The latest issue of the ISO newsletter, “The Outer Circle,” is now available online.
Sunday St. John’s Meeting Info
The Sunday, April 29th men’s meeting will be held in a different room (we’re back in our regular room the following week).
The meeting is in the gym, which is located directly above the regular room. To get there, stay on ground level and go along the left side of the building (do not go into the cafeteria or down the stairs). The room will be in the corner.
Convention Scholarship Update
Due to the limited response, the scholarship program has the possibility of offering one or two scholarship of $750 or more to a Houston Area person who would use it to participate in the convention. Contact one of the people in the flyer given by April 29 to be considered.
Convention Scholarship
Form for 2012 Convention Scholarship: See update
Not much time left. Deadline April 21. You can call a listed contact if you are thinking about going to the 2012 SAA convention.
Convention Champions Needed
Even if you can’t attend, you can still help us make this a successful Convention! Please consider being a Convention Champion.
A Convention Champion is someone who helps us get the word out. Please consider telling your group members and recovery friends about the upcoming Convention. Even if you can’t go yourself, you may know someone who would love to go, who hasn’t heard about it yet.
Please contact the ISO for more information:
- http://saa-recovery.org/
- (800) 477-8191
- info@saa-recovery.org
Meeting Schedule Updated
Added the women’s outreach contact’s email address.
The latest Meeting Schedule can always be downloaded from the link on the front page.
Initial Planning for 2013 Retreat
There will be a planning meeting this coming Sunday, April 15th, at 5:45 at Café Express to discuss feedback from the HAI retreat 2012 and to make a few decisions for the 2013 Spring Retreat.
Don’t worry: you don’t have to commit to next year just yet, however we really do want your feedback and help this coming Sunday to make a few decisions.
Agenda topics:
- Retreat evaluations feedback (see below and 2012 Retreat Feedback Graph). Thank you Phillip B for compiling—awesome!
- Place for 2013 retreat
- Date for 2013 (bring your calendars!)
Please Daniel W. know if you plan on attending so that he can get an accurate headcount; we want a quorum of persons to make some decisions. We will be finished in 1 hour leaving enough time for those wishing to attend the 7:00 p.m. meeting at St. John’s.
Retreat Evaluation Feedback
Best Feature of Retreat?
- All
- Enjoyed all.
- Fellowship
- Fellowship
- fellowship
- Fellowship, listening to others well into their recovery; meeting new friends.
- Free time for fellowship
- Getting to know peers more intimately
- I liked the meeting room
- Meeting length was adequate
- Pacing of schedule – combining steps into one meeting, timing of shares 3 min, good social time.
- Relaxed format. Hot Water!!
- Speaker presentations. Meeting new members. Fellowship. 12-step presentations very helpful.
- Speakers and sharing
- spending pending time w/fellows time w/fellows
- step meetings, free time for fellowship
- The fellowship
- The God display at night.
- the insights during the step meetings
- The meetings and fellowship.
- The meetings were excellent. The division of steps per meeting was very good and allowed good sharing.
- The peaceful setting and the comraderie/new friends
- the people
- The presentation
- The program was just right, I think. Step meetings were good and well-organized. Speakers were good. Meditations were good.
- The The format felt pressured last year It was wonderful this year format felt pressured last year. It was wonderful this year – - thanks! thanks!
- The weekend format. Having 1-3 on Friday night opened up time fo much needed free time.
- Well I have to say the downtime when I was able to connect with others.
- You guys did an awesome job, thank you. In your service ????, love and attention.
Weakest Feature?
- a little too much free time.
- Bunk housing is always tough for lite sleepers like me.
- cell phone service
- Chairs were broken and meals were not sufficient.
- Distance though not a stopper.
- food quality but the price of the retreat was a great value!
- Food was not healthy enough. Nothing green Saturday.
- I had expectations of the morning meditations being more meditative, as opposed to check in time.
- meals
- Meetings started late.
- None
- not enough folks from other areas.
- Perhaps too much free time on Saturday?
- registration
- Sleeping quarters
- the food was much , much, MUCH better at Chappell Hill.
Other Comments
- Other mtgs I attend in the Woodlands were not aware or did not publicize the retreat.
- All retreats have been great great, very helpful.
- chairs need replacing
- Create online registration and payment. Thanks for providing ear plugs. Great idea.
- Excellent job! Thank You!
- great job committee
- I would prefer to have a wig stand as y wig became crooked and dusty.
- Looking forward to next year!
- Maybe schedule retreat in early summer. Get (?) a vending machine. Have a shop so we can buy what we for what we forgot. Thank Thank you!
- on the preparedness list add to bring a blanket if you bring bedsheets. I assumed blankest were provided since it was not listed.
- Overall, very well done! I appreciate the efforts of the staff and committee in putting on this event. It was a blessing!
- Programming was great! Well organized.
- Put name tags in folder so we go to one place to check in.
- The ?????? Rule!
- To me it’s a toss up btwn here and Marg. Austin. I believe that I prefer the closeness of Marg. Austin.
- Very well—organized. Superb! Bravo! Awesome!
- Well-organized. I’m happy being in recovery and fellowship.
UPDATED: New Contact for St. John’s Meetings
Update April 5, 2012: A clarification-Carol Ann is not the contact for the meetings, but a contact for the church. Any member/meeting wishing to contact the church will contact Carol Ann. Each meeting has its own designated contact (see the ISO website for details).
Carol Ann R. is the new contact for St. John’s:
By the way, I would like to let you (and others) know that I will no longer be the contact person for the Church’s 12 Step Support Groups. Carol Ann R. is taking over the duties.
Not only is she the coordinator with the Children’s Ministry, she is well experienced with various Support Groups and all the 12 Steps standards and methods. She was once employed with the National Support Groups. She is very passionate about what she does and will be a great help in assisting our groups.
Please feel free to contact her at any time via email: cross@sjd.org or via phone at (713) 622-3600 Ext 266 with your requests or concerns. We excited to have her working with all our Support Groups.
Take care,
Jewel
Carol Ann’s contact info has been added to the Meeting Schedule.
St. John’s Open on Easter Sunday
St. John’s will be open April 8th, Easter Sunday, for meetings.
April: SAA Austin Spring Retreat
Austin SAA is hosting a co-ed retreat April 21-22 @ 7A Ranch Resort in Wimberley.
Theme: From Isolation to Intimacy
Where: 7A Ranch Resort in Wimberley
When: April 21-22, 9 am Saturday through 1 pm Sunday
Cost: $75.00 (due April 16th)
More info and registration (pdf)
If you decide to go be sure to sign up soon. Last year it filled up.