image

Joe & Charlie Big Book Studies

Joe & Charlie have led thousands through the process of working the 12-Steps
   
The Joe & Charlie Big Book Studies
(the following 3 members of AA are now deceased and thus their full names are being used.)
In 1973 Joe McQuany introduced Charlie Parmley as the AA speaker at an Al-Anon Convention. Joe and Charlie soon discovered that they both shared a love for the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Traveling between their homes to discuss the Big Book became a regular event.  Eventually others were invited to join these discussions and in 1977 they met together as a group in Tulsa. From this event they were invited to share a program on the Big Book at one of the participants' home AA group.  This presentation was recorded and began to be circulated within the fellowship.  At the 1980 International AA Convention in New Orleans, Wesley Parrish (click to hear his story) , an impassioned Big Book lover from Pompano Beach, organized a lunch for 1,500 AAs from all over the world and gave away 100 sets of the talks from the Joe & Charlie seminar as door prizes. His intent was to spark interest in spreading the seminar across the country. Wesley passed in 1985 but left a tradition that is still being carried out around the world.  Invitations exploded and within a couple of years, Joe & Charlie were presenting about 36 studies a year worldwide. As Joe McQuany aged he was not able to keep the taxing schedule. Joe McCoy, an early participant, stepped in to fill the void. Presented below are multiple versions of their weekend events - the first with Joe McQuany and the second with Joe McCoy.  This event still continues around the world by different speakers.  You can find information on the current event by clicking here.
   
The Joe & Charlie Big Book Studies including a study of the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions
Boca Raton FL Big Book Weekend 2005 - "The 12 Steps And 12 Traditions" presented by Willie Bingham of Spring Texas & John Williams of Pompano Beach FL. Many of the Joe and Charlie Big Book Weekends started on Thursday and ran through Sunday to include this 9-10 hour teaching from the book "12 Steps and 12 Traditions". The presenters for this portion were John Williams (passed on January 8, 2018) and Willie Bingham of Spring TX (passed January 23, 2011). Go Boca Raton 2005
   
   
Joe McQuany & Charlie Parmley Big Book Study - 2003
let Joe & Charlie take you through the 12 Steps in this classic study of the Big Book of AA.
  Listen Button Joe McQ & Charlie P BB Study 2003 - Part 01
 Listen Button Joe McQ & Charlie P BB Study 2003 - Part 02
 Listen Button Joe McQ & Charlie P BB Study 2003 - Part 03
 Listen Button Joe McQ & Charlie P BB Study 2003 - Part 04
 Listen Button Joe McQ & Charlie P BB Study 2003 - Part 05
 Listen Button Joe McQ & Charlie P BB Study 2003 - Part 06
 Listen Button Joe McQ & Charlie P BB Study 2003 - Part 07
 Listen Button Joe McQ & Charlie P BB Study 2003 - Part 08
 Listen Button Joe McQ & Charlie P BB Study 2003 - Part 09
   
Joe McQuany & Charlie Parmley & Joe McCoy Big Book Study - 2001
In this rare version, both Joes & Charlie lead the Big Book Comes Alive Weekend in Boca Raton, Florida.
 Listen Button Joe McQuany & Charlie Parmley & Joe McCoy - BB Study 2001 - Part 01
 Listen Button Joe McQuany & Charlie Parmley & Joe McCoy - BB Study 2001 - Part 02
 Listen Button Joe McQuany & Charlie Parmley & Joe McCoy - BB Study 2001 - Part 03
 Listen Button Joe McQuany & Charlie Parmley & Joe McCoy - BB Study 2001 - Part 04
 Listen Button Joe McQuany & Charlie Parmley & Joe McCoy - BB Study 2001 - Part 05
 Listen Button Joe McQuany & Charlie Parmley & Joe McCoy - BB Study 2001 - Part 06
 Listen Button Joe McQuany & Charlie Parmley & Joe McCoy - BB Study 2001 - Part 07
 Listen Button Joe McQuany & Charlie Parmley & Joe McCoy - BB Study 2001 - Part 08
 Listen Button Joe McQuany & Charlie Parmley & Joe McCoy - BB Study 2001 - Part 09
 Listen Button Joe McQuany & Charlie Parmley & Joe McCoy - BB Study 2001 - Part 10
 Listen Button Joe McQuany & Charlie Parmley & Joe McCoy - BB Study 2001 - Part 11
   
   
Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley Big Book Study - 2013
Joe & Charlie clarify and simplify the process of working through the 12-Steps.
 Listen Button Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley BB Study 2013 - Part 01
 Listen Button Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley BB Study 2013 - Part 02
 Listen Button Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley BB Study 2013 - Part 03
 Listen Button Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley BB Study 2013 - Part 04
 Listen Button Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley BB Study 2013 - Part 05
 Listen Button Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley BB Study 2013 - Part 06
 Listen Button Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley BB Study 2013 - Part 07
 Listen Button Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley BB Study 2013 - Part 08
 Listen Button Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley BB Study 2013 - Part 09
   
   
Joe & Charlie Workshop Materials
   
  Get File Button Joe & Charlie Workshop - Handouts (PDF)
  Get File Button Joe & Charlie - Inventory Worksheets (PDF)
  Get File Button Joe & Charlie - Step 4 Worksheets (PDF)
   
   
Joe McQuany & Charlie Parmley - 'Emotional Sobriety' - Big Book Seminar - Wilson House - East Dorset, VT ~ Oct 1980
   
  Listen Button Joe McQ & Charlie P - Emotional Sobriety - Wilson House - East Dorset, VT ~ Oct 1980 - Part 1
   
  Listen Button Joe McQ & Charlie P - Emotional Sobriety - Wilson House - East Dorset, VT ~ Oct 1980 - Part 2
   
   
Charlie Parmley - (AA) of Maysville, Arkansas. (1929 - 2011, 82 years old)
Charlie is widely known within the recovery community because of his love for the big book and for his partnering with Joe McQuany to start the Joe & Charlie Big Book Studies. Charlie was the co-founder of the House of Hope Inc. Recovery Center in Grove, Oklahoma. He is also responsible for organizing a trust fund maintains Dr. Bob's Home in Akron and the Wilson House in Vermont. After Joe McQuany passed in 2007, Charlie continued the Big Book Study Workshops with Joe McCoy. Charlie died of a  heart attack in 2011.
   
 Listen Button Charlie Parmley (AA) of Maysville, Arkansas tells his story in 1986
   
 Listen Button Charlie Parmley (AA) of Maysville, Arkansas tells the history of AA.
   
   
Joe McQuany - (AA) from Little Rock, Arkansas. (1928 - 2007, 78 years old) Joe partnered with Joe Parmley to start the Joe & Charlie Big Book Studies. In the early ‘70s, with a $330 grant and a few donations, he founded a program called Serenity House. He developed Recovery Dynamics, a treatment model for addiction.  Soon other facilities wanted to replicate the programs success. Serenity House grew into Serenity Park Treatment Center, an extended care facility. Joe authored & published
"Recovery Dynamics Counselor's Manual", the book "The Steps We Took", and a guide to sponsorship titled "Carry This Message". Battling Parkinson's disease but not satisfied he had done enough, he founded a treatment facility for women, out of which the Kelly Foundation was born which developed and distributed materials about treatment of alcoholism & substance abuse. In 2007 Joe died of Parkinson's disease.
   
 Listen Button Joe McQuany of Little Rock - tells his story
   
 Listen Button Joe McQuany of Little Rock - his final talk Dec 31, 2006 - (passed October 25, 2007)
   
 Listen Button Joe McQuany of Little Rock - Founders Day - Akron OH ~ 1993
   
 Listen Button Joe McQuany of Little Rock - "To the Beginner on the Disease" 1984
   
   
Joe McCoy - (AA) of Tulsa, Oklahoma. (1939 - 2014, age 75)  When Joe McQuany was no longer able to travel, Joe took his place presenting the Joe & Charlie Big Book Studies with Charlie Parmley. Joe was a long time member of AA and had been active with the Big Book Studies from the beginning.  He was a retired printing salesman from Tulsa.  Joe died November, 23, 2014.
   
 Listen Button Joe McCoy (AA) of Tulsa - His Story
   
   
The 12 Steps and 12 Traditions presented at the Boca Raton FL Big Book Weekend 2005 - "The 12 Steps And 12 Traditions" presented by John Williams of of Pompano Beach, FL & Willie Bingham of Spring Texas. Willie was a wife, a mother, a retired school teacher, and was sober since 1957. These combination seminars started on Thursday and ran through Sunday in order to include the 9-10 hour teaching from the book "The 12 Steps and 12 Traditions" in the regular Joe and Charlie Big Book Study. These talks were woven together with the talks by Joe and Charlie. These seminars, including the 12 & 12, started in 1983, and this was the 67th conference that John, Willie, Joe, and Charlie had participated together. Willie Bingham of Spring TX passed January 23, 2011. John Williams passed on January 8, 2018. This is an excellent series of talks, both speakers sharing from their many years of "living this way of life".
   
 Listen Button 01 - John Williams - History of AA
 Listen Button 02 - Willie Bingham - Steps 1 & 2 from the 12 & 12
 Listen Button 03 - John Williams on the 12 & 12
 Listen Button 04 - Willie Bingham - Step 3 from 12 & 12
 Listen Button 05 - Willie Bingham - Step 4 from 12 & 12
 Listen Button 06 - John Williams - Steps 5 - 7 from the 12 & 12
 Listen Button 07 - Willie Bingham - Step 8 & 9 from 12 & 12
 Listen Button 08 - John Williams - History of the Traditions
 Listen Button 09 - Willie Bingham - Steps 10 - 12 from 12 & 12
   
from the same event the portion presented by Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley -  
Joe and Charlie Big Book Study - Boca Raton FL Big Book Weekend 2005
 Listen Button 01 - Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley - 2005 Boca Raton
 Listen Button 02 - Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley - 2005 Boca Raton
 Listen Button 03 - Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley - 2005 Boca Raton
 Listen Button 04 - Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley - 2005 Boca Raton
 Listen Button 05 - Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley - 2005 Boca Raton
 Listen Button 06 - Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley - 2005 Boca Raton
 Listen Button 07 - Joe McCoy & Charlie Parmley - 2005 Boca Raton
   
   
Willie Bingham (AA) of Spring TX - The 12 & 12 - Myrtle Beach SC - 1 Dec 1994 - Willie sharing the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions as part of the Joe & Charlie Big Book Weekend. 4 hours total.
   
 Listen Button Willie Bingham - 12 & 12 - Myrtle Beach SC - Part 01
 Listen Button Willie Bingham - 12 & 12 - Myrtle Beach SC - Part 02
 Listen Button Willie Bingham - 12 & 12 - Myrtle Beach SC - Part 03
 Listen Button Willie Bingham - 12 & 12 - Myrtle Beach SC - Part 04
   
   
Willie Bingham (AA) of Spring Texas - Sober in 1957, Willie was a long-time high school teacher and traveled the country presenting from the book "The 12 Steps & 12 Traditions" at the Joe & Charlie Big Book Weekend events. Willie passed in January of 2011
   
  Listen Button Willie Bingham (AA) of Spring Texas.
Telling her story at the 1997 Great River Roundup in Grafton IL
   
  Listen Button Willie Bingham (AA) of Spring Texas at the Cajun Country Conference –
Lafayette Louisiana ~ October 1984
   
   
Wesley Parrish (AA) of Pompano Beach Florida
   
 Listen Button Wesley Parrish (AA) of Pompano Beach, Florida. Here Wesley is speaking in 1979 at Founders Day in Akron Ohio. Wesley was the sponsor of John Williams and organized many of the Joe & Charlie Seminars.