Questions & Thoughts

QUESTION: 10/’23 How has your concept of a “Higher Power” developed in the program?

https://scanneronline.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Photo-1.jpg

Please submit your Thoughts, Feelings or Experiences about this question to the e-mail address below. You can also submit a SCA related article, poem, post or etc. to be considered for publication to the same address:

scannereditor@sca-recovery.org

 

THOUGHTS: From WD

       Before recovery, I thought of God as having a script of exactly how things were supposed to play out. “Doing God’s will” meant figuring out what the script is and running it perfectly. Failing to follow the script meant disappointing God. This script of how God wanted things to play out didn’t necessarily have any connection to what I wanted; my will was just a thing to be overcome in following God’s will.
This created a lot of unspoken resentment in me. When I was working the third step, this resentment came to the surface. How can I trust in the care of a God who treats me like a chess piece to be moved around in whatever way serves his endgame? Why would God give me free will if the goal was simply to act like an automaton, doing whatever the programmer dictated?
Then I asked myself, “Who in my life represents the care of God to me?” I realized that my fellows in the program, among others, were living images of the care of God. And how do they treat me? Do they say, “I have decided that this is what you need to do, regardless of whether you want to?” No. They may give advice. They may say, “That doesn’t seem like a great idea; you may want to think it through.” Or, “This seems like something that you might want to consider doing.” But in their love and care for me, they ultimately want me to develop my own will and my ability to choose my path in life.
And if this is how the people who represent the care of God treat me, then perhaps that is how God treats me as well. It has been a difficult shift in perspective to make. But I am learning to see God not as the one who dictates every decision I should make, but rather as the one who wants me to grow and mature in using my own will to make good choices that lead to my happiness and fulfillment.

WD

15th Annual “S” Retreat in Eureka, MISSOURI

September 29 · 4pm – October 1 · 1pm CDT- STEPPING INTO WHOLENESS                                                                                                                                             The focus of this retreat is on moving beyond guilt and shame into healthy, integrated recovery utilizing the 12 steps and other program tools of recovery.  For more information please visit their website: https://sexaddictionkc.com/index.php/april-29th-30th-annual-s-group-retreat

SCA-JAPAN Convention 2023

SCA-JAPAN Convention 2023 will be held in Fukuoka for two days, November 4th(Sat)and 5th(Sun).

The first day is a closed meeting where people with sexual compulsion or think they may have 
it can participate. On the second day, in addition to those involved, family and friends, 
medical, supporters, and lawyers can also participate.

On the second day, we will invite Dr. Takeo Muto of Koyodai Hospital to give a lecture. 
Please visit their website for more information:  https://www.sca-japan.org




			


	



			
				


	

		
Questions & Thoughts

			


	

		
QUESTION:


9/23   How do you chose your sponsor? What are your and their’s expectations?


Please submit your Thoughts, Feelings or Experiences about this question to the e-mail address below. You can also submit a SCA related article, poem, post or etc. to be considered for publication to the same address:


scannereditor@sca-recovery.org


 
















THOUGHTS:


8/’23   SCA’s “Statement of Purpose” is to help the addict who still suffers. A lot has changed in the last 50 years since SCA first addressed sexual addiction.  SCA’s Outreach team would appreciate hearing from you on what is and isn’t working, not only in your local meetings but in general with how sexual compulsion/addiction is being addressed today?






Anonymous – SCA Los Angeles


SCA originally started in the gay communities of Los Angeles and New York, and is non-discriminating open to anyone suffering from sexual compulsion.  I believe that most therapists and treatment centers still think of SCA as the place to recommend only to their LGBTQ clients.  I think more people are seeking help from professionals first before attending any 12 Step “S” group and not finding their way to our meetings.  Many people are not “acting out” but “acting in”.  With the advent of Apps, social media, free porn, it’s easier to isolate into the disease .  Even on line meetings are a bit isolating. As the nature of the disease has changed, SCA has kept up and produced some of the best literature available. With more Outreach, we can let the the health professionals become better informed about us and we can again become more available.












Gordon B.- Chair, SCA New York Intergroup




My experience is that SCA meeting attendance waxes and wanes. Currently, we are going  through a transition period, in which a number of New York members attend our in-person meetings while avoiding Zoom meetings. Other NY members stick to Zoom but do not attend in-person meetings. We have a growing number of members who do not live in New York. For them, our Zoom meetings are a lifeline to the fellowship. Ideally, it would be great if those members eventually start their own in-person meetings locally. We are not yet at that point.  But we should be grateful for what we have.


As a member of NY Outreach, I get a steady stream of inquiries from people looking for help. Some of them attend a few meetings, then drift away. Others stay. Many newcomers struggle with a sense of shame in admitting to be a sex addictive/sexual compulsive, etc. But I believe that more people than ever are asking for help. The pandemic added to the sense of isolation that many of us feel. Porn usage continues to rise. I believe that our fellowship is doing what we can to help the sexual compulsive who still suffers, both inside and outside the rooms. We can let go of the result.





			


	



			
				


	

		
Inter-Fellowship Forum meeting Held June 24, 2023

			


	

		
The mission of IFF is to promote a spirit of cooperation among S fellowships, with a

primary purpose of reaching the still-suffering addict. IFF has been dormant for the last

five years. Two people from SAA are now taking an active role in getting these lines of

communication open again.

Discussion Points:

• SPAA suggests no porn or sex outside of a committed relationship. Edging is

considered middle-circle behavior. They are four years old and have about 400

members. They have gay and woman-only meetings.

• SAA is starting legal outreach the last couple of years and likes what SCA has

done in the Southern California area. Their intergroup set a 5-year plan for their

future.

• Castimonia involves vows of sexual purity tied to moral and religious beliefs.

They have mixed-gender meetings, apps, and social media using a biblically

redeemed approach to the Twelve Steps.

• It was agreed to try to include all recovery programs’ website addresses on each

organization’s individual main website.

• Annual IFF Conference is planned for Cosa Mesa, California. They will update us

on the exact date.

			


	



			
				


	

		
Introducing the SCA Step Workbook

			


	

		
The SCA Step Workbook, approved by the ISO Conference in April 2023, is now available for free download from our international website: www.sca-recovery.org under the “Literature and Resources” tab. 


 


It is in “fillable PDF” format. You can download the document and then update, share, and store it in your own private files. Please note that the worksheets appear after the three blank “Additional notes” pages following Step Twelve.

			


	



			
				


	

		
NEW SCA PAMPHLET NOW AVAILABLE

			


	

		


This pamphlet focuses on Pornography, Software Apps (Computer based and Mobile), and the Internet and their role in addiction and can also be found in the 3rd edition of SCA’s A Program of Recovery, Chapter 17.


Pornography, Apps & Internet Addiction – Available for  $3.50 in the SCA Literature Store.


 https://sca-recovery.org/WP/literature-and-resources/store/



			


	



			
				


			
				


	

		
ISO 2023 Conference Summary

			


	

		
Summary of SCA’s ISO 2023 Conference


The International Service Organization of Sexual Compulsives Anonymous held its annual conference this past weekend: April 21st through 23rd, 2023.


Below are some of the conference’s highlights, which took place on Zoom.


Delegates representing 73 meetings attended the conference or voted by proxy. We also heard group reports from most domestic groups and scattered international meetings, particularly SCA in Japan.


Recovery book sales (print & e-book)


Since the ISO released the new Recovery Book (print version) on November 17, 2021, sales have been steady. Through March 31, 2023, the ISO has sold 450 copies of the print edition and 213 e-Book versions through Amazon Kindle, Apple, and Google.


Decisions made and Actions taken


An ISO By-Laws Amendment was unanimously approved: That the Executive Committee members, excluding the Outside (non-member) Director, being officers of the corporation who represent SCA in dealings with active sexual compulsives and the public, are required to have at least two (2) years of SCA membership and one (1) year of sobriety on their Sexual Recovery Plan.


Fiduciary motions:


ISO approved a revised budget for 2023 and (2) set aside capital funds to print versions of the Porn, Apps & Internet Addiction chapter of our Recovery Book and the Step Workbook (see Inreach motion below).


Outreach motions:


ISO approved a motion to sell the SCA Recovery Book to bookstores at the same 40 % discount available to SCA meetings. Outreach is expected to contact such bookstores, informing them about the book and asking them to consider offering it for public sale.


(a) ISO will provide the Recovery Book and other SCA literature and information to jails, prisons, recovery centers, and judicial organizations addressing sexual addiction. These institutions will also be offered the opportunity to purchase our literature at the 40 % meeting discount rate.


(b) Budgeted $1,000 to provide single copies of the Recovery book and other SCA literature to jails, prisons, and recovery centers.


Inreach motion:


Fully approved the proposed SCA Step Workbook for conference-wide use. The piece had initially been submitted to ISO in 2022 for consideration. It was subsequently reviewed and edited by an ISO Literature Development project team, which incorporated various suggestions from the fellowship at large. The approved Step Workbook will be placed on our international website as a fillable PDF and will also be printed for sale.


Literature Development:


A Literature Development project team is reviewing the draft SCA Meditations book. The final draft will be submitted to the ISO later this year for consideration at the 2024 ISO Conference. Meanwhile, the current versions are posted daily on the website: www.sca-recovery.org and https://scanneronline.org.


New ISO officers


In keeping with our rotation of service policy, half of the ISO Executive Committee positions were up for election.




    

  • ISO Chair: Joy D. (NY) was re-elected ISO Chair and President of the (Non-profit 501c3) corporation for a final 2-year term.
    • 

  • Outreach Chair: Frank C. (NY) was elected Outreach Chair for a 2-year term, succeeding Sherry G. (St. Louis).
    • 

  • Outside Director: Dr. Alexandra Katehakis finished her second 2-year term this past weekend and is ineligible to serve a 3rd consecutive term. The ISO is looking for a new Outside (non-member) Director.
    • 





Other officers remaining in place this year are:




    

  • The Inreach Chair: Tony D. (NY) – term expires in 2024.
    • 

  • Fiduciary Chair: Matthew C. (NY) – term expires in 2024.
    • 

  • Director-at-Large: Gordon B. (NY)- term expires in 2024.
    • 



 


Future ISO conferences:


The date of the 2024 conference has yet to be determined, but it is likely to take place in mid-late April on Zoom.The  ISO plans to hold an in-person 2025 conference in one of our host cities (TBD).  Between annual conferences, there will be three quarterly conference calls: Saturday, July 15th, Saturday, October 14th, and Saturday, January 20th, 2024.


If you wish to learn more about the ISO and how it serves the SCA fellowship, please get in touch with any of the above officers or email atlarge@sca-recovery.org.


Yours in service,


Gordon B.


ISO Director-at-Large