It is hard to imagine how many people this man
touched with his humor and knowledge. He had a
true gift and a calling that he did not ignore.
God bless the teachers.

Wanted to let you that Joe McQuany died yester-
day at 3:30 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was
the original Joe of the Joe & Charlie Big Book
Studies. Will send details when the plans are
final for services. Please pray for LouBelle
& Family.

In His Spirit,
Nancy Smith

- - - -

History of Joe & Charlie Big Book Studies:

Joe McQ. & Charlie P. met in 1973 when Joe
introduced Charlie as the AA speaker at an
Al-Anon Convention. Joe had wondered if Charlie
might be the country-western singer Charlie
Pride. "He wasn't even the right color," Joe
laments. They instantly discovered their
mutual fascination with AA's basic text "The
Big Book". What interested them most was that
The Big Book was written in a particular
sequence to convey certain ideas. That interest
began a close friendship which has lasted to
this day. They would frequently meet to discuss
the book, often driving 225 miles to meet in
each other's homes.

Soon they were planning meetings in hotel rooms
at AA conventions in Oklahoma and Arkansas, and
within a few years, the meetings grew in
popularity. In 1977, some members met in a
Tulsa, OK hotel room for a discussion of the
Big Book. One asked Joe & Charlie to come to
his home group to present a program on the
book. An AA taper made a four tape set of
their presentation and called it "The Big
Book Study". The tapes were gradually circu-
lated throughout the fellowship and invitations
were received for Joe & Charlie to present the
study at AA conventions, roundups and special
events. By 1980, there had been about eight
studies offered.

At the 1980 International AA Convention in New
Orleans, Westly P. an impassioned Big Booker
from Pompano Beach, Florida, organized a lunch
for 1,500 AAs from all over the world and gave
away 100 Joe & Charlie tape sets as door
prizes. Invitations exploded and within a
couple of years, Joe & Charlie were presenting
about 36 studies a year worldwide. Obviously,
the seminars struck a deep chord within AA
members ... for the reaffirmation of "this
message" as written in April 1939 with the
publication of the first edition of Alcoholics
Anonymous.

Studies have been given in 48 states and most
Canadian provinces. Additionally, Australia,
New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland,
Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and the Nether-
lands have all hosted the Big Book Study
seminars with Joe & Charlie.

The original Joe McQ. has had to curtail his
travels in recent years. Oddly enough, another
Joe -- Joe McC., active in the study group
since the beginning -- has been able to pick
up the slack. "Where God guides, God provides,"
as some members say.

All this growth has not come without a measure
of turbulence. What spiritual journey does not
encounter obstacles? Some fellow AAs have termed
the duo, "self-appointed gurus". Others have
accused them of making money on these weekends.
Actually, only travel expenses, meals and
lodging are paid for by the independent AA host
committee sponsoring the study. This is in
accordance with the AA Guidelines for Confer-
ences and Conventions (MG4), published by the
General Service Office. Since 1977, an esti-
mated 200,000 AA Members have experienced the
spiritual benefits of these collective studies.