Category: Annual Treasure Hunt

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The 2016 Treasure Hunt Is Posted

Hello Treasure Hunters!

It is now 5 AM, August 1, 2016, in India; in honor of our new competitors from The Sherlock Holmes Society of India I am posting the 2016 Treasure Hunt now although it is not quite August 1 for many of us yet.  This posting time seems an appropriate time considering the information about five in the morning contained in RESI.

As always, a forum has been opened on the Quiz page for questions, clarifications, complaints, etc.  I will respond to any postings as quickly as possible.  I’m thinking you will probably find some error or the other in the document, despite many hours of proofing/checking.  If you do not, thank Sheila Holtgrieve (JHWS Daisy) for her fine proof-reading and consulting work on this year’s hunt; if you do find errors, it is my fault as I continued to tinker with the thing after Sheila’s good work was complete.  Any needed corrections will be posted to the forum.  Please check it from time to time.

Please don’t forget the hunt is scored on a point system.  Therefore, if you know part of a question (Who?), but not the other part (What?), please add the part you do know to your document.  You will receive credit for each individual part of the question that is answered correctly.

I have uploaded the Treasure Hunt in Microsoft Word (.docx) and in .pdf. Please see the rules page for instructions for submitting your finished hunt.

Ok, on you go…Happy Hunting!

Margie

JHWS/Gwen

2016 Treasure Hunt Master

2016 TH Questions

2016 TH Questions

 

 

 

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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’

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3rd Annual Treasure Hunt Answers

Hello!  As noted yesterday on the news page, the treasure hunt answers are attached here today on the Quiz page.  As you read through the document, you will realize that some alternative answers you submitted were accepted for the point count or your total points would not have been as high.   I had hoped to add the alternative answers to this document but due to the number of entries received, time just does not permit.  As always, questions/comments are welcome at treasurehunt@johnhwatsonsociety.com.

Thanks,

Margie

2015 JHWS TH with Answers

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3rd Annual Treasure Hunt Change & Reminder

Hi All:  Taking up a bit of space here on the news page today to remind our Treasure Hunters about the forum that is open on the Quiz page.  Since we have some new teams competing this year, I’m worried not everyone knows to check the comments on the Quiz page forum from time to time for changes/clarifications to the Treasure Hunt.  Today, for example, Question #27 was removed from the hunt tally due to a question construction issue.  I hope everyone working on the Treasure Hunt receives the message–I would hate for anyone to spend time searching for an answer that is not going to be included in the scoring.  Thanks for your time and interest.

Now…back to your regular programming…

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3rd Annual Treasure Hunt Is Posted

Hello 2015 Treasure Hunters!  You will find this year’s hunt attached below.  It is attached as a Word document (.docx) and, again, as a PDF for those without software to open a Word document.  As noted earlier today, a forum for discussing the treasure hunt is now open on the Quiz page.  Any questions / requests for clarification can also be sent to treasurehunt@johnhwatsonsociety.com.   The competition will be open through September 1, 2015; no submissions will be accepted after that date.

Good luck!

2015 JHWS TH WordDoc

2015 JHWS TH PDF

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3rd Annual JHWS Treasure Hunt Forum Is Open

Hi Treasure Hunters!  This post is now open for clarifications/questions/discussion concerning the 3rd Annual JHWS Treasure Hunt.  It will remain open through September 1.  Please feel free to discuss anything related to the hunt with the exception of posting specific answers to any of the questions.  Any questions to /clarifications needed from the Treasure Hunt Master will be answered as quickly as possible.   Good luck!

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Announcing: Third Annual Treasure Hunt

“Come, Watson, come!…The game is afoot! Not a word! Into your clothes and come!” (Sherlock Holmes, ABBE)

Halloa!  Sherlockians, Holmesians and Watsonians—

You are invited to the Third Annual John H Watson Society Canonical Treasure Hunt

The Third Annual John H Watson Society Canonical Treasure Hunt will begin soon on August 1, 2015.  In keeping with JHWS tradition, the 2015 edition of the Treasure Hunt will be a difficult 100-question quiz designed to challenge your knowledge of Sherlock Holmes, Dr John Watson, and their greater world. Are you up to the challenge?

In 2014, one individual, and teams from the USA, Italy and France earned honors in the competition. These quiz masters have set a high bar for this year’s competition.

Individuals and teams (two to five members) are invited to compete. The competition is open from August 1 through September 1, 2015. A list of the rules for the competition can be found on the Treasure Hunt Rules page.

While most answers will be no more than two to ten words, the questions will not be simple. The Treasure Hunt will involve encryption, obscure references, geographic and biologic inferences, people, objects, dates, unique terminology, and all manner of canonical knowledge.  A list of recommended resources can be found on the Treasure Hunt Resources page.

The JHWS hopes participants will find the Treasure Hunt to be the definitive — and most enjoyable — canonical quiz. And there are awards! The first participant in each category to submit the most correct answers will receive a unique and distinctive award from the JHWS.

The JHWS asks you to tell other clubs, organizations, and individuals about the Third Annual John H. Watson Society World Canonical Treasure Hunt—a flyer to share about the competition can be found here.

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.  Won’t you give it a go?

“We can but try-the motto of the firm.” (Sherlock Holmes, CREE)

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Treasure Hunt Honours

The Second Annual John H Watson World Invitational Canonical Treasure Hunt was held during the entire month of August, 2014. Individuals from the Society and non-members competed and, for the first time, Teams from France, Italy, and the US took part in the Treasure Hunt.

Team Category

The Team category High Honours this year went to Team SOB of Seattle’s Sound of the Baskervilles comprised of Melissa Anderson JHWS “Faith,” Margie Deck JHWS “Gwen,” Sheila Holtgrieve JHWS “Daisy,” and Ariana Maher JHWS “Carla.” This team were first in with 100% correct answers; in fact, they developed numerous additional answers to the questions which were equally correct to the original solutions. Team SOB has members Margie Deck and Sheila Holtgrieve who achieved High Honours in last year’s Treasure Hunt. Ariana Maher and Melissa Anderson added talents in both  Canonical knowledge and research to this year’s competition.  It is reported by the Team that they invested nearly 400 hours collectively in finding the solution to the Hunt. Well Done, Seattle Sound of the Baskervilles!

Team Uno Studio in Holmes from Italy achieved Honours and was comprised of Michelle Lopez, JHWS “Reggie,” Stefano Guerra, JHWS “Lucus,” Enrico Solito JHWS “Devon,” Alessandra Calanchi, JHWS “Bianca,” Roberto Vianello, Gabriele Mazzoni, and Ambrose Scott.

Team La Fayette of La Société Sherlock Holmes de France comprised of Alexis Barquin JHWS “Olivier,” and Thierry Saint-Joanis JHWS “Tristan” achieved Honours. 

Individual Category

The Individual category High Honours went to Denny Dobry “JHWS “Kirby” of Reading, Pennsylvania who successfully repeated his 2013 High Honours. Denny also found numerous additional answers to the questions and reached the solution after many hours of tenacity and superb work.  Well Done, “Kirby.”

Other participants gave it a great effort but were unable to complete the grueling 150 question romp through the Canon.

Congratulations to All

We congratulate all who were successful and all who participated. Both the Individual and Team High Honours will be presented with attractive commemorative awards.

The announcement of the 2015 Third Annual World Invitational Treasure Hunt has been posted on the Treasure Hunt page of the website.  The Game is Afoot!

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 The John H Watson Society Second World Invitational  Canonical Treasure Hunt is Over!   Results on the Quiz Page on Wednesday, September 3rd.

We are delighted to announce the successful completion of the second annual World Invitational Treasure Hunt. Teams from the US and Europe and individuals from around the world contended for the honours in what has been called the most difficult quiz ever!

The results will be listed on the Quiz Page on Wednesday, September 3, 2014 pending review and confirmation of all answers.

The answers to the 2014 Edition have been posted on the Treasure Hunt page of the website and the announcement of the 2015 Treasure Hunt with revisions has been posted for all to review.  The 2015 Game is Afoot!

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Treasure Hunt Questions: Ask Here

Use the Comment button to ask questions or request clarifications.  Replies to your questions will be posted as soon as possible.  This post will remain active for the entire month of the Treasure Hunt.

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Treasure Hunt Began 1 August 2014 at Noon (US/EST)

The Second Annual John H Watson Society World Invitational Treasure Hunt began at noon 1 August 2014.  The questions are available to download on the Treasure Hunt page.  A questions post is available on the Quiz Page and will be the central point for communications, questions and clarifications. Good Luck!
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Treasure Hunt Questions: Ask Here

Use the Comment button to ask questions or request clarifications.  Replies to your questions will be posted as soon as possible.  This post will remain active for the entire month of the Treasure Hunt.
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Treasure Hunt Begins 1 August

A reminder to all Members, non-members and teams worldwide that the Second Annual John H Watson World Invitational Treasure Hunt begins at 12 noon Eastern US Time, Friday, 1 August 2014. It will end 1 September 2014 at 12 Noon US Eastern Time.

Full details are found on Treasure Hunt page. The 150 question Treasure Hunt will be uploaded to the Treasure Hunt page where it can be downloaded on 1 August 2014.

Please return to this page for regular updates. To ask questions regarding the quiz, please use the Treasure Hunt Quiz post on the Society’s Quiz Page, which will remain active for the entire month-long Treasure Hunt. Select “Comments” and ask your question; answers will be posted as soon  as possible.

We are hoping that all of our Members and as many interested non-members as possible will participate in the fun. We believe you will quite possibly forever be a part of Watsonian/Sherlockian history as this is likely the longest and most difficult quiz ever to be created for worldwide participation.

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Preparing for the Treasure Hunt

With the journal recently printed and mailed (and thank you very much indeed for the exceptionally nice comments from so many of you), we now turn our attention to the preparation of the annual Treasure Hunt questions.

This year, in addition to the Member Individual and the Open Individual categories, we are extending this second annual Treasure Hunt to a worldwide focus with the first John H Watson Society Annual World Invitational Treasure Hunt. We are also inviting teams or individuals from all over the world to participate for the honours of solving what may be the most difficult Sherlockian/Watsonian quiz in history. The competition will begin 1 August 2014 and end 1 September 2014. Details are found on the Treasure Hunt page of this website.

If you are reading this, please consider this to be your official invitation to field a team of Quiz Masters from the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Italy, India, Portugal, UAE, or wherever two or more Sherlockians/Watsonians may be gathered and willing to spend up to one month on scholarly and Canonical research to solve 150 diabolically difficult questions (yes, you read correctly: the number of questions is increasing to 150).

Here, we will spend all of June and July researching, writing and perfecting at least 3 questions a day, all linked in a great chain of 150 forged links, each enabling participants to find their way to the ultimate treasure in question #150 and, at last, to Perfection of Canonical Knowledge (PCK).

Return regularly for updates . . . Now is the time to get online to your favourite bookseller and purchase a copy of the one-volume edition of The Complete Sherlock Holmes, published by Doubleday, 1930, with the Christopher Morley preface, and having a “W” in the copyright notation. This is the standard reference for the quizzes. These editions can be found on eBay, ABE books, Powell’s, and elsewhere for anywhere from $6 to $30 depending upon condition. This edition is the standard text and gives us all a common page number and line number reference for any Canonical question or citation.

For those of you who belong to scion societies or have international contacts, please let as many clubs and organisations as possible know about the open invitation to participate. We would genuinely wish to see a great worldwide participation by enthusiasts of the Canon and a continuation of the burgeoning interest in and recognition of Dr Watson as an integral and essential creator, character and partner in the Sherlockian milieu.

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The Long Summer . . .

With the long days of summer stretching out ahead, thoughts turn naturally to those pleasant hours spent in activities of creation and scholarship. So much to read and think about; so much to write.

We extend to you an invitation for research, scholarship and articles for publication in the October issue of The Watsonian. The long days of summer can culminate in new ideas on the Canon, new ideas on Doctor Watson, and new ideas on The Game. Your scholarship can enrich not only all of our members and the Great Study we all are interested in, but it can enrich your life as well.

We welcome first time and experienced writers alike. We particularly hope for articles from young researchers of the Canon; so many questions remain for you to explore; so much light can be shed on the mysteries of 1895. If you are an experienced Canonical writer, perhaps mentoring a university or high school student would be a rewarding experience. And what better use of our days of summer could we find?

Out journal has recently achieved new highs in publishing excellence; we have received kind comments from all over the world on the articles, research, humour, crossword, and the miscellanea in this very full issue. Now, we need to begin preparing our articles and submissions for the October issue, an issue we hope will continue the standard of excellence established by Dr Joanne Yates, our Editor and Publisher. Our journal is a treasure, our very own Agra Treasure, and it is our members who give us wondrous large pearls every issue.

As the calendar turns to August, we will embark upon our month-long Second Annual John H Watson World Invitational Treasure Hunt. This year, we will attempt to create the most difficult 100 word Treasure Hunt in Canonical history. Last year we had a fine effort and we will try to raise the bar a notch higher in 2014.

KNOW ALL WHO READ, WORLDWIDE: You are invited to field a team of Quiz Masters from your International or U.S. scion club, association, or group. We suggest teams of five members, all working from the Canon as represented by the one-volume edition of The Complete Sherlock Holmes; Doubleday, 1930 with the Preface by Christopher Morley. Additionally, the questions will be drawn from the historical scholarship of The Baker Street Journal, Baker Street Miscellanea, The Sherlock Holmes Journal, and other publications concerning the Canon.

We welcome inquiries from international teams and hope to have team participation from Canada, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, India, or wherever Watsonians and Sherlockians may be assembled. Please watch the Treasure Hunt page of this website for forthcoming details.

So . . . Enjoy summer. And please enjoy the creative satisfaction of your important contributions to the activities of our Society. We exist because of your enthusiasm. And we are thankful for what you give to us all.

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Second Annual John H Watson Society and World Invitational Treasure Hunt To Be Held in August 2014

The Second Annual John H Watson Society and World Invitational Treasure Hunt will be held during the month of August 2014, beginning on 1 August and closing on 1 September, 2014.

The Treasure Hunt will consist of 100 exceptionally difficult quiz questions (perhaps more) involving Canonical text and the scholarship and miscellanea from the past 80 years.

This year, the Society is also extending invitations to scion clubs from around the world to field teams of 3 to 5 members to participate in the International Invitational Team Category.  We are hoping to have participation from England, France, Italy, Japan, India, Germany, U.S. scions, and other nations. All organisations are welcome.

A beautiful, engraved crystal vase will be awarded to the International Team who takes the honours.

More information is available on the Treasure Hunt page on this website. Please note the change in dates and please review the general guidelines for participating. As we believe many discovered last year, this is a difficult, grueling and time-consuming SuperQuiz, perhaps the most difficult ever devised in Sherlockian/Watsonian history.  Join in and have fun! Check back here for upcoming information over the next several months.

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The Open International Competition of the Treasure Hunt Won by the Team from France!

The Society is pleased to announce the winners of the Open International Competition of the First Annual John H. Watson Canonical Treasure Hunt:

Team France of La Société Sherlock Holmes de France.

Their team consisted of M. Thierry Saint-Joanis and M. Alexis Barquin, who are both leaders of La Société Sherlock Holmes de France and maintain the very valuable website Sherlockian Who’s Who found at the following web address:
http://www.sh-whoswho.com/index.php

This skilled and knowledgeable team answered an amazing number of the 100 difficult questions, and did so without the use of the edition of The Complete Sherlock Holmes specified in the Treasure Hunt and to which all page number references were keyed.  Essentially, they were working from memory. Formidable!

Congratulations to the first International Team winners!

The Answer Key to the First Canonical Treasure Hunt has now been posted on the Treasure Hunt Page.

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Treasure Hunt Winners!

The 2013 First Annual John H Watson Society Canonical Treasure Hunt was a success!

Many of our members (and many non-members) have reported that it was “fiendishly difficult,” “maddeningly hard,” and “just plain tough.” There were 100 questions, linked, requiring the solver to work from question 1 through to question 100 in order to arrive at the identification of the Ultimate Treasure. The devisers of the Treasure Hunt believe that it may be the most difficult quiz ever set in Watsonian and Sherlockian history.

Participants were given one month to complete the Treasure Hunt and the winners were determined by the number of correct answers, the date and time of submission of the answers, and the correct solution to the final Ultimate Treasure.

Were are delighted to announce that we have winners! There are members and non-members who persevered and found their way to the solution.

The 2013 winners of the First Annual John H Watson Canonical Treasure Hunt  are:

Open Team Competition:

The team consisting of Society Members from Seattle’s Sound of the Baskervilles (SOB’s) who scored a perfect 100 on the very difficult questions. Their team consists of:

Stephen Adkins, JHWS “Alfie”
Margie Deck, JHWS “Gwen”
David Haugen
Sheila Holtgrieve, JHWS “Daisy”
Allen Nelson, JHWS “tbn”
Margaret Nelson,  JHWS “tbn”

Congratulations to Team SOB’s on their scholarship, teamwork and their perseverance. They report having logged hundreds of hours during the month-long Treasure Hunt. They also competed entirely for the fun and joy and specifically requested that they be awarded no prize. Instead, the Society has awarded two-year Charter Memberships to the team non-members as a token of its respect and admiration and to joyfully obtain four new members who are dynamite quizzers. The team will defend in the 2014 Second Annual John H Watson Canonical Treasure Hunt scheduled for June 2014.

Open Individual Competition:

Working entirely alone and finally completing the Treasure Hunt just as his wife was preparing to pack his bags for him after twenty-three days of Treasure Hunt obsession, and as his grandchildren were constantly questioning “What in the world is wrong with Pop?” our intrepid Society member Denny Dobry, JHWS “Kirby,” who resides in Reading, Pennsylvania and is the  Current Gasogene of the White Rose Irregulars of York, took Open Individual honours with a score of  98 correct answers. Denny even managed to find numerous alternative, accurate answers to questions that Buttons overlooked. Congratulations to “Kirby” on a job well done. He wins the Treasure Hunt Prize, a British First Edition of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes donated by an anonymous member.

The Open Student Competition attracted no entries. We would encourage all Society members to “adopt a student for the Canon” and encourage participation in next year’s Treasure Hunt.

The Open Team International Competition has been extended to 9 September 2013 and a winner will be announced if the correct entry is received.

The answers to the 2013 Treasure Hunt will be added to the Treasure Hunt page on 9 September 2013 when the competition is officially closed.

Congratulations to all who participated, those who tried, those who persevered, and those who achieved success. Next year, the Treasure Hunt will be revised and a focus on teams as well as inter-Canonical organization competition will be strengthened. And . . . It will be even more difficult!

Please watch for announcements of the 2014 Second Annual John H Watson Canonical Treasure Hunt over the months ahead. Also, please watch in the next month for an announcement of a major new event being sponsored by our Society that will involve the entire Watsonian/Sherlockian/Holmesian world!  This is going to be VERY exciting!

And now . . . after a long labour . . . perhaps Buttons shall have a steak and kidney pie and a pint of best bitter . . . or two . . . .