Sponsorship

TWELVE SUGGESTEDSTEPS OFALCOHOLICSANONYMOUS 1—We admitted we were powerless over alcohol that our lives had become unmanageable. 2-Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 3Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to thc care of God as we understood Him. 4Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 5Admitted to God, to ourseives and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 6Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 7Humbly asked Him to remove our short-comings. 8Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 9Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 10Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. 11Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as wpe understood Hin, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 12Having had a spiritual awakening ss the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alco holics and practice these principles in all our affairs.

SPONSORSHIP The idea of “sponsorship” is not new. But A.A has given it a unique meaning.In most of the other societies which Man has formed, the sponsor is the person who affirms that the nerwcomer has certain desirable qualities and that he adheres to certain standards considered desirable by the society. In A.A. the cmphasis is not on the newcomer but on the sponsor.No one asks the newcomer what qualities he may have or what standards he chooses to live by. The sponsor is the one from whom certain requirements are sought. He is asked to demonstrate that the A.A. recovery program has worked for him. And he is asked to lend his time, his interest and his experience to the newcomer.

AlcobolicsAnonymousisafellowsbipofmen andwomen who share theirexperience,strength andbopewitbeacbotber tbattbeymaysolue theircommonproblemandbelpotherstorecoverfrom alcobolism. Tbeonlyrequirement formembershipis an bonest desire to stop drinking.A.A.bas no dues orfees.Itisnot alliedwitb any sect,denomination,politics,organization orinstitutiom;does not wisbtoengage in any controversy,neitber endorses nor opposes any causes.Our primary purpose is to stay sober andbelp otber alcoholics toacbievesobriety. ISSUED BY ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS PUBLISHING, INC, SOLE MOUS.APPROVED BY THE GENERAL SERVICE CONFERENCE OF A.A, Copyright1953 Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, Inc

THE HELPING HAND IN THE DAYS before the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous was born, an old friend appeared before one of the men who later was to become a founder of the Society.The friend, once considered a hopeless drunk by nearly everyone,including himself, was now sober, healthy, radiant in mind and spirit. He had had, he said, an experience that had changed his entire outlook on life. He had even been able to stop drinking. Now he wanted to share his experience,and his new approach to living, with his former drinking companion. The second man was impressed but he did not immediately stop drinking.A month later he was again hospitalized for drinking.His friend visited him and the two men discussed the approach to sobriety that had helped the first alcoholic.Shortly thereafter,the second man underwent what might be described as a phenomcnal experience;he suddenly lost the desire to drink.He suddenly seemed able to face life realistically. He also discovered that talking with other alcoholics whowere still drinking somehow helped bim. The helping hand which he extended to these men was not always grasped, but somehow he came away from such meetings more serene in spirit and better able to cope with the problems of daily living. At the cnd of six months of sobriety,this man, a New Yorker, found himself in Akron, Ohio.A busincs venture which had looked extremely promising had suddenly collapsed. The man felt completely let-down in mind and spirit.The temptation to escape from his trouble was strong. The only escape route scemed to be through a bottle. This time, as a matter of self protection, the alcoholic felt the need to share his hard-won sobriety with someonc who could understand what he had been through. That meant sharing 5

it with another problem drinker,someone like himself who had had, or was still having, trouble with alcohol. The New Yorker began a chain of telephone calls that led ultimately to a doctor whose personal and professional lives were being ruined by alcohol. The mceting of these two men, one of them sober only a matter of months, the other still in his cups, marked the bcginning of the fellowship now known as Alcoholics Anonymous. The doctor, sharing the New Yorker’s experience and vision of a life without alcohol, soon gained sobriety himself.Together, the two men began to work with others in Akron who still drank uncontrolledly.Slowly,with many early milestones registering failure and frustration along with victory, the tiny society of ex-drinkers began togrow. The early members soon came to understand that,in order to retain their own sobriety,they had to sbare it. Sharing was the deep, underlying idea that seemed to make sobriety possible for these men who had tried so many other treatments and so many other approaches. The experience of these carly members is recorded vividly in the chapter,“Working With Others,” in Alcoholics Anonymous, the A.A.book of experience.Many members consider this book indispensable in. their own sponsorship activities. Today, sharing is still the keynote of the sponsorship programs which have been developed so successfully in many A.A. communities.It is, however, a special kind of sharing. Its roots go deeper than selfishness.The A.A.idea of the principle of sponsorship is rooted in the need to share.If the alcoholic who has become sober in A.A. does not share his sobriety, he may lose it. being that is the hallmark of the successful A.A. PATTERNS OF SPONSORSHIP intensely personal.The form it takes is determined not by any set rules but, in nearly all cases, 6

by the personalities of the sponsor and the newcomer themselves. Three extreme patterns of sponsorship are probably familiar to most A.A.’s.For practical purposes, thcy might be described as (1) the “hardboiled”approach(2) the “casual”approach and (3) the“protective”approach.Each of these patterns has its own distinguishing features. Special claims are made for each approach. Each one, under certain circumstances, can be a successful vehicle for helping the newcomer. The “hardboiled” approach is perhaps best illustratedby the attitude of theman or woman who proclaims:“Nobody babied me when I came into A.A. My sponsor simply gave me the facts about alcoholism and A.A. and left it up to me to make the grade.Idon’t believe in this busincss of coddling newcomers;if they don’t think they need A.A. right now, I can certainly spend my time to better advantagc with other drunks who really want the program.” A.A. members who share this attitude are not being delibcrately unkind.They are not trying to shirk responsibility.They are perfectly willing to work unstintingly with a newcomcr as long as they are convinced that the latter sincerely wants to achieve sobriety.But once they feel they have reason to doubt a newcomer’s sincerity, they are likely to wash their hands of him. An old-timer in the society who over the years has done more than his share of work with newcomers has explained his approach in these words: “Why shouldn’t I be firm with newcomers?” he asks. “I know there are no musts in A.A. but my experience has been that the sooner an alcoholic discovers that he has to be honest with himself,the sooner he is likely to achieve the sobriety he says he wants. If he tries to keep kidding himself and me,there is nothing Ican do to help him understand A.A.and we both might as well cross each other off our lists.” There is, some members feel, an even more important justification for what might be described as the take-it-or-leave-it approach to 7

sponsorship. Frequently, they point out, the mere fact of “laying it on the line” with the newcomer is enough to jolt him into acknowledging that alcoholism is a serious problem and that a serious approach is neccssary if he hopes to solve the problem. Taking a firm stand with alcoholics, they suggest, is a sound approach because it forces the problem drinker to face up honestly to the facts of his condition sooner than he might otherwise do. The other side of the argument is that occasionally the member who is too rigid in his demands upon a newcomer will cease his sponsorship work too soon.The result, in such cases, may be that the newcomer is frustrated by his sponsor’s sudden coolness toward him; he may again turn to the bottle, feeling that A.A. is no longer interested in him. “I had a lot of trouble getting the program in the beginning,” one A.A. remarked after he had been sober for a number of years.“Iwanted to stop drinking but it just seemed that I couldn’t. All the time, I knew that Jim, my first sponsor, was disappointed in me. What he didn’t know was that I was disappointed with myself.I wanted desperately to make the grade in A.A.After one particularly bad slip, I was positive that I could get the program; I suddenly saw A.A. in a new light.But when I called Jim,he didn’t seem particularly interested; he just said he’d look for me at the next meeting of the local group and I couldtellhe didnt reallybelieve Iwould be there. I know I had given him the same story several times before, but this time I meant it; it made me angry when he sounded so skeptical. So I got drunk again and it wasn’t until a year later that I finally came back to A.A. and got the program. Jim and I are good friends now and I can understand his attitude when I called him that time,but I can’t help thinking that if he had stayed with me a bit longer, I migbt bave been in A.A.a year earlier.” T’he second pattern of sponsorship, the “casual” approach,is more difficult to define.Whereas the “hardboiled” sponsor is likely to thrust a great deal of information about A.A. upon the 8

newcomer in the hope he will get the program in short order, the “casual” sponsor is inclined to be more casy-going. To compensate for this, he rarely expects too much too soon from the problem drinker with whom he is working. He sets no deadline for the achievement of sobriety.He does not become unduly upset if the ncwcomer fails to get the program immediately, and his personal feelings are not ruffled if his sponsorship fails to pan out successfully over an cxtended period. The “casual” sponsor is usually satisfied if his protege attends meetings fairly regularly;if the protege begins to stay away from meetings, he may make a few inquiries. But he generally does e pads ou np osd sy sd ou deal of time with him. If the casual sponsor is undistinguished by any special zeal in working with newcomers, he is also more inclined to be tolerant with one who has difficulty adjusting to a life without alcohol. He is inclined to stress the fact that “You can’t make a person want to come into A.A., or force him in, until he is ready for the program.” He may point out, modestly, that the most that any sponsor should hope to do is to expose a newcomer thoroughly to A.A.He may also add that helping to bring about the miracle of sobriety; the important thing is to demonstrate that the miracle has occurred more than 100,000 times in A.A. The third pattern of sponsorship has been described as the“protective” approach. As the label suggests, the “protective” sponsor has a tendency to go to great extremes to shield a newcomer from anything that might interfere with the latter’s probability of getting the program. The“protective’ sponsor commits himself unstintingly to caring for the new member or prospective member.He may guide him from one meeting to another, night after night, for a long time.He mayi intervene aggressively in an attempt to recover ajob the newcomer has lost through drinking, or to discover a new job. He 6

may make loans of money,provide clothing or other necessities.He may check up on the newcomer,through frequent visits or telephone calls, to make sure that the new man is not tempted to drink again. He may, in short, give a plausible demonstration of how to direct another person’s life. While his motives may always be excellent and impersonal,the “protective”sponsor faces two risks. First, he may unconsciously lead the newcomer to visualize the sponsor,rather than the A.A. program, as the source of dependable sobriety. Secondly, the sponsor himself may be tempted to believe that his own good works, rather than the principles of thc rccovery program, are the key factors in helping others to attain sobriety.Experience has shown that the results in either case can be disastrous to both sponsor and newcomer. Nearly all newcomers need and want a helping hand. The feeling that someone is interested in them and anxious to help them is, as so many men and women have aclknowledged, A.A.’s first great gift to the confused alcoholic.But most new members also want to get back upon their own two feet as rapidly as possible. Once they begin to think clearly again, they want to make their own decisions and thcir own plans. Thus, the protective sponsor runs the risk of doing too good a job in his efforts to help the newcomer get the program. He may wind up by irritating him or by creating friction within the group. Each of these three patterns of sponsorship has its enthusiasts.The sponsor who is “gruff and tough”with beginners is frequently successful with men and women who might take advantage of a less forthright A.A. member. The casual approach is often surprisingly effective.And there are problem drinkers who, in their first stage of sobriety,would be lost and confused without the benevolent care they get from the “protective” sponsor. Members who have been active as sponsors suggest that there is no one best approach for 10

trying to make the newcomer feel at home in the program.The most important factor, they feel, is exposed to the type of sponsor who can be most helpful. This does not always happen overnight.Frequently a newcomer will identify himself with one sponsor for several days or weeks before he senses that some one else in the group might be more congenial or more helpful in interpreting the program to him. The sponsor, on his side,may feel that he is not making the progress he should be making with his prospect. If he is realistic,he will talk the situation over with other members of the group, with the result that a new sponsor assumes responsibility for helping the new man get his feet on the ground in A.A. Alcoholics being human, no single A.A. member is likely to combine all the virtues of an ideal sponsor. There are, however, a number of factors on which nearly all sponsors, whatever their approach, can agree. ‘They agree, for example, that sponsorship, to be effective, needs first to be looked upon as a positive, constructive activity,rather than as a burdensome chore.A sponsor, they feel, should reflect enthusiasm in his contacts with newcomers, without trying to “sell” them on A.A. Some A.A.’s believe there is a clearcut distinction between a so-called Twelfth Step call on a prospect, and sponsorship. The Twelfth Step call, they point out,involves delivering the story of A.A. to the problem drinker who has asked for help. It is essentially one specific assignment and it can be considered completed when the A.A. member has described the society and what it has meant to him. Others suggest that sponsorship is aform of continuing Twelfth Step work. Sponsorship may be a long-range activity, with no fixed termination date. A sponsor,in effect, may assume responsibility for helping the newcomer develop and grow in A.A.He may retain his interest in the A.A.welfare of the newcomer for as long as this may be necessary. It is not uncommon for men and women who have been in A.A. for many years to turn to their sponsors 11

for guidance and counsel when a disturbing problem arises. There is also general agrcement that sponsorship work helps an A.A. member to preserve and strcngthen his own sobriety and that it is also helpful in assuring the continued growth of an A.A. group. Sponsorship is, in essence, an active process of sharing sobriety. In A.A., both individuals and groups protect their assets best when they share them most freely. THE SPONSOR old-timers.Although the experience of the older members is naturally a valuable reserve upon which the newcomer can draw,a man who has been dry in A.A. for only a few weeks may, by his very proximity to recent drinking disasters, be extremely efective in working with people who have followed him in seeking out the recovery program. What does a sponsor actually do? Practice varies from group to group and from individual to individual but experience shows that there are at least six responsibilities that are commonly assumed by most A.A. sponsors. Arelatively.small proportion of newcomers require extended medical treatment. Some,how. ever, have a definite need for it. The sponsor does not prescribe medication (sedatives, for example)or any othcr form of treatment.He leaves that to the professionals. But,if the need is apparent, he will help the new man get to a doctor.In areas where hospital facilities are available to alcoholics, the sponsor will pave the way for admitting his new friend.Usually, this is possible through an A.A. Central or Intergroup Office. During these first contacts, the sponsor will make a thorough effort to cxplain the A.A.program to the alcoholic.He may interpret it in terms of his own experience or he may rely upon the Big Book of A.A. cxperience and upon other 12

approved A.A.literature. If the new man is hospitalized, the sponsor will try to visit him frequently,probably in the company of other older members who may be able to contribute to the ncwcomer’s understanding of A.A.The wise sponsor is careful, however,not to deluge the newcomer with too much A.A., too soon.He appreciates that a man who has suddenly made a decision to stop drinking is likely to feel confused and insecure; he lets the newcomer unburden himself. When the period of hospitalization is over, the newcomer may still be in no condition to solve the many problems which have accumulated during his drinking days.He may need additional rest and convalescence. Knowing this,the sponsor may suggest that the new man spend some time in a rest home available to alcoholics.He will explain that A.A.itself does not maintain such facilities but that individual members in some localities have established homes or farms where the convalescent can recuperate in sympathetic surroundings. If the alcoholic agrees that he needs (and can afford) additional rest, the sponsor makes the necessary arrangements.He also arranges to meet the newcomer as soon as he returns. Most alcoholics who turn to A.A.are able to work out the first tortured days of sobriety without being hospitalized. They may still be shaky and insecure but they are ready to try A.A. This is the point at which most A.A. sponsors take over in carnest. They encourage the newcomer to attend as many A.A.meetings as possible and they provide the transportation and the companionship that will help make the newcomer’s first exposure to A.A.enjoyable and helpful.This second phase of sponsorship getting the newcomer in the habit of attending A.A. meetings is regarded by nearly all old timers as one of the most crucial elements in sponsorship. Throughout this phase the sponsor constantly reminds the newcomer of the importance of keeping “an open mind” on the subject of alcoholism and that A.A. is a positive, not a punitive, pro- 13

gram. He warns him that he may hcar dull speakers, boring speakers and speakers with viewpoints divergent from his own. But he also reminds the new man that each speaker, in his or her own way, bas acbieved sobriety through A.A. He reminds him that, inevitably,the newcomer will hear one or more speakers whose experience, interpretations and viewpoints parallel his own. He further reminds him that A.A. does not in any way dictate a particular conception of the A.A. program, or of the Higher Power upon which many members rely. If prior personal obligations make it impossible for the sponsor to escort his new charge to meetings, he usually asks another older member to pinch-hit for him. At the meetings themselves a special effort is made to introduce the newcomer to members whose experience is known to be similar to his own. The third area in which many sponsors are helpful centers on the newcomer’s family.By the time they turn to A.A. many alcoholics have completely disrupted the normal patterns of family life.Sometimes the scars are so deep and the damage so scrious that little or nothing can be done immediately to bring a family together again. Often, however, the sponsor can be helpful by discussing the nature of alcoholism and the A.A. program of recovery with members of the newcomer’s family..By seeking their understanding and support, he attempts to provide a favorable background for the newcomer’s growth in A.A. sobriety. Fourthly, the sponsor may, if it seems advisable,intercede with an employer who has discharged the newcomer for drinking, or who is threatening to do so. In such cases, he merely tries to explain what alcoholism is and how A.A. has been the route through which many once unemployable drinkers have later achieved total sobriety. He may leave with the employer a copy of the special A.A.pamphlet, “The Alcoholic Employee. If,after a short burst of enthusiasm for the A.A. program, the newcomer secms to be skipping attendance at meetings, the sponsor steps dis- 14

crcetly into the picture.He avoids cajolery or browbeating but he tries to emphasize to the new man that regular meeting attendance appears to be the easiest and safest way to assure long-range sobriety.If the newcomer seems to be involved in some personality conflict within his group, the sponsor may suggest that he become associated with another nearby group. This fifth “follow-up,” activity has bcen credited by newcomers themselves with 1 preventing many relapses.“”Just when I was getting a little cocky y and beginning to think I could stay sober without going to meetings, my sponsor brought me back to reality with a single telephone call,” one member recalls.“Now that I have been in A.A. a while, I can appreciate how much that one call meant to me. I have seen too many newcomers have slips simply because they got careless about meeting attendance – and no one took the troublc to check up on them.” If a newcomer does have a slip, the conscientious sponsor is not concerned primarily with its cause, but with the simple problem of getting the new man back on the program at theearliest moment. This calls for tact, patience and diplomacy.The newcomer may be inclined to feel that he has disgraced himself and his sponsor; the sponsor must reassure him that this is not the case, that the important thing is not to worry about something g that bas happened,but to take steps to prevent its recurrence. The newcomer who has slipped may not express the slightest desire for getting back on the program for days, weeks or months; there is nothing the sponsor can do but wait andbe ready to wclcome the newcomer when he finally decides that he really needs A.A. Finally, when the new man does return to A.A. (and informal tabulations suggest that most “slippers” do come back), the sponsor makes it casy for him to rejoin the group with a minimum of embarrassment. Summarizing the things a sponsor does, one might say that he seeks to combine the most important aspects of guide, counselor, friend and constructive critic. When all goes well, the sum totalof these functions is one more alcoholic 15

freed of the obsession to drink,able to face life realistically and ready to share his own A.A. sobriety with the next newcomer down the line. As the A.A. sponsorship idea has evolved over the years, it has become apparent that there are some things that it is not wise for a sponsor to do. First, the experienced sponsor does not “baby” a newcomer.He does not worry unduly about the newcomer who obviously is not honest or sincere in trying to achieve sobriety through A.A. In such cases, the sponsor will review the A.A. program carefully with both the newcomer and his family.Hewill emphasize that,if the alcoholic wants to stay sober,he must make the crucial decision for his own betterment,and not in a devious gesture at keeping peace in his family or with an employer. Having made himself clear on this point,the sponsor may leave the newcomer completely alone until he demonstrates a genuine interest in A.A. Secondly,the sponsor rarely,if ever,lends money to a newcomer.If he advances small amounts for immediate pressing needs such as food, clothing or shelter,he will usually regard such sums as gifts.The older member of A.A. knows from experience that many destitute men and women have achieved sobriety in A.A. without financial assistance because they wanted sobriety more than anything clsc.He knows that money, or the lack of it, has almost nothing to do with the attainment of sobriety. Finally, the experienced sponsor is careful not to permit himself to feel self-righteous about his work with other alcoholics.He appreciates realistically that work of this type gives him an opportunity for expressing his gratitude to A.A THE NEWCOMER AND SPONSORSHIP FEW NEWCOMERS to A.A.have a very clear idea of what they are getting themselves into. They understand vaguely that A.A. is a society of some kind with regular meetings and meeting places, yet they have been assured that there is no 16

formal organization within the movemcnt.They have been told that it was the first drink that was responsible for their downfall,yet the record shows that the first drink never gave them any trouble.They have been told that anonymity is the invisible hallmark of the movement and of its members, yet the first thing they hear at most meetings is the voice of a speaker proclaiming: “My name is John Jones and I am an alcoholic.” To the newcomer, A.A. is a series of bewildering paradoxes.Many things puzzle him.He wants to ask questions. He wants to be able to explain A.A. to his family and to others who may question him about the movement.Most of all, if he is completely honest in his approach,he wants to identify himself with the new friends he has made and be accepted as a member of the group. From the newcomer’s point of view, he can guide him during the critical period of transition into the fellowship of non-drinkers. Literature is no complete substitute for human warmth and friendship. Speakers at mcetings occasionally raise many questions which, as far as the new. comer is concerned,go unanswered.A sponsor, bearing in mind his own days as a newcomer, can bridgc the gap from one way of life to another. A sponsor, out of his own experience and knowledge, can anticipate the questions and problems that crowd in upon the newcomer during his first days in A.A. Occasionally a newcomer will brush off the friendly approach of a sponsor, indicating that he wants to adjust to the A.A. program without help. Such people are not being stubborn. They prefer to work things out for themselves.Most oldtimers in A.A. agree that sponsorship should be available to all newcomers, but forced upon none. The right of a newcomer to select a sponsor of his own choosing is fundamental. Many persons, after they have been dry a while,discover that they have grown closer to some member of their group other than the man or woman who first hclped them over the hurdles and into A.A. 17

Yet these newcomers hesitate to speak of their new friends as their sponsors for fear of possibly offending the first A.A.’s they met. Such fears, as older mcmbers will affirm,are unfounded.No conscientious sponsor feels that he has a permanent lien on the A.A. careers of the new people he works with. The newcomer is free at any time to turn to any one in the group for help and guidance in preserving his sobriety. Early in his association with A.A., the newcomer will learn that only one thing is expected of him —honesty.Primarily,the newcomer is expected to be honest with himself. Of course, he is also expected to be honest in his dealings with older members.Where alcoholism is concerned, the person who trics to deceive another alcoholic fools no one and little damage usually results.But when the alcoholic refuses to be honest with himself in facing up to his drinking problems, he makes the achievement of sobriety doubly difficult for himself. The new person in A.A. who hears or reads references to“newcomers,”“old-timers”and “sponsors” may wonder when he will cease to be timer.” He may also wonder what requirements he must have to act as a sponsor to some other alcoholic.In this connection,several points should be noted, First,the terms “newcomer”and “old-timer” do not necessarily refer to the quality of the sobrietyattributedto the men or women they describe.In A.A. the quality of a person’s sobriety is not measured chronologically.Some newcomers adjust to the A.A. way of life immediately.They lose even the faintcst desire for a drink.Their personalities undergo marked changes for the better.Conversely, some oldtimers are still plagued by the tempting thought of a drink.For one reason or another, their sobriety is not completely enjoyable and this lack of enjoyment is reflected in their daily attitudes toward life. Second,since the essence of sponsorship in A.A.is the sharing of sobriety, any newcomer 18

who is reasonably secure in his sobriety can undertake the role of sponsor. In fact, the sooner a newcomer can begin to share his experience with others who need help, the sooner will he appreciate in all its fullness the great miracle of sobriety committed to his stewardship. THE GROUP AND SPONSORSHIP groups were smal, few and far between, it was relativelyeasyfor allthemembers ofalocal the newcomer at the door. Many humorous anecdotes recite the ardor with which the new person was welcomed into the group, the community of interest in keeping the newcomer sober and the recurring fear that he might escape the benevolent eyes of the pioneers and revert to the bottle. In those days the welfare of the newcomer was a matter of concern to all who had preceded him into the fellowship. All the older members were, in effect, his sponsors. During the subscquent period of the society’s great growth, something of this feeling of group responsibility for the newcomer was lost.In many areas, notably in the larger cities, the groups became so large that the newcomer was not readily identifiable.The stranger at the door might be the speaker of the evening from a ncigh boring group. Or he might be a travelling salesman from a distant city anxious not to miss a weekly contact with A.A.He might even be a newcomer. The sponsorship idca fourished during this period but it was no longer a matter of group sponsorship. The feeling of group responsibility had been replaced in many groups by a more personal concept of sponsorship. Today, personal responsibility is being supplemented by group responsibility in many areas. More and more groups are taking steps to assure that no newcomer will ever fail to be helped because he felt, justly or unjustly, that A.A. was 19

not interested in him.They are careful not to discourage the interest of doctors or friends of alcoholics,even though a particular alcoholic for whom they are concerned may not yet be willing to try A.A.These groups recognize that their survival andgrowth are clearly linkedto the degree and quality of help they offer to the newcomer and to those who are interested in him. In many groups today, one or more “oldtimers”are often assigned informally to any newcomer who does not seem to have a sponsor. Thcse old-timers make it a point to look for the new man at meetings, to make sure that no pressing problems are disturbing him, and to introduce him to other alcoholics who may have similar jobs or hobbies.They encourage the newcomer to visit with other members after the speaking portion of the mceting is completed. If he has difficulty in getting transportation to the meeting, they may arrange for him to be picked up, or may pick him up themselves. If the newcomer fails to attend a meeting,his appointed sponsors will check up, informally and without pressure, by telephone or through a brief personal visit.If the new man continues to stay away from meetings, his case may be discussed sympathetically at a closed meeting of the group. Other members of the group may be asked to look into the situation to determine whether the newcomer is sincere in his once-expressed desire for sobriety. Many groups appoint informal committees to welcome strangers to meetings and determine whether they are newcomers. As each newcomer is identified, he is introduced to some one else in the group who attcmpts to make him feel “at home” in his new surroundings. In some areas special meetings are held for A.A.”beginners.”The newcomer’s sponsor assumes the responsibility for encouraging his charge to attend these meetings with him. Many group secretaries are careful to include the names and telephonc numbers of all newcomers on typewritten or mimeographed rosters distributed two or three times a year to all mem- 20

bers.Older members are encouraged to keep in touch with the new people and to include them in social affairs involving A.A.’s. Program committees in some groups are cautionedinformally not to forget to schedule the newer members as speakers when they become “eligible,” which is usually after they have been dry for a reasonable period. Membership on other service committees is also encouraged for newcomers who have demonstrated their interest in thegroup. In group after group, these and other steps are being taken as the concept of sponsorship is broadened to extend a helping hand from all the older members of the group to all the newcomers. 21

A.A.PUBLICATIONS APPROVED BY THE GENERAL SERVICE CONFERENCE OF AA BOOK ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (400 pages,$3.50) PAMPHLETS THE SOCIETY OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS A.A. FOR THE WOMAN MEDICINE LOOKS AT A.A. SEDATIVES AND THE ALCOHOLIC THE ALCOHOLIC EMPLOYEE A.A.—QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS THIS IS A.A STRUCTURE AND SERVICES OF A.A. SPONSORSHIP PERIODICALS THE A.A. GRAPEVINE (Monthly, $2.50 per year) GENERAL SERVICE HEADQUARTERS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS P.O.B0X 459 GRAND CENTRAL ANNEX NEW YORK 17,N.Y.

THE TWELVE TRADITIONS OFALCOHOLICSANONYMOUS 1Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity. 2For 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. 3The only requirement for A.A. membership is 2 desire to stop drinking. 4Each_group should be autonomous, cxcept in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole. 5Each group has but one primary purposeto carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers. 6An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance or lend the AA. name to any related facility or outside enterprise lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary spiritual aim. 7Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. 8Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special worlkers. 9-A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve. 10Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy. 11Our public rclations policy is based on attraction 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 above personalities.