Why start a new meeting?
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To be of service to SLAA community and help it grow. Tradition Five says "Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry its message to the sex and love addict who still suffers." The more meetings we have, the stronger our fellowship will get. The more people we attract, the more opportunities we have for our recovery. Imagine starting a meeting that will serve a great purpose to those who need it for many years to come!
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You want more meetings with the focus that interests you. We are all different in our patterns of sex and love addiction. Each meeting has a focus on a particular type of behavior that may be of more interest to some than to others. If you would like to see a meeting that focuses on your area of interest, you can start one yourself!
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Location location location. We get a lot of inquiries over the phone and via email for meetings in areas far from Los Angeles, such as San Bernardino or Upland. There are many people who live far away from Los Angeles who need their meetings and recovery. If you want to be of service to people in your area as well as yourself, start a new meeting nearby!
Requirements for starting a new meeting
Our Third tradition of S.L.A.A. states: “The only requirement for S.L.A.A. membership is the desire to stop living out a pattern of sex and love addiction. Any two or more persons gathered together for mutual aid in recovering from sex and love addiction may call themselves an S.L.A.A. group, provided that as a group they have no other affiliation.” Therefore the only requirements to start an new S.L.A.A. meeting is a desire to do so and to have at least one other person willing to support you in it.
It is suggested that before you plan to start a meeting, you at least go to several meetings and familiarize yourself with the format, and follow all Twelve Traditions of S.L.A.A.
Suggested procedures for starting a new meeting
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Have a desire to start a meeting with a focus and location in mind.
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Talk to other S.L.A.A. members about your idea and ask them if they want to support you in that?
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Find a location, time and day for your meeting. Most places charge rent to use the room, so look around before deciding on a place. Suggested places to look into are churches, community centers, hospitals and other places that provide rooms for 12 step meetings.
NOTICE: Due to L.A.'s "Safer at Home" response to the outbreak of the Coronavirus, we are not promoting "face-to-face" meetings at this time. In the meantime, try starting an online meeting!
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After you found your ideal place and time, set the date for your first meeting and
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Register your meeting with S.L.A.A. Fellowship-wide Services (F.W.S.)
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Purchase an S.L.A.A. meeting Starter Kit from F.W.S. A Starter Kit will contain all the necessary materials to get a meeting started (including some literature). Or download the basic Starter Kit (not including literature) for free!
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Start spreading the word around - Make flyers with details; pass out at your meetings and give to others to take to their meetings; pass out copies at Intergroup; give a copy to the Bottom Line Editor
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Give the information to the Webmaster for posting to the "New Meetings" section on the website.
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Once your meeting is going, schedule a business meeting where you can elect a secretary, literature person, a treasurer and an Intergroup representative as well as any other service positions you may require for your meeting.
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Have your Intergroup representative attend two Intergroup meetings in a row where he or she can announce your meeting to other members so it can be added to the Current Meetings list.
As an additional reference, the S.L.A.A. Basic Text, chapter 7, “Starting an S.L.A.A. Group” (pp. 121-138)