Tag: announcements

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Announcement of Appointment of New Director

Dear Fellow Watsonians:

he John H Watson Society is pleased to announce the recognition and appointment of Robert Katz, MD, BSI, JHWS “Willow” as Director and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Society. The Society Chair, Professor Don Yates, BSI, JHWS “Pal” has moved and approved this well-deserved appointment and recommends Dr Katz for his exceptional encouragement of Societal activities and his active and productive representation and member recruitment to the Society from organizations and scion groups within the Sherlockian and Watsonian communities. Dr Katz’s brief will be to continue to represent the Society as our official Ambassador and to encourage membership and inter-organizational relations among the numerous clubs and organizations in his sphere.

As you may know, Bob Katz has been unstinting of his time, energy, guidance, wisdom and encouragement in all of our activities and our relations with other clubs, societies and scions during his time as a Founding Member. He has furthered our scholarship, not only through his papers for The Watsonian, but through his innovations and support of the Weekly Quizzes and the Weekly Forums. He, additionally, assists with proofreading and editorial suggestions for the journal. And, he is a tireless recruiter and mentor of new members.

Dr Katz is not only among the foremost Baker Street Irregulars, but he is also an accomplished Sherlockian scholar and leader of a number of respected Sherlockian organizations.

We look forward to his continued contributions to The John H Watson Society and to his influence in forwarding our Society’s goals and aims in the years to come.

Please join in welcoming Robert Katz, MD, BSI, JHWS “Willow” as a Director and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the John H Watson Society.

With best regards on behalf of the Directors and Members,

The John H Watson Society

Don Libey
Buttons

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Important Change in Membership Categories

The Society has listened to its members and is making an important change to the membership categories.

The Society will no longer have two categories of Members: Charter and Founding, and Loyal Members.  Forthwith, we will have only Monikered Members.  Founding and Charter Members will still be recognized as such, but all present and new Members to the Society will have equal membership, including the conferring upon them of a bull pup name, or ‘moniker,’ the name by which Members refer to each other.

This is retroactive to January 1, 2014 and all Members who have joined since that date and who were formerly Loyal Members are now Monikered Members.  You will receive your Society bull pup moniker as soon as the Chair convenes the ancient, mystical and arcane process for their selection, a process that involves profound cogitation, rumination, partial levitation, and moderate bibulation. The result, of course, is the unique bull pup moniker for each Member. The Chair neither professes to understand nor seeks to influence the mystical process; it is all done through the wisdom of the Ethers.

Therefore, in an act of equality and inclusiveness, the Society seeks to simplify membership and to recognize only one category of membership once for all:  Member.

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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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Something Wicked This Way Comes!

The wee voices in Buttons’s head have described (and even more scary, have answered) a Weekly Quiz to bedevil the mind.  See the Quiz Page at 7 pm tomorrow, Friday, to see if you are up to the Canonical challenge.  We prepare for the upcoming Second Annual John H Watson World Invitational Treasure Hunt to be contested in August.

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New Page:  Chips’s Tid Bits

We are pleased to announce the addition of a new page to the Society’s website: Chips’s Tid Bits. Here, we will continue to feature the limericks, poems, aphorisms, and important miscellanea brought for our enjoyment and edification by our most active contributor, Ron Lies, JHWS “Chips,” of Denver, Colorado.

He is the Transcriber of Dr Watson’s Neglected Patients and has served as past Staff Surgeon, past Chief Surgeon and member since 1972. He belongs to The Sherlock Holmes Society of India; is a member of The Sydney Passengers, The Sherlock Homes Society of Australia; and is a co-founder of The Sons of Shaw, a society honouring the memory of John Bennett Shaw. His overwhelming interest in Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson began in seventh grade when he read “The Speckled Band.”  He has always identified with Dr John Watson and now feels he is where he belongs with The John H Watson Society. And we agree.

Please visit the new page often, as “Chips” has weekly additions and often sends tid bits more frequently. Thank you, “Chips,” for making us all a great deal richer.

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Update on Journal Mailing

Buttons owes the membership an update on the delayed April issue of The Wastsonian.

For reasons that need not detain us here, the April journal, which we had targeted to mail on May 6th was further delayed and will now mail May 16th.  It will be mailed First Class postage and receipt in your mail boxes should begin by May 20th;  international receipts should begin by May 27th.

The journal is 172 pages (and a big, wonderful issue) and we have shifted to a new mailing system.  The first journal was mailed from our former printer in a bubble bag and the postage and handling charged was almost as much as the cost of the journal itself.  We have changed to a new printer and mailing system which is:  Buttons will drive 100 miles to Tampa, Florida to our new printer and pick up the journals. He will then drive back home to Ocala, put them in less costly poly-wrap bags, address them with labels, and take them to the post office and mail them using stamps. Yes, it is a bit “old school” but it saves the Society a lot of money.

The upshot:  With a new printer now, a new mailing routine, and adjustments to the editing, software system and mailing routine, the next journal (October) will likely be on time.  As always, the lion’s share of the creative work belongs to our great authors and contributors and our talented Editor, Dr Joanne Yates, whose design and layout make our journal one of the best in all of the Sherlockian–and definitely in the Watsonian–worlds.

Sorry for the delays on this issue. . . always learning and adjusting here . . . “We can but try . . . “

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April Journal Coming Soon

We had hoped to mail the April issue of The Watsonian by the 20th of April, but it will take a while longer than expected. This is a LARGE issue, bigger than the inaugural edition and has taken longer to produce.  Plus, to be more efficient and save on postage and handling charges by the printer, Buttons will do the mailings from Florida which requires shipping all copies in bulk from the printer.To be safe, we are targeting a mail date of May 6th, which should see domestic arrivals beginning on May 15 and international arrivals by the end of May.  So, overall we will be about two weeks longer than anticipated.

Thank you for your kind understanding and patience. The upside is that we can say YOU WILL ENJOY THIS ISSUE!  Dr Joanne Yates, our Editor and Publisher, has done a wonderful job of design, coaching, and creating a fine journal with many fascinating articles, papers, and observations by a large cast of our creative and talented members.

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Society’s Website is Secure from “Heartbleed”

You have read of the massive security problem on most Internet sites called “Heartbleed.”

The Society tested its website this morning for this security problem and we are OKAY. Our host had taken steps to block this bug or the server was never vulnerable. The long and short: We are sensitive to Internet security and take steps to assure our website is secure.

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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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Brief Hiatus on Society Business

“Buttons” and “Asta” will be moving from California to Florida beginning March 3, 2014. We would ask your patience on Society business until we arrive and get moved into our new home in Ocala, Florida. We anticipate being able to fulfill Society business about March 15th, 2014. Until then, memberships, monograph orders, pin orders and other requests will be forwarded to us via email and we will respond as soon as possible after March 15th. Thank you for your understanding.

Of course, anyone having a burning question, idea, or comment can always leave a comment on this page and others can reply as if we weren’t here (which we won’t be)!

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Email Disaster!

So many of our members inadvertently unsubscribed from the email sent today that the email service–MailChimp–has shut us down!  We cannot reinstate you if you unsubscribed. Now, we will have to switch to a new email service, re-enter all members, and that will take some time.  This only pertains to the member-wide emails we RARELY sent via Mail Chimp; normal individual emails from and to you via Buttons are not involved. So, in lieu of Society-wide emails for important topics, please visit this page REGULARLY!  Thanks!

BE SURE TO SEE BREAKING NEWS BELOW

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Society Activities Through April 2014

During February and March, our Editor, Dr Joanne Yates “Sandy” and Buttons will be busy working on the next issue of The Watsonian scheduled for mailing on or around 15 April 2014.  We are anticipating an issue even larger than the inaugural October 2013 issue, so there is a great deal of work to be accomplished.

During this period, we may have to slow our Weekly Quiz to a Bi-Weekly Quiz. Buttons will try to keep them coming every week, but there are other complications, as you will learn next.

Buttons and Andrea Stewart “Asta,” our Membership Director, will be relocating from Sonoma County, California’s wine country to the beautiful Horse Capital of the World, Ocala, Florida, where they look forward to embarking on another of their many life adventures at age 70.  As you may imagine, the details of home buying and moving will be a bit time-consuming, so we may not be quite as responsive as normal. We are foregoing the seven-day, 3,000 mile drive in favor of a direct flight in seven hours (which is a major concession by Buttons as he had sworn NEVER to fly again for ANY reason after 40 years of  flying 200 days a year). We hope to be in our new home and fairly settled by 15 March 2014.

There will be some periods when we will be out of communication; unfortunately, some of it will be during the final days of getting the journal off to the printer, but we will persevere and doubtless all will go smoothly. If, for some reason, Buttons is unable to reply to your emails quickly, your patience will be greatly appreciated.

The John H Watson Society has been designed as primarily an online Society, so it will continue to operate as it has so far, only partially from a different location. Our activities for 2014 include the two issues of The Watsonian, two published monographs, the Weekly Quizzes, the Second Annual Treasure Hunt, and–coming in October–the First International Invitational Team Treasure Hunt, an exciting worldwide Super-Quiz to challenge Watsonians and Sherlockians from around the globe.

As always, sincere thanks and appreciation is extended to our now nearly 140 members for your interest, your participation, and your continued support of the Society.

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Weekly Quizzes Resume 3 January 2014

Just a reminder to our intrepid Quiz Masters that the Weekly Quiz will resume on Friday, 3 January 2014 at 4 pm Pacific time.

With a new year beginning, we invite all of our members to participate in the quiz activities. It is a pleasant and fun diversion each week and we have many reports from long-time Sherlockians and Watsonians saying that they always learn many new things from the quizzes.

Please, do give it a go!

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Weekly Quiz on Holiday until January 4, 2014

At the urging of our Quiz Masters and Members, Buttons is declaring a Quiz Holiday for the Holidays. We will suspend the Weekly Quiz until Friday, 4 January 2014 when we will resume with an all new year of Canonical quizzing!

Buttons needs a holiday, too, from the scribbling of notes in the margins of his Doubleday. He is planning on spending time with his mates at the local across the square, The Frog and Pig, where a turkey Cornish pasty and a few pints of best bitter are calling. The good Doctor and Mr Holmes will likely be looking for a two-barred goose again his year, and Buttons will repair to the Alpha Inn for a bit of supper and a nice eggnog.  An abundancy of Thanksgiving and Festive Greetings to all!

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BUTTONS CREATES CHAOS!  BLOG PAGE CHANGED!

Confusion reigns!  Buttons went and changed the Blog Page to be called Watsonian News and Events . . . and then he moved it!

The old Blog Page is now the Home Page and is renamed Watsonian News and Events.  Same old Blog just a new name and location.  When you arrive at the Society website, you automatically are on the News and Events Page (old Blog) and you can click and comment on anything you wish just like before.

Clearly, Buttons had one too many pints and made this change without thinking. He is sorry for the confusion, but believes this will be easier for all to see the constantly changing news and events of the Society.  He is, however, grateful that members noticed!

Sherlock Hallows