My experience with sponsors that didn't have sponsors...or couldn't quite seem to remember who they were kept me sober, but not really happy or growing. I look back now and see how disturbed they would get when I would inquire or ask to meet people up the chain of command...notice I had to ask....I also noticed that most of the folks that hung around those people were not staying sober, so I found a new sponsor. Then I outgrew him based upon similar things. He didn't know who his grandsponsor was.
Let me bring you current, today I have a sponsor, he has been sober 18 yrs and has something I want, Power, Peace, Serenity, man is absolutely on fire!!! And get this, he keeps inviting me to go meet his sponsor who has been sober 34yrs. I have heard him speak and he is on fire also. He has also shared his grandsponsor with me, who has been sober 53yrs and appears to be on fire as well.
I have learned that a sponsor will transmit what he/she has and cannot transmit what they don't have. It is not my job to sponsor my sponsor, but I have learned that a certain degree of accountability is necessary. In my experience, when things seemed a bit "fishy" with my sponsor, something was up and since my recovery is my responsibility that meant it was time to find a new one....I'm either growing or going, nothing in between for a guy like me.
Peace and God bless