COOC Report to the SA Fellowship, July 9, 1994

Since the meeting in Rochester, NY in January 1994 the COOC has met six times. Quite a few matters of significance to the SA fellowship as well as the operation of the Central Office (CO) have been discussed.

As always, we want to express our deep gratitude to Pat H., the non-SA administrator of our Central Office in Simi Valley, California. She continues to manage our business affairs in addition to responding to the constant stream of inquiries and concerns from sexaholics, their family members and the curious. She handles about 350 telephone calls per month and mails about 350 letters and parcels each month. She also supervises the production of the Essay newsletter and the availability of our literature. She works with a part-time employee, Kathy C. to accomplish our SA work.

The COOC has experienced major personnel changes in the last six months. After three years of devoted service, COOC Chair Betsy T. passed on the title to Sylvia J. We appreciate Betsy’s consistent and patient efforts. The COOC also has three new members: Margot C. from Boston for the Northeast; John S. from Chicago for the Upper Midwest; and Paul S. from San Diego for the Southwest. We welcome new member Paul G. from Baltimore from the Mid-Atlantic area to regain our full membership. We were sad to learn Larry M. will conclude three years service with COOC at this time. He will be replaced by Judy F. from New York City.

The current members of the COOC are Sylvia J. (South Mid-West), Chair; David M. (Southeast), Secretary; John S. (North Mid-West), Finances; Jim C. (Southwest), Finances and CO Liaison; Margot C. (N.E. Atlantic); Paul S. (Southwest); Larry M. (N.E. Atlantic); Keith D. (Northwest). We are joined on our calls by Pat H., CO Administrator and Lawrence M., Essay Editor.

The CO is maintaining a healthy cash surplus (around $10,000) which has enabled relatively calm fiscal operations for the past six months. We have reprinted the SA brochures and have 9,000 on hand. We are aware that we do have a problem with the rough paper and also the lack of our trademark symbol on the logo.

The COOC has responded to various pieces of correspondence dealing with Central Office operations, copyright and translation concerns and other matters. The COOC appreciates Roy K.’s continued interest in the functioning of the Fellowship and CO and appreciates his observations. In recent months Roy K. has contacted us about fostering translations of our SA literature, expanding the copyright of our logo, the smooth and proper operation of our CO, the effectiveness of personnel and the relationship of the CO to overseas sexaholics.

The COOC notes that translations of our SA literature are available or underway in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Hebrew. The need for a Literature Service Group for the Fellowship is quite serious. The COOC calls again for members of a Literature or Publications Committee to manage our publications with Keith D. of Vancouver B.C. as the contact person. Members will have a minimum of two years sobriety.

We have also had letter asking about how to publicize the CO functions and about publishing details of our SA finances. Several inquiries were received about audio tapes from Germany. The CO does not handle conference tape distribution due to the difficulties of reviewing the content of tapes for consistency with SA’s observance of the Traditions. Tape copies of conferences are available from numerous private vendors. The Tape Service Group has done good work in this regard. The CO has archival copies just for our records.

The COOC has continued to monitor and support the transition of the Essay from a free to a subscription publication. We have about 550 annual paid and foreign subscriptions at this time. In the next few months we will begin to seek renewals for the first time. The quality of the Essay is consistently high thanks to Lawrence M., the editor and his staff. Extra copies of the December 1993 Essay were sent to all intergroups this spring.

The COOC is excited by the new Service Structure adopted by the Rochester International business meeting. In March we sent the Service Structure proposal to the old (3,300 addresses) Essay mailing list along with our Essay subscription flyer. The Service Structure was published again in the most recent Essay. Some intergroups have begun electing their representatives in anticipation of Regional Assemblies to be held in early 1995. The COOC will be a sub-committee of the Oversight Committee eventually to be elected by the new Service Structure representatives.

The COOC reviewed many aspects of moving the Central Office. Some pros for moving: the relative isolation of Simi Valley; access to an airport hub (20-30 minutes away); earthquakes; more central geographic location; greater local core of sobriety in other areas; rental and salary costs; symbolic message of a new location for the office as we prepare for our new SA service structure; many service committees will need expanded services of the CO; if we are to move CO, this is the easiest time.

Some cons for moving: CO is working just fine; not a good time to move the office or disrupt services with the new service structure coming; Simi Valley is suitable to our needs today; lag time to train a new staff to respond to SA calls and administrative needs; historically there is not much local SA group involvement with the CO.

For over four months the COOC reviewed several possibilities. Oklahoma and Tennessee had less expensive costs than Simi Valley and good local sobriety. So too do Los Angeles, Washington, DC and Chicago, though they are more expensive areas. At our May meeting the COOC agreed to move the Central Office from Simi Valley. The COOC further agreed that after reviewing several possible locations, the CO be moved to Nashville, Tennessee. A COOC subcommittee can present a moving plan at the Portland International SA conference.

SA On the Move

As discussed at the recent conference in Portland, SA will soon be moving its Central Office to Nashville, TN. The purpose of this move is to establish a permanent central office that can support the growth of SA throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world in the years ahead.

The SA Central Office Oversight Committee (COOC) recently voted to ask the Fellowship for a one-time special Seventh Tradition collection to help defray the costs of moving the Central Office. The COOC Committee asks that each SA group vote on ways in which it might be able to help the Fellowship. This could be a separate collection, or simply earmarking special amounts for the cost of the move. Please continue to send these and other donations to Central Office to Simi Valley, CA, until the move is completed.

Thank you for your help in assisting SA to grow.

Summary of Minutes of July 9, 1994 SA Business Meeting, Portland, Oregon

International Conference Site Selection Committee: Baltimore/Washington, DC will be the site of the July 7-9, 1995 conference.

Conference Tapes Committee: Glenn K. Audio has all international conference tapes. A motion to put Roy K.’s 1985 and 1988 Germany tapes back on the Central Office literature order form was defeated.

International SA Contacts: Johnny R. from Tokyo reported there is a small group in that city.

Service Structure Report: Focused on efforts to encourage regional communication and the opportunities for service work in this area.

Roy K. emphasized need for a foreign literature coordinator, and shared his thoughts regarding new era of organization within SA (see “Thoughts on Building the New SA House”).

MOTION: That this business meeting approve an international literature coordinator position. Person would be selected by and responsive to Roy K. Carried. (Roy K./Bert D.)