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. All SAA members are welcome to participate. If you can’t make it, meeting minutes are published on our website. We want your ideas!
6th Bi-Annual Retreat
We had our 6th Bi-Annual Retreat held at Mary & Joseph Retreat Center in Rancho Palos Verdes at the end of August. More details next month after hearing from some our attendees.
Please check the “meetings” tab for any new updates on meeting locations given the recent changes and the closing of the meeting space at First United Methodist Church.
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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:
Life After Relapse
I have been attending SAA for 8 years. 9 months ago I came out of my most recent relapse that lasted about 20 months. In my 8 years of recovery from sex addiction, I have collected eight 30 day chips, eight 60 day chips, eight 90 day chips, five 6 month chips, two 9 month chips, a 1 year token and an 18 month chip and a 2 year token. My life has been full of relapse and tragedy, and yet I keep coming back to the program of recovery called SAA. In the past 8 years I have married for the second time, watched my mother, brother-in-law and Father-in-law pass away. I had my 17 year old dog die in my arms and watched as my wife lost 10 years of sobriety in her AA program. Too say the least, life has had its challenges. Yet I keep coming to the program of recovery called SAA. On August 13th of this years I received a 9 month chip. It was 9 months and one day earlier that I sat on my couch and cried out to my Higher Power and surrendered to the idea that I could never stay sober even one day without the help of my God. The very next day I had an intuitive thought, “If you want to arrest your behavior, then go to 90 meetings in 90 days.” So I did. Every day I did a meeting and if I couldn’t get to one, I used the phone meetings that are listed on www.aa-recovery.com. I am doing 4 meetings a week these days and am learning to live life on life’s terms. I have a sponsor that I am doing the steps with and have just started my 8th step. My wife is still drinking but I have started to attend Al-Anon meetings 3 times a week and getting relief from the bondage of self for the first time in my 54 years. Life is full of hope and my sobriety feels different this time. I have been overweight my whole life and for the first time I have found the desire to be good to myself. I exercise daily and cut out the foods that caused me to become diabetic and gave me high blood pressure. Today I am down 110 pounds. I love the man that I am…the good, the bad and the ugly. I am so grateful to SAA and every person who never judged me in my relapse. They allowed me to sit and listen when I felt that I didn’t have much to offer at the meetings. The key was to keep coming back and never, never give up! I know life will continue to challenge me, but with my Higher Power and the program for daily living called SAA, I can stay sober one day at a time.
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Intergroup Project Updates
Retaining Newcomers
As always, we want to reach out and retain newcomers since most of us know that abstinence and sobriety is better maintained out of isolation and in the fellowship of others. Please consider ways to retain newcomers and ensure they feel welcome as I know we all do.
Spanish-Speaking Outreach
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
Our internet keyword search through Google is a big success so far. In July 2015 we had 22,780 impressions, 500 click throughs and our landing page traffic was 581 up from from just 55 in May 2015 when we started this. To date we have spent approximately $300 and there is discussion on a max monthly amount which will be determined soon. This is a worthwhile venture and it brings the sex addict who still suffers to our page, hopefully meetings and most importantly to recovery.
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
Costa Mesa Meetings
We have found some new locations to replace those that were being held at the First Methodist Church of Costa Mesa. The new locations are posted on the Meetings tab and are listed as replacements when you go through the list. We still do not have a confirmed location for the noon meetings that had been held there. Please keep checking the website for updates.
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 three 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 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 Treasurer manages the 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 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.
► We are looking for people with website experience of any kind, including those who are willing to learn.
Treasurer and Secretary will be coming due in the next few months so if you are feeling the urge to fulfill the 12th tradition…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 September 10th, location TBD.
Needed: Intergroup Representatives
Only 25% of our meetings have an intergroup rep. The commitment is approximately an hour a month for the intergroup meeting and then a report at least once a month to the group being represented. 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:
Costa Mesa (NEW LOCATION Effective Aug. 3th 2015 – formerly at First Methodist Church of Costa Mesa):
Monday, 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Men Only/Closed/Book Study
Costa Mesa Church of Christ, 287 W. Wilson Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Directions: Between Harbor Blvd. & Fairview Ave.
For more information call 949-478-5617
Corona Del Mar (NEW LOCATION Effective Aug. 5th 2015 – formerly at First Methodist Church of Costa Mesa):
Wednesday, 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Mixed/Closed/Book Study/Share
St. Michael & All Angels’ Episcopal Church, 3233 Pacific View Drive, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625 (South Wing Room attached to Church – Enter thru Patio on the Right)
Directions: to be added to website soon! For more information call (949) 636-1917
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
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 