December 26 in A.A. History

In 1902, Clarence S. was born at 1280 E. 89th St., Cleveland, Ohio, to Charles and Jenny Patterson S. He was the youngest of three boys. It was a cold, gray winter morning with snow and a brisk wind in the forecast.
    He would sober up in Akron, Ohio on 11 February 1938 and would have a falling out with his sponsor, Dr. Bob S., over trying to do something to make it possible for Catholics to attend A.A. meetings (Catholic priests forbade parishoners from anything to do with the Oxford Group, which Akron A.A. was certainly involved with). When Dr. Bob refused to do anything, on 11 May 1939, Clarence started a new group in Cleveland, naming it the Alcoholics Anonymous Group, after the newly published book. He sought publicity for A.A., which led to very rapid growth; invented the basic idea of sponsorship as we know it; eschewed the Oxford Group; focused on spirituality and avoided religion; emphasized use of the Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous; and helped create the Cleveland Central Committee, which introduced the concept of rotation.