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Welcome! Like the book of the same name, this blog is an eclectic collection of Sherlockian scribblings based on more than a half-century of reading Sherlock Holmes. Please add your own thoughts. You can also follow me on Twitter @DanAndriacco and on my Facebook fan page at Dan Andriacco Mysteries. You might also be interested in my Amazon Author Page. My books are also available at Barnes & Noble and in all main electronic formats including Kindle, Nook, Kobo and iBooks for the iPad.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

A "Typical" Sherlock Holmes Meeting

An Illustrious Clients field trip
Recently I was asked on a radio program what are the typical activities of a Sherlock Holmes society. I'm not sure I gave a very complete answer.

Since there almost 1,000 of such groups around the world, many but not all of them scion societies of the Baker Street Irregulars, it may be going too far to say there is any such thing as "typical." But meetings I've been to have included some or all of the following:
  • A social hour;
  • Dinner;
  • An impossibly difficult quiz on the story of the evening;
  • Discussion of said story;
  • Presentation of a talk or scholarly paper by a club member or a visitor (sometimes me); 
  • Toasts to Holmes, Watson, the Woman, Mrs. Hudson, and other Conanical characters;
  • Recitation of Vincent Starrett's classic sonnet "22lB" to end the evening.
I've also been to picnics, costume parties, film festivals, and field trips. What else has your Sherlock Holmes society done, either once or regularly?

As mentioned previously in this space, we members of the Tankerville Club of Cincinnati will celebrate our 40th anniversary with a party on Saturday.

5 comments:

  1. Sounds great. Sadly, where I live is a Sherlockian wasteland, and to attend the closest Scion meeting is a an eight hour 400-mile round trip commitment. Well worth it, but not a regular thing.

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  2. You should start your own, David!

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    Replies
    1. You're not the first who's told me that!

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    2. I've gotten used to referring to myself as The Diogenes Club West (East Tennessee Annex), an unofficial Scion of one.

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    3. A scion of one should be called "The Solitary Cyclist"! In college, two friends and I called ourselves "The Three Students." We would occasionally coerce others into reading the Canon out loud with us. Beverages were involved.

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