The purpose of our Intergroup is to more effectively reach the sex addict in the Orange County area who still suffers. We meet the second Thursday of each month from 7:15-8:30 p.m. in the Albright Room at the First Methodist Church of Costa Mesa, 420 W. 19th St., located at the end of the 55 Freeway across from Triangle Square. All SAA members are welcome to participate. If you can’t make it, meeting minutes are published on our website. We want your ideas!
The 12th Step and Service
In last month’s newsletter we discussed Service and this lead article ran…I feel it is important and will run it once more this month hoping to spark someone’s desire to serve. In addition we are ramping up for the August Retreat…more details will be available soon. As of right now, it appears the retreat will be held at Mariner’s Church however no firm confirmation was available as of this writing. Retreats are great opportunities to connect with others in recovery and pick up additional tools. They allow us to find new outer circle activities and avoid isolating ourselves. Check back for details or check-in at a meeting. Thank you for letting me be of service.
In recovery we come to a point of clarity and find ourselves ready to serve others in many ways. We share our story with others, we listen to each other and many of us find that choosing a service position whether within our own meeting group or in the larger Intergroup satisfies our desire to continually practice the 12th step which states, “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other sex addicts and to practice these principles in our lives.” (SAA Green Book). While service comes in many forms for everyone, serving the Intergroup provides service to our entire community. Without the Intergroup service positions this website would not exist and neither would the network and ease of finding a meeting. Service to others allows us to come out of isolation and break the cycle. It allows us to remember that others are depending on us to help in their recovery.
The Orange County Intergroup has several service positions available, which are highlighted in the Intergroup Announcements/Newsnotes later in this newsletter. As you read and digest this month’s newsletter, take a moment and consider serving in any capacity, no matter how small or how large, knowing that your service is helping make recovery possible for many.
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My Share
Each month, we publish a personal but anonymous story of recovery. It can be either an autobiography or about a subject important to your recovery. Stories should be written in the first person (“I”) and speak from your experience, strength, and hope. Please submit your story to ocisaa.newsletter@gmail.com. We may edit submissions for reasons of space, clarity, and appropriate language. Here is this month’s story:
Forward Progress
Progress is defined, in part, by the Webster’s Dictionary as a forward or onward movement (as to an objective or to a goal). If we think of this forward or onward movement in terms of recovery we can begin to realize the fulfillment of The Promises of SAA. SAA embraces progress when we say one day at a time. Its this progress thing that becomes lost when we begin the recovery journey. I’m a perfectionist, a true defect of character and dangerous in recovery as well as life in general since there is no such thing as “perfect” in real life.
When I came to SAA six years ago, I was ready to enter recovery however I had this idea that I needed to be perfect. I strived to maintain some sobriety but i couldn’t manage more than a week of solid sobriety. The addiction had taken hold and instead of focusing on restarting my time and giving myself some credit, I saw this as a failure. That drove me right back into acting out further since stress, feelings of failure, etc caused me to act out in the first place. As I put more time into recovery and the program, I began to realize my defects including the perfectionism. The light flicked on and allowed me a new perspective, one that allowed me to refocus the perfect vision to a vision of measuring success and failure. I accepted that failures were bound to occur, without being negative. I realized that success was knowing when I entered the inner circle and pulled myself out, success was when I had 60 days of sobriety and acted out only to reset the clock and not get down on myself as I gained more knowledge. This wasn’t an excuse for acting out by any means. To me success is progress, progress is success…Progress is learning from failure and moving forward, not dwelling on it.
Progress is accepting failure and striving to better your position through lessons learned. There are plenty of failures in the world, but those failures are what provided us with many great innovations…failures that gave the innovators more knowledge and the ability to make progress toward successfully delivering us their creativity, ingenuity and inventions that dramatically changed our way of life. I’m reminded of a few quotes by Thomas Edison:
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Edison’s view of failure is one of forward thinking and seeing failure as an opportunity to make progress toward success. Like Edison, we find ways that won’t work for us, but if try just one more time we might find that way that works for us and carries us forward in recovery.
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Intergroup Project Updates
Retaining Newcomers
Anyone who has attended SAA groups for very long knows that some members are in for the long term, but too many others attend a few meetings and leave. It makes sense that if someone keeps attending meetings, he or she is more likely to make progress in recovering from their sex addiction. The Orange County Intergroup solicited suggestions from the SAA fellowship to encourage newcomers to keep returning. The resulting list was published in the March 2015 SAA Newsletter, available elsewhere on this website. Intergroup representatives were also given copies to distribute at their home meetings. If you think of more ways to “keep ’em coming back,” please let us know.
Spanish-Speaking Outreach
We are unaware of any Spanish-language SAA meetings in the Orange County area. We added a Spanish translation of the “12 & 12″ to our website and we now have a location for a Spanish-speaking meeting, details to follow. We welcome your suggestions.
Internet Keyword Search Optimization
We are working toward directing certain Internet searches to our website, using key words and phrases to do so. Examples are “massage parlor reviews” and “can’t stop watching porn.” In addition, we are working on inserting key words into recovery stories to help addicts find our program. Google has approved our search terms and keywords. At a recent meeting, we approved a 30-day test run. We will inform you of the results.
Craigslist
The responses continue to ads we placed for SAA on the Orange County Craigslist website. Sex addicts going there to act out are being presented with an opportunity for recovery, and for some of them, it’s working!
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Announcements & Newsnotes
August Retreat
The retreat location is being finalized, check back for location details. If you have topic suggestions or if you would like to lead a discussion group, please attend the next Intergroup meeting on June 11, or email your suggestions to ocisaa.chair@gmail.com.
A Message for Sponsors
We suggest you consider stressing to your sponsees the importance of service work such as volunteering for positions at their meetings. Early in recovery, service work gives recovering sex addicts something to feel good about when they need it most. Later on, it becomes Step 12 work, a very healthy activity and again a builder of self-esteem. Some sponsors we know feel so strongly about it that they advise their sponsees either to fill a service position or find another sponsor!
Intergroup Vacancies
Our Intergroup has four vacant positions and a need for website contributors. These are great opportunities to be of service, and they generally require little or no special expertise.
► The Vice Chair works with the Chair to coordinate the Intergroup’s overall activities such as preparing the monthly agenda and helping with surveys. It’s estimated that Vice Chair duties take about 2-4 hours per month, plus the monthly Intergroup meeting.
► The Inreach Coordinator handles Intergroup activities involving the existing SAA framework, as opposed to Outreach, which works to bring in newcomers. The Inreach Coordinator’s duties require two (sometimes more) hours per month, plus the monthly Intergroup meeting.
► The Vice Treasurer works with the Treasurer to manage Intergroup funds. The duties generally occupy minimal time – just an hour most months. Attendance at the monthly Intergroup meeting is encouraged. This position requires one year of abstinence.
► The Parliamentarian keeps order in the monthly Intergroup meetings (according to Robert’s Rules of Order, but detailed knowledge is unnecessary) and also leads a short discussion about one of the 12 Traditions each month.
► We are looking for people with website experience of any kind, including those who are willing to learn.
If you are interested in any of these positions and want to learn more, please contact Ron R. at ocisaa.chair@gmail.com. Or, you may attend the next monthly Intergroup meeting on June 11.
Needed: Intergroup Representatives
If your meeting still lacks an Intergroup rep, please tell your secretary that you need one. For more information, contact us at ocisaa.inreach@gmail.com. We highly recommend you find someone to fill this service position. We also suggest if possible, that your group allocate a percentage of its donations to the Intergroup for its activities, which benefit all SAA groups in the region.
Thanks for Your Donations!
We are grateful for the support we receive from the Orange County area SAA meetings. As you can see from our activities listed in this newsletter, we are putting your donations to good use. We encourage you to attend our monthly meetings and voice your ideas.
A Note to Event Promoters and Organizers: For those requesting announcements to run in our newsletter, please use the following format – and order – as much as possible:
Who: Are you a committee (of the Intergroup, for example), or an individual SAA meeting group, or another type of organization or individual?
What: Is this a workshop, breakfast, retreat, or another type of event?
Title: What is the name of your event?
When: Give the date and starting and ending times of your event.
Cost: What – if anything – is the suggested contribution, or is it a set fee, or is no one turned away for lack of funds?
Description: In a sentence, or several sentences, say what is unique or especially appealing about your event.
Where: Event address, along with any cross-street info or parking tips you think are important.
More Info: Whom to call for more information? List a telephone number, email address, and/or website.
Please give us as much lead time as possible, and note that submissions are subject to editing for clarity and space.
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SAA Meeting News
New Meetings:
Wednesday, 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Men only/Closed
Pines Park, 34941 Camino Capistrano, CA 92624
Directions: From the 5 Freeway head south on Camino De Estrella towards Coast Highway, turn right on to Camino Capistrano. Parking will be on the street on Camino Capistrano…….the meeting is held at the upper Park at the south end.
For more information call (949) 547-4498.
Wednesday, 5:00-6:00pm
Closed, men only
1900 E. 4th St., Conference Room 2A, Santa Ana 92705
Free parking in structure
Contact Frank P. (949) 842-3454
Thursday, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Closed, men only
707 E. Chapman, Orange 92866
Building is close to Orange Traffic Circle, white with green trim, no suite number; parking lot adjacent to building
Contact Chris B. (949) 278-3642
Friday, noon-1:00 p.m.
Closed, men only
St. Matthew’s Church
1111 W. Town & Country Rd., Unit 14, Orange 92868
In the Town & Country Business Center North (look for “Gondola Subs”), around the back
Contact Casey (323) 375-7322
Tuesday, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Closed, mixed
Book study/Check-in
First Southern Baptist Church, Dining Room
6801 Western Ave., Buena Park, CA 90621 (just north of Orangethorpe Ave.)
Contact Maurice B. (714) 683-8663/motrago@hotmail.com
Changes:
The Monday evening women’s book study meeting has relocated. Please call 714-485-3655 or email womeninsaa@gmail.com for more details.
The Tuesday morning 6:30 a.m. meeting at the First Methodist Church in Costa Mesa has been canceled.
The Friday morning meeting at the Alano Club has been canceled.
The Monday and Friday Long Beach meetings are no longer at Kaiser Permanente, 3900 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach. The new meeting times and locations are:
—Monday, 7:30-8:30 pm, Mixed/Closed/Step/Tradition/Topic
Unitarian Church, 5450 Atherton St., Long Beach (just West of Bellflower Blvd.), in the Chalice Room
Contact Carole B., 562-841-4348, or e-mail CAROLEMARY@NETZERO.COM
—Friday, 6:30-7:30 pm, Mixed/Closed/Step/Tradition/Topic
Unitarian Church, 5450 Atherton St., Long Beach (just West of Bellflower Blvd.), in the Chalice Room
Contact Carole B., 562-841-4348, or e-mail CAROLEMARY@NETZERO.COM
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Orange County Intergroup Officers and Committee Chairs
Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern. — Tradition 2
Chair: Ron R., ocisaa.chair@gmail.com
Vice Chair: Vacant, ocisaa.vicechair@gmail.com
Digital Communications: Neal B., ocisaa.digicom1@gmail.com (Assistant: Reza B., ocisaa.digicom2@gmail.com)
Inreach: Vacant, ocisaa.inreach@gmail.com
Outreach: Maurice B., ocisaa.outreach@gmail.com
Literature: Ron C., ocisaa.literature@gmail.com
Treasurer: Brian A. (Vice Treasurer: Vacant), ocisaa.treasurer@gmail.com
Secretary: Earl Q., ocisaa.secretary@gmail.com
Newsletter Editor: Mark D., ocisaa.newsletter@gmail.com
Parliamentarian: Vacant
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Website
If you have ideas or suggestions for the website, please contact our Webmaster, Neal B., at ocisaa.digicom1@gmail.com.
OC Intergroup of SAA 