We are asking that all groups and individuals note that the SA logo is now trademarked and is being registered with the U.S. Trademark Office in Washington, D.C. This move was necessitated by the fact that the SA logo was being picked up and misused (it actually appeared in a newspaper cartoon!).

Now I’m dealing with another problem…a spouse who is antagonistic to SA, SLAA, AA, or any other Twelve-Step program because of the references to “higher power,” a feeling that the program doesn’t reflect Christian values, and (probably most important of all) her own fears of having to face the fact that I am, indeed, just like the people she read about in the material from the various groups, addicted to sex and lust.

The conference was wonderful. Approximately 178 attended. The first business meeting that I attended December 1983, there were 15 of us there. Five of us were in attendance in SLC. I truly recommend these conferences for loners as a way of connecting to others in the program and to the program as a whole.

Our continued thanks to Ruth P., who sends us the following news from West Germany and translates the German newsletter for us.

…We are still having some difficulty, however, with members who accepted the bottom line sobriety definition but continue acting out in other ways. This is particularly so with voyeuristic aspects of their disease as well as concerning relationship preoccupations.

I’ve only been in the program about 15 months and continue to be amazed at the difference it makes in my life. I think the greatest thing is the friends in the group, and the continued support. Ours is a good group, some growing going on here. The toughest part of this work remains turning my life and will over to God as I understand God. A day at a time.

Enclosed is a check for the support of SA and in appreciation for being left on your mailing list. I have been sober for 18 months. My marriage of 28 years is slowly getting better. I like myself more and I am beginning to experience some peace within myself. I believe that God is working his purposes for His creatures through SA in a marvelous way.

Some notices found on the bulletin board of the Klinik at Bad Herrenalb, West Germany, where Roy held the workshops last November:

We are growing weekly in numbers (12-18 average) and sobriety (90+ days average). Sobriety goals reached are 1 1/2 years (1 member), 1 year (1 member), 9 months (2 members), and several coming up on 6 months. This group is 16 months in existence. Through the grace, love, and power of God, we are staying sober and finding a new way of life.

Things are going well for us here in the Eleventh Hour SA Group. Many are growing in their recovery as we meet each week. We average in attendance about seven members. Again, we would like to thank you for all the help you have been to us in the past. Many times we have asked for information, books, and other material, and have been sent everything we asked for and often more. These things have always proved invaluable to us.

Please call the Central Office for meeting information when on travel. (Roy does not have meeting schedules or contacts at his home telephone number.) If you call our standard number, the call still comes through, but it costs the Central Office a little more. Thank you.

In the last issue of Essay, we published requests for feedback from groups that are experiencing problems or have questions about the way in which meetings should be run. R.B. in Wichita Falls wrote asking how other groups address the problem of a high rate of dropouts, and J.B. in Chicago wrote asking how other groups manage to give everyone enough time to speak.

Roy attended the biannual German SA Convention in Schneverdingen November 4, 5, and 6 and other German SA meetings during his three-week trip in Europe. He had not been to Germany for three years and reports being joyously grateful for the quality of meetings and sobriety there. He reports that the sobriety imperative is “alive and well in Germany.”

I came to SA to save my marriage. I was addicted to sex with my wife and she could not tolerate it anymore. The emptiness left inside from the divorce was so great that no amount of sexual acting out could fill it. It was at this bottom that I got my current sexual sobriety. I accepted the fact of my addiction and knew deep in my heart that sexual sobriety was the only solution.

This past August, by the Grace of God, I celebrated my third “birthday” in this life-saving God-inspired program. Ceaseless are the gifts that befall me in recovery. The gifts come in the form of growth (sometimes painful) by learning more about who I am and acceptance of me, defects and all. I made a list of people I thought I had harmed while doing the first four steps and it was quite impressive.

A note of encouragement to you! I have been involved in the program for several months now and at this point I have an incredible 5 weeks sobriety. Praise God for your program, I don’t think I could do it without the meetings and literature.

As a group, we are in the process of determining what kind of group we want to be. Questions such as:
1. Do we want to be strongly newcomer oriented?

I would like to tell you a little about our group that we have here. Child Molesters Anonymous was founded in 1986 at the Wyoming State Penitentiary. Our founding fathers of this organization saw the need for this type of an ongoing support group. There wasn’t any real help for people like me for my type of crime and I wanted something that would keep me from repeating these crimes over.

We send our best. Our meeting is growing strong! We had two members who celebrated anniversaries of 2 years and one of 4 years! Our conference was a success also. We will be sending a donation from the remaining assets as soon as we get the financial situation reconciled (perhaps another 10 years!).

Finding enough sober people is a problem. Loads of unsober people attend here. Things will change. Something for everyone doesn’t work.