Hi, I am almost 3 years sober with a checkered history of getting some sobriety (less than 2 years) and then relapsing. However, over the last six years I have been sober over 98% of the time (brief relapse in 2007, brief relapse in 2009.) Anyway, having attended (and led) meetings in several different states, I'm more aware than the average person of how different AA meetings are in different places. Now on to my current situation. I attend a club where there are noon meetings, night meetings, Saturday meetings, etc. They are literally always *begging* for people to chair noon meetings.

So, I chair sometimes. Last week, during the meeting my own sponsor of two years (who has always been supportive before, in her own way) very loudly interrupted me during my lead by hitting her watch and yelling "12:23, 12:23!! You went 3 minutes over your lead!" Well, she knows I have severe social anxiety and how hard it is for me to lead meetings. I was mortified. I turned bright red for at least 5 minutes. ( I need to add that my sponsor *never* chairs meetings herself. Oh, the irony.)

You see, in this meeting you need to not only stick with an hour, but you need to split up the hour strictly by: lead goes until exactly 12:20, then chairperson has to "call on people" for exactly 20 minutes, then exactly 15 minutes of open share until closing. Yes, really. @@

Anyway, I am pissed as hell at my own sponsor. She offered a sickeningly sweet "southern lady" apology at the end but it was insincere. I now have four more meetings to chair this month and am resentful as hell.

Has anyone had similar experiences?