2015 BIRTHDAY WEEKEND
ASH played a prominent role throughout the weekend which began with the traditional ASH Wednesday gathering at Annie Moore’s attended by approximately 80 enthusiastic Sherlockians. Kudos go to Susan Rice, for ably coordinating the move to Annie Moore’s when O’Casey’s closed two weeks before the event!
The next morning Doré Nash co-hosted the Morley walk with her usual charm and NYC expertise. That evening the Baker Street Babes hosted the Daintiest Bee Under Your Bonnet charity ball, raising $8,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project. ASH Lyndsay Faye was one of the key movers behind the event.
As always, the Gillette luncheon was expertly hosted by Susan Rice in conjunction with Mickey Fromkin. ASH Andrew Joffe, along with Paul Singleton, entertained everyone with “The Sherlock Holmes Cable Network.”
ASH Al Gregory presented The Beacon Society with a check for $1,000, a matching grant for donations to the Jan Stauber Fund to encourage other donations and to promote the dual cause of literacy and Holmesiana. Al also announced that ASH Jenn Eaker won the 2015 WHIMSEY award for her channeling of Slim, the swamp adder, in “My Version of Events” which appeared in Vol. 30, No. 3 of the Muse. She received a handsome certificate and a check for $221.17. The Jan WHIMSEY (“Whimsical Humour Is My Speciality. Enjoy Yourself!”) 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 Jenn for delighting us and our readers.
At the BSI dinner, ASH Mary Ann Bradley received a Two-Shilling award and ASH Marsha Pollak was given a “Tip of the Deerstalker” award. Congratulations to both! ASHes John Baesch, Terry Hunt, and Jacquelynn Morris were also featured on the program.
On Saturday, The Beacon Society meeting was held on January 10 at the Roosevelt Hotel. The Society was founded by ASH Maribeau Briggs to support educational experiences that introduce young people to the Canon and to recognize exemplary efforts that do so. For more information, go to BeaconSociety.com or the Society’s Facebook page.
The Clients of Adrian Mulliner, headed by ASHes Carol Cavalluzzi and Elaine Coppola, convened after the Beacon Society meeting for the Junior Bloodstain. The entertainment was a reading of ASH Gayle Lange Puhl’s “The Riddle of the Refurbished Room” with several ASH as performers.
At the BSI cocktail party, Betsy and Al Rosenblatt presented their traditional poem humorously recounting the events of the past year, while Peter Blau did his usual adept stint as auctioneer, and Mary Ann Bradley introduced “The Women.” Sunday concluded with the ASH brunch ably organized by Lyndsay Faye.
