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 . . . “
Talk about going the extra mile. Buttons is going the extra two hundred miles in order to facilitate the distribution and mailing….and saving the JHWS a lot of money in the process. We are all in debt to Don.
172 pages!!! Hardly a journal….more like a major tome. Sounds like it will be well worth the extra few days wait. I plan to clear my desk as soon as it arrives and begin reading.
I know a bit about tricks that our society must do to save some penny (or rather Euro cent) on postal charges (our own journal usually ranges from 120 to 140 pages). Our Secretary does a splendid job about it but he lives in the same city as the printers.. Don is truly going the extra 200 miles! Hats off to our great Buttons.
Thank you all. But, the true “Tip of the Hat” goes to Dr Joanne Yates who has designed, edited and produced this exciting journal.
Yes, Joanne is as gracious as she is erudite….what a pleasure to work with her.
It is, indeed!