Upcoming Events
UPCOMING EVENTS
Join ASH in person in NYC on Saturday, November 12th for our upcoming Autumn Luncheon Meeting. Learn more about our 2023 Birthday Weekend Sunday Informal Brunch on January 8th.Past Events
Past Events
↓ ANNUAL
2016 Autumn Luncheon
On November 19, approximately 60 ASH and friends gathered at Tony’s di Napoli Restaurant for the Autumn Luncheon. The traditional toasts were as follows: Mickey Fromkin—Queen Victoria, Nick Martorelli—Irene Adler, Dana Richards—Sherlock Holmes, Burt Wolder—John H. Watson, Heather Holloway—Conan Doyle, and Al Gregory—Friendship. Paul and Eileen Hartnett reprised their song “Shake Hands with Villains and Rascals of the Canon,” first performed at the 2016 Gaslight Gala. Karen Wilson brought down the house with “Sherlock Holmes: An American Parody,” which was inspired by the Broadway hit Hamilton: An American Musical, while Marilynne McKay spoke on Dr. Leon Sterndale’s antecedents. As always, the program closed with the traditional ASH songs.2015 Autumn Luncheon
On November 9, 52 ASH and friends gathered at Moran’s restaurant for the Autumn Luncheon. The traditional toasts were as follows: Mickey Fromkin—Victoria Regina, Lyndsay Faye—Irene Adler, Delia Vargas—Sherlock Holmes, Karen Wilson—John H. Watson, Bill VandeWater—Conan Doyle, and Marina Stajic and Nora Myers—Friendship.
Special toasts were given by Susan Rice on the centenary of John Bennett Shaw and William Baring-Gould and by Warren Randall to Dr. Joe Bell. E.J. Wagner discussed the real-life model for Charles Augustus Milverton, while Maggie Schnader’s topic was the opening of DEVI if had been written by James, Wodehouse, or Stout. And as always, we concluded with the traditional ASH songs, enhanced by Laurie Fraser Manifold’s clever illustrations of the song sheets.
2014 Autumn Luncheon
2013 Autumn Luncheon
2012 Autumn Luncheon
2011 Autumn Luncheon
2010 Autumn Luncheon
2009 Autumn Luncheon
2008 Autumn Luncheon
2007 Autumn Luncheon
2006 Autumn Luncheon
2005 Autumn Luncheon
2004 Autumn Luncheon


2003 Autumn Luncheon
2002 Autumn Luncheon

2000 Autumn Luncheon
2016 Spring Luncheon
Fifty-three ASH and friends gathered at the Fillmore Room (formerly Moran’s Restaurant) in Manhattan on Sunday, April 3, for the annual spring meeting. The traditional toasts were given: Queen Victoria by Mickey Fromkin; Irene Adler by Bonnie MacBird; Sherlock Holmes by Ira Matetsky; John Watson by Eileen and Paul Hartnett; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by Dana Gavin; Friendship by Kate Karlson. In addition, Paula Cohen reprised her special toast to the Victorian Age which was originally published in Vol. 6, No. 2 of the Muse. Next Donny Zaldin toasted Mrs. Henry Baker, and Angela Mitchell gave an impromptu toast to ASH. Finally, the following five ASH gave toasts in honor of their respective investitures: Bertie Pearson, Anna; Patricia Guy, Mlle. Vernet; Debbie Clark, Annie Harrison; Alex Katz, Sarasate; Nick Martorelli, Mr. Kent. Many of these toasts will be appearing in this or subsequent issues of the Muse. As always, the gathering ended with the traditional ASH songs, as well as Landlord! which was last sung in October 2004. Mickey Fromkin, Bertie Pearson, and Patricia Guy joined with Evy Herzog to lead the singing.2015 Spring Luncheon
2014 Spring Luncheon
2013 Spring Luncheon
2012 Spring Luncheon
2011 Spring Luncheon
2010 Spring Dinner
2009 Spring Dinner
2008 Spring Dinner
2007 Spring Dinner
2006 Spring Dinner

2005 Spring Dinner
2004 Spring Dinner
2003 Spring Dinner
2002 Spring Dinner

2016 Gaslight Gala
Dana Gavin This year’s Gaslight Gala—a smashing success—was held on Friday, January 15, at the elegant Manhattan Club. Courtesy of relatively mild weather from Mother Nature, the trek to the venue was comfortable. As ever, I lament that The Great Detective wasn’t determined to have been born in, say, May or September, when the weather in New York City is generally lovely. C’est la vie. The room was appointed beautifully, bright and open now after renovations since my last time attending the Gala. Guests arrived early to enjoy libations, visit with old friends, make new ones, and peruse the tantalizing silent auction tables. I particularly relish how warm and welcoming the many Sherlockians attending the Gala always are. To me it seems one of the easiest ways to introduce new Holmesians into the fray. My first time at the Gala was a pivotal moment for me; a whole new world of fraternization opened up. As my guest for the 2016 Gaslight Gala was a rather newly minted devotee of the Master, I felt even more appreciative of how the Gala’s atmosphere lives up to the promise per their website: “open to all Sherlockians, regardless of age, scion/society affiliation, type of superpower, radio frequency, or Michelin star rating.” Master of Ceremonies Nick Martorelli conducted the evening’s programming with wit and grace. The pacing was superb—just the right number of toasts, a mixture of entertainment genres, and still time to talk with guests around the table. This year’s theme was “Thieves, Scoundrels, and Rogues,” which lent itself to many artful interpretations of both traditional villains of the Canon and familiar heroes. I appreciate the formality of toasting first, possibly because my local scion, The Hudson Valley Sciontists, cleaves to that tradition. I adore when other scions create their own new traditions as well, and that is perhaps what I appreciate about The Gaslight Gala. It joyfully marries tradition and experimentation. The toasts began with Stephanie Thomas recognizing Dr. Watson. Her toast was lovely and all the more special as it was Stephanie’s first Sherlockian toast! I suspect it will not be her last. Carla Coupe admirably toasted the roguish Sherlock Holmes (I came away convinced that Holmes is a bit of a scoundrel!), and David McCallister raised a glass to the nefarious John Clay. Karen Wilson offered several well-crafted and well-performed songs. Her composition dedicated to the life and times of one Irene Adler was especially appealing. The sumptuous buffet dinner was a welcome respite after the toasting and songs—oh, really, there can never be enough toasting! At my table, the conversation drifted from David’s toast to John Clay to professional theater exploits and then onto my concern over a very difficult quiz to come. It turned out that I was quite right to be worried. After dinner, Joanna Levine stepped up to toast Grimesby Roylott, who surely had to be the worst villain discussed, and Mary Alcaro raised a glass to Neville St. Clair—or was that Hugh Boone? With the end of the often humorous, often thought-provoking toasts, the action shifted to a dramatic radio play reading entitled, “The Case of the Missing Vernet.” The play certainly was the thing, but no kings were killed. The players (Steve Mason, Rusty Mason, Stu Nelan, Monica Schmidt, and David McCallister) entertained the room with a sharp yet playful mystery. As Holmes outwitted the clever art dealer, we cheered and laughed along, particularly at the sparkling faux radio commercials, including one for Les Klinger’s books. If you want to pursue a lady Holmesian, you must buy her a set of the Klinger annotated volumes, in the hope that she will “cling” to you while reading. My rendition doesn’t do justice to the hilarious performance. After a scrumptious dessert, the winners of the evening’s raffle were announced. We next took a fantastically difficult quiz, “Scoundrels, Stinkers, and No-Goodniks,” cruelly created by Al Gregory. I got a total of 5 questions out of 27 correct! I could say that I scored 6 of 27, but that 6th one was only due to Nick Martorelli’s kind intervention. The final performance was “Shake Hands with Villains and Rascals of the Canon” by Paul and Eileen Hartnett. A second, slightly less difficult but eminently entertaining, quiz was delivered by Mike Miller—groan-worthy puns abounded and laughter was plentiful. The silent auction featured many unique and beautiful items, including posters, Sherlock Holmes-themed teddy bears, and crafts. Of particular note were a stunning Sherlockian silk scarf hand-painted by Laurie Frasier Manifold and a beautiful tea box made of burled wood by Joe Coppola. The winners were delighted with their treasures. As the evening regretfully drew to a close, I was cheered to hear everyone discussing the inevitable trek to O’Lunney’s. Even as we divide ourselves for Friday night, we find a way to rejoin as soon as possible, to share stories, congratulate newly invested folk, and remember why we journeyed to New York City in January: fellowship, scholarship, and camaraderie are cornerstones of the Holmesian experience. The Gaslight Gala is a very special gateway into our oddly precious community, and this year was no exception. A solid round of applause goes to all of the fantastic performers and presenters. Special cheers to Nick Martorelli and Chris Zordan for their work as co-chairs of the 2016 Gaslight Gala. If I didn’t have the pleasure of visiting with you at the Gaslight Gala this year, I hope to see you in 2017. To read about past Galas and to learn of future plans, visit gaslightgalanyc.wordpress.com.2006 Baskerville Bash
2005 Baskerville Bash
2004 Baskerville Bash
2003 Baskerville Bash
2002 Baskerville Bash
2001 Baskerville Bash
2000 Baskerville Bash
1997 Baskerville Bash
2016 Birthday Weekend
ASH played a prominent role throughout the weekend, beginning with the traditional ASH Wednesday gathering hosted by Susan Rice at The Press Box and attended by approximately 80 enthusiastic Sherlockians who overflowed the dining room and cheerfully carried on their convivial comradeship downstairs. As always, the GILLETTE LUNCHEON was expertly hosted by Susan Rice in conjunction with Mickey Fromkin (right).
PYJAMAS ON PARADE
Anastasia Klimchynskaya The fourth annual “Daintiest Thing Under a Bonnet” Charity Ball, now a Birthday Weekend tradition, was held on Thursday, 14 January 2016. Hosted by the Baker Street Babes, the ball raises funds for veterans; this year the charity of choice was The Disabled American Veterans Trust. The Ball returned to the storied and illustrious Players club for the third time—a fitting locale for a Sherlockian event, graced by a sketch of Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes on the main floor and a Frederic Dorr Steele illustration downstairs. Though each incarnation of the Ball so far has been remarkable, this year’s event outdid them all. It might have been this year’s theme: the Daintiest Thing in a Dressing Gown Pyjama Party. On a (remarkably warm, for New York) January evening, ladies daringly clad in corsets and Victorian undergarments, gentlemen in dinner jackets, and Sherlockians of both genders in dressing gowns descended upon Gramercy Park. Though each ball has had a theme, this year’s was by far the most costumed of
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.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 Facebook page. 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.2013 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 Doré Nash co-hosted the Morley walk with her usual style and wit. As always, the Gillette luncheon was hosted by Susan Rice in conjunction with Mickey Fromkin. At the luncheon, Al Gregory announced that ASH Melinda Caric won the 2013 WHIMSEY award for her toast “An Open Apology to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle” which appeared in Vol. 28 No. 3 of the Muse. Melinda 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 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 Melinda for delighting us and our readers. Congratulations also go to ASH Elaine Coppola who was honored by the BSI as “The Woman” for 2013. Sue Vizoskie gave the toast to Elaine. Our very best wishes go to Sue, who is recovering from injuries suffered during Hurricane Sandy. We hope she’ll be on her feet soon and that she and Ben will be back in their home. At the BSI dinner, several ASH were featured on the program. Julie McKuras gave the toast to “An Old Irregular.” Peter Blau spoke about Julian Wolff, while Susan Rice and Evelyn Herzog reminisced about Tom Stix. Lyndsay Faye was part of the musical entertainment, and Francine Kitts led attendees in standing upon the terrace for those BSI who had crossed the Reichenbach in the past year. The annual Beacon Society meeting was held on January 12 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. All of the Society’s present officers are ASH. For more information, go to BeaconSociety.com or the Society’s Facebook page. Two major events during the weekend were the Gaslight Gala and the Daintiest Thing under a Bonnet charity ball. Becky Robare and Lyndsay Faye, respectively, provide all the details on these events elsewhere in this issue. On Saturday after the Beacon Society meeting, the Clients of Adrian Mulliner, now headed by ASHes Carol Cavalluzzi and Elaine Coppola along with co-conspirator George Vanderburgh, convened for the Junior Bloodstain. The entertainment was a reading of ASH Gayle Lange Puhl’s “The Riddle of the Starving Swine” (adapted by William Hyder). Since Gayle’s extremely clever work will be recreated on October 19 at The Wodehouse Society’s convention in Chicago, we’re not going to tell you anything more about it as we hope you’ll come to Chicago and see it then. At the BSI cocktail party, Betsy and Al Rosenblatt presented their traditional poem recounting humorously the events of the past year. Peter Blau did his usual adept stint as auctioneer, while Mary Ann Bradley introduced “The Women.” It was Mary Ann’s lucky afternoon as she won the Watson Fund’s raffle prize of the magnificent chatelaine crafted by Maggie Schpak. Sunday concluded the birthday festivities with the ASH brunch once again ably hosted by Lyndsay Faye.2012 Birthday Weekend
ASH played a prominent role throughout the weekend, which began with the traditional ASH Wednesday gathering at O’Casey’s attended by over 50 enthusiastic Sherlockians. The next morning Doré Nash co-hosted the Morley walk with Jim Cox. On Friday, the Gillette luncheon was hosted by Susan Rice in conjunction with Mickey Fromkin. The entertainment included a skit by The Friends of Bogie (ASH Sarah Montague and Andrew Joffe, along with Paul Singleton) involving Holmes and Watson and the Titanic. ASH Al Gregory presented The Beacon Society with a check for $1,000 as a matching grant for donations to the Jan Stauber Fund. Al then announced that ASH Karen Murdock won the 2012 WHIMSEY award for her piece “Do You Write Like Arthur Conan Doyle?” which appeared in Vol. 27 No. 4 of the Muse. Karen received a handsome certificate and a check for $221.17. The WHIMSEY Award in memory of Jan Stauber was established and funded by Jan’s husband Al Gregory. It is given to the author 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 Karen for delighting us and our readers. At the BSI dinner, Mary Ann Bradley received the investiture of “Mary Morstan.” Mary Ann also received the BSI’s “Eddy” award for her editing of the 2011 BSJ Christmas Annual, The First Lady: Lenore Glen Offord. Offord’s ASH investiture (and also her BSI) was The Old Russian Woman. Lyndsay Faye gave the toast to Mrs. Hudson, while Andy Solberg performed the honors for Mycroft. Bob Katz gave another one of his delightfully whimsical talks and a Peter Blau celebrity lookalike was feted in a special skit. Francine Kitts led attendees in remembering those BSI who had crossed the Reichenbach in the past year, and Marsha Pollak ended the evening with a reading of Bill Schweickert’s “A Long Evening with Holmes.” The Beacon Society meeting was held on January 14 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. Currently all of the Beacon Society officers and committee chairs are ASH. For more information, go to BeaconSociety.com or the Society’s Facebook page. At the BSI cocktail party, Betsy and Al Rosenblatt presented their traditional poem recounting humorously the events of the past year. Peter Blau did his usual adept stint as auctioneer, while Mary Ann Bradley introduced “The Women.” And ASH Francine Kitts won the raffle for Maggie Schpak’s rendition of Lady Frances Carfax’s jewels. Sunday concluded with the ASH brunch, once again ably hosted by Lyndsay Faye.2011 Birthday Weekend
ASH played a prominent role throughout the weekend, beginning with the traditional ASH Wednesday gathering at O’Casey’s attended by over 50 enthusiastic Sherlockians. The next morning a jaunty Doré Nash was the Morley Walk’s “New York Connection,” providing insider landmark information as well as donuts at Grand Central Terminal. Friday came the Gillette luncheon hosted by Susan Rice in conjunction with Mickey Fromkin. The Friends of Bogie (ASH Sarah Montague and Andrew Joffe, along with Paul Singleton) presented a skit involving Holmes and Watson in social networking. The trio also performed at the BSI dinner in a tribute to “The Game.” Al Gregory announced that ASH Elaine and Joseph Coppola won the 2011 Jan WHIMSEY award for their piece “The Fayetteville Fairies” which appeared in Vol. 26, No. 2 of the Muse. Elaine and Joe 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 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 Elaine and Joe for delighting us and our readers. Another ASH joined the ranks of the BSI in January when Sherlockian author Lyndsay Faye received the investiture of “Kitty Winter.” Congratulations also go to Michael Pollak, husband of ASH Laurie Fraser Manifold, for winning the BSJ’s Morley-Montgomery Award! The Beacon Society meeting was held on January 8 at the Roosevelt Hotel. For those of you unfamiliar with the society, it 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. All of the Beacon Society officers and committee chairs are currently ASH. The website, BeaconSociety.com, has more information on how you can become involved in the society’s efforts.2010 Birthday Weekend
ASH activities during the weekend began with the traditional ASH Wednesday gathering at O’Casey’s. The next morning Doré Nash co-hosted the Morley walk with her usual style and donuts. On Friday the Gillette luncheon was hosted by Susan Rice in conjunction with Mickey Fromkin. The Friends of Bogie (ASHes Sarah Montague and Andrew Joffe, with Paul Singleton) took a Holmesian approach to some traditional nursery rhymes. Al Gregory announced that ASH Philip Shreffler won the 2010 Jan WHIMSEY award for his “Toast to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle” which appeared in Vol. 25, No. 4 of the Muse. Philip was not in attendance, but he will receive 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 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 Philip for delighting us and our readers. At the BSI dinner, three well-known ASH received their shillings at the 2010 BSI dinner and Susan Dahlinger received an Editors’ Award for her work on the Christmas Annual “Rathbone Returns.” Brava, ladies! Special thanks to Ben Vizoskie for the photographs. Sue Vizoskie argued that Holmes was a woman—no surprise to any of us. Francine Kitts led attendees in standing upon the terrace for those BSI who had crossed the Reichenbach in the past year. On Saturday another ASH was honored at the Beacon Society meeting when Myrtle Robinson received the Beacon Award for her long-time efforts in promoting the Canon in South Carolina schools. Many of her activities have been reported in the Muse. Congratulations also to Pj Doyle for becoming the Beacon Society’s new Fundraising Chair and to Francine Kitts who has taken over from Myrtle as Program Chair. Saturday Marilyn MacGregor co-chaired the annual meeting of The Clients of Adrian Mulliner—the scion composed of those many Sherlockians who are also Wodehousians. At the BSI cocktail party, Betsy and Al Rosenblatt presented their traditional poem recounting humorously the events of the past year. 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 hosted by Lyndsay Faye. She also hosted the informal dinner at Kennedy’s Restaurant on Saturday night after the BSI cocktail party.2009 Birthday Weekend
ASH played a prominent role throughout the weekend which began with the traditional ASH Wednesday gathering at O’Casey’s. The next morning Doré Nash co-hosted the Morley walk with her usual panache.
2008 Birthday Weekend
Sherlock Holmes birthday celebrations are held in New York and London the first two full weekends in January (the order varies between the two cities to enable fun-loving Sherlockians to “cross the pond” and attend both). ASH events bookend the New York Weekend with an informal dinner on ASH Wednesday and a Sunday brunch. Sherlock Holmes Birthday Weekend 2008 delighted Adventuresses who had not received an ASH Membership Certificate. The new certificates were welcomed by all ASH invested since the early 90s. As is our custom, we’ll be reporting on those birthday weekend events that featured Adventuresses. On Wednesday night over 45 ASH and friends gathered informally at O’Casey’s. The high point of the evening was the presentation of ASH membership certificates to Adventuresses invested after the original certificates were made in the early 90s. Thanks go to the ASH design team of Laurie Fraser Manifold and Marilynne McKay for these and Dorothy Belle Pollack’s Poet Laureate award. (ASH not attending the weekend will receive their certificates by mail.) Thursday morning, Doré Nash delivered the famous jelly donuts in Grand Central Station as she and Jim Cox led the Morley walk from the Algonquin to McSorley’s. Morleyites comment that the route changes a little each year as landmarks topple—see ’em next year before they’re gone! As always, the Gillette luncheon was ably hosted by Susan Rice and Mickey Fromkin. Attendees were visited by the Gillettes themselves: Tyke Niver as William Gillette and Teddie Niver as Helen. Al Gregory presented the Muse’s Jan WHIMSEY (Whimsical Humour Is My Speciality, Enjoy Yourself) Award to Warren Randall for “A Visit to 104 Berkeley Square,” a riff on “221b.” The award, a handsome certificate and a check for $221, honors Al’s late wife, ASH Jan Stauber. The program was a reprise of an original work by the Friends of Bogie’s, which was first performed at a 1984 ASH dinner. ASHes Andrew Joffe, Sarah Montague and Elyse Locurto, along with Paul Singleton, appeared in this delightful literary parody. And, of course, ASH history was made as Principal Unprincipled Adventuress Evelyn Herzog invested nineteen men as full-fledged ASH, the first since 1991. At the BSI dinner, Marilyn MacGregor toasted Watson’s second wife and Marina Stajic honored The Master. Sherry Rose-Bond read the Musgrave ritual, and Betsy Rosenblatt was a featured speaker. To top things off, Betsy received her BSI investiture as Lucy Ferrier and Sherry Rose-Bond received the BSI two-shilling award! At the BSI cocktail party on Saturday, ASHes Kate Karlson, Elyse Locurto, and M.E. Rich all appeared in the Jerome Coopersmith play. Betsy Rosenblatt and father Al delivered the traditional year-end poem, and Mary Ann Bradley introduced The Women. Joanne Zahorsky-Reeves donated a made-to-order dressing gown for the BSI auction, and Patricia Guy provided a rare bottle of Italian wine and carrier for the raffle. The Sunday ASH brunch at the Oldcastle Pub & Restaurant was the perfect ending to the weekend—thanks to organizer Judith Freeman.2007 Birthday Weekend
Sherlock Holmes Birthday Weekend 2007 included an announcement of the first winner of the Jan Whimsey award for the most whimsical article in the previous volume of the Muse. Our report will focus on events involving Adventuresses as the rest of the weekend is covered in other publications. Over fifty Adventuresses and friends gathered at O’Casey’s on Wednesday night for what was probably the largest ASH Wednesday ever. From this rousing start, we moved on to the Gillette luncheon on Friday with over one hundred and fifty Sherlockians in attendance. As always, Susan Rice and Mickey Fromkin did a superb job of organizing and conducting the event. One of the high points was the presentation of the Jan WHIMSEY Award to Regina Stinson for the most whimsical piece published in Volume 22 (2006) of the Muse. The annual award—a handsome certificate designed by Laurie Fraser Manifold and Marilynne McKay and a check for $221.17—was presented by Al Gregory in memory of his wife, Adventuress Jan Stauber. Adventuresses Elyse Locurto and Sarah Montague assumed prominent roles in the program—a humorous depiction of the telephone’s place in the Canon. Elaine Coppola reported on the first Gaslight Gala, which has replaced the Baskerville Bash. Congratulations go to ASH Dayna McCausland, who received her shilling as Lady Clara St. Simon at the BSI dinner. And it was the night of the Susans as Sue Vizoskie gave the toast to the Master, while Susan Diamond and Susan Rice were members of the two opposing teams for a version of Sherlockian Jeopardy. It was a closely-fought battle, but Susan Rice’s team emerged victorious. Marina Stajic provided comic relief as the scorekeeper, and Peter Blau was one of the judges. Peter was also honored with a newly created “editor’s award,” and Teddie Niver carried her tray high as one of the singers in the clever “Waiters” musical skit. At the BSI cocktail party, ASH Mary Ann Bradley introduced The Women. Then Betsy Rosenblatt and her father Al gave the traditional poem detailing the events of the weekend. Susan Rice and her team members received a trophy for winning the BSI Challenge the night before. ASH B.J. Rahn won the raffle, while Francine Kitts had the winning auction bid for six Sherlockian pillows, and Muse editor Marilynne McKay had the winning bid for the Silver Blaze pillow which she then presented to co-editor Susan Diamond. The weekend concluded Sunday with forty-six Sherlockians from seven countries (Belgium, Canada, France, Great Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.S.) in attendance at the Sunday brunch hosted by Judith Freeman.2006 Birthday Weekend
Sherlock Holmes Birthday Weekend 2006 celebrated an ASH winner of the prestigious BSJ Morley-Montgomery Award and unseasonably beautiful weather for weekend activities. As usual, we’ll report only those events involving ASH as the entire weekend is covered fully in other publications and we have limited space. First of all, congratulations go to Adventuress Catherine Cooke, the winner of the BSJ’s Morley-Montgomery Award. This was a very good weekend for Catherine as she also won the raffle prize at the BSI cocktail party—a replica of the snuffbox the King of Bohemia donated to Holmes.
2005 Birthday Weekend
Sherlock Holmes Birthday Weekend 2005 was notable for an ASH gathering at Le Train Blue in Bloomingdale’s and a Sunday BSI-sponsored trip to the Gillette Castle. As always, we’ll only be reporting on those events that involved Adventuresses because the remaining events are amply covered in other Sherlockian publications. The 5-day “weekend” began with ASH Wednesday at O’Casey’s. Approximately 45 Adventuresses and friends gathered to socialize and enjoy excellent Irish fare. ASH Doré Nash and Jim Cox led the annual Morley walk on Thursday morning. On Friday, Susan Rice and Mickey Fromkin hosted the Gillette luncheon at Moran’s Chelsea Seafood Restaurant. Renowned Gillette scholar Susan Dahlinger spoke, and ASH Elyse Locurto and Paul Singleton provided their own witty version of an American (Sherlockian) in Paris. Friday evening’s events were the Baskerville Bash and the BSI dinner. At the BSI dinner, Francine Kitts led the attendees in the Musgrave Ritual and Sue Vizoskie ended the evening with “221B.”
2004 Birthday Weekend
Sherlock Holmes Birthday Weekend 2004 was thrilling for Adventuresses who received awards and an investiture — as always, ASH was front and center at festivities. Three Adventuresses received special honors during the New York Birthday Weekend. Francine Kitts received her Irregular Shilling with the investiture of Lady Hilda Trelawney Hope. In addition to her frequent appearances in the Muse, Francine teaches Canonical classes to older adults and is actively involved in many New York area scions. Jan Stauber received the Beacon Society’s first annual Beacon Award. For 10 years, Jan has visited seventh and eighth grade classrooms to educate the students on Sherlock Holmes. Jan’s report on her work appeared in the Summer 2003 Muse. The BSI awarded ASH Peter Blau “the Dr. John H. Watson Afghan Campaign Desk” in appreciation for his work as “society secretary, Sherlockian ambassador, and record keeper extraordinaire.” Congratulations, Francine, Jan, and Peter! Since the weekend is amply covered in other publications, our focus is on Adventuress activities. The festivities began with ASH Wednesday, an informal gathering of over fifty Adventuresses and friends at O’Casey’s restaurant. Thursday morning, ASH Doré Nash and Jim Cox led those willing to brave the elements on the Christopher Morley Walk. On Friday, Susan Rice, along with Mickey Fromkin, hosted the William Gillette Luncheon. The Friends of Bogie’s provided the entertainment with Elyse Locurto joining Sarah Montague, Andrew Joffe, and Paul Singleton in a Sherlockian version of “The Miracle of Birth.” Carol and Ron Fish tell all about the 8th Baskerville Bash elsewhere in Muse Vol 20, number 2. ASH at the BSI dinner lectern included Sarah Montague, Julia Rosenblatt toasting “The Woman,” Susan Diamond toasting Mycroft, and Sherry Rose-Bond, who closed the evening with a reading of Bev Wolov’s poem “The Woman.” At the BSI cocktail party on Saturday, Mary Ann Bradley introduced “The Women,” and Betsy Rosenblatt, with father Al, provided the traditional verse on the past year’s events. The weekend concluded with the ASH brunch at the Baker Street Restaurant, coordinated by Marina Stajic.2003 Birthday Weekend
Sherlock Holmes Birthday Weekend 2003 again featured Adventuresses in major roles in activities throughout the weekend and another ASH was invested in the BSI.Congratulations to Adventuress and frequent Muse contributor Sue Vizoskie who received her BSI shilling this January and is now known as Mrs. Saunders! The investiture from 3GAR is especially appropriate since Sue is one of the leading lights of that scion and is married to Alexander Hamilton Garrideb, a.k.a. Ben Vizoskie. Congratulations also go to ASH Janice Fisher who was named “The Woman” at the cocktail reception preceding the BSI dinner and was wittily toasted by ASH Sherry Rose-Bond. And, finally, frequent Muse contributor and ASH spouse Al Gregory received the BSI investiture of The Grimpen Postmaster. The weekend began Wednesday evening with a convivial gathering of approximately 40 Adventuresses and friends at O’Casey’s. As is the custom, there was no program but plenty of good conversation and good food. Jim Cox, ably assisted by ASH Doré Nash, led the Morley Walk Thursday morning. Doré garnered rave reviews for her donuts and knowledge of all things New York. Thursday afternoon found many of us at the staged reading of Andrew Joffe’s dramatization of BLUE. Our own M.E. Rich delighted us in the dual roles of Mrs. Hudson and Maggie Oakshott. This year’s Gillette luncheon, as always superbly hosted by Susan Rice with the assistance of Mickey Fromkin, honored Gillette’s 150th birthday. ASH and Gillette expert Susan Dahlinger gave a short presentation concerning Gillette’s revival tour and also provided the selection of Gillette correspondence read by Paul Singleton and Andrew Joffe. Unfortunately Sarah Montague Joffe was unable to attend, so the introduction to the program she had written was given by Susan Rice. Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll read all about the doings at the Baskerville Bash, which we’re pleased to report also received coverage in a recent issue of the Wall Street Journal, along with other weekend events. Across town, at the BSI dinner, ASH played a major role in the program. Julie McKuras toasted “Dr. Watson’s Second Wife,” while Marilynne McKay explained what really happened during the Great Hiatus. M.E. Rich, a travel agent in real life, and Philip Shreffler provided a hilarious insight into Holmes’ booking travel for the hiatus. And birthday girl Marina Stajic introduced Paul Singleton’s entertaining Sherlockian version of Bob Newhart. At Saturday’s cocktail reception, ASH Betsy Rosenblatt joined her father Al in giving the traditional poem about the weekend’s doings, while Evelyn Herzog proved that “good guys” do finish first when she won the raffle—a Scott Bond drawing of herself. The weekend concluded on Sunday with approximately 60 Sherlockians gathering for brunch at Wylie’s. Hosted by Marina Stajic, the brunch had an international flavor. Marina conveyed greetings from Marcus Geisser, currently in Thailand, who had arranged to have small bottles of sparkling wine presented to all of the women present. Then Thierry Saint-Joanis, president of the Sherlock Holmes Society of France, announced the appointment of Catherine Nicolas-Egret as Directeur du Grand Depot de Paris. Catherine is the first woman director of the Society. To celebrate, the French delegation sang about four French women in the Canon and Jean-Pierre Cagnat did caricatures of the women. (Both songs and sketches will appear in the next Muse.)2002 Birthday Weekend
The Birthday Weekend 2002 was a resounding success for Adventuresses as two ASH were invested into the BSI and another received the coveted BSI Two Shilling Award for her service to the BSI and the Sherlockian community. Editorial note: Since so much is written about the weekend in other publications we’re focusing on Adventuress activities during the weekend.
2001 Birthday Weekend
The Birthday Weekend 2001 celebrated an ASH investiture into the BSI and an ASH winner of the Baskerville Bash’s HUGO award. The weekend began unofficially with ASH Wednesday at O’Casey’s in mid-town. Approximately 40 Adventuresses and friends gathered for dinner and suitable libations. Thursday, frequent Muse contributor Ben Vizoskie received the Morley-Montgomery Award for the best article in the Baker Street Journal during the past year. Friday, over 140 Sherlockians gathered for the Gillette luncheon, ably hosted as always by Susan Rice with the assistance of Mickey Fromkin. That evening Adventuresses assumed a prominent role at both dinners. First of all, congratulations go to Judith Freeman who received the HUGO award for her many contributions to the Baskerville Bash and to Julie McKuras who is now also a BSI (The Duchess of Devonshire). Judith is a frequent Muse contributor and worked tirelessly to ensure that this year’s Bash was a howling success. Julie’s efforts on behalf of the Sherlock Holmes Collections and the Norwegian Explorers are truly outstanding. At the BSI dinner, M.E. Rich, long noted for leading the singing at ASH dinners, did a star turn as “Julie the Wolf.” Adventuresses and their spouses also played a prominent role at the Bash as you’ll see when you read Judith Freeman’s report. The weekend concluded with the ASH brunch on Sunday with a special celebration in recognition of Adventuresses Susan Rice’s and Mickey Fromkin’s 20th anniversary. Congratulations to both and best wishes for 20 more years!↓ OCCASIONAL EVENTS
April 2006

August 25, 2001



September 1999
