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. at Lighthouse Church, 1885 Anaheim Ave., Costa Mesa CA 92627. All SAA members are welcome to participate. If you can’t make it, meeting minutes are published on our website. We want your ideas!
RECHARGE AND COME TO THE RETREAT
Our next retreat is scheduled for Saturday January 30th, 2016 from 9am – 5pm at The Lighthouse Church located at 1885 Anaheim Ave. Costa Mesa, CA 92627. The cost is $25 (lunch provided). This is limited to the first 70 people. Coffee, water, fruit and some pastries will be provided in the morning. Checks can be sent to OCISAA, P.O. Box 12424 Costa Mesa, CA 92627 (indicate “retreat” on check). Also you can register and pay here on the website under the event tab and pay using PayPal. Please ensure you register at least 5 days in advance so we can plan for food.
Coming into the New Year a retreat is a great way to start 2016 with some fellowship and positive recovery. The holidays can bring us into isolation and draw us toward the inner circle. A retreat is a great outer circle activity and can connect us to others whom may need some fellowship as well…bonus service to others!! We look forward to seeing you at the retreat.
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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:
RESOLUTIONS…One Day at a Time
“Once you have established the goals you want and the price you’re willing to pay, you can ignore the minor hurts, the opponent’s pressure and the temporary failures.” – Vince Lombardi
In reading this quote, yes I am a Packers fan, I find a profound relationship to recovery. The opponent is this addiction, the minor hurts are just that. The temporary failures don’t last and teach us how to proceed if we listen. Recovery takes many forms and we must move one day at a time or success seems unattainable.
Sexual addiction is unlike any other addiction, at least that’s what I keep hearing. Sex is everywhere and unlike drugs or food or alcohol, unless we become hermits and isolate, sex is out there. Triggers and situations present themselves and make our recovery a real and constant struggle. The addiction is practicing, learning our weaknesses and waiting for the hole to and open sack us. We have to be on the offensive and arm ourselves against those hurts or holes that leave us vulnerable to the defense who trying to knock us down and make us lose ground. Failures are part of life, we must learn from them and carry on to succeed.
As we enter 2016, we step into a new arena…the recovery arena and we have some challenges to overcome but through our higher power, our fellowship and service to others we can overcome and beat this opponent.
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Intergroup Project Updates
Survey
Please take a moment and complete a Fellowship survey so we can address and determine: How many of us there are in our fellowship and how we found this fellowship plus a few more questions. The feedback will us continue to grow and reach the sex addict who still suffers and provide us with topics for our Bi-Annual Retreats. Thank in advance and if you need a survey please let us know and we can get you one.
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.
Website Activity
Our website activity continues to grow…in 2013 we had just 6,250 views and 1,996 visitors. In 2015 we had 15,472 views and 7,721 visitors which is almost a 75% increase in visitors. In 2014 we had 10,973 views and 4,312 visitors. We are making a difference and reaching out. With these encouraging numbers 2016 looks even more promising.
Internet Keyword Search Optimization
Our internet keyword search through Google is a big success so far. In November 2015 we had 330 clicks and 8,275 impressions at an average cost of $0.14 each. The budget was $50/month and it was voted to increase this budget to $100/month to achieve even more notice. Of the 330 clicks, 303 were looking to act out and 27 were looking for help. Out Google Ad Word has been a great success with over 60,000 impressions (chances for people to see our program). We’ve had several phone calls and visits to our meetings as a result of these endeavors. 12,142 impressions, 307 click throughs. We are reaching a new audience which is great. This is continuing to be 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 Noon Meetings
We have found a new location for the Costa Mesa Noon Meetings…
Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church located at:
2845 Mesa Verde Dr. East – Suite 4
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
- They are also looking for speakers for Monday meetings to speak for 15 minutes on how they found recovery. Requires 6 months or more of sobriety to speak. Contact Lee at (714)318-8932 if interested.
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 one vacant position and a need for website contributors. These are great opportunities to be of service, and they generally require little or no special expertise.
► The Chair person is opening in February 2016. The duties generally occupy a few hours each month. The chair is also responsible for leading the monthly Intergroup meetings and providing direction for the group to ensure we are reaching everyone in recovery.
► 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 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.
► Digi Com Chair is responsible for maintaining the website and generally requires 2-4 hours each month. Attendance at the monthly Intergroup meeting is encouraged.
► We are looking for people with website experience of any kind, including those who are willing to learn.
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: Frank, ocisaa.inreach@gmail.com
Outreach: Maurice B., ocisaa.outreach@gmail.com
Literature: Ron C., ocisaa.literature@gmail.com
Treasurer: Frank. (Vice Treasurer: Vacant), ocisaa.treasurer@gmail.com
Secretary: Steve W., 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 