Category: News

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Vincent Brosnan: Beyond the Terrace

We announce with great sadness the passing of Vincent Brosnan, JHWS “Beeton” and BSI “That Gap On That Second Shelf” on 28 December 2013 (1933-2013).

Mr Brosnan is featured on our Watsonian Limelight page. He was a renowned and remarkable Bookman, one of the last great bookmen and the end of an era.

We have stood upon the terrace for the last time and “Beeton” has now moved in membership to Honourary Emeritus Member.

Please join together in a quiet moment of  kind reflection for Vinnie who passed this way with great integrity and left us all immeasurably better for his presence.

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Weekly Quizzes Resume 3 January 2014

Just a reminder to our intrepid Quiz Masters that the Weekly Quiz will resume on Friday, 3 January 2014 at 4 pm Pacific time.

With a new year beginning, we invite all of our members to participate in the quiz activities. It is a pleasant and fun diversion each week and we have many reports from long-time Sherlockians and Watsonians saying that they always learn many new things from the quizzes.

Please, do give it a go!

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The Society Welcomes Seven New Charter Members and Announces Historic Membership Changes

The Society is pleased to welcome seven new Charter Members.

Greg Darak “Dexter”

Welcome to Mr Greg Darak, JHWS “Dexter” and BSI “The Engineer’s Thumb,” member of The Speckled Band of Boston. He joins us from Trumbull, Connecticut.

Ann Gavaghan “Cherie”

Welcome to Ms Ann Gavaghan, JHWS “Cherie” who joins us from her home in London. Ann writes:

“Thanks so much for the warm welcome! I am a fairly new Sherlockian – I’ve been an avid reader of the stories for years, but only recently have made the plunge into the world of the scions, following relocation from the United States to London. In addition to my membership in the John H Watson Society, I am also a member of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London.”
“
Michael Jordan “Lowell”

Welcome to Mr Michael r Jordan, JHWS “Lowell” who joins us from American Canyon, California. “Lowell” is a member of the Napa Valley Napoleons of S.H.

Elizabeth Kerr “Gigi”

Welcome to Ms Elizabeth Kerr, JHWS “Gigi” who joins from her home in American Canyon, California. “Gigi” is also a member of the Napa Valley Napoleons of S.H.

Scott Monty “Woolley”

Welcome to Mr Scott Monty, JHWS “Woolley” and BSI “Corporal Henry Wood.” “Woolley” is the co-host of the vastly popular Internet source “I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.” He lives in Canton, Michigan.

Burt Wolder “Taylor”

Welcome to Mr Burt Wolder, JHWS “Taylor” and BSI “Third Pillar From the Left,” SHSL, member of The Sons of the Copper Beeches and Master-Copper-Beech Smith. Also, member of The Speckled Band of Boston and The Cornish Horrors. “Taylor” is also co-host of  “I hear of Sherlock Everywhere.” He lives in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.

Jeff Quest “Galahad”

Welcome to Mr Jeff Quest, JHWS “Galahad” who joins the Society from Berwyn, Illinois.



A warm welcome to all of our new Charter Members is extended by the Society in its entirety. We look forward to the participation by these Watsonian and Sherlockian enthusiasts and to their contributions to The Watsonian.

We extend to each of them our traditional Welcome: “You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”


New Membership Changes


With our newest members, the Society’s  Founding and Charter Members total 134 members. It is likely that the Founding and Charter Member period will end on December 31, 2013 with 135 total members. After this date, all new members will be known as Loyal Members. As Charter and Founding Members become Retired or Emeritus, their bull-pup monikers will be re-assigned to new Loyal Members based on seniority of membership date. Thus, the Founding Members will always number twelve and the Charter Members will always number one hundred twenty-three, for a total of one hundred and thirty-five “Monikered Members.” Loyal Members and Student Members will be unlimited.

Founding and Charter “Monikered” Members are encouraged to retain their Founding and Charter Certificates with their bestowed Moniker as these will become future historic artifacts of the Society’s early history.

And so, on to 2014 and the future of The John H Watson Society.  With all good wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year, we remain,

Faithfully yours . . .


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New Data From Alexis Barquin, JHWS “Olivier”

Alexis Barquin, Co-Founder of La Societe Sherlock Holmes de France and JHWS “Olivier” sends the following discovery for our members’ enlightenment. We wish to thank “Olivier” for sending this most interesting new fact to us and for including the original illustrations below.

Alexis writes:

“Dear Members:

Best wishes for 2014. I hope that this new year will bring you many new sherlockian discoveries. Here is one you maybe don’t know:
Sidney Paget was not the first one to draw Sherlock Holmes with a deerstalker (BOSC in The Strand Magazine in October 1891). Thirteen  months earlier, the Bristol Observer was publishing The Sign of Four in 8 issues between 17 May and 5 July 1890 with 24 illustrations. The illustrator has depicted 2 times Sherlock Holmes with a deerstalker… and a moustache.”

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A Consultation of the Society: 27 December 2013

Two days after Christmas, as per the Canonical text, a Consultation of the Society was held in Napa, California at the home of Charter Members Andree and Chuck Youngson, “Belle” and “Jeeves.” The gracious hosts prepared the wonderful classic British dinner of roast beef with all the trimmings and additional dishes, appetizers, and desserts, as well as a liberality of wines, were brought by members. Suffice it to say that the warmth of hospitality, conviviality and superb cooking have seldom reached such heights in the post-Christmas quietude.

The afternoon also served as a meeting of the Napa Valley Napoleons of S.H., Dr Don Yates, “Pal” in the chair. The “Blue Carbuncle” radio drama starring Sirs Richardson and Geilgud was listened to and discussion followed.

Prof Yates called the Society’s third Consultation to order. The nine Founding and Charter Members present included Prof Yates and Dr Joanne Yates “Pal and “Sandy,” Andree and Chuck Youngson “Belle” and Jeeves,” Bruce Taylor “Booker,” Alice and Donald Schueler, “Goldie” and “Ascoyne,” Andrea Stewart “Asta” and Don Libey, “Buttons.”

Prof Yates called the Consultation to order at 3:00 p.m. A toast to Dr Watson was offered and celebrated. A motion was made to proceed with Bylaw #5 and to adjourn the meeting as no other business was before the Society. The motion carried and the Chair adjourned the Consultation at 3:05 p.m.  Following the meeting, a fine bottle of aged port was poured and sticky toffee pudding was enjoyed by all.

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Wishing each of you “the compliments of the season.”

“I had called upon my friend Sherlock Holmes upon the second morning after Christmas, with the intention of wishing him the compliments of the season.”

With these words, Dr Watson began his story The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle. And, with these words, we extend to all of our members–now nearing 130 worldwide–our “compliments of the season.”

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From Ron Lies and Sandy Kozinn: An Ode

Our Maven of Miscellanea, Ron Lies “Chips” of Denver, who sends us wonderful tid-bits he finds in his Watsonian and Sherlockian peregrinations, suggested we offer the Ode written by Sandy Kozinn “Roxie”.  Ron writes:

“Buttons, I read this and thought it would be a good piece to put in our blog. I wish you and yours all the best for a blessed and wonderful Christmas and all things great for next year. Please extend all my hopes and wishes for the holiday season to all the members of our Society.”

“Roxie” writes:

“There are always new Sherlockians.  Some of them may actually have never seen this, a toast I presented to a Blue Carbuncle Dinner meeting of The Three Garridebs some years ago. It’s another take on that old question:  What was that stone, anyhow?”

ODE ON THE O.E.D. ON THE CARBUNCLE, or What Was it, Anyhow?

Each year we meet to greet and dine,
Perhaps to sip a glass of wine
In honor of the carbuncle blue.
A carbuncle blue?  It can’t be true!
As I glanced through the O.E.D.
Three definitions popped out at me.
A carbuncle stone, it clearly said,
Was a precious stone of a fiery red.
A carbuncle could be a red facial spot,
An infection or a tumor, but both red hot.
There’s one thing more that it could be:
A small lump of coal, quite black to see.
Such coal in a goose would be quite shocking.
(It really belongs in Moriarty’s stocking.)
But if Mycroft Holmes had sired a child
(And I admit that idea is wild)
And if Sherlock were sad on the day that he sat
For Oscar Meunier — did you get all that? —
And Oscar worked in coal, then that statue or trunk’ll
Turn out to have been a blue carb uncle.
But a statue in black, the size of a bean
In the crop of a goose might never be seen.
So what was the stone?  what color?  what kind?
There’s only one answer I’m able to find.
Since Watson wrote “scintillatingly brilliant blue”
Then what must have happened — I leave it to you —
Was:  He made a mistake!  There’s a very good reason,
For Watson, like us, was toasting the season.

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Welcome to Michael Ellis, JHWS “Lobo”

The Society is pleased to extend its greetings to Mr Michael Ellis, JHWS “Lobo” of Plymouth, Michigan. We hope to have Mr Ellis’s biography soon and will embellish this welcome when it is received.  Until then, we send our new member greeting:

“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive”

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Welcome to S E Dahlinger, JHWS “Flush” to the Society

The Society is honoured to welcome S E Dahlinger, JHWS “Flush” as a Charter Member.

S.E. Dahlinger is the editorial manager of Havas Metro Life, a division of Havas Worldwide,  a global advertising agency.

She is an invested member of The Baker Street Irregulars and The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes; a Master Bootmaker of The Bootmakers of Toronto; and an honorary member of The Sherlock Holmes  Klubben i Danmark.

Susan started writing for The Baker Street Journal in 1968. For Calabash Press, she edited Violets & Vitriol; for Wessex Press (with Leslie S. Klinger) Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle & The BOOKMAN. Her current project is a book about William Gillette’s Sherlock Holmes during the years he played in it, a subject on which she has lectured widely and for which she won the Morley Montgomery Award. For her work on the manuscript of “The Adventure of the Devil’s Foot, ” Susan won The  Bootmakers’ True Davidson Award.

SED’s interests include 19th century opera and theatre, philology, books about books, and collecting art of the Modern Hudson River School.  

Please extend a warm welcome with our traditional greeting:

“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”




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The Society Welcomes Sherlockian Scholar Dr Stefano Guerra, Co-Founder of Uno Studio in Holmes (Italy)

The Society extends a warm welcome to the Co-Founder of Italy’s Uno Studio in Holmes and accomplished Holmesian scholar, Dr Stefano Guerra, JHWS “Lucas,” BSI “Count Negretto Silvius.”

Dr Guerra’s C.V. is as follows:

Stefano Guerra, BSI, “Count Negretto Silvius,” M. D., Child Psychiatrist, Psychoanalist, Teacher and School Director. Founder, with C. E. Casini, of Italian Sherlock Holmes Society, Uno Studio in Holmes, in 1986. Organiser of many conferences in Italy, where he presented several reports. Past-President of Uno Studio in Holmes Society. Since 2009, Director of Strand Magazine, official magazine of the Association.

Books (Italian):

Il fantasma di Sherlock Holmes, atti del convegno per il centenario (Editor)- Ed. Uno Studio in Holmes 1987

I diciassette scalini – Enciclopedia di Sherlock Holmes (with E. Solito, BSI) Ed. Il Torchio, 1998

Il diciottesimo scalino – Enciclopedia di Sherlock Holmes – II ed. revised and enlarged (with E. Solito) Ed. Delos Book, 2004

Articles (English):

Between Antigone and Creon: Holmes, Law and Justice in Italy and Sherlock Holmes by Enrico Solito, BSI, and Gianluca Salvatori, BSI, (Editors) The Baker Street Irregulars International Stories, 2010

Children and Sherlock Holmes in Italy and Sherlock Holmes by Enrico Solito, BSI, and Gianluca Salvatori, BSI, (Editors) The Baker Street Irregulars International Stories, 2010

The Wax Vesta in the Mud Mistery: Holmes’ Mistakes in Italy and Sherlock Holmes by Enrico Solito, BSI, and Gianluca Salvatori, BSI, (Editors) The Baker Street Irregulars International Stories, 2010

In 2102 he published in Italian and in English the article entitled “A spasso per Roma con Sir Arthur Conan Doyle” in bilingual book “Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Viaggio in Italia – Italian Journey” edited by USIH, published by Bobi Bazlen Ed. in Rome. (Report presented in Annual General Meeting of USIH, in Venice, 2012, “Sherlock & Shylock, the Sleuths of Venice”.)

Articles (Italian):

Sherlock Holmes e la psicoanalisi – ovvero “L’avventura del clavicembalista inibito”, in Sherlock Holmes – Indagine su un mito centenario by F. Giovannini e M. Zatterin – Dedalo Ed. 1987

Holmes e Freud, due metodi a confronto The Strand Magazine n. 3 Winter 1997 (Report presented in Annual General Meeting of USIH, in Prato, 1996)

I cani nel Canone The Strand Magazine New series n. 0 Vol. III January 1998 (Report presented in Annual General Meeting of USIH, in Rome, 1997)

I bambini e Sherlock Holmes: l’infanzia a Baker Street The Strand Magazine N.s. n. 2 September 1999 (Report presented in Annual General Meeting of USIH, in Rome, 1998, during the event “Giallo Estate” promoted by Roman Municipality)

Il mistero del fiammifero nel fango – ovvero Gli errori di Sherlock Holmes (Report at Annual General Meeting of USIH “A week later” – Milano- Firenze/Sesto Fiorentino – September 2000- Published in Meeting acts)

Il Mastino dei Baskerville (with Gianluca Salvatori, BSI, and Enrico Solito) The Strand Magazine N. s. n. 9 June 2002

In July 2002 he joins The First National Meeting on Popular Literature: “Il caso Sherlock Holmes” promoted by Roseto degli Abruzzi Municipality (TE), with a report entitled “Sherlock Holmes e il caso del Dottor Shepherd”

Tra Antigone e Creonte: Sherlock Holmes, la legge e la giustizia The Strand Magazine N. s. n. 13 June 2004 (Report presented in Annual General Meeting of USIH, in Naples, 2004)

In November 2004 he joins the Symposium “Gli endocrinologi incontrano gli altri specialisti”, at 4th AME Italian Meeting “Update in Clinical Endocrinology” – Roma – Accademia Lancisiana – Ospedale S. Spirito, with a report entitled “Il metodo scientifico in Medicina: arte e investigazione”, published in The Strand Magazine N. s. n. 14 December 2004

Altri tempi, ovvero L’ultimo dei Baskerville The Strand Magazine N. s. n. 15 June 2005

Il metodo holmesiano e le filosofie orientali The Strand Magazine N. s. n. 15 June 2005 (Report presented at meeting “Sherlock Holmes tra Oriente e Occidente”, organized by Pesaro Studi, Lingue e Civiltà Orientali, Urbino University “Carlo Bo”).

A spasso per Roma, ieri e oggi, in compagnia di ACD The Strand Magazine N. s. n. 16 December 2005 (Report presented in Annual General Meeting of USIH, in Milan, 2005)

Vent’anni dopo, ovvero L’avventura di USIH The Strand Magazine N. s. n. 18 bis December 2007 (Report presented in Annual General Meeting of USIH, in Florence, 2007)

“Una volta eliminato l’impossibile…” Un’ipotesi sui cinque semi d’arancia The Strand Magazine N. s. n. 20 July 2009 (Report presented in Annual General Meeting of USIH, in Rome, 2008, “Il significato dell’insignificante. Sherlock Holmes a Villa Mirafiori”, organized with the collaboration of Rome University La Sapienza)

Preface to “Sherlock Holmes” by William Gillette e Arthur Conan Doyle, (Italian translation by A. Gebbia and M. Meloni) Studies in Scarlet n. 5 – Ed. Uno Studio in Holmes 2010

Abduzione o deduzione? Qualche punto fermo per una questione irrisolta The Strand Magazine N.s. nn. 23-24 – September 2011 (Report presented in Annual General Meeting of USIH, in L’Aquila VIII Investigation Day, “Indagine/indagini. Sherlock Holmes a l’Aquila”, 2009, organized with the collaboration of L’Aquila University)

Sherlock Holmes in mezzo a noi: un esercizio di stile o un’attualizzazione riuscita? The Strand Magazine N. s. n. 25 July 2012 (Report presented in Annual General Meeting of USIH, in Rome, 2008, “Sherlock Holmes: attualità del mito”, organized with the collaboration of Rome University La Sapienza)

Sherlock Holmes e la prestidigitazione The Strand Magazine N. s. n. 26 December 2012 (Report presented in Annual General Meeting of USIH, in Urbino, 2011 “Eliminare l’impossibile? Il metodo investigativo tra scienza e magia”, organized with the collaboration of International Studies Department)

In 2102 he published in Italian and in English the article entitled “A spasso per Roma con Sir Arthur Conan Doyle” in bilingual book “Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Viaggio in Italia – Italian Journey” edited by USIH, published by Bobi Bazlen Ed. in Rome. (Report presented in Annual General Meeting of USIH, in Venice, 2012, “Sherlock & Shylock, the Sleuths of Venice”.)

Please join in welcoming Dr Guerra with the Society’s greeting to new members:

“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”

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The Society Welcomes a Sherlockian Scholar to Membership: Prof Alessandra Calanchi, JHWS “Bianca”

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The University of Urbino, founded 1505
The Society is delighted to welcome Professor Alessandra Calanchi “Bianca” to membership. Prof. Calanchi is renowned scholar of the Sacred Canon with numerous books, academic papers, articles, and appearances related to her Sherlockian and Watsonian research. She is a member of Uno Studio in Holmes and is a professor of Anglo-American literature at Urbino University in Italy.

Please welcome Alessandra with the Society’s greeting to new members:  “You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”

Her partial C.V. follows:

Alessandra  Calanchi is assistant professor of Anglo-American Language and Literature at the University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”. She has published books in English and Anglo-American Literatures and Comparative Studies, such as Vicini lontani. Solitudine e comunicazione nel romanzo americano (1990), Quattro studi in rosso. Lo spazio privato maschile nella narrativa vittoriana (1997), and Dismissing the Body. Strange Cases of Fictional Invisibility (1999). She has dealt with such issues as identity, body representations, masculinity, her major interests lying in the relations between literature and cinema and in Jewish-American fiction. Among her essays in this latter field, see “The Victim : la memoria come detection” (Il recupero del testo , eds. Fink-Morisco, 1988), “Millions of Leaves. Metafore della memoria nel romanzo di Saul Bellow More Die of Heartbreak” (Memoria e tradizione nella cultura ebraico-americana, eds. Fink-Morisco, 1990), “Uncomfortable Connections: Zipping/Unzipping Identity” (Intertextual Identity. Reflections on Jewish-American Artists, eds. La Polla-Morisco, 1997), and “The Dangling Jewish American Identity and the Canon in Saul Bellow’s Earlier Novels” (Merope, Pescara, anno XI, n.31, 2000, pp.69-93). Recently she has edited American Sherlockitis. Ovvero, come Sherlock Holmes conquistò il Nuovo Mondo (Milano 2005). She is a contributor to Cinemasessanta.

Books

1997 Quattro studi in rosso. Lo spazio privato maschile nella narrativa
vittoriana, Cesena, Il Ponte Vecchio, 1997 (monography)

2001 Arthur Conan Doyle, 221B Baker Street. Sei ritratti di  Sherlock  Holmes, (bilingual), Venezia, Marsilio  (transl. & ed.)

2003 Arthur Conan Doyle, La maledizione dei Baskerville, annotated edition ed. by Philip Weller, Milano, Hobby & Work (transl.) Now being republished in montlhly instalments by the SherlockMagazine (2013-2014).

2005 Sherlock Holmes in America: “American Sherlockitis”, ovvero come Sherlock Holmes conquistò il Nuovo Mondo, “Sherlock Magazine”, no. 5, Delos Books, November  (ed.).

2007 I mille e uno Sherlock Holmes, “Linguae &”, special issue, I mille e uno Sherlock Holmes/The Thousand and One Sherlock Holmes no. 2 (co-ed. with G. Ovarelli).

2008 J. M. Gregson, Sherlock Holmes e il mistero del golf club, “Sherlock Magazine”, October (transl.).

2013 P. Growick, Sherlock Holmes e il diario segreto del dottor Watson, Delos Books, Milan (transl.).

Essays and articles

“Rovinare le sacre simbiosi: Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, e Sherlock Holmes”, Poetiche, 4-5, December 1996, Mucchi, Modena, pp.145-55.

” ‘Others will follow’: lo strano caso di Jekyll, Hyde e Sherlock Holmes”, RSV (Rivista di Studi Vittoriani), 5, III, Pescara, January 1998, pp.133-43.

“Da St.Petersburg a Salt Lake City: scenari d’America in The Dynamiter, A Study in Scarlet e The Valley of Fear“, in R.Baccolini, C.Comellini e V.Fortunati (eds), Culture di lingua inglese a confronto, Bologna, CLUEB, 1998, pp.67-76.

“L’Avventura dell’Enciclopedia”, an afterward to: S.Guerra ed E.Solito, I diciassette scalini. Enciclopedia di Sherlock Holmes,  Roma, Edizioni Il Torchio, 1998,
pp.143-45.

(Book review) I casi proibiti di Sherlock Holmes (by Enrico Solito), Delitti di Carta, Bologna, CLUEB, April  1999, pp.135-36.

“Un’americana alla corte di Sherlock”, in Leggere Donna, n.s., 85, March-April 2000, pp.31-32.

(Book review) “L’avventura della Lasiocampa quercus, ovvero, recensione in forma di apocrifo di Come fu ucciso Umberto Eco  di G.Celli”, in The Strand Magazine (“Uno Studio in Holmes”), II n.s., September 2000, pp.2-4.

“La moglie di Sherlock Holmes e altri paradossi: lo strano caso della riscrittura di genere”, in Le riscritture del postmoderno. Percorsi angloamericani, eds O.De Zordo and F.Fantaccini, Bari, Palomar, 2002, pp.313-333.

“L’unica professione per un gentiluomo? Lo Sherlock Holmes fin de siècle da Baker Street all’America di frontiera”, in Maschilità decadenti. La lunga fin de siècle, eds M. Pustianaz and L. Villa, Bergamo UP, Edizioni Sestante, 2004, pp. 239-253.

“Chiamatemi Watson. Nuove frontiere degli ‘apocrifi’ angloamericani”, in “Linguae &”, I mille e uno Sherlock Holmes/The Thousand and One Sherlck Holmes, eds. A.Calanchi & G. Ovarelli, no. 2, 2007, pp. 93-106.

“ ‘Reasoning from an armchair’: A Study on Sherlock Holmes’s Homely Masculinity”, in RSV (Rivista di Studi Vittoriani), n. 24-25, anno XII-XIII, 2007/2008, pp. 7-33.

“Notes on the Italian Sherlockscape”, in Italy & Sherlock Holmes, eds. Enrico Solito and Gianluca Salvatori, The Baker Street Irregulars International series, The Baker Street Irregulars, New York, 2010, pp. 7-18.

“Mr  Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson: interfacing science and fiction in the ‘Sacred Canon’”, in The Case and the Canon. Anomalies, discontinuities, metaphors between science and literature, eds A.Calanchi, G.Castellani, G.Morisco, G.Turchetti, Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht  V & R Unipress,  Goettingen 2011, pp. 137-144.

“Dal Sacro Canone al Grande Gioco: per una teoria degli apocrifi”, in Fictions. Studi sulla narratività, ed. by Maurizio Ascari & Francesca Saggini, Fabrizio Serra editore, Pisa – Roma, X, 2011, pp. 120 (pp. 83-92).

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Welcome to Seven New Charter Members

The Society warmly welcomes six new Charter Members:Patricia Caouette, JHWS “Rip” of Winooski, Vermont

We hope to learn more of Patricia’s Sherlockian and Watsonian background and will post the information when it is received. Until then, please welcome Patricia with the Society’s greeting:

“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”

Francis Perry, JHWS “Roger” of Reading, Berkshire, UK.
We welcome Francis and hope to learn more of his Holmesian background. Please extend a warm welcome with our traditional greeting:
“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”

Scott William Schulz, JHWS “Philo” of Garner, North Carolina

Scott Writes:  “I have been a fan of Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson for many years, but I have never really participated in the fandom beyond being a member for many years of The Hounds of the Internet (must be 10+ years now) and the
WelcomeHolmes email groups.  But even on those I am merely an avid
reader.

To date, my singular contribution to the advancement of the tradition of the Canon has been though my incessant championing of both Holmes and Watson to any who happen to wander past my office and who either express an interest of any of the items on the wall or shelf of said office, or who happen to linger too long near one of those items. Oh, and I did bring my wife to the light that is the Jeremy Brett rendition of Holmes (she would fix bags of popcorn and a fresh pot of coffee at 11 PM every Saturday evening for us to enjoy while watching that week’s episode while they were being rerun here on PBS).

We invite Scott’s participation and look forward to his contributions to the Society. Please welcome him with the traditional greeting:

“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”

Wayne Weatherwax, JHWS “Regis” of Westfield, Massachusetts.

We welcome Wayne and hope to post his biographical information when received. Until then, we extend our greeting:

“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”

Ellen Reeher, JHWS “Gilda” of St Paul, Minnesota

Ellen writes:  “I found out about the society just this morning from the dulcet tones of Scott Monty over at the “I hear of Sherlock Everywhere” podcast and came right over to subscribe.

Unlikely though it may be here in the wilds of Minnesota, I’ll look forward to someday hearing the society greeting.”

And so, we extend that greeting of welcome to Ellen:

“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”

Sharon Conroy, JHWS “Maggie” of Williamston, Michigan

James Conroy, JHWS “Schnapps” of Williamston, Michigan

The Conroys are members of the Greek Interpreters of East Lansing. We are delighted to welcome them to membership and look forward to their contributions to the Society’s activities.  Please extend a warm greeting:

“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”

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Ron Lies “Chips” on an Allusive Mystery Story 

Our Society’s frequent contributor, Ron Lies “Chips”, sends along a few clues to an allusive mystery story related to Dr Watson and Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes.

Members who would like to add this to their collection, can find the book on Amazon listed for about $7.00. Information below:

“Chips” writes:

“A fellow member of the Sherlock Holmes Society of India posted the information about a short story where Dr. Watson beats the Holmes Brothers at their own game. The story is written by Collin Dexter who created The Inspector Morse stories. It is in the collection Morse’s Greatest Mystery and Other Stories. The short story is “A Case of Mis-Identity.” The tale is enjoyable and worth the time to find it.”

Chips

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Welcome to Noreen Pazderski, DVM, JHWS “Eos”

A very warm welcome is extended to Noreen Pazderski, DVM “Eos” from Tonowanda, New York. Dr Pazderski is a veterinarian and a long-time Sherlockian and member of An Irish Secret Society in Buffalo.

We look forward to Noreen’s contributions and welcome her with our greeting:

“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”

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Welcome to David Parker, JHWS “Nigel” to Charter Membership

The Society is most pleased to have David R. Parker, JHWS “Nigel” as a Charter Member. David resides in Burnley, Lancashire, England. He has a most interesting website :  www.johnhwatsonmd.com where he acts as Dr Watson’s literary agent, writing regular insights and features about the good Doctor and posting frequent Twitter “telegrams” concerning Watson and Holmesian events and topics.

Please visit his website and exptend a warm welcome to the Society with our greeting to new members: “You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”

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Welcome to Michael Seward, JD, JHWS “Ritchie,” SHSL

We welcome to Charter membership Mr Michael Seward “Ritchie” of Berwick, Pennsylvania. Michael is a member of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London and the White Rose Irregulars.

We look forward to Michael’s participation and contributions to the Society’s activities and journal.  Please extend welcome with our new member greeting:

“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”

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Welcome to Stephen Boothe, JHWS “Roscoe”

A warm welcome is extended to Stephen Boothe, JHWS “Roscoe” and member of the Hounds of the Internet and An Irish Secret Society at Buffalo.  Stephen lives in Silver Creek, New York and has also introduced his daughter, Hannah, to the Society. We greatly enjoy having this new student member and her father as new members.

Stephen writes:

“I’ve always associated my love of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson with family. As a youth in the 1980’s, I was introduced to Sherlock Holmes through the Ian Richardson Holmes portrayals in movies of that era. This started me on my Sherlockian path. One of the fondest memories of my entire life was my Dad calling around to local bookstores to find me a volume of Sherlock Holmes for my very own. Receiving some good advice from a bookseller, he put in a special order and purchased me a copy of The Complete Sherlock Holmes.

Years later, I now have the opportunity to pass along my fascination with Holmes and Watson to my children. Several years ago, I had the pleasure of introducing my eldest daughter, Hannah, to the canon.  More recently, I have happily exposed her to the new Sherlockian renaissance through the BBC Sherlock series. Seeing elements of the original canon stories re-interpreted to current times has hooked her on that series and, more importantly, on those original stories themselves. I’m proud that she wishes to be part of this worthwhile Society and will be joining with me as a charter member.

I am a member of An Irish Secret Society at Buffalo and the Hounds of the Internet (The Nonconformist Clergyman). I also enjoy taking part in Sherlockian social media including Twitter and the Sherlock Holmes community on Google+.”

Please welcome Stephen with the Society’s traditional greeting, now extended to 114 Founding and Charter Members:  “You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”