13th Annual Twin Cities SA/SAnon Marathon April 6, 2024

We are excited to host our 2024 13th annual SA/SAnon 12 Step Marathon - Live and In-Person! We will be joined by a special guest Mark F., San Antonio, who will share a story of experience strength and hope and give a talk on the subject “The Gift of Desperation”.

Lunch and Drinks are included

Location: Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church

341 Hamline Ave S, St Paul, MN 55105

Registration - $40 / what you can pay

Please share the word with interested members of the SA & S-Anon community. Questions/comments: SA: vronj@yahoo.com 612-805-6755

S-Anon: mondaynighthopeinhealing@gmail.com

Sat. 9/30 9:00AM: Steps 1, 2, & 3 workshop

There will be a Steps 1, 2, & 3 workshop on Saturday, 9/30/23 at 9:00 AM.

This will include a showing of the 'Exactly How We Have Recovered' Part 1 video featuring speaker Mark M.

Doors will open for coffee and setup at 8:30 AM.

Please bring some paper and a writing tool.

Contact Mark P. for more information: 651/552-1854.

11th Annual Twin Cities SA  Marathon Sat. Apr 15, 2023 9:00am-4:30pm

Marathon Schedule & Details

We are excited to host our 11th annual SA 12 Step Marathon. This year members of S-Anon will be joining us. We will be joined by two special guests (SA & S-Anon) who will share their stories of experience strength and hope and give a talks on the subject “Out of Isolation”.  The speaker shares will be followed by small group out breakout sessions specific to SA & S-Anon for open discussion of what resonated.

This is an in person only marathon. There will be an afternoon lunch break with opportunities for fellowship throughout.

RSVP Requested so we can get a lunch count, registration link to follow

Attend In-Person: Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church

341 Hamline Ave S, St Paul, MN 55105

7th Tradition - Suggested Donation of $49 online or $55 cash in person at the event (includes lunch).

Please share the word with interested members of the SA & S-Anon community. Questions/comments: SA: info@satwincities.org

S-Anon: mondaynighthopeinhealing@gmail.com

10th Annual Twin Cities SA *Hybrid* “1/2” Marathon Sat Apr 23, 2022 9a-1p (Lunch in person @ 12p!)

We are excited to host our 10th annual SA 12 Step Marathon. We will be joined by a special guest who will share her story of strength and hope and give a talk on the subect “STRENGTH FROM WEAKNESS” Please share the word with interested members of the SA community.

This is a hybrid event, in person with online meeting combined. Both options start at 9:00am and go till noon. At noon lunch is served in person and the online group will have open mic sharing.

RSVP Requested so we can get a lunch count, Please register for the event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/10th-annual-twin-cities-sa-hybrid-12-marathon-tickets-247925169857

Attend In Person: Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church

341 Hamline Ave S, St Paul, MN 55105

Attend Online: via Google Meet

1. Join with your computer or smartphone:https://meet.google.com/qbp-pbay-mgb
2. Call in with your telephone:+1 520-314-2345 PIN: 108527323

7th Tradition - Donation of $15 suggested. Give online or cash at event.

Questions/comments: info@satwincities.org

SA Twin Cities: Reflections on 2021, 2022 Vision

Reflections on 2021

2021 started with a hope of "returning to normal" after a year of pandemic lockdowns and upheavals in most of organized society. It turned out to be a continuation of 2020 through the year. Irrespective, the need for "the hand of SA always to be there" remained. (SA Responsibility Statement) Despite what happens in the external world, we crave sobriety every moment, as a balance to our cravings for the jolt of pleasure from the chaos of addiction. Our mission in SA Twin Cities Intergroup is to ensure the "hand of SA" is available to all those in our region who find themselves at the ropes end and are reaching for help.

In 2020 we acted as an Intergroup to further this mission and increase visibility of our services to those who still suffer. Some accomplishments of note:

• Kept the lights on during year 2 of pandemic response
  -- We figured out how to normalize meeting services during ongoing pandemic measures. Many groups established permanent hybrid setups, connecting people in person and remotely. New dial in only meetings were established. We adapted and adjusted, even when it was frustrating and challenging with building access limited and remote tools subpar.
• Virtual SA Twin Cities SA Marathon
  -- We held our 9th Annual SA Marathon, 2nd annual Virtual format. We had 2 speakers share their stories and instruct us on topics of Sponsorship and long term sobriety. Though limited in attendance, it was a powerful testimony of SA in action.
• Increase in new comers
  -- We've seen attendance in meetings return to pre-pandemic levels in most groups and even exceed in many. We've adjusted to the pandemic response formats and are hosting people in person and accommodated remote access needs. It's not perfect, but newcomers are coming and finding help.
• Relaunch of satwincities.org
  -- We formed a "website redesign" committee and gave satwincities.org a long overdue remodel. The new website has a simple clean aesthetic, boasts a functional meeting finder with dynamic mapping, and is based on Wordpress allowing robust customization capability and simpler administration. We thank an anonymous SA for his service in design, engineering and hosting of our new site.
  -- The new website also allows for inbound requests to come in through the site rather than only depending on phone call inquiries. As a result we've seen 220% increase of inquiries since launching the new site in Oct 2021. And fully 2/3 of new inquiries are coming through the website contact form and email vs phone messages. Strong indicators we're capturing more of those who may not have reached out before.
• Respond to inbound requests within 24 hours
  -- We set a standard to respond to every inquiry within 24 hours regardless of how they reach out. Almost without exception we've achieve this goal. The process we launched in 2020 to "push notifications" to the New Member committee is working better than our previous "pull" method (members dialing into a voicemail box and retrieving messages). Now we get notified via email, the first available member responds and follows up with the group with the outcome. We are responding closer to the time of need, directing the person asking for help faster and more accurately, and better understanding what happened and how we can improve. We share resources such as this handy Newcomer Packet bit.ly/welcomesatc and the updated meeting finder.

Looking ahead to 2022

We will continue forward this year, one day at a time. We will hold Intergroup elections on Feb 5 2022 to establish new Intergroup officers. As my term as chair expires, I'll step down and make room for the next person to serve. I expect this new leadership will bring fresh perspectives, increased compassion and attentive service to the needs of those in the Twin Cities seeking for help and to serve. I will continue in SA service personally, in my home group, as a sponsor and a continued service member in whatever capacity makes sense in the newly formed Intergroup.

We can build on the momentum of 2021. We established a consistent operating model for Intergroup to rapidly & reliability respond to inquires, provide self service options to learn about SA and find meetings for support. We should endeavor to continue the upward trend of newcomers reaching out to us through more "attractive" means (Tradition 11), and responding quickly to their needs.

We strive for even better representation from our home groups in Intergroup, seeking a consistent GSR for each group represented at Intergroup in order to better fulfill our purposes of doing for the groups what they can’t do for themselves.

We can improve our ability to get the word out when needed. A push notification to our community through an opt-in email list or similar means would help us amplify the word when we have announcements important to our community.

We will host another SA Marathon in April 2022. We will leverage our learnings of hosting meetings while considering the state of pandemic response. We hope to be in person again, and will likely incorporate remote options to expand the reach of this valuable time. Reaching more people and spreading sobriety is the goal.

On a personal note, I wish to express gratitude for the time I've been able to serve in the capacity of Intergroup chair and am optimistic for our community moving into 2022. Indeed service is the backbone of recovery, and Intergroup is 100% powered by volunteer services of recovering addicts. The wisdom of Step 12 creates a perpetual motion of recovery energy > I recover, I serve, through service I stay sober, through service another recovers, and the process repeats for the next person in need. I'm amazed at how this model powers forward and maintains itself so well. I'm also grateful for the anonymous nature of the program. To serve in anonymity reduces the danger of ego building from public recognition of service. It allows me be a vessel of service, focusing less on my "personality" and more on the "principles." I'm not as big of a deal as my ego likes to think I am, and that realization makes all the difference.

Happy New Year! May it be a year of progress for each of us and our collective efforts, taking it easy, one day at a time.

Chair SA Twin Cities Intergroup
Jan 8, 2022

 

 

Election Notice Feb 5, 2022

Notice

SA Twin Cities Intergroup has announced a meeting for electing new positions for 2022 to be held Saturday Feb 5, 2022 at 9:30AM at Day by Day Cafe in St Paul, MN. Pending pandemic prevention conditions the meeting may be changed to a remote format.

Guidelines for assembling and operating SA Intergroup are found in the SA Service Manual. Robert’s Rules of Order (RONR) will be followed during the meeting.

Downloadable version of this notice

Positions open for election

• Chair
• Recording Secretary
• Treasurer

Term

All elected positions are for a yearly term

Candidate requirements

• Candidates should support and believe in the SA sobriety definition
• Candidates should have 6 months of SA sobriety

Procedure

Candidates will be nominated “From the Floor” as per RONR.

Elections will be conducted by ballot during the in person Feb 5, 2022 meeting.

Terms will begin effectively immediately following the election meeting.

Twelve Step work is important. We recognize that half-measures avail us nothing. We need the ensure Fellowship of recovering sexaholics with a collection of diverse talents, to serve. Balance is our objective. Long-term sobriety for our leaders is a primary prerequisite. We are also looking for those with peace of mind, demonstrated humility, and intuition. Recovery is about progressive victory over lust. We seek those whose “dedication, stability, vision and special skills” will willingly undertake every service assignment (“Vital Need,” A.A.S.M. 39).

SA Service Manual p.3

Appendix

Questions

What is Intergroup?

“In SA, the Intergroup is comprised of representatives – Group Service Representatives (GSR) – from all the meetings in a local area.” Intergroup:

• Facilitates communication among member groups.

• Assists in starting new meetings.

• Monitors and funds the local telephone hotline and website referral system.

• Purchases and distributes SA literature to the member groups.

• Sends financial contributions to the Regional Assembly and SAICO.

• Oversees the maintenance and distribution of the local meeting list or directory.

• Sponsors conferences, marathon meetings, Step workshops, and retreats.

• Provides a forum for meetings to share ideas for strengthening recovery.

Why Should We Go to the Trouble of Nominations and Elections? 

After all, this kind of work requires oversight and considerable expense. When governing structures are established, do they not further the ego and self-centeredness that brought us to the point of despair? In fact the opposite can be true. Leadership that trusts “a loving God as he expresses himself in our group conscience” (Tradition Two) can plan, communicate, discuss, and even have heated debate. Such leadership can provide opportunities for the collective expression of the fellowship. It can also help deflate the ego and teach humility. Tradition One asserts that we must hear the collective wisdom of the membership; then we need to elect leaders to act on our behalf (“Leadership in A.A.: Ever a Vital Need,” The A.A. Service Manual [A.A.S.M.] 38-43).

SA Sobriety Definition

In defining sobriety, we do not speak for those outside Sexaholics Anonymous. We can only speak for ourselves. Thus, for the married sexaholic, sexual sobriety means having no form of sex with self or with persons other than the spouse. In SA’s sobriety definition, the term “spouse” refers to one’s partner in a marriage between a man and a woman. For the unmarried sexaholic, sexual sobriety means freedom from sex of any kind. And for all of us, single and married alike, sexual sobriety also includes progressive victory over lust (Sexaholics Anonymous, 191-192). 

Position Responsibilities

Chair

• Sets the agenda, using the input of the GSRs.
• Facilitates the meeting.
• Develops a working knowledge of Roberts Rules of Order; knowledge of Robert’s Rules is not a requirement for eligibility, however.
• When a vote is required, calls for motion and second, allows time for discussion, then calls the vote.
• Shares information and announces events to members via Intergroup Online E-mail Group, or by other appropriate means.

Recording Secretary

• Takes notes during the meeting and records any motions and votes taken.
• Presents written minutes at the start of every meeting for approval by the group.
• Keeps an archive of minutes, group conscience decisions, and action items and has them available for reference.
• Maintains a contact list of current GSRs and their service positions. This list, made available to all the groups, contains contact information so that all Trusted Servants are directly accessible to the groups. 

Treasurer

• Receives and makes record of donations from groups.
• Pays rent and other bills, including website expenses, phone bills, and printing costs for directories and flyers announcing Intergroup events.
• Makes donations to Regional Assembly and SAICO.
• Maintains a record of all transactions and accounts for all monies in a written monthly report.

9th Annual Twin Cities SA Virtual “1/2” Marathon Sat Apr 24, 2021

Intergroup is meeting on the first Saturday of each month virtually

While distancing restrictions are in place Intergroup has been meeting virtually. We are meeting on at 9:30AM on the first Saturday of each month. All groups are encouraged to send a representative and the meeting is open to any members of SA groups in the Twin Cities. To get on the invite list and get the Google Meet link, call the main phone line 952-985-1016 or email us at info@satwincities.org

8th Annual Twin Cities SA Virtual “1/2” Marathon Sat Apr 25, 2020

You're Invited!
8th Annual Twin Cities SA Virtual "1/2" Marathon.
Saturday April 25, 2020
10AM to 12PM CST

Adapting to Covid-19 restrictions, this year's Marathon is converted to a closed-meeting virtual event via Zoom online web conferencing (no SAnon meeting this year). Instead of our traditional all-day event, this will be a FREE online 2-hour event, hence the 1/2 marathon! Because this is a closed meeting, you must register through Eventbrite to get the Zoom login password for the event. You will have the option to join the Zoom conference call anonymously online in listen-only mode or call in with your cell phone. We are looking forward to connecting, and coming together as a community. See you there!

Event Flyer click here.

Registration on Eventbrite click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/101985110210

Questions/comments: info@satwincities.org