The Augustine Fellowship Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous® Fellowship-Wide Services, Inc. S.L.A.A. 1999 SLAA Annual Business Meeting Minutes Summary - held in Houston, Texas - July, '99 Business/Agenda Items In total, 17 items were addressed by the Conference this year. Some decisions were made and some discussions were handled (some items did not require a vote or motion; simply that the Conference discuss them). Discussions/Brainstorms Held 99o01/96-22 Item: We would like to use the AA's 12&12 in a Step meeting to discuss the Traditions once a month. 99o03/96-24 Item: We have people attending closed meetings because they are court ordered or need a signature, but they say they do not want to be there. 99o07/97-4 Item: How does the absence of, the failure to qualify, or the resignation of a Conference Member (Delegate/ BOT Member/ FWS Staff Member/Journal Editor) affect the quorum in relation to meetings held between ABM's? The Conference decided to close discussion and to note that item 99o36/98-20 proposes a solution. 99o08/97-8 Item: Conference members discuss declining contribution and possible grass roots year-round effort to increase contributions. Details of these Brainstorms to be published under separate cover. Agenda Item Motions Voted On 99o02A/96-23 Motion: Motion to reject having a brainstorm on: Examining the link between incest and early childhood sexual abuse and trauma as a causal agent in sex and love addiction in adulthood. This is nowhere mentioned in the SLAA Basic Text and is a pressing issue for many members. The 1999 Conference APPROVED the motion to reject; the brainstorming session was not held as a result. 99o04A/97-1 Motion: To change the cover of the SLAA Basic Text so that it is nondescript and supports anonymity. The 1999 Conference could not come to a group conscience about this matter, so the item was sent back to committees for more work, if desired. 99o05/97-2 Motion: The World Wide Directory be sold to individuals, groups, Intergroups, treatment centers dedicated to the treatment of sexual addiction, mental health counselors and physicians, as well as international office of other "S" groups, with an attached letter emphasizing anonymity. The 1999 Conference APPROVED this item. 99o06A/97-3 Motion: Copies of meeting lists supplied to the FWS office for distribution shall be furnished to individuals, groups, Intergroups, treatment centers dedicated to the treatment of sexual addiction and physicians, as well as international office of other "S" groups. It needs to be made clear to groups submitting meeting list that the lists will be distributed in this manner. The 1999 Conference APPROVED this item. 99o09/97-10 Motion: To create two different cards that can be sold or given away at cost to SLAA members or groups that can be used to indicate donations to the Augustine Fellowship marking milestone events in a member's or group's life, e.g. sobriety, recovery, birthday, anniversary, death. The 1999 Conference APPROVED this item. 99o10A/97-11 Motion: To divide the following into six separate motions. The 1999 Conference APPROVED this item. 99o10B/97-11 Motion: We adopt URL links on our web site to other "S" fellowships. The 1999 Conference APPROVED this item. 99o10C/97-11 Motion: Provide World Wide Directory of meetings and FWS contact information to all other "S" fellowships after the 1999 ABM and when Directory or FWS contact information is updated. The 1999 Conference APPROVED this item. 99o10D/97-11 Motion: When asked for meeting information, FWS shall provide SLAA information only, unless the requester specifically asks for other "S" fellowship information or there is no SLAA presence in the area, in which case, other "S" fellowship contact information will be given. The 1999 Conference APPROVED this item. 99o10E/97-11 Motion: Provide the following statement to other "S" fellowships to be used in referral and information work: "Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous is a Twelve Step, Twelve Tradition oriented fellowship based on the model pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous. One of the resources we draw on is our willingness to stop acting out in our own personal bottom line addictive behavior on a daily basis. In addition, members reach out to others in the fellowship, practice the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, and seek a relationship with a Higher Power to counter the destructive consequences of one of more addictive behaviors related to consequences of one or more addictive behaviors related to sex addiction, addiction to love, dependency on romantic attachments, emotional dependency, and sexual, social, and emotional anorexia. We find a common denominator in our obsessive/compulsive patterns which renders any personal differences of sexual or gender orientation irrelevant." The 1999 Conference APPROVED this item. 99o10F/97-11 Motion: SLAA may continue to be involved in the Interfellowship Forum. The 1999 Conference could not come to a group conscience about this matter, so the item was sent back to committees for more work, if desired, to consider the comments of the Conference. 99o10G/97-11 Motion: Provide to the other "S" fellowships a self descriptive statement of the SLAA literature/merchandise available through FWS. The 1999 Conference APPROVED this item 99n38/99-01 Motion: The address contained in Article II (of the Bylaws) be automatically changed if the FWS SLAA office relocates. The 1999 Conference APPROVED this item. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- All other items have been carried over for the 2000 ABM. The full text of the 1999 ABM minutes will be published in the next SLAA Conference Newsletter. See your Delegate to the ABM or Intergroup to obtain a copy. The Conference Charter Committee SLAA_CCC@slaafws.org