We are approaching the Society’s fourth birthday in April, and it has been a full year since I stepped into the role of “Boy in Buttons”. It has been a year of changes and challenges – some expected, and some not. I wanted to take a moment to look back, and then a moment to look forward.
Looking Back
During the last year, we made some significant changes to our membership structure. We moved from two-year memberships beginning at any time to annual memberships based on the calendar year. We introduced a Paperless Membership option, for those who prefer to receive publications in digital form. Membership beginning and renewal dates are now easily found on our Member Page. You can easily renew your membership, too.
Our members were active in the larger Sherlockian world in the last year, attending 221B Con in Atlanta, the Birthday Weekend Festivities in New York City, and “Watson Washington” in Seattle. The Society was a sponsor of “Watson Washington”, as well, and two of our members were Guests of Honor, while several members spoke on panels, including a very special panel called “A Society for our Dear Doctor”.
We published new titles in our Fiction Series and our Monograph Series, and we continued to publish our outstanding journal, The Watsonian, the next issue of which is currently in production.
Our website has been busy, with daily Tid Bits from Ron Lies (JHWS “Chips”) and regular book reviews by Elise Elliot (JHWS “Lucy”). Thanks to Margie Deck (JHWS “Mopsy”), several members were interviewed as part of our Friend & Biographer series, giving us a chance to get to know each other better. More of those interviews will be published in the coming months.
I am very proud of all that we have accomplished, and I look forward to the future of the John H Watson Society!
Looking Forward
As many of you know, the Watson Society has always been a labor of love from dedicated volunteers. The Society has no paid employees, and it has taken a team to keep everything running smoothly. That team has been fairly flexible, with folks stepping in as needed.
As we look toward the future, we are moving toward a more formal structure. We will be defining more of the leadership and board responsibilities and bringing some new people into those positions. Our long-time Treasurer, Andrea Stewart (JHWS “Asta”) has stepped down from the role and passed it on to our “Mopsy”.
Being an online society, with our membership spread far and wide, we hope to provide more opportunities for members to connect and communicate. Some possibilities are a full discussion forum here on the site, virtual hang-outs and video chats, and in-person meet-ups at larger events. We want to hear from you about what you want to see!
When I first found the John H Watson Society, I knew that it was the place I wanted to be. Don Libey, the original JHWS “Buttons”, made it a warm and welcoming site that valued both “the wisdom and background of great Sherlockians and the enthusiasm of those newly drawn to The Game”. We remain the open and inclusive worldwide online Sherlockian society, and we remain mostly about having fun. Thank you for joining, commenting, reading, and participating in whatever way you enjoy.
Best,
-Beth Gallego, “Selena Buttons”