A good response was noted at the SA International Conference in New York to an appeal for volunteers to serve on service committees. The following is from a report of the conference business meeting, held on January 9, 1993:

Since the Vancouver International Conference the COOC has met about every six weeks. Major issues have included the following: exploring areas of SA service such as translations of our literature and outreach to imprisoned or isolated SAs; organizing a special meeting at the next conference to encourage such service opportunities; utilizing our COOC replacement process following the resignation of Harry B. from the Northwest region; maintaining our literature stocks and considering handling audio tapes of talks and conferences; and assisting the Long Island SA Conference in publicizing the conference.

Facing the Slipper Syndrome
1. It is important to recognize that the real problem is lust, not sex, and thus acknowledge that the problem is spiritual in nature.

The wording of the Third Tradition in SA is different than in most other Twelve Step programs. The Third Tradition in AA is: “The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking.” In SA, however, the Third Tradition is: “The only requirement for SA membership is a desire to stop lusting and become sexually sober.” I believe SA’s formulation of the Third Tradition involves a two-part membership requirement — a desire to stop lusting and a desire to become sexually sober — and that both parts are equally important to the spiritual health of the fellowship and the quality of meetings.

Earlier this month our local area intergroup held its annual one-day marathon, an all-day series of break-outs, speaker meetings and fellowship for our region. The theme of the Marathon was “Came to Believe.” There was powerful sharing by members on the role of faith, in helping to face overwhelming and sobriety-threatening circumstances and emerge with recovery.

This proposal calls for SA meetings where we can relax the rule against crosstalk and allow feedback. Members could invite some SA friends together and outline a problem they are having — how to make a difficult amends, for instance, or what to tell the children — and ask for feedback.

The A Team concept is an idea we have put to use a few times to help some fellow suffering sexaholics. Until now each case has involved someone struggling to get started with sobriety, but it could conceivably be used for other purposes, such as a crisis in someone’s life. It is really a simple application of Step Twelve in which we join forces with others to help the sexaholic who still suffers.

I wish to extend my appreciation for the book that you sent to me. The information that I have gotten from the book has shown me that your program would be a big plus in my future. I will notify you upon my release.

I attended our SA Family Reunion retreat in Wichita last weekend, and it was a wonderful time of renewal and seeing dear friends in SA again. I want to remain an SA contact for SE Kansas. I want very much to get a group going in this area again.

Sobriety is critical for me in my recovery, and even though I attend some other 12-Step groups that deal with sex addiction, I find that without a bottom line definition of sobriety, it doesn’t work for me. It seems to promote a progressive denial of the addiction.

In October the Baltimore/Washington SA Intergroup held its 8th Annual SA/S-Anon Marathon. The location alternates each year between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. and this year’s Marathon was held in the Washington area. The theme this year was “Came to Believe.”

Our conference committee worked together as a team, with all of us considering that our meetings were as vital a part of our recovery as our regular weekly meetings. Over the past year the Vancouver group has grown considerably, to the point where in May and June we had seven birthday cakes for our members, four members with over two years sobriety, and very soon there may be two members with over three years sobriety.

Our New Beginners Meeting averages 45 each Monday night with five newcomers weekly. We are grateful to be part of this ever increasing fellowship which has given each of us “a new pair of glasses” to work through our share of problems by being rigorously honest.

I am so very, very grateful for SA. This program has changed my life for the better like no other psychology, therapy, or self-help ideas ever could. Not that there is necessarily anything wrong with these things, they just don’t work like SA does.

July 1993 Conference (July 9–11, 1993) will be held in Nashville, TN.

[The following suggested guidelines are used by SA members returning calls to inquirers in a large U.S. metropolitan area. These guidelines reflect over six years’ experience in dealing with SA calls in this area. Your comments and/or experience is invited. Does your intergroup support a hot-line? How do you deal with inquirers? Reprinting these guidelines here does not constitute endorsement by the Essay or the Central Office.]

I wish to say thanks for the referrals SA has sent my way from callers to the Central Office. I have contacted them and we just interviewed one yesterday. He will be coming to his first meeting either tomorrow or on Monday. He lives about 50 minutes from Rochester and has children so he will have to plan his time to come here.

Distorted reality, that’s one of my main problems when it comes to dealing with my sexual addiction and life in general. My mind is full of unreality, thus causing me to view the things going on around me in a distorted manner. I then respond in an inappropriate manner since my whole basis is out of line.

I served as treasurer/literature person for my home group for 17 months — too long.

I’ve been in the Pittsburgh area groups for nearly 7 years now. Unfortunately, I recently lost an extended period of sobriety. In doing an examination of what happened leading up to this loss, I’ve realized that one unresolved issue for me is my unwillingness to admit to my innermost self that I am not like other “normal” people and never will be.