Welcome to Charter Member John Foster, JHWS “Barney”

Mr John Foster joins the Society as our 100th member. John is from St Charles, Missouri. He writes:

“I started reading Holmes while working as a canoe guide in Maine. We had no electrical power, so entertainment was in the form of reading (by firelight and gas lamp I might add). I read Holmes to celebrate my English heritage and got hooked. 1977. Of course I know of Rathbone’s Holmes, but it took the book to really get me going.

I became a charter member of the St Charles Mo based Harpooners of the Sea Unicorn in 1989. Then in, conjunction, started Scrimshanders of the Sea Unicorn to fill even more of my Sherlockian need. Scrimshanders were first started as a way to discuss Holmes outside of what the Harpooners were doing and as a way for the officer to plan Harpooner meetings and events.. It is now a stand alone group starting this month. My Sherlockian blog is Sherlock Holmes Society of St  Charles , again to fill a need the Harpooners no longer provide and to have fun with the world created by Doyle.

I edited the Harpooner newsletter, The Whaling News, as well as acting as president (Blue Whale) on and off over the years. and organized most special events for the Harpooners. Created and organized the first two Sherlockian conventions to happen in the St Louis area, The Games Afloat. Both held on an old river boat.

I have done about 33 papers for presentations at the Harpooners meetings and have worked with our local PBS station to host Jeremy Brett in the early 90’s when he was on tour to St Louis. (What a pleasure that was to meet him). Starting spring of 2014, I will be teaching a course on ‘Playing the Game; a Study of Sherlock Holmes’  at our local community college.”

Please welcome “Barney” to membership:  “You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”