Author: Madeline Quinones

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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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Final Results of the Annual Treasure Hunt!

The 12th Annual John H. Watson Society Treasure Hunt has officially ended. Familiar names were among the leaders in four categories; US and International individual entries and US and International groups.

One team had a perfect score of 192 submitted by the Sound of the Baskervilles, whose members were Margie Deck, Naching Kassa, Cameron Brandon, and Steve Mason.

The international Team LaFayette from France, comprised of Anne du Ranquet, Aline Hinh, Sylvia Israel, Daniel Henocq, Thomas Leandre-Helbecque, and Thierry Saint-Joanis, BSI, scored 190 and missed one question which, arguably, may have been confused in translation.

International individual honors went to Mark Doyle (190), who finished ahead of Enrico Solito, BSI (184) and Allessandro Melillo (160).

The top scorer for US teams was Joanna Freeman (188), who edged out Erica Fair (180), Regina Stinson, BSI (179), and reigning Hunt champion Michael Ellis (177), who answered all of the questions correctly but was unable to solve “the easiest cipher in Hunt history.”* Kristen Mertz and Tom Campbell also gave their best efforts.

The correct translation of the cipher was “Come Watson. Come. The game is afoot.” Quizmaster Rich Krisciunas said, “The thing that always amazes me is how many times someone comes up with an answer I didn’t foresee that fits. I go back and read the story and have to admit that the person deserves credit for their answer and my list of correct answers grows.” 

The Hunt’s questions and answers will appear on our webpage by the end of the week.

*The Boy-in-Buttons continues to have her doubts.

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The 2024 John H. Watson Treasure Hunt

Hello, Watsonians! It’s time for our annual Treasure Hunt! Actually, it’s a little past time, so let’s dig into the adjusted rules (which are also at the back of the Hunt itself, but this is for safety, sooo…):

The Annual John H Watson Canonical Treasure Hunt is being posted on the Society’s website on the Treasure Hunt page at exactly midnight (Pacific) on July 31st on August 2nd this year. A link is posted at that time to allow participants to download the Treasure Hunt as a .docx or .pdf document. All participants will have an equal opportunity relative to time and access. The Treasure Hunt will end at 12 a.m. (Pacific) on September 3rd. All categories of competition will be required to meet the same deadline.

  1. The Treasure Hunt will have four categories: Open Individual (U.S.), Open Individual (international), Open Team (U.S.), and Open Team (international). Two individuals and two teams will be accorded High Honors with runners-up given Honors. As the competition is Open, participants do not have to be members of the John H Watson Society to compete. No registration is necessary. To be considered for Honors, simply submit answers as per below.
  2. Participants may enter as individuals or as teams of two to five. Participants may not compete as both an individual contestant and a team member, and individual participants and team participants may not confer on their answers.
  3. All requests for clarification of questions shall be either posted to this post or sent via email to the Treasure Hunt Master by email at rkrisciu@yahoo.com.
  4. The winners will be determined by two criteria: (1) Number of correct answers, and (2) Time of receipt of the answers by email at rkrisciu@yahoo.com. Answers may be submitted in a numbered list in the body of the email or in a document attached to the email. Attachment formats should be either .pdf, .doc or .docx; handwritten documents are acceptable when scanned as a .pdf. If submitting a handwritten document, please print clearly. Each submission must include the name(s) of the participant(s), contact email for each participant, and one contact telephone number.
  5. The announcement of the Honors will be posted no later than September 14. A fully documented answer guide to the Treasure Hunt will be posted at the time the winners are announced.
  6. All matters concerning the Treasure Hunt, the contest, the answers, and the determination of the Honors will be the sole decision of the John H Watson Society Directors. The only purpose of the Annual John H. Watson Society Canonical Treasure Hunt is to encourage fun, collegiality, scholarship, and a deeper understanding of the writings of John H Watson, MD.

Here’s the .docx (Microsoft Word) version, and here’s the .pdf! Ready, set, GO! And good luck!

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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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Happy Holidays!

We here at the John H Watson Society wish you and yours the compliments of the season!

(Pictured here is our new mascot, the bulldog puppy, with his own best friend, the bull terrier. They’re celebrating the holidays together!)

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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.