Service Not an Option
What’s Going On in SA
Agenda: January 1994 conference in Rochester; service committee reports; other business.
Feedback Corner
The meeting on chronic slipping was completely without resentment! (at least, no resentment about the theme…). Some people identified as chronic slippers. Some asked for a sponsor.
Editors’ Corner
In the past we have sent the Essay newsletter to a large number of people, both members and inquirers, free of charge. We can no longer continue to do this and remain self-supporting as required by SA’s Seventh Tradition. It has therefore been decided that starting with the December 1993 issue, we will send the Essay to subscribers only, at a cost of $7.00 for a one-year (four issues) subscription.
Freedom from Lust
[The following is a transcript of a talk by Jesse L. at the Nashville International SA Conference, July 1993] Thank you very much. It is beautiful to be with you. And thanks to Martha and Joan and all you people in Nashville for creating this beautiful environment for us. And thank you Harvey for helping bring me here and giving me this chance to say over a concerted period of time something that is so important to me. I have looked for this opportunity for some time and now it is here.
Member News
Without daily surrender of my powerlessness over lust, there is no possible way I would have over two and three-quarter years of sexual sobriety. Without daily surrender of my powerlessness over resentment, rage and hatred, there is no possible way I would have recently celebrated two years of what I call “verbal abuse sobriety.”
Member News
I have been a member of SA for over eight years now, but will be celebrating my first anniversary of sobriety in about three weeks. During my first seven years in the program, I didn’t want the painful consequences of my lust, but I didn’t want to stop altogether either. It has taken me seven years in the fellowship to finally reach my “bottom” and to “go to any lengths” to achieve and maintain sexual sobriety.
Group News
At a recent meeting in White Plains we had a special meeting on sponsorship. We changed the format and made it an “open” meeting with feedback allowed. We broke the meeting up into fifteen-minute segments.
Group News
The following is from Sharing Recovery, a newsletter published by the Connecticut-Westchester Intergroup, June-August 1993:
The Group Conscience
There are two ways for a group to arrive at a group conscience. One is the competitive way, the other is the cooperative way. In the competitive, you push your ideas across, take a vote, and the majority carry the decision. This leaves behind a disgruntled minority that feel that its truths are lost sight of in the decision.
Ego
Ego has been said to mean Edging God Out. How desperately I want to sign this piece so that I’ll be admired and praised — so that I’ll feel less small and gray. But this means I am mistakenly allowing, indeed inviting, others to validate me — thinking that they can fill me up and make me whole.
