Membership Information

Membership in The Society

Honorary Life Membership in The John H Watson Society is granted to all living members of the Berkshires who served at the 1880 Battle of Maiwand. All others may join by completing the membership form.

Prospective members do not require an invitation from the Society to become members; all interested Watsonians are encouraged to join our collegial Society where inclusion is always preferable.

Membership is extended to all Watsonians and others who wish to enlarge and enhance the Watsonian literary and historical milieu.

Founding (Monikered) Members

The Founding Members are: (Conferred “Bull Pup” monikers in quotes)

Prof. Donald A. Yates, PhD, Author, Editor, BSI “The Greek Interpreter,” The Napa Valley Napoleons of S. H.
Bull Pup “Pal”

Prof. Donald Pollock, PhD, MD, Author, Editor, The Saturday Review of Literature, The Five Orange Pips
Bull Pup “Hound”

Joanne Yates, PhD, Napa Valley Napoleons of S. H.
Bull Pup “Sandy”

Michael H. Kean, PhD, BSI “General Charles Gordon,” The Diogenes Club of the Monterey Peninsula
Bull Pup “Toby”

Peter E. Blau, BSI, “Black Peter,” S.H.S.L., The Red Circle of Washington, D.C.
Bull Pup “Curly”

Robert S. Katz, MD, BSI “Dr Ainstree,” Sons of the Copper Beeches
Bull Pup “Willow”

Howard A. Brody, MD, PhD, BSI  “Anstruther”
Physician and Professor, University of Texas
Bull Pup “Caddy”

Jon Lellenberg, BSI, “Rodger Prescott,” S.H.S.L., Friend of the Sherlock Holmes Collections of the University of Minnesota Sherlock Holmes Collection,  Representative, The Doyle Estate Ltd.
Bull Pup “Towser”

Bruce Taylor, Bookman and Librarist, The Napa Valley Napoleons of S. H.
Bull Pup “Booker”

Andrea Stewart, SHSL, Napa Valley Napoleons of S. H.
Bull Pup “Asta”
Email:  membership@johnhwatsonsociety.com

Don Libey, SHSL, Napa Valley Napoleons of S. H., The Poor Folk Upon the Moors
Bull Pup “Buttons”
Email: buttons@johnhwatsonsociety.com

Founding and Charter Members
Founding and Charter Memberships shall be given to all inductees of the Society through December 31, 2013. After that date, all Members shall be Monikered Members and  shall have a bull-pup moniker bestowed upon them by the Society Chair. The process for conferring monikers upon Members is one known only by the Chair and is ancient and arcane with great degrees of cogitation, rumination, partial levitation, and moderate bibulation.  The Chair neither understands nor attempts to explain the mysteries of the resulting Member’s unique name: it is entirely due to the ethers.

Monikered Members
Monikered Memberships shall be given to all inductees beginning April 11, 2013, including those designated as Founding and Charter Members. A bull pup name shall be conferred upon all members equally. Monikered Membership dues are $10 annually for 2 downloadable PDF issues of The Watsonian, $35 annually for 2 issues of The Watsonian by mail to a US domestic address in addition to the digital issues, or $45 annually for 2 issues of The Watsonian by mail to an address elsewhere in addition to the digital issues. Monikered Members (including Founding and Charter Members and Student Members) shall be accorded full and equal privileges of the Society.  There is, in fact, only one category of Membership in the Society: Member

By-Laws of the Society
The Society has few By-Laws. Those it has adopted are as follows:

1. To honour the persona and the literary creations of Doctor John H Watson.
2. To engage in Traditionalist and Revisionist thought and writing about the life and work of John H Watson.
3. To call to order a “consultation” whenever and wherever two or more Watsonians are gathered.
4. To solicit, consult on, prepare, edit and publish scholarly articles, papers and works furthering By-Laws 1 and 2 above.
5. To offer, provide for, or purchase age-appropriate refreshments (The Famous Grouse or other) during any and all consultations.  Failure to do so will require the miscreant to stand a round  for all Society members present.
6. Whenever in doubt as to proper procedure, content, or requirements, see By-Law 5 above.

Membership perquisites for all Monikered Members shall include: a subscription to the Society journal, The Watsonian; and a titular Bull Pup societal name to be assigned to all Members. Dues shall be payable annually in January. Members are responsible for keeping the Society apprised of address changes, email changes, name changes, etc.

Activities of the Society
The Society is a literary and publishing society and hopes to evolve to a periodic “meetings” or “dinners”  society. Local clubs, worldwide, known as “Consulting Rooms” are encouraged and, when two or more members gather, these “consultations” shall be for furthering the work of the Society through adherance to By-Laws 1 and 2 and, more specifically, By-Law 5 above.

The Society shall foster and encourage the introduction of youth to the writings of John H Watson in The Sacred Canon with a goal of keeping the memory of 221B Baker Street and 1895 forever green through the recruitment of successive generations of Watsonians and Sherlockians.

The Society shall, to the extent possible, publish the journal, articles, and monographs, print and electronic formats, at the lowest, non-profit cost possible for the benefit of the Members.

The Society shall reciprocate with and encourage dialogue and shared activities with Sherlockian societies wherever possible, particularly where observance of By-Law 5 is anticipated.

The Society shall operate and maintain a website and blog with news of current activities and other information. The offices of the Society shall be peripatetic and reside with the Boy in Buttons.

The Society shall, in all things and endeavors, seek to have fun and create happiness through enjoyment of The Sacred Canon.