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The 21st Annual Spring Networking was held in Monterey at the Hilton Garden Inn. During the summer-like weekend approximately 60 members and spouses enjoyed the sights, swam, sat in the Jacuzzi, and attended the meetings and presentations focusing on the growth and the independence of the Otherbar in the future. The warm weather was perfect and Monterey was picturesque beyond belief! Inside the group shared the family type warmth as we gathered together for a spiritual weekend. The Friday Night opening reception was followed by an MCLE session lead by Peter M., one of our board members from Alameda County and organizer of the Networking. Peter kicked off one of the most intense and emotional meetings that I can remember. The heartfelt sharing about our parents and family recollections went on late into the evening. Saturday saw the annual Membership meeting reelect the Board of Directors and announcement were made that the Otherbar would be producing MCLE products for sale on our website www.otherbar.org and that in addition we would begin hosting Otherbar meetings over the internet in a chat room on our website to be announce shortly on the website www.otherbar.org. Our Saturday lunch speaker was J.Gary Gwilliam Esq. Gary is one of our own Otherbar family as he related his intervention experience at the hands of one of our Otherbar founders Ed C. Ed sat in the audience to testify to the facts of Gwilliam's fantastic journey and entry into the Otherbar over 20 years earlier. Gary is a nationally recognized attorney and frequently lectures on quality of life issues, stress reduction, and ethics. Gwilliam is the past president of the Public Justice Foundation and of the Consumer Attorneys of California. Gary talked about his life and read passages from his book Getting A Winning Verdict In My Personal Life: A Trial Lawyer Finds His Soul, http://www.pavior.com/ Saturday's Dinner speaker was Michael P. Neustadt, executive director of Serenity Knolls in Forest Knolls, California. http://www.serenityknolls.com/ Neustadt and his recovery facility have been gigantic supporters of the Otherbar for many years. Many of our members have gone through their program and our organization truly has a special relationship with Mike and "The Knolls". Mike's story had the whole audience laughing and crying. His classic story was just what the doctor ordered for our Spring Networking. Sunday Morning's spiritual breakfast speaker was Seamus O'Connor. After leading a very successful Otherbar Men's retreat last fall in Yosemite Seamus was a natural to preside over our Spiritual Sunday breakfast meeting. His rye Irish wit and classic AA life story of a clergyman chasing the concept of Spirituality was riveting and riotous! O'Connor was a clergyman in the Sacramento area for many years and has worked in Recovery ever since. We were the ones who were blessed to have him in attendance. This successful event ended too soon and everyone was invited to attend our upcoming Fall Retreats in Southern California. (Locations to be announced) We hope to see you all at next year's 221st Annual Spring Networking in Southern California.
2008
ILAA Annual Conference Otherbar Fall
Retreats Consumer
Attorneys Association of Los Angeles CAALA The
State Bar of California Annual Meeting
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