.A. group ought never endorse, fi-
nance or lend the A.A. name to any related
facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of
money, property and prestige divert us from
our primary purpose.
7. Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-
supporting, declining outside contributions.
8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain for-
ever nonprofessional, but our service centers
may employ special workers.
9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized;
but we may create service boards or commit-
tees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion
on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought
never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on at-
traction rather than promotion; we need always
maintain personal anonymity at the level of
press, radio and films.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all
our Traditions, ever reminding us to place prin-
ciples before personalities.

29

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 THE TWELVE CONCEPTS
FOR WORLD SERVICE
I. Final responsibility and ultimate authority for A.A.
world services should always reside in the collective con-
science of our whole Fellowship.
II. The General Service Conference of A.A. has become,
for nearly every practical purpose, the active voice and the
effective conscience of our whole Society in its world affairs.
III. To insure effective leadership, we should endow each
element of A.A. — the Conference, the General Service
Board and its service corporations, staffs, committees, and
executives — with a traditional “Right of Decision.”
IV. At all responsible levels, we ought to maintain a tradi-
tional “Right of Participation,” allowing a voting representa-
tion in reasonable proportion to the responsibility that each
must discharge.
V. Throughout our structure, a traditional “Right of
Appeal” ought to prevail, so that minority opinion will be
heard and personal grievances receive careful consideration.
VI. The Conference recognizes that the chief initia-
tive and active responsibility in most world service mat-
ters should be exercised by the trustee members of the
Conference acting as the General Service Board.
VII. The Charter and Bylaws of the General Service Board
are legal instruments, empowering the trustees to manage
and conduct world service affairs. The Conference Charter
is not a legal document; it relies upon tradition and the A.A.
purse for final effectiveness.
VIII. The trustees are the principal planners and admin-
istrators of overall policy and finance. They have custo-
dial oversight of the separately incorporated and constantly
active services, exercising this through their ability to elect
all the directors of these entities.
IX. Good service leadership at all levels is indispensable
for our future functioning and safety. Primary world service
leadership, once exercised by the founders, must necessar-
ily be assumed by the trustees.
X. Every service responsibility should be matched by an
equal service authority, with the scope of such authority well
defined.
XI. The trustees should always have the best possible
committees, corporate service directors, executives, staffs,
and consultants. Composition, qualifications, induction pro-
cedures, and rights and duties will always be matters of seri-
ous concern.
XII. The Conference shall observe the spirit of A.A. tradi-
tion, taking care that it never becomes the seat of perilous
wealth or power; that sufficient operating funds and reserve
be its prudent financial principle; that it place none of its
members in a position of unqualified authority over others;
that it reach all important decisions by discussion, vote, and,
whenever possible, by substantial unanimity; that its actions
never be personally punitive nor an incitement to public con-
troversy; that it never perform acts of government, and that,
like the Society it serves, it will always remain democratic in
thought and action.

30

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 A.A. PUBLICATIONS Below is a partial listing of
A.A. publications. Complete order forms are available from
the General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous,
Box 459, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163.
Telephone: (212) 870-3400. Website: www.aa.org
BOOKS
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS
DAILY REFLECTIONS
AS BILL SEES IT
OUR GREAT RESPONSIBILITY
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS COMES OF AGE
DR. BOB AND THE GOOD OLDTIMERS
‘PASS IT ON’

BOOKLETS
LIVING SOBER
CAME TO BELIEVE
A.A. IN PRISON: A MESSAGE OF HOPE

PAMPHLETS
Experience, Strength and Hope:
WOMEN IN A.A.
A.A. FOR THE BLACK AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN ALCOHOLIC
A.A. FOR THE NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN
YOUNG PEOPLE AND A.A.
A.A. FOR THE OLDER ALCOHOLIC — NEVER TOO LATE
LGBTQ ALCOHOLICS IN A.A.
THE “GOD” WORD: AGNOSTIC AND ATHEIST MEMBERS IN A.A.
A.A. FOR ALCOHOLICS WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES —
AND THEIR SPONSORS
ACCESS TO A.A.: MEMBERS SHARE ON OVERCOMING BARRIERS
A.A. AND THE ARMED SERVICES
DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DIFFERENT?
MANY PATHS TO SPIRITUALITY
HISPANIC WOMEN IN A.A.
BEHIND THE WALLS: A MESSAGE OF HOPE
IT SURE BEATS SITTING IN A CELL
(An illustrated pamphlet for those in custody)
About A.A.:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT A.A.
IS A.A. FOR ME?
IS A.A. FOR YOU?
A NEWCOMER ASKS
IS THERE AN ALCOHOLIC IN YOUR LIFE?
THIS IS A.A.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON SPONSORSHIP
THE A.A. GROUP
PROBLEMS OTHER THAN ALCOHOL
THE A.A. MEMBER—MEDICATIONS AND OTHER DRUGS
SELF-SUPPORT: WHERE MONEY AND SPIRITUALITY MIX
EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT US:
AN INTRODUCTION TO OUR TWELVE TRADITIONS
THE TWELVE STEPS ILLUSTRATED
THE TWELVE CONCEPTS ILLUSTRATED
THE TWELVE TRADITIONS ILLUSTRATED
HOW A.A. MEMBERS COOPERATE WITH PROFESSIONALS
A.A. IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
A.A. IN TREATMENT SETTINGS
BRIDGING THE GAP
A.A. TRADITION—HOW IT DEVELOPED
LET’S BE FRIENDLY WITH OUR FRIENDS
UNDERSTANDING ANONYMITY
For Professionals:
A.A. IN YOUR COMMUNITY
A BRIEF GUIDE TO A.A.
IF YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS AS A RESOURCE
FOR THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL
A MESSAGE TO CORRECTIONS PROFESSIONALS
IS THERE A PROBLEM DRINKER IN THE WORKPLACE?
FAITH LEADERS ASK ABOUT A.A.
A.A. MEMBERSHIP SURVEY
A MEMBER’S-EYE VIEW OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

VIDEOS (available on www.aa.org)

A.A. VIDEOS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
HOPE: ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
A NEW FREEDOM
CARRYING THE MESSAGE BEHIND THESE WALLS
For Professionals:
A.A. VIDEO FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
A.A. VIDEO FOR LEGAL AND CORRECTIONS PROFESSIONALS
A.A. VIDEO FOR EMPLOYMENT/HUMAN RESOURCES PROFESSIONALS

PERIODICALS
AA GRAPEVINE (monthly, www.aagrapevine.org)
LA VIÑA (bimonthly, in Spanish, www.aalavina.org)

P-15_Q&A_On_Sponsorship.indd 31 7/19/22 10:17 AM

 A DECLARATION OF UNITY
This we owe to A.A.’s future: To place our
common welfare first; to keep our fellowship
united. For on A.A. unity depend our lives
and the lives of those to come.

I am responsible…
When anyone, anywhere, reaches out
for help, I want the hand of A.A. always
to be there.
And for that: I am responsible.

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