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May, 2024 – OCISAA Intergroup Agenda & Minutes
Apologies for the duplicate e-mail or invalid link you may have experienced. There was a glitch in the matrix so I had to create a new post. Apologies.
Jail & Prison Inmate Resources
SAA Fellows have varying degrees of consequences from their acting out. This document lists SAA resources for those who had, or may have, legal consequences. This list of resources was put together by ReyG of the Southern California Intergroup (LA). You can find a copy of the resources here: https://scisaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SAA_resources_legal_2Mar2023.pdf. If you know a fellow who would benefit from any of these resources please mention this post and document to them.
Rey is very active in prisoner outreach in the State of California. You can find more information about prisoner outreach here: https://scisaa.org/prisoner-outreach/.
Thank you for your service, Rey!
Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash
Latest Issue of The Outer Circle
This issue focuses on the theme “From Shame to Grace.” The Board also shares important information about the future of the Conference and convention.
The current issue of The Outer Circle can be found here: https://saa-recovery.org/wp-content/uploads/TheOuterCircleNewsletter.pdf. This issue, as well as past archives, may also be downloaded here: https://saa-recovery.org/toc
The Outer Circle relies on article submissions from recovering sex addicts. Please read the Submission Guidelines on page 31, and consider writing an article for the newsletter! You can also submit articles online at https://saa-recovery.org/tocsubmission/
OCI Intergroup Business Meeting – Agenda
Here’s the agenda topics for the meeting May 8/24 at 6:30pm:
- Would more groups donate to us if they knew what we were doing? Should we be doing outreach to the various other groups?
- Review the template to be used for recording minutes
- There was a discussion of maintaining 2 retreats per year and focusing one on the 12 Steps. We’ll table this discussion until after the workshop. (Which is now over)
- Outreach and participation at conferences
All are welcome to participate!
OCISAA Intergroup Business Meeting: 6:30pm-7:30pm, 2nd Wednesday of each month
Location: Zoom, call or text for password
Contact: Ron – 949-297-6810
Courage to Change
If I don’t know how to respond to a situation today, why not try responding with kindness? Whether I accept or turn down a request, agree or disagree with someone’s point of view, I can still treat the other person with respect and courtesy. I can say, “No,” as gently and lovingly as I can say, “Yes.”
Today, I can honor my decisions without being defensive because I respect my right to make the best decisions I can. Even when others are not happy with those decisions, I can behave in a way that feels good for me. Others have a right to disagree, to feel differently, to be disappointed. I can respect that right and still stick to my principles. Relationships are complicated because people are complicated. We each have our own ideas, values, and hopes, and they can’t always coincide with the desires of those we love. Disagreements can be healthy and enlightening if we view them as a way to develop and deepen our relationships. Kindness and respect for everyone concerned will go a long way toward making this possible.
Today I will try to view every conflict as an opportunity to heal. I will honor myself by responding with courtesy. “The highest form of wisdom is kindness.” The Talmud
— From the book Courage to Change
Photo by Oliver Cole on Unsplash
Keep it Simple
It is enough that I am of value to somebody today. — Hugh Prather
Even in recovery, we addicts often feel we are not enough. Maybe it’s leftover shame from our addiction. But we are enough. We are of great value. We all need each other to stay sober. Each of us needs other recovering people to help us remember the hell of addiction. We can forget how bad it was, but telling our stories makes us remember. When you feel you don’t want to stay sober for yourself, then stay sober for your brothers and sisters in the program. They need you. You’re their recovery, as they’re yours. There may be days you don’t feel glad to be sober. But your friends in this fellowship are glad you’re sober. They thank-you for your sobriety
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, may Your will, not mine, be done.
Action For the Day: I’ll stop and think of all the people I’m glad for. I’ll start telling them today.
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
Courage to Change
At first, the idea of searching for defects of character, wrongs, shortcomings, and harm I have done can seem like just another excuse to be hard on myself. That’s why it’s so important to concentrate on the first three Steps long enough to develop a strong spiritual foundation. In these early Steps, we admit the areas over which we are powerless—such as alcoholism and other people—and learn that a Power greater than ourselves has no such limitations. We decide to place our will and our life in the hands of this Higher Power. We let go of burdens that were never ours to carry. And we begin to treat ourselves more kindly and more realistically. When we move on to later Steps, we do so for our well-being. We begin a process that is immensely rewarding, and we go forward under the guidance of a Higher Power. This enables us to be much more gentle with our recovery.
Today’s Reminder: The first three Steps are the cornerstone on which my progress is built. No matter how long I have been in this program, I won’t hesitate to touch base with the foundation of my spiritual health.
— Daily Ponderables, April 22, 2024
Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash
Workshop was a success!
On Sunday, April 21, 2024 we held our very first Back-to-Basics 12-Step Workshop at the Irvine Duck Club. We had approximately forty men, and one woman attend the workshop. Based on survey results, and comments, I would classify it a resounding success!
Q: Based on your experience today would you attend another workshop? 95% answered YES. That is an A+ in my books!
Q: Based on your experience today would you recommend the workshop? 100% answered YES. A+!
There was nearly a 50/50 split between fellows who had less than 3 months sobriety and those with more than 3 months sobriety. Seven attendees has less than 22 days of sobriety! The shortest sobriety was 3 days and the longest sobriety reported was 32 years. Special welcome to the newcomers!
Also of note was NavidD celebrating his one year of sobriety at the workshop. Congrats Navid!
The workshop slides can be found here. Navid’s 4th step spreadsheet can be found here. Thank you to the attendees, and everyone involved in making the workshop a success including the speakers: GaretM, NavidD, JeffS, and FrankS. Special thanks to GordonB for his tireless AV work, ThomasP for the inspiration, and the Orange County Intergroup for their support. Thank you to all who brought food, supplies, helped set the room up, put it back the way we found it, and filled out surveys.
We will fine tune the workshop based on the survey feedback we received!
Some attendee comments about their experience:
“It was like the first day of college orientation. My guided pathway through the steps!” –Matthew
“Really cool. Hopefully it will be scheduled once or twice a year. There was a lot to pull from all the speakers.” –Terry
“It made starting the steps less intimidating. I’m ready to start!” –David
“Really enjoyed it! Well done and thanks to the speakers and all who helped plan and facilitate. Would be helpful to make it more hands on. Possibly with more specific sample and examples of step work.” –Tom
April, 2024 – OCISAA Intergroup Agenda & Minutes
It is enough that I am of value to somebody today
It is enough that I am of value to somebody today. — Hugh Prather
Even in recovery, we addicts often feel we are not enough. Maybe it’s leftover shame from our using days. But we are enough. We are of great value. We all need each other to stay sober.
Each of us needs other recovering people to help us remember the hell of addiction. We can forget how bad it was, but telling our stories makes us remember. When you feel you don’t want to stay sober for yourself, then stay sober for your brothers and sisters in the program. They need you.
You’re their recovery, as they’re yours. There may be days you don’t feel glad to be sober. But your friends in this fellowship are glad you’re sober. They thank-you for your sobriety.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, may Your will, not mine, be done.
Action For the Day: I’ll stop and think of all the people I’m glad for. I’ll start telling them today.
— From “Daily Ponderables, Keep it Simple” April 14, 2024. Subscribe at https://dailyponderables.com
OC Intergroup of SAA 