Tag: announcements

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Meet Us at Midsummer!

It’s time to register for the JHWS’s July meeting! We’ll be meeting at 2pm ET/1pm CT on Sunday, July 19th (rather than the fourth Sunday, when some of us will be at the Holmes in the Heartland conference).

Please recall that we’re now on our summer programming: that is, we’ll just be chit-chatting. (And there will probably be plenty of talk about Holmes in the Heartland.) Be sure, though, to bring something for show & tell if you have anything!

You can register for the Zoom here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ym3YM6BLT1-9hMbEwNd3fA

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Our June ’26 Meeting

View halloo! It’s time to register for our next meeting! We’ll be meeting on Zoom on June 28th at 2pm Eastern/1pm Central.

This meeting starts our summer non-programming: that is, we will be meeting purely to chit-chat! All Sherlockians are welcome. Bring something for show & tell, though!

Please register here.

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A Date in Fogtown

Have you heard about Fogtown? It’s a YouTube show and an upcoming video game that reimagine the world of Sherlock Holmes as a world of puppets.

Join us for our next meeting, May 31st, at 2pm Eastern, to watch a demo of the video game. Sean Parker (JHWS “Pedro”) will run us through the demo, and then we’ll have a Q&A session afterwards, during which you can ask Sean your questions about the project!

Register for the meeting here. Remember, you don’t have to be a member to attend a meeting! Come join us!

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JHWS April Meeting

Hello, bullpups!

It’s time to register for this month’s meeting. We will meet on Zoom on Sunday, April 26, at 2pm ET/1pm CT, and we’ll be discussing the goings-on at 221B Con this past month. If you attended Con, please come with your memories and anything you want to share in show-and-tell!

All Sherlockians are welcome — you do not have to be a member to attend.

You can register at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/wTin-YhoStWZ3Kqs0dLK8g

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TIME CHANGE and meeting agenda

Hello, Watsonians! Sorry for the all-caps, but I wanted to make sure I got your attention. Are you got? Excellent.

We will be going back one hour to 1 p.m. ET on our next meeting after all. That’s 1 p.m. Eastern/noon Central on Sunday the 29th, and the meeting will last one hour exactly. Why? Well, at 2 p.m. ET, Ed Pettit (JHWS “Pipes”) will be hosting the next episode of Sherlock Monthly with Dan Stashower and Derrick Belanger as co-hosts, and they will be discussing “The Adventure of the Devil’s Foot.” We want to make sure that we’re not conflicting with this one-time Sunday edition of Sherlock Monthly, and that any Sherlockians who want to make it to both virtual events can do so!

So what’s our agenda? Since our attendance has changed so much in the past few years, we’re bringing back an old discussion topic and seeing what we can come up with this time!

In The Sign of the Four, Watson says of Mary Morstan: “In an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents, I have never looked upon a face which gave a clearer promise of a refined and sensitive nature.” Which three continents do you think Watson is speaking of? And for that matter, what are the “many nations” we think he’s visited? Join us on the 29th to share your ideas!

All Sherlockians are welcome. You can register for the Zoom here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/IT5XUbeBRN2EkuHvnJ4mNQ

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Our January Meeting

View halloo, it’s time to register for the JHWS January Zoom! Come join us, whether you’re a bullpup or not!

We will be meeting on Jan. 25th, a Sunday, at two p.m. Eastern/one p.m. Central Time. Please note the time change — we are meeting one hour later than we used to!

In the aftermath of all the birthday celebrations, we’ll be recalling all the things we got to do in a guided discussion. Also, suggestions and recommendations for what we can do at future meetings are welcome!

You can register for the meeting here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/u4dVv5vBQ1WWfMOkqTw1eQ See you then!

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Annual Treasure Hunt Postponed

Hello, Bullpups and assorted Sherlockians! We regret to inform you that the annual treasure hunt will not take place this year. More on this matter from our Treasure Hunt Master, Bullpup Hector (Rich Krisciunas):

The Treasure Hunt 2025 will be postponed due to unforeseeable circumstances. The Treasure Hunt Master, Rich Krisciunas, was preparing another strenuous test of Sherlockian and Watsonian knowledge but had completed only 25 questions, thinking the Treasure Hunt started in October, and he also needed to come up with this year’s cipher. 

He was concerned about complaints from some Hunters that the cipher was becoming too difficult to solve. Backward lettering, fourth word in a sequence, “why does it have to be so hard? You’re supposed to be my friend, can’t you give me a clue?” were messages he received in e-mails every August.

This year, the Treasure Hunt Master spent too much time trying to come up with a simpler cipher so that, for instance, if you were a Sherlockian friend who lived in Texas, you could figure it out. One example was, “Can you decipher the following cipher with a phrase concerning Watson in the Canon?

 “If YOU HAVE a map of the world that shows places where you have BEEN to or thought about visiting IN the last five years not including AFGHANISTAN or Italy. Cross your t and dot your I.  Do you think you could PERCEIVE the names of three countries without much effort?”

Nine test subjects figured out the solution quickly, but one subject said it was too difficult. So, back to the drawing board.

Then the Treasure Hunt Master was reminded about posting the 2025 Treasure Hunt on the usual August 1 start date. His response was, “Ooops. Not October 1?” What to do? 

I apologize for any disappointment, although the TH Master believes one Hunter will be relieved, and at least there are 25 questions already prepared.

Therefore, it is with great disappointment that this year’s Hunt will be postponed until next year in 2026, in August (it’s already in my calendar).

We look forward to renewing the treasure hunt next year, and we at the JHWS remain grateful to Rich for all the work he puts into the hunt each year!

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Attenta, new members!

Hello, everyone! There have been many sign-ups for membership in the JHWS in the past month, and I (Madeline, “Boswell,” “Buttons,” oy) have fallen behind in processing the new members and sending you your welcome emails. I offer my sincerest apologies. I am currently slammed with genuinely serious issues in my personal life at the moment, but I am going to do my best to get caught up soon! We appreciate each and every new bullpup, and we absolutely want you to feel welcome here.

In the meantime, please register for our next meeting! https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/mnOD13oKQAWAZasmJvr4mA

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New Year, New Us!

Dear Watsonians,

New year, new us! Well, kind of.

Here’s the deal: last year, we started the year by declaring membership free to new and existing members for the year of 2024. Now, we are making that change permanent.

Every bullpup’s account should now be set up without an expiration date. (There are a handful that may need fixing, so please reach out to Bullpup Selena at selena@johnhwatsonsociety.com if you have any trouble logging in to your account.)

If you are new here and want to join as a member, please go to johnhwatsonsociety.com/membership-5/ and fill out the form. I (Bullpup Maddie) will get back to you with a welcome email and a bullpup moniker (which we can always change if you don’t like the one you start with).

The Watsonian will remain available for purchase on Amazon. And remember, the submission deadline for The Watsonian is coming right up on February 1st! Please email Bullpup Evidently Harmless with your submissions at publisher@johnhwatsonsociety.com.

Also coming up is our regular meeting this month on the 26th. Stay tuned for the registration link!

Please let me know if you have any questions; my email is boswell@johnhwatsonsociety.com.

Otherwise, stay safe and healthy, and we hope to see you soon!
Bullpup Maddie Buttons (aka Madeline Quiñones) 

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The Fall Issue of The Watsonian!

And a note from the Boy in Buttons.

Friends, the 2024 Fall Issue of The Watsonian is here! Pick up your copy from Amazon at a reasonable $5.50 USD at this link.

And remember, you don’t have to be a member of the JHWS to purchase a copy! Please enjoy The Watsonian whether you’re a bullpup or not! But also recall: membership is now free.

Speaking of membership, if you’ve recently gone through the registration process, you may not have received a welcome email yet. That’s on me, the Boy in Buttons/Boswell, and I am truly sorry to have kept our new bullpups waiting! I will be honest: there has been a lot going on in my everyday life that has kept me from having much time and energy for anything other than survival. Sometimes, life kicks you when you’re down and keeps on kicking.

I just wanted everyone to know — you’re not being neglected, I promise. And I’m hoping to get to all the newbies over the next few days.

Of course, the lovely thing about the Watsonian/Sherlockian community is that it is supportive and it helps you keep going through the rough times. So my thanks to everyone who is helping me keep going through this difficult time.

Lots of love to you all!

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Rescheduling the September meeting

Hello, friends!

We are not able to hold this month’s meeting today. To the people who registered for today’s meeting and intended to come, we sincerely apologize! Work and other real-life issues conspired to make both of your regular Zoom hosts forget that this Sunday was our meeting Sunday, and not the next one. (Mayhap a certain Professor was simply jealous that one of the hosts devotes so much time to Dr. Watson…)

We will still meet this month, however! Our meeting has been rescheduled to next Sunday, same time. If you have already registered, you should have gotten an email alerting you of the change, and you do not have to re-register. If you haven’t registered, now’s your chance!

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtc-ugpzMoHtb-0ggSNf2Bf9mlESghCfio

Again, we’re really sorry. (But we also hope that our volunteers will take advantage of the extra time to build up their teams!) Also, happy first day of autumn! (Or spring, to those of you south of the equator!)

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Watsonian Wednesday: New journal and April meeting!

We are so excited to announce that the Spring 2024 edition of The Watsonian is finally available! Members can log in and download a PDF version for free, or, for the first time, members and non-members alike can order the print edition on Amazon! Please go to https://a.co/d/1A7nN06.

We also have our monthly meeting coming up this Sunday, April 28th, at 1pm Eastern/noon Central. Meetings are open to all Sherlockians. Please register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtdO2oqDIjGdDkQXhJW4Y-bUmvBSdfBxDF, and we’ll see you there!

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It’s official!

The votes are in, and it’s official: the John H Watson Society has a mascot! The bulldog beat out the bull terrier about 2 to 1 in the final tally. But for those of you that love the bull terrier, fear not! You’ll see him around from time to time. Puppies need friends, after all!

But now… now we have to NAME the bullpup. Stay tuned!

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Picking a mascot!

We have decided that it is time that the John H Watson Society should have a mascot, and who better to represent us than Watson’s bullpup? But herein lies a little difficulty! Is this puppy a bulldog or a bull terrier? Which of these two little pups below would you like to see representing us? We will be taking in votes from now through our next consultation (Zoom meeting) on October 22nd.

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The 2021 Treasure Hunt Results Are In!

“These are the traces of the treasure-seekers.”

Rich Krisciunas, the 2021 JHWS Treasure Hunt master, has finished reviewing the entries for this year’s hunt, and is pleased to announce:

This year’s High Honors goes to Michael Ellis* of Plymouth, Michigan. He surpassed the other entrants with a total of 181 points and was the only hunter to earn the 15 bonus points by deciphering the coded message, “I am lost without my Boswell.”

Ellis, a member of the Amateur Mendicant Society in Detroit, Michigan and the Greek Interpreters of East Lansing, edged past Honors winning Sherlockian and Watsonian author, The Shingle of Southsea blogger, and past Treasure Hunt master, Paul Thomas Miller (159).

O.V.E. (Order of the Valiant Effort) for this year goes to David Merrell (154) and Enrico Solito (152). Honorable Mentions include returning hunters Mark Doyle (143), Brad Keefauver (132) and Carmen Savino (122). Shout Out this year to Mike Foy (40).

There were entries from the United States, England, Italy and Australia. Many thanks to all who participated. We applaud you for carrying on the John H Watson Society Treasure Hunt tradition. The answers, including any alternatives accepted, will be posted soon.

*Note: If I count correctly, this is Michael’s sixth time to earn High Honors. Bravo!- Mopsy

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June 1: Buster has the goods and things are warming up

Hello Watsonians!

It is now June 1, warm weather is upon us, and it is only some sixty days until the 4th Annual John H Watson Society Treasure Hunt begins.  I’ve been hearing inklings of previous competitors returning, and I’m hoping some new teams might be in the works.  Over the next two weeks I will be writing to many Sherlockian groups to invite new competitors.  Thanks to the hard work of Chris Redmond (JHWS ‘Buster’), a treasure trove of contact information is readily available at sherlockian.net. I can’t thank him enough for this amazing resource.

Speaking of warming up and returning competitors, I encourage you to head over to Brad Keefauver’s always entertaining Sherlock Peoria to read the April 30, 2016 blog post titled ‘Team Building’ to see how one of our Down in Illinois team members is warming up for the competition.  You will laugh, and perhaps be inspired to compete.

The 2016 edition of the Treasure Hunt will celebrate  “that mixture of imagination and reality” which is the basis of our shared fun where it is always1895.   To help get you into the spirit of things, you will find below our first warm up question for this year: Give it a go and let us know how you fare.

The recent BBC Sherlock Special The Abominable Bride explored the possibility of Holmes and Watson being men ahead of their time.  In reality, Holmes noted once to his dismay that he and Watson were before their time. On what day of the year were they too up to date?

Margie

2016 Treasure Hunt Master

JHWS ‘Gwen’

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It is almost that time again – 4th Annual Treasure Hunt is coming up!

Hello Watsonians:

With less than 90 days until the August 1 kick-off, teams are gearing up for the 4th Annual John H. Watson Society Canonical Treasure Hunt. We invite you to join in the fun!

As you know, last year teams from the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy and France earned honors in the competition, along with three amazing individual competitors who braved the difficulty alone. These quiz masters have set a high-bar for this year’s competition.  Are you up to the challenge?

In keeping with JHWS tradition, this 4th Treasure Hunt will be a difficult 100-question quiz designed to challenge your knowledge of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. John Watson, and their greater world.  Individual competitors and teams (up to five members) are invited to compete. The competition is open from August 1 through September 1, 2016. As always, the first participant(s) in each category to submit the most correct answers will receive a small, unique and distinctive award from the JHWS. Enjoyment of international bragging rights is a plus and encouraged. 

A list of the rules for the competition, along with a list of recommended resources for competitors, can be found on the treasure hunt page. Please send any questions about the treasure hunt to me at treasurehunt@johnhwatsonsociety.com. I will respond to your questions as quickly as possible. As our Buttons, Don Libey, said: “The goal of the Treasure Hunt is to bring together Watsonians, Sherlockians, and Holmesians on a global, collegial basis to further the scholarship and enjoyment of our mutual interest in all things 1895.”

Please share the word about the 2016 Treasure Hunt. Participation grows each year—we look forward to 2016 being our biggest year yet.

Margie Deck
JHWS ‘GWEN’