5th Saturday of the Month: Special Activity Meeting     Norwood ZOOM Meeting Link

Moderator - ask someone to post in the chat panel -  http://www.NorwoodZOOM.org

Welcome

“Welcome to the Saturday morning Norwood meeting of Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA).   My name is ___ and I am a recovering sex addict.  Today is a Special Activity Meeting.  

[PAUSE]     

As we begin, I’d like to ask each attendee to be mindful to keep their microphone on mute when not speaking, and to consider using headphones so as to preserve the confidentiality of the meeting. Thank you.”

“This is a closed meeting. By that, we mean participation is only for sex addicts and those who think they might be sex addicts. We are scheduled to meet from 8:30 to 10:00 AM; however, by group conscience we will extend the meeting if necessary so that each participant has an opportunity for at least two minutes of sharing. This meeting is a men’s only meeting.”

SAA Purpose

“SAA is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problems and help others recover. There are no dues or fees for SAA membership - we are self-supporting through our own contributions. SAA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; and neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sexually sober and to help other sex addicts achieve abstinence from addictive sexual behaviors. The only requirement for membership in SAA and attending meetings is a desire to become sexually sober. SAA defines sobriety as abstinence from behaviors that we identify, with our sponsor’s guidance, as addictive, harmful, or unacceptable to us.  (see Green book page 16)”

Serenity Prayer

“Will you please unmute and join me in the serenity prayer?”

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, 

courage to change the things I can, 

and wisdom to know the difference.

Introductions

“Let’s take a moment to introduce ourselves by first name, state the length of our sobriety, and briefly state the nature of our addiction and how it is manifested. I’ll begin and we’ll go around the room. If you are new to this meeting, please let us know so we can welcome you. My name is ______________, I’m a sex addict, and …..”

Sobriety Recognition

“We’d like to take a moment to share in the encouragement of how the fellowship works by recognizing those who have been graced with the gift of sobriety. We like to recognize those who have reached what they consider to be a personal milestone for length of sobriety, either months, years or 1 day. If you have recently reached such a milestone, please let us know so we can share in your hope. 

(Pause for recognition). 

As a gesture of strength, hope and inspiration, I’d like to ask anyone with more than 1 year of sobriety to raise his hand.” 

The Moderator asks for a volunteer to read the Step, Tradition and Promise for the month

The Moderator asks a volunteer to read the meeting guidelines

Meeting Guidelines

• There is no cross talk. We don’t interrupt others. However, the leader has the right to remind the person sharing of guidelines, time consumed, etc.

• We don’t give advice. We talk in the “I”, not the “we” or the “you”, speaking from our own experience.

• We don’t get carried away analyzing what caused our behavior or attitudes. We talk as those who are now responsible for our attitudes and actions and are willing to take responsibility for our lives and recovery.

• In sharing, rather than displaying our knowledge or insights, we lead with our weakness and give of ourselves.

• We avoid politics, religious dogma, and other divisive issues.

• We avoid publicity and attention from the media.

• We avoid explicit sexual descriptions, sexually abusive language and profanity. We carefully consider the way we describe activities, people, places and things. Graphic descriptions of activities and things, and identification of people and places is inappropriate - what may be innocuous for you may be a “trigger” for another member. If someone feels the sharing is too explicit, he may so signify by raising his hand or saying ‘explicit’.

• We avoid dumping, self-pity, and blaming others.

• We don’t take the “inventories” of others; that is, we uncover and work on our own defects, not those of others. We refer to our own experiences.

• We DO speak honestly of where we really are today. We try to develop transparent honesty of complete self-disclosure, letting the other members know where we are currently, regardless of length of sobriety.

• We DO lead with our weakness and take the risk of total self-disclosure.

• By attending on time and sharing regularly, we GIVE of ourselves to others in the group. We get back recovery.

We only use first names.  We protect, with special care, the anonymity of every SAA member.

Voices of Recovery - Daily Reading

Our tradition is that we read SAA Voices of Recovery at every meeting.  

 The Moderator asks for a volunteer to read today's Voices of Recovery

An additional reading from SAA or AA authorized literature may be implemented here.

If a new person is present - do this

Ask a volunteer to read Introduction on pages 1 and 2 in the Green Book (Link to Green Book online) 

Special Meeting

“On the occasion when we meet on the 5th Saturday of a given month, our custom is to run a Special Meeting.   A special meeting is run by a volunteer from the group who has planned a special activity. 

The normal meeting guidelines still apply and the activity must remain within the 12 Steps & 12 Traditions of our fellowship.”

Today we are going to _____________________________________ ”

If no Special Activity has been planned, read a Step or Tradition from the AA Big Book. Use the First Saturday of the Month format. 

After the Special Activity or Step/Tradition Reading is completed, move on to sharing.

Sharing Guidance

“To ensure everyone has an opportunity to share, we will divide the remaining time equally with “x”

minutes per person. Would someone volunteer to keep time?  Thank you .

“The timer will raise his hand and say “time” when time is up. Please abide by the time constraint and refrain from sharing more than once until everyone has had a chance to speak. When sharing, please identify yourself by first name, addiction, (if desired, length of sobriety). 

We will take a short break at approximately 9:25am for the Seventh Tradition and SAA-related announcements. Let’s begin.”

Break at approximately 9:25 am

7th Tradition & SAA Announcements

“It is now time for the Seventh Tradition of Sex Addicts Anonymous, which states, ‘Every SAA group ought to be self-supporting, declining outside contributions.’

Please make contributions to this SAA group and the SAA national office by any of the options listed in chat.  Please note that donations go first to paying off our annual Zoom subscription and NorwoodZOOM website - secondarily to the SAA ISO.    

If you only want to contribute to the SAA national office, text “SAA” to 91999 from your phone and you will be brought to a page where you can make a donation via credit card.

[The Moderator may cut and paste this into the group chat]

• SAA NATIONAL OFFICE - Text “SAA” to 91999 from your phone and you will be brought to a page where you can make a donation via credit card.

• VENMO  - Name:  @Joe-Norwood-7

• PAYPAL - Email: norwood070870@gmail.com

• ZELLE - Name: Joe Norwood       Email: norwood070870@gmail.com

Are there any SAA-related announcements?”

[pause] 

“Let’s continue with sharing…”

End sharing at 9:55am or when no more shares are forthcoming.

“Next week’s meeting will be a 1st Saturday Literature Meeting.   Would anyone like to volunteer to run next week’s meeting? 

(pause)

“If you did not get a chance to share quite enough, please get a phone number or stay on the Zoom call after the meeting.

If there are newcomers, include this paragraph: 

“I would now ask for a show of hands or identification by regular members who would be willing to speak to and answer questions for newcomers to our meeting. [pause] If you are a newcomer to our group, or to SAA, we welcome you to share in our experience, strength and hope for a new life in sexual sobriety.  Please feel free to stay after the meeting and speak to anyone who has raised his hand.

If there are no newcomers, read from here:

“This is an anonymous program. Please keep the name, address, and phone number of anyone you meet in SAA to yourself. And what we say here let it stay here, when we leave here. [pause] Remember that we never identify ourselves with SAA in the press, radio, TV or films. Neither does anyone speak for SAA.

“Sponsorship is an important tool to recovery in SAA as outlined on page 13 of the Green Book. A temporary sponsor can provide help and guidance to the person serious about recovery until a permanent sponsor can be found. If you have been endorsed by your sponsor to be a temporary sponsor, and would be willing to work with someone, please contact the temporary sponsor coordinator.” 

Closing

“Would someone read A Vision for You from page 164 of the AA Big Book?”

We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. 

Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. 

The answers will come,   if your own house is in order. 

But obviously you cannot transmit something you haven't got. 

See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. 

This is the Great Fact for us.  

Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. 

Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. 

Clear away the wreckage of your past. 

Give freely of what you find and join us. 

We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny.  

May God bless you and keep you - until then.

“After a moment of silent meditation, I’d like to ask  _______  to lead us in the Third Step Prayer, from the AA text.

God, I offer myself to Thee – to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. 

Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. 

Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of Life. 

May I do thy will always.    

Amen.