The Collection of Connected Speakers

Events that lead to the creation of the Big Book Awakening Workbook & Fellowship of the Spirit Conferences

The collection of talks on these two pages are the result of listening to Dan Sherman relate the events that led to him writing the Big Book Awakening Workbook. Inspired by his history talk, I started searching for talks made by each of those he listed in the sponsorship lineage. I put together the information shown on this page from listening to each of the talks. Listening for common threads, I found the following three subjects woven throughout the collection of talks:

• the sponsorship lineage that Dan Sherman gave in his talk
• the creation of the Big Book Awakening Workbook and Workshops
• the beginnings of the Fellowship of the Spirit Conference

"The Sponsorship Lineage" also known as helping others

When Dan gave his sponsorship lineage, I began to track down talks given by each of the individuals mentioned during a talk. The project grew as different speakers mentioned others that had impacted their lives. The effort evolved into months of listening to these talks; most are now personal favorites. The speakers have now become familiar friends, each leaving a trail within my own life. The talks share a common message; listen and see if you hear it.

• During the events in Winnipeg and Denver, Dan's accounts differed from the versions provided by those directly involved. Considering that Dan resided in California, his knowledge of those events was not firsthand. When there were discrepancies in facts, I went with the person with the closest firsthand knowledge.
• Some of the older speakers did not refer to themselves as "sponsors" because the word "sponsor" does not appear in the first 164 pages of the Big Book. Each speaker's presentation offers insights into their personality and shares their experiences through their unique perspective.
• It's important to note that the views expressed by one speaker do not necessarily represent those of all the individuals in this collection. Some speakers told their audiences that if they stated something the Big Book did not support, the listener should reject it.
• Comparing a speaker's earliest to more recent talks highlights the principles that became part of their lifelong journey.

The chain begins with Bill Wilson working with Dr. Bob Smith, we who live this way of life each share these two men in our heritage, even though we may have some unknown links to them.
Dr. Bob Smith sponsored both Paul Stanley and Earl Treat.
Bill Wilson sponsored Tom Powers. Tom Powers was the first sponsor of Paul Martin.
Paul Stanley impacted the life of Paul Martin.
Earl Treat also sponsored Paul Martin, at a different time in his life.
Paul Martin sponsored Gary Brown.
Gary Brown sponsored Don Pritts and Bob O.
Don Pritts, from this group, sponsored Joe Hawk, Mark Houston, and Don C.
When Joe Hawk moved from Denver to Santa Monica CA he sponsored Dan Sherman.
Although not his sponsor, Joe guided Clint Hodges through the Big Book, line-by-line when Clint had 20+ years of sobriety.
Dan Sherman authored the Big Book Awakening Workbook.
Tyla C brought Mark Houston to San Diego to present a Big Book Weekend for a Women's Retreat. This retreat was the beginning of BBA in San Diego.
Mark Houston sponsored Tyla C.
(note: the roots of AA evolved from the Oxford Group. For information on Bill W, Dr Bob, Oxford Group, and early pioneers see the history page on this site)

The Common Denominator

All the individuals listed on these pages are connected through a single event, regardless of whether they were physically present or alive at the time. Some participated, some sponsored the participants, and some were sponsored or influenced by a participant. The event took place during the 1975 AA International Convention in Denver, where a workshop was conducted on helping individuals struggling with sobriety. The workshop host was Mac Cheater and members of his group "The Golden Slippers" from Winnipeg, Canada. It included the history of their group and personal experiences from members.

The Golden Slippers started when two men asked Mac to guide them through the Big Book to help them stay sober. They read and discussed each sentence in the first 164 pages of the book, taking the actions listed in the book together during their meetings. This approach was successful, and soon others asked to join the group. Members of the Denver Young People's AA Group were inspired by the workshop and formed a similar group in Denver that met weekly in the basement of a house owned by Jay Lebie in an area known as "Goat Hill." Members recall chasing goats off the front porch to get to the front door.

The group initially had 14 members and followed the same approach of reading the Big Book together and taking the actions together. One member, Eddie Durkin, left a meeting before completing Step 2. He went to a bar, then passed out in the doorway of a nearby store. The temperature dropped below freezing and unfortunately Eddie was not discovered until the next morning. He froze to death that night. The remaining 13 members completed the process described in the first 164 pages of the Big Book, and have since maintained continuous sobriety. The influence of these members has now spread around the globe. The identified members of the group in Denver included Gary Brown, Don Pritts, Bob O, Big Frank McKibben, and Jay Lebie. The remaining members were not identified in the current collection. If you're interested, you can listen to Mac's 1975 Denver workshop.

Creation of the Big Book Awakening Workbook

When Joe Hawk, sponsored by Don Pritts, moved from Denver to Santa Monica, he began to sponsor Dan Sherman, who became the author of the "Big Book Awakening Workbook." As Dan worked through the Big Book with Joe, he would write his questions directly into his Big Book. He did this because he misunderstood Joe's directions to write down questions before the next work session. Joe noticed Dan wrote directly in the book but said nothing as the method worked for him. Once Dan began to sponsor others, he formed a work group to take them through the Big Book together. One group member struggled with reading and organizing his thoughts. In an attempt to help, Dan gave each person a copy so the man struggling would not feel called out. As the group progressed, they made suggestions and corrections to the notes, which evolved into a guidebook. The edited version became the now-book version of the Big Book Awakening Workbook. Joe Hawk and Mark Houston began taking Dan's Workbook to the workshops they gave nationwide. These were offered to the participants at the seminars as something that would guide them after the weekend was over. Initially, a set of copied sheets stapled together, a taper at one of these events, had them bound together with a plastic spline. This version was eventually bound into a soft copy version that made the workbook attractive, increasing the guide's popularity. The "Big Book Awakening Workbook" intends to guide the process, not replace the text of the Big Book.

More information on the BBA Workbook and Workshops.

Beginnings of the Fellowship of the Spirit Conference

There are others, listed on this page, that are branches off this main tree. They do not all use the BBA but follow the same method of working the steps from the Big Book. The Denver group desired to have a more intimate conference that that provided by the Colorado State Convention. The state convention is a large event with more than 1,500 persons and held over a weekend. Mickey M and Don Pritts shared the same AA home group and talked about having a family friendly recovery event where they could all get to know each other better. From these talks a group met and Mickey and Don put up the initial deposit to hold a venue in Breckenridge CO for the summer 1992. The first conference was called the "Breckenridge Conference" with a theme "Fellowship of the Spirit". Don was insistent that 12-step workshops be included in the agenda. During their public appearances, Don Pritts & Joe Hawk started spreading the word of the 1992 conference. The result was 225 people from 25 different states attending the inaugural event. As news of the conference spread, individuals from across the US and a few international locations, registered and attended. Since this first conference, the format has been replicated worldwide. Mickey M includes many detailed aspects of the conference's history in his talks.

The Collection

This collection includes an overview of each person mentioned in the sponsorship lineage and if available, a collection of their talks, workshops, and writings. They also include additional details to the events described above. Persons that were either involved or mentioned during the talks are also included. The narratives on this page were gleaned from listening to the talks on this collection.

William Griffith Wilson (1895-1971)

Bill was born in Vermont and raised by his grandparents. In 1916, when Pancho Villa invaded the United States, Bill and his entire school class were activated in the Vermont National Guard, but they were not deployed to the US Border. The following year, he became a commissioned artillery officer. It was during his military training in Massachusetts that Bill had his first drink, which he considered to be "the elixir of life". Soon, he began drinking to the point of passing out. In 1918, he married Lois shortly before being deployed to World War I as a 2nd lieutenant in the Coast Artillery, stationed in England. After the war, his drinking escalated and, combined with the Great Depression and his own depression, left him and his wife Lois without a solution for living. Eventually, Bill found a solution to his drinking problem through a spiritual experience, involvement with the Oxford Group, and working with fellow individuals struggling with alcoholism. Notably, the word "sponsor" does not appear within the first 164 pages of the Big Book. However, Bill referred to many individuals as his sponsor or advisor over the years. Notably, he sometimes mentioned Ebby, possibly as a way of honoring the person who first brought him the message. Bill also sought guidance from other individuals, such as Bob Smith, Anne Smith, Father Ed, and Rev Sam Shoemaker. The Bill Wilson Collection on the history page of this site contains a collection of talks by Bill. You can find it by clicking this link:Bill was born in Vermont and raised by his grandparents. In 1916, when Pancho Villa invaded the United States, Bill and his entire school class were activated in the Vermont National Guard, but they were not deployed to the US Border. The following year, he became a commissioned artillery officer. It was during his military training in Massachusetts that Bill had his first drink, which he considered to be "the elixir of life". Soon, he began drinking to the point of passing out. In 1918, he married Lois shortly before being deployed to World War I as a 2nd lieutenant in the Coast Artillery, stationed in England. After the war, his drinking escalated and, combined with the Great Depression and his own depression, left him and his wife Lois without a solution for living. Eventually, Bill found a solution to his drinking problem through a spiritual experience, involvement with the Oxford Group, and working with fellow individuals struggling with alcoholism. Notably, the word "sponsor" does not appear within the first 164 pages of the Big Book. However, Bill referred to many individuals as his sponsor or advisor over the years. Notably, he sometimes mentioned Ebby, possibly as a way of honoring the person who first brought him the message. Bill also sought guidance from other individuals, such as Bob Smith, Anne Smith, Father Ed, and Rev Sam Shoemaker. The Bill Wilson Collection on the history page of this site contains a collection of talks by Bill. You can find his collection at the Bill Wilson collection on the history page.

Dr Robert Holbrook “Bob” Smith (1879-1950) - Co-Founder of AA

Dr. Bob, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), was an American physician and surgeon who, along with Bill Wilson, established Alcoholics Anonymous. Bob struggled with alcoholism from a young age, persisting through the early years of his marriage and professional career. As his alcoholism worsened, he sought a solution to his problem. With the support of his wife, Anne R. Smith, he began attending meetings of the Oxford Group, a Christian evangelical fellowship. This group, founded by Dr. Frank N. D. Buchman in 1919, is considered a forerunner of AA due to its focus on self-examination, acknowledging character flaws, making amends, relying on a higher power, and assisting others. In May of 1935, Bob met Bill Wilson while on a business trip to Akron. Bill, who was on the brink of relapsing into alcoholism, sought out another alcoholic involved in the Oxford Group. The two supported each other in their struggles, engaging in discussions, reading the Bible together, and reviewing Oxford Group principles, all of which influenced the development of AA and its seminal 12-step recovery program. Dr. Bob passed away from cancer at City Hospital in Akron, Ohio on November 16, 1950, at the age of 71. The Dr Bob collection on the history page on this site contains the collection of talks by Dr Bob.

"Let's not louse it all up with Freudian complexes and things that are interesting to the scientific mind, but have very little to do with our actual AA work. Our 12 Steps, when simmered down to the last, resolve themselves into the words love and service. We understand what love is and we understand what service is. So let's bear those two things in mind."

Paul Stanley (AA) of Akron OH (1895 - 1953)

Paul was an early member of the group in Akron and had his last drink on July 2, 1936. Dr. Bob would visit his house on Tuesdays and Thursdays to have coffee and discuss recovery. Initially, their discussions centered around honesty, but after a few meetings, Bob suggested that Paul be honest with himself, leading the topic to change to faith in God. This evolved into what is now known as sponsorship. Paul dedicated himself to 12th-step work, visiting Clarence Snyder in the hospital several times and guiding his brother, Dick Stanley, into AA. Dick's story, "The Car Smasher," in the first edition of the Big Book, was later rewritten and renamed "He Had to be Shown." Paul's story in the first edition was titled "Truth Freed Me!" In 1949, Paul gave a talk that was heard by Paul Martin. This talk had a lasting impact on Martin's life. Before an accident, Paul sponsored a young man named Paul Kiebler, who lived until 1989. In his later years, Kiebler shared many details of his experiences with Paul Stanley and the early days of the Akron group with Dr. Bob, including how they utilized the Four Absolutes when taking the steps. You can find Paul Stanley's full AA bio at the aainthedesert.org site.

Earl Treat (AA) of Chicago (1893 - 1962)

Earl grew up in the Akron area. In 1930, he moved to Chicago and struggled with alcoholism, prompting his wife, Katie, to call his father for help. His father brought him back to Akron, and for the next five years, he went back and forth between Chicago and Akron, trying to get sober. In January of 1937, while in Akron with his father, attempting to get sober, his father told him about a group in Akron that had also dealt with alcoholism and had found a way to stay sober. Initially, Earl resisted their help, believing he could rely on willpower alone. However, his attitude changed after several months, and he was willing to talk to the men in Akron. When they arrived in Akron, they woke up Howard, an ex-doctor, and he spent two hours talking to Earl that night. Following their discussion, Earl was allowed to attend his first meeting after meeting with eight or nine Akron men. Bill Dotson, AA Number Three, chaired that first meeting. There were eight or nine alcoholics at the meeting and seven or eight wives. There was no Big Book yet and no literature except various religious pamphlets. The meeting lasted an hour and closed with the Lord's Prayer. Then they had coffee and doughnuts and more discussion until early morning. Earl stayed in Akron for two or three weeks and spent much time with Dr. Bob, who took him through the steps in one afternoon. Dr. Bob helped with the moral inventory by pointing out some of his flawed personality traits or character defects. Earl wished every alcoholic could benefit from this type of sponsorship today. He returned to Chicago in 1937 and started AA there. After a time, he got angry when his wife criticized him for drinking coffee and smoking, and over this situation, he slipped. Earl is the heavy smoker and coffee drinker mentioned on page 135 in "The Family Afterwards." When he slipped, he realized that the alcoholic must continue taking his own inventory daily if he expects to get well and stay well.

Dr. Dan Craske began referring prospects to him, and another doctor in Evanston referred a woman. Sylvia Kauffmann, the author of the story "The Keys to the Kingdom," was this woman. Earl suggested she go to Akron. There, they dried her out and explained the program to her, after which she returned to Chicago to work with Earl. Earl urged Bill Wilson to codify the AA experience, resulting in Bill writing "Twelve Points to Assure Our Future," first published in the April 1946 AA Grapevine. These are now known as the long form of the traditions. Earl later urged him to shorten them to the Twelve Traditions as we know them today. Earl died on October 16, 1962, with more than twenty-five years of sobriety. His story "He Sold Himself Short" was in the 2nd and 3rd editions of the Big Book. You can also find his full AA bio at the aainthedesert.org site and at the aaagnostica.org site.
One of the men Earl sponsored was Paul Martin.
(note: There are a few differences between the story in the book and the one above. His book story states his father was an alcoholic who died in 1901, when he was eight years old. His mother did remarry so it might of been his step-father who kept taking him for help.)

Tom Powers (AA) of Chappaqua NY (1911-2005)

Tom spent most of his career in Advertising Agencies in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and New York City. Tom attended his first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in White Plains, New York, in October 1941. After a few years of successful sobriety in AA, he struggled with AA's use of God and slowly stopped attending AA. Tom relapsed multiple times and was hospitalized many times but remained a hardened alcoholic and drug addict.

However, during Easter weekend in 1946, Tom had a spiritual awakening, which marked a turning point in his battle with addiction. With the help of Bill Wilson as his sponsor, Tom regained sobriety in October 1946. He became an influential speaker within the AA community, emphasizing the significance of maintaining a connection with a Higher Power.

Tom also played a role in the editing of several AA publications, including "The Twelve Steps and The Twelve Traditions," and "AA Comes of Age." In 1958, Tom had a falling out with Bill Wilson over a disagreement. Despite this, he continued his work in the field of addiction treatment, establishing the East Ridge Clinic in Callicoon, NY, in 1961. At the clinic, he applied the Twelve-Step Program to address various addictions, including drugs, eating disorders, and sex addiction. a spiritual awakening. Returning to AA, with Bill Wilson as his sponsor, Powers gained sobriety in October 1946. He became a circuit speaker, sharing the importance of conscious contact with a Higher Power. When Bill started writing the book "The Twelve Steps and The Twelve Traditions," he recruited Tom and magazine editor Betty Love to assist in the editing. They would meet in "At Wits End," the office Bill built behind his house called "Stepping Stones" in Bedford Hills, NY. Tom also edited AA Comes of Age and a few other AA pamphlets. Tom always considered Bill Wilson his sponsor, although he disassociated himself from Bill over a disagreement in 1958. Some members still consider Tom controversial due to statements made in interviews after Bill Wilson's death. After his break with Bill Wilson, he moved to Hankins, NY. He established the East Ridge Clinic in Callicoon, NY, in 1961. Tom applied the Twelve-Step Program to treat addictions such as drugs, eating, and sex. The East Ridge principles of recovery evolved into a recovery community known as All Addicts Anonymous (AAA), that still operates today. In 1979, his book "Invitation To A Great Experiment" (Doubleday, 1979) was released. His work with AAA has been carried on by his son. Gary B, during his 2008 Salt Lake City talk, states Tom Powers was Paul Martin's first AA sponsor.

"For the first time in all my years in AA, I took the card in my hand and read the Twelve Steps carefully, slowly, trying to understand what they are saying. I began to do this every day. I also read the Big Book, studying it as what it is: a textbook on the application of the Steps." from The Program Is A Life Jacket, by Tom Powers Sr.

Paul Martin (AA) of Riverside IL (1922-2009)

When he was just 25, in 1947, Paul became sober. Paul grew up in Southern Georgia. Over his lifetime, he was a WWII Navy pilot, a professional wrestler, and a boxer, ending up as a writer. His articles appeared in many magazines and were a staple in the Chicago Sunday Tribune Magazine. He also authored many books. Personal friends with Bill and Lois, he was their house guest several times at Stepping Stones. Paul loved to laugh, and his talks were full of jokes while his message was "the path to recovery is by daily working the steps." In 1949, Paul heard a talk by Paul Stanley, whom Dr. Bob sponsored. Paul Stanley's talk changed his life. Gary B, in his 2008 Salt Lake City talk, states that Tom Powers was Paul's first sponsor in AA. Other speakers mention Paul was sponsored by Earl Treat. Both of these statements are probably correct over Paul's lifetime. In 2009 Paul lost his battle with cancer, he died with 62 years of sobriety. His obituary-eulogy can be found online at the Chicago Sun-Times site.
One of the many men Paul Martin sponsored was Gary B. Gary met Paul in 1973 when Paul spoke at the Wyatts AA Group meeting in Denver. Big Frank McKibben told him Paul was one speaker he should not miss. Gary recalls the talk, "I left the meeting knowing that I had just met a man who believed that the 12 Step program of AA was indeed "sufficient" for alcoholics and anyone else who might be motivated to go to the lengths we need." In 1985, Gary asked Paul to be his sponsor. Details of this relationship are in Gary's section on this page.
 "Recovery occurs by working the 12 Steps, not by attending meetings" - Paul
 "The same steps that got me sober, are the same steps that will heal any situation in my sobriety" - Paul

Mac Cheater (AA) of Winnipeg Canada (1922-1983)

Mac (Neil MacKenzie Cheater) organized the Golden Slippers in Winnipeg, a group for chronic "slippers." The group met once a week and studied/worked the Big Book line by line to stay sober. Mac and other group members presented a workshop at the 1975 AA International Convention in Denver. This meeting sparked a group from the Denver Young People's Group to incorporate the same method of working the steps. This group included Don Pritts and Gary B. Mac, who served as a Trustee for AA, is considered the father of AA in Canada or at the least a pioneer in Canadian AA. Mac left an example of a life of service and sponsorship driven by the love and care he gave to others.
"The study of the Big Book must be a Spiritual process not an academic process" - Mac Cheater

Gary Brown (AA) of Indianapolis (1940-2024)

Gary grew up on a farm in Cheyenne, WY. He began drinking as a teenager and later joined the military, but was discharged after six months. Gary returned home and married his high school girlfriend, and they had three girls. His struggles with alcohol led to his life falling apart. At the age of 24, his father-in-law sent him to a rehab facility, where he became sober in 1964 through Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). After getting sober, he had the opportunity to earn a college degree in accounting, which he completed in 1968. He then moved to Denver to work in the oil industry and became involved with the Denver Young People Group. Gary was one of the group of 14 that worked the steps line by line in the Big Book together in the basement on Goat Hill.

In Denver, Gary was sponsored by Paul Martin. Gary sponsored Don Pritts and Bob O. He moved to Indianapolis in 1977, where he became a member of the Dignitary Sympathy AA Group. Despite over 20 years of sobriety, Gary found himself in trouble in 1985 and reached out to Paul Martin, who had him work through the 4th step again. With the assistance of a group, Gary shared his 5th step with multiple individuals and wrote his amends list over a weekend. His life was transformed again.

Gary has been a circuit speaker for many years and was involved in starting the first Fellowship of the Spirit Conference in 1992 in Breckenridge, Colorado. In his talks, Gary often mentions a Denver group member named Ernie, who experienced a transformation after meeting Bob White in Lake Whitney, Texas. Bob White helped Ernie work through the 12 steps, and he returned to Denver as a changed man.
"If your are trying to live a spiritual life and you tell a lie in one part of your life, it will impact every other area of your life" - Gary Brown

Don Pritts (AA) of Aurora CO (1934-2005)

Don grew up in an average family in the Denver area. From an early age, he felt he was different from everyone else, no matter what group he was in. His first drink at 11 made him sick. He started drinking at 15 in high school and thought he had found the cure for his insecurities. Don was the only alcoholic in his family. Don joined the Navy at 19 but served time in a military prison for repeated offenses of being absent without leave due to his drinking activities.

The following events may not be chronological as they are gleaned from many of Don's talks. Over his life, he served time in 3 prisons. Discharged, he moved to the San Francisco area, attended Berkeley for a time, became involved in numerous criminal activities, including burglary. He moved back to Denver, married, and had two sons. His first wife left him with two small sons to raise while still battling alcoholism. He traveled the country with his sons until they reached school age when he returned to Denver.

During the 1966 week of Christmas, his life came to a breaking point. His mother told him he could not attend the family Christmas; she could no longer stand to see him killing himself. Federal agents raided his apartment, serving drug smuggling warrants and parole violations the day after Christmas. During the raid, his 4-year-old son was almost shot by an agent. He was arrested and charged with nine felony counts, which carried three years to life. The courts sent his sons to foster homes. He got a plea bargain, which resulted in serving time in a Colorado State Penitentiary for 18 months.

Other inmates led a 5-week 12-step study group in prison, which met every Saturday and Sunday. Don completed this course, which qualified him to attend the weekly AA meetings brought to the prison by civilian AA members from the community. Convinced of his lack of power to live life, Don became sober in 1967 and joined AA 5 months later. He started making amends while in prison, writing letters to those he had harmed. Returning to Denver, he attended AA meetings and was involved in service and AA activities. He eventually started attending the Denver AA Young People's Group on Sunday nights.

He met Mac Cheater from Winnipeg, Canada at the AA International Conference in Denver in 1975. Mac presented a workshop about his "Golden Slippers" home group and how alcoholics who had not found continued sobriety were doing so by working the steps directly from the Big Book. Mac's talk profoundly impacted Don's approach to working the 12 Steps with others. He eventually married and became the father to two stepdaughters. He worked as a truck driver and a roofer. At one point, he moved to Southern Pines, NC, for work before returning to Aurora. His service work included serving as a WSO AA Alcoholic Delegate and Trustee. He was part of the team that took AA to Russia in the late nineteen-eighties. Don died of cancer in 2005 and has left a significant mark on persons in all types of recovery that continues today. He gave his last AA talk the night before he passed. Mark Houston stated that over 1200 people attended Don's memorial service, many of whom had traveled internationally.

Don, his wife, and Mickey & Marie M started Fellowship of the Spirit Conference (a.k.a. FOTS) in 1992 in Breckenridge Colorado. Since that first conference others have cloned the FOTS format and spread it across the US and world.

Don was sponsored by Gary B. Four of the men Don sponsored, were Bob O, Don C, Joe Hawk, and Mark Houston.

(another speaker recommended listening to is Frank M of Orland Park IL - Frank, in some of his talks, suggests to his audiences to listen to talks by Don Pritts. When Frank's group started holding beginners meetings, working line by line through the Big Book, the retention rate of newcomers exploded.)

"Truth shared without love, is cruelty" - Don Pitts

Bob O (AA) of Centennial CO

Bob's childhood was challenging as he grew up in Madison, WI with a violent alcoholic father and a mother who had mental health issues. When Bob was ten, his mother struggled to care for him and his younger sister, so he was sent to live with various relatives and foster homes. At the age of 17, he turned to alcohol, and while intoxicated, he caused damage to the town's electric plant in retaliation for being beaten up by local policemen. This resulted in his arrest during his high school football practice. Given the choice by the judge, he opted to join the Navy for four years rather than spending two years in state prison. His struggle with alcohol continued during his time in the Navy, where he was involved in the US invasion of Lebanon in 1958.

Upon discharge from the Navy, Bob attended the University of Wisconsin and continued to battle with alcoholism. He then worked as a bill collector for a loan shark before eventually moving back to Wisconsin. There, he worked for a paper mill as a salesman and finally achieved sobriety in 1973. He moved to Denver to work for Kraft Foods and became a member of the York Street AA group, where he met his sponsor, Don Pritts. He was part of a group of 14 individuals who worked through the steps together, formed after the 1975 AA International Convention in Denver. Bob is currently a member of the Happy Way Group in Englewood, CO, and has been a circuit speaker for many years. He is sponsored by Gary B.

"Big" Frank McKibben (AA) of Denver CO (1929 - 2006)

Frank grew up on a Colorado sheep ranch and started drinking as a teenager and continued in college. Frank worked as a sheep rancher and later as a trial attorney in Denver. His alcoholism led to issues in his professional life, and he was a blackout drinker and an atheist. He was fired from his first job as an attorney. Frank found sobriety at the York Street AA club in Denver on March 6, 1966. He believed in working through all the steps at least once each year. He was not a circuit speaker and was the first sponsor of Don C. According to Don in his Toronto talk, Frank did not accept the 12x12, only using the Big Book. Upset with his AA group he started a closed meeting in his basement for the people he sponsored. After seven years, the meeting was opened to others, and they began sponsoring others the same way they had been sponsored. This once-underground group, nicknamed the "God Squad," had a significant impact on many people. Frank, commonly referred to as Big Frank, was well known in the AA community in Denver and served as a mentor to many, including Joe Hawk and Mark Houston. Among the many he sponsored was Mike S of Denver. Many credit Frank as the first to used the extended 3rd column and 4th column that BBA incorporates into the 4th Step. Sadly, he passed away from cancer on February 14, 2006.

"We recover by the Steps we take, not the meetings we make" - Big Frank

"God, please give me what I need, so I can face the things I need to face, and to do so with an undefended heart." - prayer attributed to Big Frank