Two bodies oversee the operation of the Saddleback Valley Fellowship – the Saddleback Valley Fellowship Center and the Saddleback Valley Fellowship Group.
The Saddleback Valley Fellowship Center is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that conducts all business and legal affairs under the direction of the Board while facilitating the maintenance and administration of the building. Anything that is considered “property” is paid for out of Center funds which are raised by donations, rent collection, and event fundraisers.
The Saddleback Valley Fellowship Group is affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous® and is made up of all AA meetings at the Center that are listed under the Group number. The Steering Committee governs the Group and a “Group Conscience” is held at the monthly Steering Committee Meeting. In keeping with AA’s singleness of purpose, the Group has its own website that can be found here.
As a Corporation, the Center is NOT a part of, nor affiliated with, Alcoholics Anonymous® and follows the Relationship Between AA and Clubs guidelines in its dealings with the Group.
Our Club was born when several of our early members were attending a meeting in Laguna Hills and decided that they wanted to get a place of their own that could accommodate meetings throughout the day.
This group began meeting at the now-closed Danny’s Kosher Pickle restaurant at the corner of El Toro and Raymond. Our first attendees were drawn from the Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, and Irvine area.
Most of what we know about those early days is thanks to the written account of our first Chair, Jeff Robbins.
The camel each day goes twice to his knees.
He picks up his load with the greatest of ease.
He walks through the day with his head held high.
And stays for that day, completely dry.
[Dr. Bob] would explain prayer by telling how the camels in a caravan would kneel down in the evening, and the men would unload their burdens. In the morning, they would kneel down again, and the men would put the burdens back on. ’It’s the same with prayer,’ Dr. Bob said. ’We get on our knees to unload at night. And in the morning when we get on our knees again, God gives us just the load we are able to carry for that day.'
Our first Committee Meeting was held at Jeff R's house.
We were incorporated under the name Saddleback Valley Alano Club, Inc.
Our Club moved to Swartz.
Saddleback Valley Alano Club, Inc. officially changed its name to the Saddleback Valley Fellowship Center.
We had a brief period of "homelessness." The Group continued to have meetings in different locations until we could get a new "home" again.
Our Birthday! Our doors officially opened at our first location at the intersection of El Toro Rd and Raymond Way.
The estimated annual attendance at our Club was above 40,000.
After Swartz, we did a brief stint at Lake Forest Lanes before moving back to El Toro and Raymond, this time by the Sizzler.
We moved to our location of off Los Alisos. This was when the moniker "the El Toro Club" fell out of favor because we were no longer on El Toro.
We moved to our current location off of El Toro and Muirlands.
January 5th, 1985
Our first Committee Meeting was held at Jeff R’s house.
April 18th, 1985
Our Birthday! Our doors officially opened at our first location at the intersection of El Toro Rd and Raymond Way.
October 1985
We were incorporated under the name Saddleback Valley Alano Club, Inc.
September of 1987
The estimated annual attendance at our Club was above 40,000.
1997
The Club moved to Swartz.
2007
After Swartz, we did a brief stint at Lake Forest Lanes before moving back to El Toro and Raymond, this time by the Sizzler.
February 2007
Saddleback Valley Alano Club, Inc. officially changed its name to the Saddleback Valley Fellowship Center.
2009
We moved to our location of off Los Alisos. This was when the moniker “the El Toro Club” fell out of favor because we were no longer on El Toro.
2019
We had a brief period of “homelessness.” The Group continued to have meetings in different locations until we could get a new “home” again.
2020
We moved to our current location off of El Toro and Muirlands.
Fill out the form below with your requested day, time, and meeting format.
Please note that you must attend the Steering Committee meeting (held on the third Sunday of every month) to officially get added to the schedule.
