When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, I want the hand of S.L.A.A. always to be there, and for that, I am responsible. ( The Responsibility Pledge of A.A., adapted).
What is an Intergroup?
Any two or more Groups can form an Intergroup. Intergroups plan outreach and events, as well as conduct business meetings where they discuss SLAA business at the Intergroup level.
SLAAvirtual Intergroup
SLAA Virtual Intergroup (SLAAvirtual or SVIG) began in March 2021. Covid changed 12 Step Programs forcing most meeting to become virtual, at least for a some period. This led to the growth of new virtual meetings.
Traditionally groups and intergroup membership were defined by proximity. Now many virtual groups are drawing regular members from multiple cities, states and even countries.
Purposes of SLAAvirtual
Our purpose and functions are set out in our Constitution.
SLAAvirtual Intergroup is committed to worldwide Equality of Access, Diversity and Inclusion in SLAA for all sex and love addicts.
We are guided in all that we do by the SLAA Steps, Traditions and Concepts.
Our Mission is to support online and hybrid SLAA Groups to provide Service, including meetings and fellowship between meetings, that is as effective supporting our members as SLAA Groups that are able to hold meetings in person.
In particular we exist to support sex and love addicts unable to attend SLAA meetings in person including those:
(a) in hospitals, treatment centres and/or institutions;
(b) in remote or inaccessible areas;
(c) mobility impaired by illness, aging or disability;
(d) required to prioratise parenting or other carer responsibilities;
(e) not attending meetings in their area for their own physical and/or emotional health and safety; and/or
(f) prevented by religious, cultural or legal reasons from attending in person SLAA meetings.
SLAAvirtual’s functions
Our purpose and functions are set out in our Constitution.
In summary, our purpose is to provide Service is to assist our Groups to carry out Tradition Five: Each group has but one primary purpose – to carry its message to the sex and love addict who still suffers.
SVIG’s functions include, but are not limited to:
(a) Building unity among registered online SLAA groups;
(b) Creating a spirit of fellowship among sex and love addicts as a vehicle for recovery;
(c) Serving as a medium to assist Members worldwide to find online meetings, fellowship between meetings, literature and events;
(d) Facilitating the planning and promotion of SLAA related online events including conventions, workshops, socials, fund raisers, retreats and special events;
(e) Facilitating the exchange of information between online SLAA groups and Fellowship Wide Services.
SLAAvirtual’s Values
Our shared Values as a SLAA Intergroup are:
1. Acceptance
We practice patience, tolerance and loving acceptance in all our dealings with all our Service Bodies, Members, Friends of the Fellowship and the general public.
2. Hope
We share the hope that the decisions we make in Group Conscience will be in the best interests of the online Fellowship as a whole, both now and for future generations.
3. Faith
We put our faith in a Higher Power confident that if we each contribute our best effort to serve the online Fellowship as its humble servants, our Higher Power will take care of the rest.
4. Courage
We are courageous expressing what we each believe, whether that is in setting a boundary or sharing our ideas. Practicing courage can be challenging, but it is also rewarding.
5. Honesty
We are rigorously honest with one another and the Fellowship as a whole, sharing information transparently to empower ourselves and others to carry out God’s Will.
6. Patience
We practice patience with ourselves, one another and all those who serve along side us to properly and diligently carry out the duties of our Intergroup.
7. Humility
We strive to practice humility by recognizing we will not always be right nor know all the answers. We are all imperfect people, loved by God. We will promptly admit mistakes and make amends as an Intergroup.
8. Willingness
We practice willingness by being responsive to our Members and open to the necessary effort required to meet changing priorities of the online fellowship over time.
9. Love
Our purpose as an Intergroup to be instruments of God’s healing Love underpins our unwavering commitment to inclusion and diversity, mutual respect in all our relationships and shared love of the Fellowship that transcends any personal differences.
10. Integrity
We each commit to practice integrity by upholding the spiritual values of the S.L.A.A. Program and to only ever make decisions that meet our personal values as recovering sex and love addicts.
11. Self-discipline
We practice self-discipline by performing the functions and duties we individually and collectively committed to carry out diligently and honestly as the trusted servants of SLAAvirtual.
12. Service
Service is the spiritual principle of recovery that keeps each of us sober. We will serve our beloved Fellowship to the best of our ability and inspire others to do the same.
SLAAvirtual’s Code of Ethics
Adopted July 14th, 2024
To keep each of our meetings safe and productive, we:
● Communicate our views honestly and respectfully on issues raised. We do not raise our voices, stoop to sarcasm, or try to bully others into our way of thinking.
● Are tolerant when we differ. We share our meeting time fairly so that each of us has an equal opportunity to comment.
● Are willing to put our egos aside when our opinions do not win favor with others. We are able to let go, trust our group conscience, and work for the greater good.
● Encourage one another by doing our part to maintain a safe and supportive atmosphere.
These points have proved to be our blueprint for success. We ask for your cooperation in continuing these traditions as we work together. Thank you for helping SLAAvirtual Intergroup Inc by contributing your time and talents. Your Twelfth Step work is deeply appreciated!
The above was developed by the Conference Literature Committee (CLC) and used here with CLC permission.”
Frequently Asked Questions
When does SLAAvirtual meet?
SVIG meets the second Sunday every month at 6pm New York time. (Note our new time as from 15 September 2024)
For more details of the next SVIG meeting email slaavirtual@gmail.com
Group Representatives and their Group members are welcome to attend.
All SLAA groups that are part of SVIG, or wish to be part of SVIG, are encouraged to elect a Group Representative to have them attend as a conduit between their own meeting and the Intergroup. Contact Intergroup at slaavirtual@gmail.com
What does SLAAvirtual do for its Member Groups?
The role of every SLAA Intergroup is to provide services on behalf of all its Members at the request of those Members. Intergroups only serve; not govern.
Our current Projects as at September 2024 are:
- Online Meeting Calendar offering 310 meetings a week suitable for newcomers, viewed 500+ times a day
- Infoline on WhatsApp assisting 100-120 newcomers per month
- slaavirtual@gmail.com assisting 70 – 100 newcomers per month plus supporting our Member Groups and Calendar
- Website supporting the online community which has 20,000 views per month
- Launch SLAAvirtual Google Ads and Search Engine Optimisation in 2025
- Over 50 SLAA WhatsApp Groups welcoming newcomers (1000+ views per month)
- Two Zoom accounts free of charge to help new online Groups open especially in developing countries and other regions with no existing SLAA presence.
- Canva Pro Account and design assistance free of charge to Member Groups to create their own online public outreach materials
- PayPal and Stripe credit and debit card services to enable our Groups to collect 7th worldwide in multiple currencies fee free
- Online Store with Woo Commerce to make workshop recordings available at cost to members unable to attend
- Audio visual content created by SLAAvirtual for the Conference Public Information Committee of SLAA to publish on SLAA YouTube and the SLAA Service Forum
- 7th contribution to Fellowship World Services which provides essential services for the SLAA fellowship internationally.
- Delegates funded to attend the SLAA Conference (which is the world-wide collective decision-making group conscience of our Fellowship) to represent the needs of the online community.
- Supporting 270 SLAA volunteers across 31 Service Groups in meeting service, chat group management, public outreach, fundraising, ABM delegate training, workshops, tech support for members and much more.
How do I support SLAAvirtual?
Individuals who can afford to give 7th Tradition are encouraged to contribute $10 or more per month to support all the Meetings, Workshops and other services (listed above) provided by SLAAvirtual to the online community.
Your 7th supports the thousands of suffering addicts worldwide in developing countries without any local SLAA and in desperate need of our online services.
See https://slaavirtual.org/donate for our bank account and PayPal details.
Group consciences are encouraged to discuss donating any surplus funds (over and above their prudent reserve) to SLAA Virtual Intergroup to help support our services.
Why is SLAAvirtual Intergroup incorporated?
SLAA Fellowship Wide Services – like all large 12 Step Fellowships – is a corporation.
SLAA has 78 registered Intergroups and all the larger ones like New York, Los Angeles and Houston are registered not for profit corporations.
SLAAvirtual Intergroup voted to incorporate under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (the Act) so:
- Contracting – SLAAvirtual is a legal entity with legal power to enter into Contracts in its own name with Zoom, Canva, NameCheap, WordPress and other worldwide Suppliers necessary for the Intergroup to carry out its Purposes, rather than rely on individuals to break their Anonymity to contract on its behalf;
- Banking – The Intergroup can open its own bank account, Paypal Account and otherwise manage its finances in its own name rather than rely on individuals to break their Anonymity to contract on its behalf;
- Continuity -SLAAvirtual remains its own legal entity that owns its own assets and owes its own liabilities even if its members rotate out of Service Positions, lose their Sobriety Requirement to serve, leave SLAA altogether or die;
- Management – Establishes a Committee of Management with clear responsibilities including to maintain financial accounts and report to members;
- Winding up – There are Rules how to wind up the entity and distribute any remaining money and assets to another Intergroup if the members vote to wind up the Intergroup;
- Limited liability – The Intergroup will become a limited liability association which means individual Members are not personally liable for any claims against the Intergroup.
Certificate of Incorporation
