2014 BIRTHDAY WEEKEND
ASH played a prominent role throughout the weekend which began with the traditional ASH Wednesday gathering at O’Casey’s attended by approximately 50 enthusiastic Sherlockians. The next morning ASH Doré Nash lent local color as she co-hosted the Morley walk with Jim Cox.
Two major events during the weekend were the Gaslight Gala and the “Daintiest Thing under a Bonnet” Charity Ball. Angela Dunford-Williams and Anastasia Klimchynskaya, respectively, provide details on these gatherings in this issue.
As always, the Gillette luncheon was hosted by Susan Rice in conjunction with Mickey Fromkin. At the Gillette luncheon, Al Gregory announced that ASHes Mickey Fromkin and Susan Rice won the 2014 WHIMSEY award for their verses “The Day of Reichenbach I and II” which appeared in Vol. 29 No. 3 of the Muse. They received a handsome certificate and a check for $221.17. The Jan WHIMSEY Award in memory of Jan Stauber was established and funded by Jan’s husband Al Gregory. It is given to the author(s) writing the most whimsical piece during the Muse volume year (i.e., from the December to September issues). All articles, verse, etc., appearing in the Muse are eligible except for the entries in the Birthday Challenge and pieces written by the judges (the Muse editorial board, Francine Kitts, and Sue Vizoskie) or their spouses. Our sincere thanks to Al for sponsoring the award and to Mickey and Susan for delighting us and our readers.
ASH Al Gregory presented The Beacon Society with a check for $1,000. Al makes his contribution a matching grant for donations to the Jan Stauber Fund to encourage other donations and to promote the dual cause of literacy and Holmesiana. ASH Susan Dahlinger spoke about Gillette and copyright issues. The Friends of Bogie’s, ASHes Sarah Montague and Andrew Joffe, along with Paul Singleton, provided the entertainment and marked the 30th anniversary of their first performance.
Two ASHes received investitures at the annual BSI dinner. Harrison “Terry” Huntis now The Something Hunt, and Jacquelynn Morrisis The Lion’s Mane. ASHes Bob Katz and Andy Solberg received “Eddy” awards for their outstanding editorial work, and Susan Rice was given a “Tip of the Deerstalker” for chairing the Gillette luncheon for 25 years.
Congratulations are also in order for Catherine Cooke, who received the Sherlock Holmes Society of London’s Tony Howlett Award for her outstanding service to the Society.
At the BSI dinner, several ASH were featured on the program. Teddy Niver gave the toast to Mycroft, and Francine Kitts led attendees in standing upon the terrace for those BSI who had crossed the Reichenbach in the past year. The program featured a convention to discuss updating the BSI’s Constitution and Buy-Laws; Andy Peck and Betsy Rosenblatt were among the debaters. Evelyn Herzog concluded the evening with a reading of Starrett’s “221B”.
The Beacon Society met on January 18 at the Roosevelt Hotel. The Society was founded ten years ago by ASH Maribeau Briggs to support educational experiences that introduce young people to the Canon and to recognize exemplary efforts that do so. Two of the Society’s officers are ASH, as well as most of the other Board members. For more information, go to BeaconSociety.com or the Society’s Facebookpage.
Beacon Bursar Carol Cavalluzzi presented the financial report and the 2014 operating budget was approved. Tax-deductible donations to the Society may be made at the Society’s website via PayPal. Note that you don’t have to belong to PayPal to make a donation—all you need is a major credit card.
New Grants Committee Chair, Allan Devitt, explained that the former Awards Task Group is now divided into a Grants Committee, responsible for the Jan Stauber Grant program, and an Awards Committee, responsible for the Beacon Award and chaired by Marino Alvarez. The procedures for approving Stauber grants and the grant application form and guidelines have been streamlined and simplified. The Board has authorized $7,000 to be given out in grants with a maximum of $500 per grant. The application form is on the Society’s website. Applications must be submitted by May 1.
Elaine Coppola, Chair of the Awards Task Group, reported that the Society awarded seven Jan Stauber Grants totaling $1,932.36. She then presented the 2014 Beacon Award to Timothy S. Greer, instructor in English and Fine Arts and Director of Theatre at the Memphis University School in Memphis, Tennessee. Greer teaches a detective fiction course for high school seniors in which the students read the Sherlock Holmes stories in the original illustrated Strand edition, as well as other noted authors of the genre. Greer cites “the power of detective fiction to strengthen cognitive abilities and foster critical thinking skills.” Congratulations to Tim for his outstanding efforts in introducing students to the Canon!
On Saturday, the Clients of Adrian Mulliner (the scion for S’ian Wodehousians), headed by ASHes Carol Cavalluzzi and Elaine Coppola along with co-conspirator George Vanderburgh, convened after the Beacon Society meeting for the Junior Bloodstain. A reading of Gayle Lange Puhl’s “The Riddle of the Hunted Hound” featured several ASH as performers.
At the BSI cocktail party on Saturday afternoon, Betsy and Al Rosenblatt read their traditional poem, recounting humorously the events of the past year, and M.E. Rich was one of the performers in a Jerome Coopersmith radio production. Peter Blau did his usual adept stint as auctioneer, while Mary Ann Bradley introduced “The Women.” Sunday concluded with the ASH brunch once again ably organized by Lyndsay Faye and hosted by Melinda Caric.