"Texas, I Think" [FIVE]

Editor's note: the following was submitted by the John Openshaw Society.

On Saturday, October 4th, 1980, Tom Harman and Warren Chaney chartered the John Openshaw Society
(JOS) of Houston, Texas. The first newsletter, The Pip’s Log, announced (Vol. 1, No. 1) on November 30, 1980:

“The John Openshaw Chapter of the Baker Street Irregulars is established in memory of the former young gentleman from Horsham, John Openshaw, who, on September 29, 1887, brought to the attention of the master, Sherlock Holmes, the remarkable case of The Five Orange Pips. It was during this adventure, ‘so remarkable in its details and so startling in its results’ that the great State of Texas was brought to the attention of both Holmes and Watson. In particular, the barque Lone Star, a sailing vessel owned by the Johanssen Brothers of Savannah, but constructed at the Port of Galveston, is featured in a most singular fashion. It is only fitting that the Houston Chapter of the Baker Street Irregulars be named in memory of the man who gave his life, however indirectly, to advance the name of the State of Texas.”

Read more...

"Never Mind your Usual Petty Puzzles" [BRUC]

In the early 20th century, Sherlock Holmes was as seamless a part of the media as he is today. Case in point: regularly produced picture puzzles in which Sherlock Holmes invited the reader to make sense of a number of clues (or, “clews”) found in the picture. He appeared in a variety of situations, and all of the puzzles rely on the double meaning of words. The Musgraves Sherlock Holmes Society in the UK has now compiled twelve of these puzzles, along with answers and explanatory notes, into a 26-page monograph by John Addy.

The puzzles themselves are from Eliot Keen's original 1905 illustrations that originally appeared in American newspapers (can you see the William Gillette portrayal coming through?), with solutions following in subsequent publications.

I tried one of the puzzles, with little initial success. As the flyer above states, the trick is that one has to think as though one is still at the turn of the twentieth century. This proved to be more challenging than I thought it would be, but if it weren't a challenge then it wouldn't be as fun. I freely confess to resorting to the internet to verify (or, ahem, discover) the solutions I came up with. Some practice in the art of ‘punning’ is also helpful (in the below example, he’s pointing to a sawhorse - ha).

The idea to make some of these puzzles available again is brilliant; it is both a fun mental exercise and a neat way to look at life and customs of the time. If you're interested in purchasing a copy of the monograph, you can find the ordering information on the link above.

This might make for an interesting challenge at your next Sherlock Holmes society meeting, or simply a bit of good fun and a mental challenge on your own. Go ahead - what do you make of it?

See the sample puzzle below to try your hand at it.

Read more...

"Where the Prospectors Had Been at Work" [SIGN]

News from the southwest: Irregular Bob Stek, BSI ("The Mysterious Scientist") moved to Tucson, Arizona a few years ago and naturally took with him his love of Sherlock Holmes.

In doing so, he founded the Desert Prospectors of Arizona and has led them on a regular cadence of meetings. In Bob's own words (submitted as a tip to our site - see the mail icon to submit yours):

Still less than a year old, the DPA’s have met three times, but have already heard papers about deerstalker caps, Edith Meisner, seeing and observing, the violin in the Canon, Lillie Langtry as the model for Irene Adler, and have heard two violinists with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra play the theme to the BBC Jeremy Brett series – transcribed for two violins by ear! At our last meeting we heard from the artistic manager of the Arizona Theater Company who informed us about the world premiere of “Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club” to be presented in Tucson on September 23rd and later in Phoenix. Naturally the Prospectors will attend the opening night en masse.

Bob was kind enough to share an article from the Tucson Weekly which also incorporated this video featuring an interview with Bob and other members:




Is there a society near you that has recently done something you'd care to share? Please feel free to submit an item or sign up as a correspondent by filling out the short form on the About tab.

If you're looking for an organization near you, there are a few resources you might want to check out:

• Sherlockian.net has a complete set of resources about societies
• The Sherlockian Who's-Who is a global directory
• Peter Blau's comprehensive list of societies can be found on Sherlocktron.

We also have a number of other links available on the Resources tab at the top of the page and an ever-growing list of Sherlock Holmes entities on Facebook which you might want to check out, not to mention the Sherlock Holmes Social Network. You're not alone in your singular pursuit; there's lots of support from like-minded individuals.

Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right column and footer of the site) from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site.
--

"He Went Prospecting into Arizona" [NOBL]

[Editor's note: the following was submitted to us by Robert Stek, BSI ("The Mysterious Scientist")]

Announcing the formation of Southern Arizona's first Sherlock Holmes scion society - at Bookmans, 1930 E Grant Road, Tucson - Sunday, March 20, 2011 from 2 PM to 4 PM.

The 'parent' organization of Sherlockian societies is the Baker Street Irregulars, started in 1934 by one of the founders and editors of the Saturday Review of Literature, Christopher Morley. Today there are over 400 active scion societies worldwide, and nearly 200 in the U.S. alone. What is a scion society? According to the late John Bennett Shaw, a distinguished Sherlockian, "It's two Sherlockians, a copy of the Canon [the 60 stories], and a bottle. In a pinch, you can dispense with one of the Sherlockians." Shaw also suggested that a scion society might begin with three members; that way, two can vote the third one out if necessary.

Read more...

"Little Red Circles of Light" [TWIS]

Some 10 years ago or so at a Baker Street Irregulars dinner, Roger Johnson, BSI ("'Pall Mall Gazette'") alluded to the Gilded Age of Sherlock Holmes that we honor and lament as something of the past, yet he noted that at the time we were entering something of a Golden Age as interest was resurgent. Today, with the hype cycle once again waxing, coupled with the near-universal availability of Internet access, we believe that we're entering into something of a Platinum Age of Sherlock Holmes - where the subject of our interest intersects with burgeoning technology.

One example of this is the proliferation of websites dedicated to Sherlock Holmes. We've selected a few of interest here in the sidebar - "Groups of Mysterious Persons" are some scion societies that have sites and includes a link to the master list of all societies; "Gathered From Many Nations" highlights some of the Sherlockian groups from around the world; "Perhaps He Desires the Publication to Read" is a short list of some of the sites that can help the avid Sherlockian attempt to sate the never-ending thirst for more. It goes without saying that Sherlockian.net is probably the grand-daddy of all of these.

Recently, we were made aware of one of the older scion societies - The Red Circle of Washington, DC, having just celebrated its 60th anniversary - finally making the leap to the digital world. This is quite considerable, as Peter Blau, BSI ("Black Peter"), 2s, ASH, who has long been a sparking plug within the group (he holds no official title, incidentally), is known for his typed notices that even in this post-Web 2.0 world still find their way to inboxes and mailboxes alike.

Screenshot of http://www.redcircledc.org

If you take a look at the Red Circle's website, you'll find a nice layout with everything the Beltway native (or visitor) would need: notes of meetings past, present and future; a calendar of events, essential links, and perhaps our personal favorite: Black Peter's Logbook. It's an homage to the story from which Peter's investiture is taken, and a nod to what Peter is really doing: blogging (Shh - don't tell him!).

Are there other favorite Sherlockian sites that you have? What should we add to our roster? Please share them in the form of a comment below.

Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right column and footer of the site) from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site.

"In the New Almanac" [VALL]

Peter Blau very kindly pointed out that Garrison Keillor mentioned The Baker Street Irregulars and Sherlockian societies in a recent episode of The Writer's Almanac on American Public Media. For those of you who don't have access to public radio or whose local markets don't pick it up, not to worry. Such shows typically have the audio available on the Interwebs.

In this case, we've got an audio link to the 5-minute program from May 7, 2008 that you can access by clicking here. You'll need RealAudio to listen. It's a free download and the software is free as well.

The show notes are a little more extensive than Keillor's commentary (after all, he's only got 5 minutes). Here's what he had to say about the BSI and other societies:

Novelist Christopher Morley founded, in 1934, the Baker Street Irregulars to celebrate the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and today there are many groups of Sherlockians, including the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, who developed in protest to the men-only Baker Street Irregulars. Both of those groups now admit members of both sexes. The London Sherlock Holmes Society, which began in its current incarnation in 1951, has an annual dinner and regular meetings, and produces a Sherlock Holmes Journal twice a year. There are also occasional mock trials, trivia challenges, pub nights, London walks, and cricket matches against the P.G. Wodehouse Society.

I think Christopher Morley would be proud - not necessarily that his creation still lives on - but that he's noted as a novelist.

"For Sixty Years the Bulwark..." [BLAC]

This is an all-points-bulletin to heads of Sherlockian societies around the world. If you haven't received an email from Gary Thaden, the current president of the Norwegian Explorers of Minnesota, please pay special attention to this post. And if you have, pay special attention all the same.

In early January 2008, the Explorers will celebrate 60 years of being a scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars. As such, they are holding a dinner and welcome any greetings or congratulatory messages from your group to theirs. You may email Gary directly at gthaden AT gmail DOT com or you may comment on the blog here (click the "comments" link at the bottom of this entry) and I'll see that the messages are passed along to the Explorers. Please have your comments in by November 30th.

In my experience, the Minnesota Sherlockians are some of the most genuinely nice people (they're supposed to be - it's Minnesota, right?) and some of the most profoundly knowledgeable about Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle and related subjects. Whether they're active in the Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of Minnesota Libraries, or busy coordinating their latest symposium, the group is filled with many great contributors. I won't name any of them here, out of fear of forgetting someone, but my hope is that you'll be able to hear from some of them next year on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.

Thank you in advance for rallying around the Sherlockian community and showing support for one of our own.

"Whom Would you Recommend Then?" [HOUN]

The Beacon Society is a Sherlockian group that was founded some 5 years ago to support and recognize exemplary educational experiences that introduce young people to Sherlock Holmes. I have been fortunate to be involved with that group, which is comprised of some very dedicated and resourceful people. For example, you can find teaching tools, course curriculum examples, lesson plans and quizzes about Sherlock Holmes. Teachers should have a field day with this.

This is the time of year when we open nominations for the Beacon Award, which is our way of recognizing individuals who have done their part in bringing Sherlock Holmes to children. The benefits are obvious:
- they're doing their part in encouraging childhood literacy, which is critical today;
- they're helping to plant the seeds for the next generation of Sherlockians.

As such, we typically bestow the Beacon Award on one or more individual or group who sets themselves apart. The nominations process is open until October 31, so please act now - get your nominations in to the committee. The previous link will take you to the nominations page, which includes a nomination form.

Nominations Guidelines

1. One or more Award(s) for excellence in introducing young people to Holmes may be granted each year. An Award may go to a person or an organization. The person or organization may or may not be Sherlockian.
2. Anyone can make a nomination. The Awards Task Group has the right to reject a nomination that is frivolous, incomplete, or otherwise deemed inappropriate.
3. No one can nominate himself/herself.
4. Nominations for Awards open on October 1 and close on October 31. Early or late nominations will be not accepted and will be returned to the person making the nomination.
5. All Beacon Society members will be invited to join in the vote on final recipients. The list of nominees will only be distributed to Awards Task Group Members and other members of the Beacon Society who have responded to the invitation via email or some other way that they
6. want to vote.
7. The only restriction on voting is that a person cannot vote for himself/herself.
8. Ties in voting for the award will be brought up for at least one other vote limited to the tied nominees. After the second round of voting, the Committee can decide to give two awards if, at that point, the Committee chooses, or it can vote again.

Each Award consists of:

• A Certificate
• A 1 year BSJ subscription to a school/organization of the recipient's choice, and
• A short feature on the recipient in the BSJ and/or the Serpentine Muse.
• A cash award will only be given if the Beacon Society has the resources to do so.

The Beacon Award is typically announced and granted during the BSI Weekend in New York.

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"One Day in the Autumn" [REDH]

If you've never been to Autumn in Baker Street, you're really missing out. Commonly referred to as "The Great Sherlockian Sleepover," it is one of the best Sherlock Holmes events you can attend, in terms of the level of scholarship, entertainment, fun and intimate conversations.

And the man behind it all Bob Thomalen, BSI ("The Three Garridebs") has been the driving force for 25 years. He started AIBS from scratch, just because he wanted an opportunity to get like-minded people together to do something fun. Well, his instincts and his organizational abilities paid off, because people have been flocking there ever since.

In the latest episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, you can hear Burt Wolder and me interview Bob about his experiences. He shares some wonderful memories of events and people, and he even has tips for those of you who might be thinking of starting your own society or event.

Head on over to the podcast page and take a listen. Even better, please consider subscribing for free and tell your friends, family and colleagues about it.

"The Activity and the Ingenuity" [ILLU]

A little over a week ago, I noticed a new web site spring up, but I kept quiet during its beta period, until the official launch was announced. Well, today is that day, so I'm sharing my secret with you.

The Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis now have a web site! Well, to call it a web site is really understating the effort Ann M. Lewis has put into it. It's much more than a simple destination; it's more of a hub and a two-way communication vehicle for this venerable Midwest scion society. This is a great example of how a scion society should embrace interactive media and forge into the 21st century.

Expect to hear more about new developments in the Sherlockian world that are going to shift the way we think about online communications. I'll be covering these changes and announcements here as well as on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, which I'd love you to subscribe to.

Features Abound
You'll find all of the standard offerings there, like meeting updates, upcoming events, links, etc. But where this site stands apart is how it integrates aspects of social media. For example:

1. You can register on the site as a member. It's free and doesn't require any sensitive information from you. Registration allows you to interact with other members on the site. You can post information to your profile, such as a web site, email address, or just something you'd like to write about yourself, as well as a picture.
   
2. Everyone can view the photo gallery, and members can upload their own photos. It's a great place to put faces to names or to see what happened at events.
3. There is a section for articles and a downloads section which currently contains a PDF of the society's flyer.
4. A news section contains announcements of meetings as well as the latest trailer for the From Gillette to Brett II conference. Anyone in the community can also add their own news story as well.
5. You can contribute in another important way: in the section called Blogs. Every member can create his or her own entries and write about and share anything that comes to mind. You know I couldn't resist and opportunity like that. Here's what I wrote.
6. There's an RSS feed of both this blog and of my podcast, for which I am grateful. What? You just don't understand RSS? Then please do me and yourself a favor and spend a quick 4 minutes watching this:

If it doesn't show, I'm very impressed with what Ann has instituted on behalf of the Clients. I've often wondered why they've never had a site, because they're an active society that publishes regularly and has a fairly dedicated base of members. Indeed, this is the home turf of Mike Whelan, the head of the Baker Street Irregulars.

I'm glad to see that they've come blazing into the 21st century with a real winner of a site. Get over there and register. More importantly, join the conversation there, or here, or any other site that allows you to raise your voice. The wonder of the Sherlockian world is the degree with which we interact with each other, and current technology is giving us the opportunity to keep the conversation flowing 24/7.

"Aided by a Dane" [TWIS]

If you spend any time on this blog, you'll note that there are a number of links in the right column - BSI-related, People, Resources, and a Blogroll. Now that I think about it, it's probably time to create a little more organization there.

The blogroll now includes a new Sherlockian blog that has popped up from our friends overseas - the blog of the Sherlock Holmes Klubben i Danmark, the Danish Baker Street Irregulars. It is ably managed by Jens Byskov Jensen. It's written in Danish, but even those unfamiliar with the language can get a sense of what's going on there. There are entries going back to May of 2006 that cover a variety of interests. Definitely worth a look.

And speaking of our Scandinavian friends, many of them were contributors to the latest in the Baker Street Irregulars' International Series, Scandinavia and Sherlock Holmes.

"We Progress, My Dear Watson, We Progress." [MISS]

I think the 21st Century is finally catching up with us, making traditions something of an anomaly. In the U.S. political world, Congress now has its first female Speaker of the House. And in the Sherlockian world, there are two other items of note.

A Woman in the Tower
First in the news is the revelation that the Tower of London has named its first female Beefeater, or Yeoman Warder. This is a landmark development in the 520-year history of the profession. To their credit, the warders had this to say about the candidate:

"There were six candidates - five were male and she was the only female. She was the best candidate for the job."

Of course the Tower of London is mentioned once in the Canon. Bonus points if you name the story in the "comments" section below. In addition, it was a central element in Basil Rathbone's 1939 debut in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, as Prof. Moriarty was planning to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower.

Some Male ASH
And the more earth-shattering news comes from the latest issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press and the Winter issue of The Serpentine Muse. Evidently, the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes (ASH) have made a landmark decision: they will finally admit men as full-fledged members.

The only male members of the ASH that I am aware of to date are those who were granted (I believe) special/honorary status: John Bennett Shaw, William Baring-Gould, Tom Stix and Peter Blau. Even if their membership was full-fledged, they were special exceptions.

The Adventuresses, who made a name for themselves back in the late '60s by protesting the annual all-male dinner of the Baker Street Irregulars, are finally taking a page from their own book. I think it took a lot of courage for Tom Stix (head of the BSI at the time) to take the step of admitting women to the BSI in 1991 - there were still a number of old guard who wished to keep it a men-only club. And the women admitted were noted scholars and influencers in the Sherlockian world; they deserved recognition on their merits alone.

But I have often wondered why the ASH didn't accept men at the same time the BSI started accepting women.

For the record, I have no problem with single-sex societies. In my view, a private organization can do as it wishes; and if a single-sex society exists in a geographical area where a coeducational society of the same status also exists, that should be the end of things. Which is why it seemed odd to me that the Adventuresses - a group that originally organized itself over the inequity inherent in a single-sex society - should employ the very same discriminatory practices they protested those many years.

I congratulate the ASH on this belated move. It will be interesting to see how many men take them up on this and how the ASH - who are no slouches in the scholarship department - set the bar for admission.

"...The Goodness of Providence..." [NAVA]

For those of you not connected with the New England area, there is a wonderfully gregarious and intelligent group of Sherlockians in Rhode Island. The Cornish Horrors have been meeting for three decades, and they don't show any signs of aging.

These Horrible people are having their next dinner on November 4 in Providence, RI at the lovely Providence Art Club. If you've never had a chance to dine there before, you're in for a treat.

For all of the graphic details, download the PDF of their flyer.

"...An Enthusiastic Admirer of Napoleon..." [SIXN]

Don Yates, BSI resides in St. Helena, near Napa Valley where he presides over the Napa Valley Napoleons of SH (they're on the Sherlockians Around the World map).

Don was in the news recently, as the Napa Valley Register ran a fairly good article (for a mainstream publication) about the Napoleons, titled Napa Valley Sherlock Holmes admirers meet to celebrate a life unlived.

This should serve as a nice inspiration for any Sherlockians looking to start their own societies. For existing societies and Sherlockians, here's a list of resources:

• Sherlockians Around the World - an interactive map that you can add to
• Peter Blau's list of societies on Sherlocktron
• A really nice display of faces, cross-referenced by geography and by society on Sherlockian Who's Who
• For more, scroll down and check out the Resources section in the right column
  

For those of you new to the Sherlock Holmes, there's a whole world of people out there like you. With just a few resources, you can be in touch with them and begin engaging on conversations about your favorite subject. Happy sleuthing!

"Let Us Escape From This Weary Workaday World by the Side Door of Music." [RETI]

Now available online: Act I of The Baker Street Irregulars, a new Sherlock Holmes musical.

With the book by J.E. Hollingsworth and music by S. Carlton and D.L. Graham, this is a two-act play consisting of 16 male speaking parts and 8-10 female speaking parts for a nearly 2-hour production. The synopsis is as follows:

Christmas 1887 in London. The Baker Street Irregulars are a group of youngsters who act as scouts for Sherlock Holmes. They are drawn into a network of fraud, kidnapping and attempted murder at the hands of the evil Professor Moriarty, the 'Napoleon of Crime', who uses brilliant adventuress Irené Adler to perpetrate a major fraud on the Capital and Counties Bank, while he himself daringly kidnaps a wealthy American heiress on the stage of the Alhambra Music Hall. Also in the clutches of the Professor is his lover, Mary, the daughter of the bank manager, whose life is put into peril when she eventually recognises Moriarty's true nature.

The Irregulars, alerted by Irené who has also seen through Moriarty, attempt a rescue operation that goes badly wrong, but Moriarty's attempt to blow them all up is thwarted by the timely intervention of Holmes and Watson. The Irregulars even get something of which they have despaired - their Christmas dinner.

This could make a great amateur production for a Sherlockian society. If you'd like more information about the entire play, or other works by this group, check out the Cyberluvvies home page.

"Well, there is at least a curious coincidence of dates." [SPEC]

Back on April 27, we announced a Google Calendar version of the Calendar of Sherlockian Events. As it happens, that version was only open to Gmail account holders.

After some revising, Google has made it possible for non-Gmail users to view and use the calendar, so we now present the calendar in the right column of the blog. This is a particularly useful tool for traveling Sherlockians, or for scion leaders who would like to advise Web users of their events.

The calendar is still based on Ron Fish's authoritative database; there are links to both versions in the "Events"section of the main blog, which as always, you can reach by clicking on the Baker Street Blog banner at the top of your page.

"...a large Masonic pin..." [RETI]

With the imminent release of "The Da Vinci Code" in theaters, there has been a good deal of talk about the Masons. In fact, one of the Sherlock Holmes discussion lists asked about the connection between Conan Doyle and Freemasonry.

There are a number of articles that have covered the topic. In particular on the web are:

• Arthur Conan Doyle: Spiritualist and Freemason by Yasha Beresiner
• Sherlock Holmes - Freemason? by Ron Fish.

Ron has gone so far as to establish a scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars, The Master's Masons for Sherlockians who are Masons.

"What is the meaning of it Watson?" [CARD]

As I reflected on Mike Whelan's comments at the Copper Beeches meeting regarding Sherlockian fellowship, it made me think back to a toast I was asked to give at the 2003 Dinner of the Baker Street Irregulars.

In October 2002, I received a phone call by a fellow BSI asking me to give a toast at the BSI dinner - a tall order for a recently investitured Irregular. I immediately and effusively answered, "Sure, I'd be honored to give a toast. Who will I be toasting?" The answer followed:

"Sherlock Holmes."

Gulp. The Big One. The persona who represents why we're all gathering year after year. What could I, a young thirty-something Irregular say that had not been said by much greater Sherlockians than myself? By Christopher Morley, Edgar W. Smith, Isaac Asimov, Julian Wolff, Rex Stout, William Baring-Gould, etc.?

I remembered that Christopher Morley's called the Canon A Textbook of Friendship, which further reminded me that I have forged many friends while in the pursuit of this unique pasttime. Then, reaching into my musical bag of tricks, I applied the music from the 1946 song "The House I Live In" (made popular by Frank Sinatra) and applied it to the following lyrics.

What is Sherlock Holmes to me?
A pipe, a cap, or the man I see
A certain word: elementary
What is Sherlock Holmes to me?

The Canon I read,
A flat on Baker Street,
Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson,
Or the people that I meet.

The scion in my hometown,
The faces that I see,
All races and religions,
That's Sherlock Holmes to me.

The papers I write,
The quizzes that I take,
The journal I subscribe to,
Or the toasts I have to make.

Wonter, Cushing, Rathbone,
Brett, Gillette and Lee,
And Paget’s many portraits,
That's Sherlock Holmes to me.

The things I see about me,
The big things and the small,
Each one provides a ref’rence
To a tale that I recall.

Napoleons and vampires,
The thumbs of engineers,
And the dream that's been a growing
For a hundred twenty years

Our dear old Wiggins,
The weekend filled with food,
The final cocktail party
Is a fine way to conclude.

The Band the Pips the Beeches,
Irregulars I see;
It’s especially the people
That's Sherlock Holmes to me.

And so it is with many of us involved in the Game. The scholarship, the mental sparring and such are all invigorating, but it's the relationships with each other that make this hobby one of the most enjoyable of any I can imagine.

"We Would Fly Together to Philadelphia..." [VALL]

On a personal note, I had occasion to visit Philadelphia and attend a dinner of the Sons of the Copper Beeches, a 60 year-old scion society that is thriving under the able leadership of Headmastiff Gideon Hill, BSI.

Among those in attendance was Michael Whelan, the "Wiggins" (the titular head) of the Baker Street Irregulars. Mike made some great remarks about Sherlockians and the Great Game that are worth paraphrasing here. Among them:

A general truth: at times, we take the Game seriously, but as a rule, Sherlockians generally enjoy themselves. One thing all scion societies have in common, whether they are six decades or six months old, is the desire for fellowship - that quiet confidence and satisfaction that we engage in a common interest.

An observation: that with over 400 Sherlockian/Holmesian societies worldwide, over 300 of them are in the United States. Why is it that more than 70% of the world's Sherlockian groups are in our backyard?

A reminder: the Baker Street Irregulars is not simply a group of people who gather once a year for a dinner in New York. The BSI are not "Jupiter descending," as Holmes once referred to Mycroft coming to Baker Street - they are people in your midst at every meeting; Sherlockians, like you, who have a sincere interest in the stories and in each other.

I can highly recommend Philadelphia and its Sherlockians. The next time you're in town, consider getting in touch with Gideon Hill. You won't regret it.

"Is He Not the Celebrated Author...?" [VALL]

A new site focused on the Literary Agent, called The Chronicles of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is up and running. It features a Conan Doyle quote of the day, a store called the Baker Street Bazaar, and sections on Doyle's life and works.

The coolest feature is the ability to send Sherlock Holmes e-cards with Canonical quotes. There are holiday and birthday themes, and just general occasion options.

While you're at it, two other excellent Conan Doyle sites are the Arthur Conan Doyle Society and the Friends of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection at the Toronto Public Library.