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The 2016 BSI Weekend — Wrap Up and How You Can Help

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"Ha! our party is complete." [REDH]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXROtXpzSHvROklBBDCxwb4FtGVoSU3PXCk1WiI9xoiT5PG1YVBVbSCoVIDGh_qC_JNnlEyplgcBkvi95uPA1qR40GYgsX4ak7DRzo-TbyJJqtGfbJPNZwH-QFd7r5OLwdgMAWUBQr9TMK/s1600/BSI+2016+Reception.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXROtXpzSHvROklBBDCxwb4FtGVoSU3PXCk1WiI9xoiT5PG1YVBVbSCoVIDGh_qC_JNnlEyplgcBkvi95uPA1qR40GYgsX4ak7DRzo-TbyJJqtGfbJPNZwH-QFd7r5OLwdgMAWUBQr9TMK/s640/BSI+2016+Reception.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
 The 2016 <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">BSI Weekend</a> is over. Once again, the Yale Club was the central location of a number of events, as well as the place where many made their homes over the weekend. The Roosevelt Hotel around the corner was equally as hospitable.<br />
<br />
With books bought, bags packed, and the last farewells spoken, Sherlockians from around the world (Japan, France, Canada, England, Switzerland, Spain and more) begin to make their way homeward. And while there is typically a sense of sadness and longing that the annual fun comes to an end, there is also great satisfaction in friendships made and rekindled, special moments that range from intimate chats in the nooks of busy rooms or between dinner companions, to grand gestures and performances that delighted the masses.<br />
<br />
While we can easily recount the events, locales and orders of business throughout the three or four days in New York, one thing remains difficult to convey to outsiders: the <i>feel</i> of the BSI Weekend for those who choose to attend. It is a brilliant assembly of wit and literary knowledge; it is a gathering of those who enjoy food, drink and good conversation; it is a celebration of Sherlock Holmes and all he has brought us; it is the culmination of so much volunteer activity from throughout the year; it is a family reunion comprised only of family members one would want to see.<br />
<br />
The sum of all of these parts and more equate to an annual experience like no other. And when the world intervenes — perhaps through work commitments, family issues, weather, or other inconveniences — it deeply affects us. The opportunities, the friends, the events — all of these hold a special place in our hearts.<br />
<br />
The BSI Dinner was an homage to the fateful 1991 BSI Weekend, when women finally achieved what they had deserved long before: admission into the BSI. There were memories of the Great Dinner Picket of 1968, the seemingly honorary investiture of Lenore Glen Offord ("The Old Russian Woman") from years before, and the reception during which Tom Stix, Jr., BSI made his historic announcement.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Evy Herzog and Peter Blau recount the history of women in (and out of) the BSI. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BSIWeekend?src=hash">#BSIWeekend</a> <a href="https://t.co/cwkPPewPkT">pic.twitter.com/cwkPPewPkT</a></div>
— I Hear of Sherlock (@IHearofSherlock) <a href="https://twitter.com/IHearofSherlock/status/688190435949297664">January 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<br />
So when the new class of Investitured Irregulars was welcomed to the fold on Friday evening, it was something of an open-armed and warm embrace. The new investitures included:<br />
<ul>
<li>Tim Greer — "The Ragged Shaw"
</li>
<li>Dana Cameron — "The Giant Rat of Sumatra"</li>
<li>Bert Coules — "The Whole Art of Detection"</li>
<li>Jenn Eaker — "Mary Sutherland"</li>
<li>John Durein — "Wilson, the Notorious Canary Trainer"</li>
<li>Jay Ganguly — "The Great Agra Treasure"</li>
<li>Will Walsh — "Godfrey Norton"</li>
<li>Tom Francis — The Two Shilling Award</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwcPp3NUp9gv25aqHygXPBClDh6p-Y0FjEUBmq518RHtPwE8CVF4ahzhfZxaVUg4oizZ_awyIGqdnyP41h_07KMgMfwnkv3Wu9n0SL8jnX_9PHcMp8myt4OK-wYeFKV2FNpauAFrwaY4J/s1600/BSI+2016+Investitures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipwcPp3NUp9gv25aqHygXPBClDh6p-Y0FjEUBmq518RHtPwE8CVF4ahzhfZxaVUg4oizZ_awyIGqdnyP41h_07KMgMfwnkv3Wu9n0SL8jnX_9PHcMp8myt4OK-wYeFKV2FNpauAFrwaY4J/s640/BSI+2016+Investitures.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Class of 2016 Baker Street Irregulars (L-R): John Durein, Jay Ganguly, Tim Greer, Jenn Eaker, Bert Coules, Dana Cameron, and Will Walsh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
We Need Your Help</h3>
<h4>
"those scenes which are indelibly fixed in every detail upon my memory" [HOUN]</h4>
This was without question one of the most documented BSI weekends to date. The memories flowed out on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere, with photos galore. And there were even more assets that were not shared publicly (such as videos and audio, per the BSI's policy). But rather than allowing these to be scattered to the digital wind, we thought we could collaborate.<br />
<br />
If you have assets of some sort that have been posted or that you have stored somewhere — a Facebook album or photos, a tweet that got some likes, RTs or replies, as well as video or audio you may have recorded — <a href="mailto:comment@ihearofsherlock.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">please email us with #BSIWeekend in the subject line</a> and let us know. We'll be compiling these assets and determining how to get some of them to the BSI Trust, as well as how to cull together those publicly available posts in a place for all to see.<br />
<br />
What another fine weekend of memories, for those present and those following along online. May we continue to make many fine memories together.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

The 2016 BSI Weekend — Wrap Up and How You Can Help

"Ha! our party is complete." [REDH] The 2016 BSI Weekend is over. Once again, the Yale Club was the central location of a n...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

This Irregular Waited 50 Years to Attend His First BSI Dinner

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"In fifty years of official life I cannot recall such a case." [MAZA] </h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3t-Eb8PxaS1xNZo7RrMLr2tiGen5MNb6DfEnpuNyTFqPwPkQoKFrvSfQwRPG_o17tEcWNvjJDX05duhT0POgplECeekYhIiVuKH5KfF6Zupat9445nK1m9eoCgqTKFqKqB2k2wDBzhCmU/s1600/1966+BSI+Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The 1966 BSI Dinner" border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3t-Eb8PxaS1xNZo7RrMLr2tiGen5MNb6DfEnpuNyTFqPwPkQoKFrvSfQwRPG_o17tEcWNvjJDX05duhT0POgplECeekYhIiVuKH5KfF6Zupat9445nK1m9eoCgqTKFqKqB2k2wDBzhCmU/s640/1966+BSI+Dinner.jpg" title="The 1966 Baker Street Irregulars Dinner" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
In a few days I will be attending my first-ever dinner of the Baker Street Irregulars. At the same time, this year I celebrate the 50th anniversary of my investiture into the BSI — and I am bound to think that a 50-year story of being a member, but not showing up for the annual event, is a record that, if not unique, is certainly unusual.<br />
<br />
Some day, as Dr. Watson put it, the full story may be told. I have toyed with writing a tell-all Sherlockian autobiography, touching on the Baker Street Pageboys, <a href="http://www.torontobootmakers.com/" target="_blank">the Bootmakers of Toronto</a>, the <a href="http://ash-nyc.com/" target="_blank">Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes</a>, my writings and friendships, and so much more. Such a document will not be as inflammatory as Douglas Maberley's roman à clef in "The Three Gables," but I suspect it will have to languish unread in some archive for a good long time.<br />
<br />
I did sit down a few years ago for a conversation with the wise and considerate Bob Coghill, BSI, who has done many such "oral interviews" for <a href="http://www.bsitrust.org/2015/01/oral-history.html" target="_blank">the BSI Oral History Project</a>.<br />
<br />
But inevitably, there were many things we had no time to touch on.<br />
<br />
For the present, suffice it to say that when I received my Irregular Shilling, I was a mere teenager, living in Kansas, leagues and decades away from the fast life of New York, and for most of my subsequent life my Sherlockian attention has been focused in Canada rather than toward the BSI.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhwyUl55yd3eqIXK4oO7U7-_pK8y9jL1BtKw8ydGstZiUQFqEc79JD0bMK2Ms6OIeUg6M_0G-s8wVSdTKDUM3R7OvcKuOmK7aMNnZdlcu5bpTtZzu0uPhI3ly3WHxhAaU7PEXo5miJOhq/s1600/CAR+investiture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="CAR's BSI investiture" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhwyUl55yd3eqIXK4oO7U7-_pK8y9jL1BtKw8ydGstZiUQFqEc79JD0bMK2Ms6OIeUg6M_0G-s8wVSdTKDUM3R7OvcKuOmK7aMNnZdlcu5bpTtZzu0uPhI3ly3WHxhAaU7PEXo5miJOhq/s640/CAR+investiture.jpg" title="Chris Redmond's investiture" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Investiture certificate of Chris Redmond, BSI ("Billy")</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
These days I understand that virtually everyone who receives a BSI investiture does so at a January dinner in New York. It was not so <a href="http://www.bsitrust.org/2015/09/the-1966-bsi-dinner.html" target="_blank">in 1966</a>.  My certificate (much more modest than the certificates handed out nowadays) and silver shilling arrived by mail one day in the spring of that year, as part of what the then Commissionaire of the BSI, Julian Wolff, called the Edgar W. Smith Birthday Honors List. <br />
<br />
Smith, of course, was the first and great Commissionaire, who had died in 1960. In the years that followed, his April 1 birthday was marked annually by the distribution of investitures to those whom Wolff considered worthy of the honour but who had not come to New York and, I suppose, were not expected to. I don't know how long the spring Honours List continued, but it was still in operation in 1969 when my father, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/11/remembering-donald-redmond-bsi-2s.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Donald A. Redmond</a>, received his investiture as "Good Old Index".<br />
<br />
My 1966 investiture certificate as "Billy", with Julian Wolff's signature, hangs on my study wall, within sight as I write these words, and I will be all the prouder of it when I can say that I have actually attended a BSI dinner. And I will think of it again come April 1, fondly — and with amazement that my Sherlockian career has now lasted more than half a century.<br />
<br />
<i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.bsitrust.org/2015/09/the-1966-bsi-dinner.html" target="_blank">The Baker Street Irregulars Trust</a></i><br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
<br />

This Irregular Waited 50 Years to Attend His First BSI Dinner

"In fifty years of official life I cannot recall such a case." [MAZA] In a few days I will be attending my first-ever dinner...

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by Chris Redmond

Here Are Your #BSIWeekend Tips

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<b>"I think we had better do as you suggest" [SPEC] </b></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAY0oDklGkSH3fNIux_1k4evva04lHJCnGGyNngc_Dsf6hlKyg4J-1fIx_wprLqLhOQXjDSGFwmt6XLAKbxlCOHaR0lrq6GPjsMxUqc_YpgOhYcnLjEd-q7ARMcwJIq26SX9k_icfmaO9i/s1600/BSI+Weekend.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAY0oDklGkSH3fNIux_1k4evva04lHJCnGGyNngc_Dsf6hlKyg4J-1fIx_wprLqLhOQXjDSGFwmt6XLAKbxlCOHaR0lrq6GPjsMxUqc_YpgOhYcnLjEd-q7ARMcwJIq26SX9k_icfmaO9i/s640/BSI+Weekend.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="text-align: center;">With the </span><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bsiweekend.com/">BSI Weekend</a></b><span style="text-align: center;"> coming up, we thought it might be helpful to provide a series of tips for the veteran attendees and the newbies alike.</span><br />
<br />
The <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">Baker Street Irregulars (and Friends) Weekend</a> is happening January 14-16, 2016, and it's usually a pretty big deal if you're taking time out of your life to head into New York City for 3+ days of activities with people you haven't seen in a year (or years!) or those you may only know online. Whether you're making the trip for the first or twenty-first time, you know that the Weekend provides the same level of excitement, anticipation and giddiness as Christmas morning does to a child.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4181746031/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="twis-05 by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="twis-05" height="240" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2549/4181746031_de7435af0b_m.jpg" width="188" /></a>It's usually during those anxious moments that our brain-attic tends to forget some of the essentials that help make a great trip perfect. And for the uninitiated, it's just a matter of not knowing what you need to survive the Baker Street Irregulars (and Friends) Weekend.<br />
<br />
This is our fourth annual installment of this post — the first of which was inspired by interviewing several members of the Baker Street Irregulars — including some newer members who might have a less distant memory of their first Weekend, and some who have been at it literally for decades. Information has been updated to reflect changes in the city as well as in technology.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6321981775136876837" name="more"></a>While we know how many well-informed and helpful readers we have, we were quite astonished at the quality and quantity of suggestions that can make the BSI Weekend an enjoyable and stress-free one for you. And if there are any additional tips that you think would be helpful to attendees, please feel free to add your own as a comment below. And if you'd like a sense as to what happens, listen to <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose74" target="_blank">Episode 74</a>:<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/191368218&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />
Herewith the suggestions:<br />
<br />
<h4>
Bags</h4>
<ul>
<li>Make sure that you have plenty of room to bring home books that you bought. If you have to bring an extra bag that you can fold up and put in your suitcase, do so. </li>
<li>Some suggest bringing a plastic shopping bag to the BSI dinner, as it makes carrying the dinner packet around a little easier, especially if you plan to go to another venue afterward. </li>
<li>You might also consider bringing a shopping bag to the Merchants Room on Saturday to carry your various purchases. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Meeting Others</h4>
<ul>
<li>Bring business cards. You will be meeting a lot of new people, and you will be sharing contact information. Put as many as you think that you will need in your pack, and then double it. And be sure to include all modes of contacting you, including website, Twitter handle, etc. </li>
<li>If you're in need of a good card, the <a href="http://moo.com/">Moo</a> does a splendid job and <a href="http://vistaprint.com/">VistaPrint</a> has a fast turnaround time. </li>
<li>If you want to make sure you get your table mates to sign your menu, bring a pen to the dinner. </li>
<li>Allow yourself time to shmooze with other Sherlockians. This is the fastest way to make new friends, who will quickly become old friends. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Comportment / Etiquette</h4>
<ul>
<li><b>Do</b> tell people how good it is to see them again. <b>Do</b> tell them that you miss them in the intervening months between BSI weekends. <b>Do</b> tell them how invaluable they are to you as a Sherlockian comrade-in-arms and friend and how much you value their friendship. </li>
<li>If you're scheduled to speak at an event, be mindful not to overdo the alcohol beforehand. Dutch courage is usually inappropriate in such circumstances. </li>
<li>In this hyper-connected world, it's easy to forget that there are those attending the weekend for whom "it is always 1895" — or nearly so. When you're taking photographs, please be mindful of those who are firmly rooted in the 20th century and who might not want to appear on your Facebook timeline by asking their permission to share your photos of them online.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Attire</h4>
<ul>
<li>Bring comfortable shoes. The weekend inevitably includes a lot of walking. </li>
<li>This one is especially for the ladies:, it's useful to have a change of shoes in your handbag so the stilettos don't murder you by the end of the evening (or vice versa). </li>
<li>Bring warm clothes. It is winter in New York, and non-Sherlockian New York friends say they know when we are in town because we bring really bad weather. </li>
<li>Dress in layers. Many times the weather can be cold, but there have been instances in New York in January when we could - and did - comfortably walk about the streets without even a jacket on. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Money</h4>
<ul>
<li>Bring small bills. They will come in handy as you share taxis going from place to place, and you’ll find them handy when tipping helpful service employees. </li>
<li>Bring a checkbook to the Merchants Room as not everyone takes credit cards and you may find an item you must have. </li>
<li>If you see something you're interested in at the Merchants Room and you can afford it, don't wait until your second sweep of the room - it will probably be gone by then.</li>
<li>The BSI table will accept <b>credit cards, PayPal and Apple Pay</b>.</li>
<li>Estimate, on the top side, what you expect to spend – and double it. That might get you through. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Time</h4>
<ul>
<li>If you have any health conditions, allow yourself time to go back to your hotel room for periodic rests. Many find these rests invaluable, enabling them to enjoy the weekend despite their condition.Schedule your time. </li>
<li>Know when you need to be places (including when you need to catch the train/plane back home). </li>
<li>Count on it taking some time to get a cab amongst the other Sherlockians on 10th Avenue after the Gillette Luncheon. If the weather is not inclement and you’re fairly healthy, you may find a brisk walk from 19th Street to 45th Street a way to burn off those calories. </li>
<li>After the Gillette Luncehon, you might also consider walking the High Line just above 10th Avenue — head uptown to 34th Street and rest up by using a MetroCard on the crosstown bus to connect with subway lines at 8th Ave./7th Ave./6th Ave. 34th Street local/express stations or at Park Avenue for 33rd Street local up to Grand Central Station.</li>
<li>Alternatively, download a ride-hailing app (such as Uber, Lyft or Via) to help you avoid these waits. See below for more details.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Getting Around</h4>
<ul>
<li>Print out a street map of the city with the places you need to be circled or otherwise identified. Many things are within walking distance, but it is good to know you are starting out in the right direction (or know when to turn). </li>
<li>If you're smartphone-enabled, there are plenty of map apps to choose from. Aside from the standard Google Maps, there's <a href="http://citymapper.com/" target="_blank">Citymapper</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gogobot.gogodroid.cityguide.newyorkcity" target="_blank">Gogobot's York City Guide for Android</a> and iOS has the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/new-york-travel-guide-offline/id319296365?mt=8">New York Travel Guide and Offline Map</a> by Ulmon.</li>
<li>Download and print the <a href="http://www.bsiweekend.com/2013/11/summary-of-weekend-events.html#sthash.xS12f57r.dpbs">Summary of Weekend Events</a> from <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/">bsiweekend.com</a> (and seen below), or bookmark it on your smartphone. </li>
<li>If you want to go to Otto Penzler's <a href="http://mysteriousbookshop.com/" target="_blank">Mysterious Bookshop</a> and are staying at The Yale Club or the Roosevelt the easiest, quickest and cheapest way to go is by subway. From Grand Central take a 4 or 5 express train <b>two</b> stops to City Hall Station; it is a very short walk over to Otto's. Don't take a local (which makes 10 stops). The express is about five minutes. </li>
<li>Pool funds with others to buy regular per-ride <b><a href="http://web.mta.info/metrocard/mcgtreng.htm">MetroCards</a></b>. These can be shared by up to four people on each trip and are good for one transfer between subway/bus or between buses on uptown/crosstown routes within 2 hours.</li>
<ul>
<li>If you're 65 or older, present ID for a reduced fare MetroCard — $2.75 for two rides with the same transfer provisions noted above. <b>Note:</b> a 65+ MetroCard <b><i>cannot</i></b> be shared and you must find a live 'token booth' clerk to inspect your ID — reduced fare not available in machines.</li>
<li>If you reach the end of the Weekend with a balance on your MetroCard, return to New York more frequently! Or give your card to local-area Sherlockians.</li>
</ul>
<li>Download a ride-hailing app such as <a href="http://uber.com/" target="_blank">Uber</a>, <a href="http://lyft.com/" target="_blank">Lyft</a> or a similar service. </li>
<ul>
<li>We recommend <a href="http://ridewithvia.com/" target="_blank">Via</a>, which runs from 6:30 am - 9:00 pm and costs only $5 per ride anywhere in Manhattan. Use the code <b>scott5q3</b> to sign up and get a free ride.</li>
<li>If you'd like a code for Lyft, use <a href="https://lyft.com/i/SCOTT726787">SCOTT726787</a> to sign up and receive a $50 credit towards rides.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Logistics</h4>
<ul>
<li>Bring your event payment confirmations, just in case of a glitch in the system. </li>
<li>Also, everything is pretty centrally located, but it's a good idea to have a list of your schedule with the addresses of the venues so that you don't suddenly find yourself asking, where the devil am I supposed to be right now? </li>
<li>The heat during the BSI dinner has been uncomfortable in years past in the Yale Club (potentially dangerously uncomfortable 4 years ago) -- if this continues, vests/waistcoats are not advised. Unless you're <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcaric/8379354330/">Mattias Bostrom</a>. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
The Unscheduled</h4>
<ul>
<li>If possible, make breakfast plans with other Sherlockians (unless you eat breakfast alone) </li>
<li>To some, the secret to enjoying the jam-packed weekend is to find private, unpublicized events for more intimate interactions. How to find these? “You know my methods. Apply them.” </li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Dining</h4>
What? You’re not getting enough food between events? Thankfully there are gaps that allow a Sherlockian to venture places on his or her own. And of course, there are plenty of restaurants in and near Grand Central Station, which is in great proximity to the Yale Club and the Roosevelt Hotel.<br />
<ul>
<li>Several Sherlockians like to go to the Oyster Bar for dinner after the Thursday night lecture. </li>
<li>There is a Cosí across the street from the Roosevelt, at 38 East 45th Street, and of course Starbucks in the station and at nearly every corner. </li>
<li>For a more comprehensive listing of eateries nearby, <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2013/07/where-to-eat-near-grand-central-station-nyc.html" target="_blank">Serious Eats has a guide</a> that breaks them down by category and of course <a href="http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=restaurants+near+grand+central&find_loc=New+York%2C+NY%2C+USA" target="_blank">Yelp has many suggestions</a> as well. </li>
<li>And heaven forbid, don't forget about the <a href="http://www.redflamenyc.com/">Red Flame</a>, the perennial favorite next door to the Algonquin Hotel on W. 44th Street.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4>
Online</h4>
Whether you're in New York for the festivities or sequestered at home, it might be worthwhile to follow along online. Some ways to do that:<br />
<ul>
<li>The official hashtag of the BSI Weekend on Twitter is <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23bsiweekend&src=typd">#BSIWeekend</a>. We have a feed set up on the <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">BSI Weekend website</a>, or you can simply follow along by clicking on the hashtag, or even on <a href="http://tweetdeck.com/">TweetDeck</a>. </li>
<li>We'll be providing occasional updates on these pages, so please follow along. </li>
<li>Of course, we'll also be providing updates via our <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock">Facebook</a> accounts. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetbabes.com/">The Baker Street Babes</a>, who will be out in force during the weekend, will undoubtedly have a unique real-time perspective of the weekend. </li>
<li>We also have a <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock/lists/sherlockians">list of Sherlockians on Twitter</a> whom you might consider following. A number of them will be at the weekend as well. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Here is a handy downloadable and printable guide for the weekend; you may also bookmark it on your smartphone for easy reference (or download the Scribd app [<b><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDkQFjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fscribd-worlds-largest-online%2Fid542557212%3Fmt%3D8&ei=-CbdUJjZGcvkqQHM0IDoDQ&usg=AFQjCNFJrFun262V6ZZVXqQGlmr6dpo80A&sig2=1OSvbhebL4loQDJvzNIoJA&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWM">iOS</a></b> or <b><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CEIQFjAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fplay.google.com%2Fstore%2Fapps%2Fdetails%3Fid%3Dcom.scribd.app.reader0%26hl%3Den&ei=-CbdUJjZGcvkqQHM0IDoDQ&usg=AFQjCNGmLSiZ-MqZs3_glflhk5qz1KmvgQ&sig2=O0KNeNDotXW6UwFloblUBA&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWM">Android</a></b>] to make it easier).<br />
<br />
<div style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
<a href="https://www.scribd.com/doc/245302997/The-2015-BSI-and-Friends-Weekend" title="View The 2015 BSI and Friends Weekend on Scribd">The 2015 BSI and Friends Weekend</a></div>
<br />
That sums up our list. Do you have tips as well, dear readers? Please leave them in a comment here on our site or drop us a line and let us know what your secrets are so we can all be the beneficiaries.<br />
<br />
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--</div>

Here Are Your #BSIWeekend Tips

"I think we had better do as you suggest" [SPEC] With the BSI Weekend coming up, we thought it might be helpful to provide...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Financial Assistance for the BSI Weekend

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"to defray whatever expenses I may be put to" [SPEC]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQ6NzdNlbvo6h_28U9FiknzN3n03o_G6KxgtncfJd2bXpJx3HSrTMnHFYnm50zDxxnDYSdtF8Xdsv9JhWrLX20xm0x7ayqkAcnrOpQVnXOQaPG-0DqvYQzCtbmOkoLyb1dEHQDl2wCWZm/s1600/BERY+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Alexander Holder's surprise [BERY]" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQ6NzdNlbvo6h_28U9FiknzN3n03o_G6KxgtncfJd2bXpJx3HSrTMnHFYnm50zDxxnDYSdtF8Xdsv9JhWrLX20xm0x7ayqkAcnrOpQVnXOQaPG-0DqvYQzCtbmOkoLyb1dEHQDl2wCWZm/s640/BERY+2.jpg" title="Alexander Holder, The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet" width="512" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
With the recent spate of invitations to the <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">Baker Street Irregulars Weekend</a> in New York came a sense of surprise, relief and even trepidation. Yes, trepidation. For some people, attending the Weekend is a difficult and onerous task.<br />
<br />
Some simply don't like to be around crowds, or perhaps detest the (often) harsh weather of New York in January. Others boycott for personal reasons. But there are some who simply can't afford the price of the accumulated events and the travel required to get there.<br />
<br />
In the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s under Tom Stix, Jr.'s ("The Norwood Builder") term as Wiggins of the Baker Street Irregulars, Tom created the <b>Dr. John H. Watson Fund</b>, a financial assistance package for the BSI Weekend, and credited it as his most proud achievement of leading the BSI.<br />
<br />
According to the BSI:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>The Dr. John H. Watson Fund</b> offers financial assistance to all Sherlockians
(membership in the BSI is not required) who might otherwise not be able to
participate in the weekend's festivities. A carefully pseudonymous John H.
Watson presides over the fund and welcomes contributions, which can be made
by check payable to John H. Watson and sent (without return address on the
envelope) to <b>Dr. Watson, c/o The Baker Street Irregulars, at 7938 Mill
Stream Circle, Indianapolis, IN 46278</b>; your letters are forwarded unopened,
and Dr. Watson will acknowledge your generosity. Requests for assistance
should also be mailed (quickly) to Dr. Watson at the same address.</blockquote>
<br />
It is a wonderful resource that enables more people to enjoy one of the most important aspects of our hobby: spending time in the company of like-minded people. And while there are plenty of opportunities around the world to do this on a local level, the BSI Weekend happens just once a year and celebrates a long-standing (82 years!) tradition that was started by Christopher Morley.<br />
<br />
Each year, the Fund is self-liquidating, meaning that assistance is granted to whatever extent is possible to the supplicants, and that generous Sherlockians are responsible for replenishing it every year. Traditionally this was done through simple check-writing, but then the BSI Cocktail Reception added <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/bsiweekend/auction.html" target="_blank">an auction and drawing</a>, which also raise money for the Fund. Raffle tickets are sold throughout the weekend for some choice items and Peter Blau, BSI ("Black Peter") holds forth as an auctioneer <i>sine qua non</i>.<br />
<br />
So if you're <b>in need</b> of some financial assistance, please write to Dr. Watson at the address above with a budget that outlines what you need. And if you're <b>able to support</b> this important effort to enable your friends and colleagues attend, by all means, so do.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
<br />

Financial Assistance for the BSI Weekend

"to defray whatever expenses I may be put to" [SPEC] With the recent spate of invitations to the Baker Street Irregulars We...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

The #BSIWeekend Site Is Updated

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"I was invited to a week-end gathering" [LAST]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_RhyAw8AyiypUPICbCj778SGCAN_M-Ku7o2xkXRiw7XTkF3OwHp_2idIUk428xuHJi8gI9OQzFms7H1iXjgX8jajaSadKIeqRA1znBjDn56hS-cYKa9LPSdPaHIKXYzY-7ylWnlWMmao/s1600/BSI+Dinner+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_RhyAw8AyiypUPICbCj778SGCAN_M-Ku7o2xkXRiw7XTkF3OwHp_2idIUk428xuHJi8gI9OQzFms7H1iXjgX8jajaSadKIeqRA1znBjDn56hS-cYKa9LPSdPaHIKXYzY-7ylWnlWMmao/s640/BSI+Dinner+2010.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Judging from the excitement we've seen in the last 24 hours on the Web, it's clear that the invitations to the annual BSI Dinner are out, and as such, the <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">BSI Weekend website</a> is updated for your use.<br />
<br />
There you'll find all of the information related to the Weekend, from the schedule of events to resources and reservation forms, as well as a neatly summarized section with a single page to print out.<br />
<br />
A few things to note here:<br />
<ol>
<li>If you're sharing this on social media, please use the hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BSIWeekend&src=typd" target="_blank">#BSIWeekend</a>. This makes it easier to follow the topic (despite <i>who</i> you're following), makes photos easier to find, and increases the chances of creating a trending topic that could get media attention.</li>
<li>Feel free to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/869834353130921/" target="_blank">join the event posted on Facebook</a>.</li>
<li>If you have any suggestions for people attending for the first time, please email us or leave a comment below; we'll be posting our annual <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/12/how-to-get-most-out-of-bsiweekend.html#.VkKjcPmrTb0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tips for getting the most out of the BSI Weekend</a>, and it would be great to include yours.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Don't miss our episode earlier this year <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose74" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">recapping the 2015 BSI Weekend</a>:<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/191368218&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /></div>
<div>
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--

The #BSIWeekend Site Is Updated

"I was invited to a week-end gathering" [LAST] Judging from the excitement we've seen in the last 24 hours on the Web, it...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Remembering Our Very First Time

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"You will excuse me, however, if I speak frankly to you." [DANC]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GM6QQpTeGOo4i9ADBx1JIWwwdJ6LSpMPuct63Z6Wtvzr7PbTGn9tWRlTlZexl1wfT3G9dKBGJzO_JS4FUbEdKeU_ZCr_gVMMXHgrrGMuvCuhNlo1BE_mPYjS0y_0v-IhqXNQfaRPbUkE/s1600/BSI+logo+full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GM6QQpTeGOo4i9ADBx1JIWwwdJ6LSpMPuct63Z6Wtvzr7PbTGn9tWRlTlZexl1wfT3G9dKBGJzO_JS4FUbEdKeU_ZCr_gVMMXHgrrGMuvCuhNlo1BE_mPYjS0y_0v-IhqXNQfaRPbUkE/s640/BSI+logo+full.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Early November marks an exciting time in our own Sherlockian calendar. This is historically the time of year that we find out about the specifics of the Baker Street Irregulars Weekend.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The annual gathering in New York City happens every January (as it has for over 70 years), with Sherlock Holmes devotees assembling from all over the world. The Weekend — and really, it's more than a weekend, with events starting as early as Wednesday — is open to all interested Sherlockians and is something of a movable feast as attendees east and drink their way through New York. We'll be updating <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">the BSI Weekend website</a> soon with all of the official information and reservation forms, so stay tuned for that.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
While the BSI Dinner is still an invitation-only affair, the rest of the weekend is as inclusive an event as anyone can imagine. Whether you're attending for the first time or the 51st time, you're greeted with open arms and plentiful introductions to other like-minded individuals. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We've heard many fellow Sherlockians say that to them, the BSI Weekend is something of a second Christmas. The prospect of connecting and reconnecting with so many friends from cities and years past, as well as from online interactions, is really what our little hobby is all about.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So we hope you'll indulge us this personal memory of the very first BSI Dinner invitation we received from Tom Stix, "Wiggins" of the BSI at the time. It arrived exactly 20 years ago today and our excitement is still just as strong today as it was then.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wFUwqp1jN38BXAHJvYZuBTBPscD0hHDMg1LS9fTI-iR7RBb7NNNG4L1JbEP0pBw4Zh696oeiWQ_TKWqOalltxJSjv_SK1gJEDvLE8HxzJpgaAiQT1ax4fL4zi13Oa8AW_S0Rio06kiJX/s1600/BSI002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wFUwqp1jN38BXAHJvYZuBTBPscD0hHDMg1LS9fTI-iR7RBb7NNNG4L1JbEP0pBw4Zh696oeiWQ_TKWqOalltxJSjv_SK1gJEDvLE8HxzJpgaAiQT1ax4fL4zi13Oa8AW_S0Rio06kiJX/s640/BSI002.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But you don't need an invitation to attend the Weekend events overall. We hope you'll make your own plans to descend on New York and join your fellow revelers at the oldest and most expansive annual Sherlockian event.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere will be covering the BSI Weekend, capturing images, sounds and impressions that we'll be sharing in January and February of 2016. Perhaps we'll see you there!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
--</div>
<div>
<br /></div>

Remembering Our Very First Time

"You will excuse me, however, if I speak frankly to you." [DANC] Early November marks an exciting time in our own Sherlocki...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

The Gillette Luncheon Has a New Home

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"willing to fill a vacancy" [REDH]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5k1pUZhcmuJ0m3wNfrTxrDDgcEzpxg9ltr25_Qd0E5RX2E3mlIelHJF_5x6et4gYXmaCF8OgXDBcbBNj8hSwqHHEJFoFMPful2jbSy3iPApxyQCImjp1W_2EwRmx4d6j0cH5ydc73cW8/s1600/Moran%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5k1pUZhcmuJ0m3wNfrTxrDDgcEzpxg9ltr25_Qd0E5RX2E3mlIelHJF_5x6et4gYXmaCF8OgXDBcbBNj8hSwqHHEJFoFMPful2jbSy3iPApxyQCImjp1W_2EwRmx4d6j0cH5ydc73cW8/s640/Moran%2527s.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
If you've ever attended a <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">BSI Weekend</a> in New York (or paid attention to the updates that emanate from the Weekend that you can follow online in early January), you'll note that one of the events is the William Gillette Memorial Luncheon.<br />
<br />
In recent memory, the event has been held at Moran's Chelsea, a restaurant that had its origin in the Civil War era, when Irish immigrants dominated work on the Hudson River piers that lined the nearby waterfront. Inside Moran's, the era is still held close, as cozy wood-burning fireplaces are topped with glowing brass fixtures and Irish touches like the display cases filled with Waterford crystal, and a single lace curtain covering the back window.<br />
<br />
But that two decade span of BSI Weekend history changed suddenly earlier this year, as the restaurant's owner <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/22/goodbye-morans-when-a-neighborhood-joint-closes.html" target="_blank">sold the building and the new owner closed Moran's</a>.<br />
<br />
Considering this historic change — one that affects many attendees of the BSI Weekend — we thought it an appropriate time to reflect on the history of the Gillette Luncheon and its previous venues. Accordingly, we asked current host Susan Rice, BSI, ("Beeswing") ASH ("A Practical Handbook of Bee Culture, with Some Observations  upon the Segregation of the Queen") for a summary of how the William Gillette Luncheon came to be.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkSO8PWtV7E-STZQex4svDtTBpPGSnRDzY7Y4nNSHksNoXdcTd-lv_lLpXbs-dTB_xbGmHUeth_vgKG2cF59hkOItj323IrNX7RsvtmipkrhZ3Xljh-9jz_Ja392Le-iLbFbCp4cNr2CG/s1600/dividing+line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="25" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkSO8PWtV7E-STZQex4svDtTBpPGSnRDzY7Y4nNSHksNoXdcTd-lv_lLpXbs-dTB_xbGmHUeth_vgKG2cF59hkOItj323IrNX7RsvtmipkrhZ3Xljh-9jz_Ja392Le-iLbFbCp4cNr2CG/s320/dividing+line.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Susan Rice: </b>The custom of a luncheon on the same day as the BSI Dinner wafted into being in 1945. Clifton Andrew was an exceptionally convivial Sherlockian from Akron, Ohio, who traveled to New York each January on an overnight train from Cleveland. It arrived in the city mid-morning and Clif was too eager for Irregular companionship to wait until dinner. His technique was straightforward: he lurked in the lobby of the <a href="http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-lost-1884-murray-hill-hotel-park.html" target="_blank">Murray Hill Hotel</a>, accosted anyone he recognized or suspected of being an enthusiast and invited them to join him for lunch.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgUKMEr22nJyUNKJQLMOyyiMSUNobeINEeJNLN7MYSZZfi4yJdkMN-uDpvAO-muf7eXcfU6_UJHo7hwPg_bFbgr8yLVlZPcwnSGUBACXD2i7p3xwCPsohZS-AA30-uzodfYXh525EPRS6/s1600/murray+hill+hotel+foyer+lounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The lobby of the Murray Hill Hotel" border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgUKMEr22nJyUNKJQLMOyyiMSUNobeINEeJNLN7MYSZZfi4yJdkMN-uDpvAO-muf7eXcfU6_UJHo7hwPg_bFbgr8yLVlZPcwnSGUBACXD2i7p3xwCPsohZS-AA30-uzodfYXh525EPRS6/s640/murray+hill+hotel+foyer+lounge.jpg" title="Murray Hill Hotel lounge" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The foyer lounge of the Murray Hill Hotel (Library of Congress)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
A photograph of the 1948 participants reveals that he attracted eleven diners, Edith Meiser among them. From these early unceremonial occasions, Clif conceived of a luncheon, “with no particular theme in mind except Sherlockian fellowship, good food, and for those so inclined, liquid refreshment of various designs and potencies.” He dubbed it the "Scion Societies Lunch."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifu_KgNQ8qBc5LxrWiRWh6Wu5LABqsu4G9pJIZnEgmRLcS_qzE-lZ7tdCGWb8CwwVOdk0qNlYuvW-qLbuIRymAavx_arJDCs3ejR3AEceZxlYcwEPNkPMLFBPEguTLhD9yTQZV18fmrmp/s1600/1945+Gillette+Lunch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="563" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifu_KgNQ8qBc5LxrWiRWh6Wu5LABqsu4G9pJIZnEgmRLcS_qzE-lZ7tdCGWb8CwwVOdk0qNlYuvW-qLbuIRymAavx_arJDCs3ejR3AEceZxlYcwEPNkPMLFBPEguTLhD9yTQZV18fmrmp/s640/1945+Gillette+Lunch.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Attendees of an early version of what would become the William Gillette Memorial Luncheon, in 1948.<br />
Front row: Dick Van Fossen, Ben Feingold, Clifton Andrew, J. Hyslop, Leslie Marshall<br />
Back row: Roland Hammond, Doyle Beckmeyer, L. H. Denton, Edith Meiser, Allen Robertson, Harold Clemens, Laurence P. Dodge </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The luncheons of the 'Forties were irregular and depended on happenstance rather than planning, but starting in 1946, Clif Andrew walked the group to <a href="http://www.keens.com/" target="_blank">Keen’s Steakhouse</a>. In 1953 a poster of William Gillette in his most famous role caught their eyes. The luncheon was immediately dubbed the William Gillette Memorial Luncheon, and we number the luncheon from that year.<br />
<br />
A young New York editor named <a href="http://www.ash-nyc.com/LMcGaw.htm" target="_blank">Lisa McGaw</a> began attending the luncheon regularly in the early 'Fifties, and just before the 1962 birthday weekend she received a call from Clif to say he would not attend, and asking her to assume the responsibility of collecting the money and settling the bill. Clifton Andrew never again attended the birthday festivities. Later that year, he sent Lisa his mailing list, seventeen names in all, and asked her to take care of future arrangements. He died in December, 1963.<br />
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Lisa, a shy, private person, hosted the luncheon for 25 years. She continued to set the luncheon at Keen’s until it closed for some years, when she moved it to <a href="http://www.theoldhomesteadsteakhouse.com/" target="_blank">The Old Homestead</a>, another Victorian steakhouse, where it remained throughout her tenure. She maintained Clif Andrew’s emphasis on companionship and conversation, inviting a speaker only rarely.<br />
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Clearly remembered, however was the year in the late 'Seventies when <i>The New Yorker</i>’s Brendan Gill spoke of his memories of William Gillette during Gill’s childhood in Hartford, Connecticut. In the summer of 1989 Lisa called me from her retirement in North Carolina to say that her health was failing and it was time to transfer the responsibility for the Gillette Luncheon. By that date, the mailing list she sent me numbered nearly 200. In 1994 we had grown too large to be accommodated in a single room at the Old Homestead, so at the suggestion of ASH Patricia Moran I relocated it to <b>Moran’s Chelsea</b>. We now attract roughly 140 participants.<br />
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Those are the facts behind the storied history of this happy little gathering. As you might imagine, the closing of the restaurant this spring and the weeks of radio silence that followed were of great concern to those who attended the luncheon in recent years. The good news is that <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150428/chelsea/morans-restaurant-reopens-as-fillmore-room" target="_blank">Moran's has reopened</a> and is now known as <a href="http://www.fillmoreroom.com/" target="_blank">The Fillmore Room</a>.<br />
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Susan had been in close contact with the new owners during that time and provided an update, along with a short summary of the lunch's history:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A brief recap: the luncheon is now more than 70 years old. In those seven decades it has had only three hosts, and except for the founding luncheon, only three dining venues. That record was challenged this year when Moran’s Chelsea was sold and closed for renovation. I am delighted to announce that this change will not affect our remarkable fidelity in an ever changing world: the new owner is intrigued by our history and <b><i>the Gillette Luncheon on January 15, 2016 will take place in the same venue, now called The Fillmore Room</i></b>. However, there is no truth to the rumor that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Fillmore_(Unity_Church)" target="_blank">Charles Sherlock Fillmore</a> is its namesake.</blockquote>
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Have you attended the Gillette Luncheon on the past? Do you have particular memories from your time there? Please consider telling us about it in our comment section below.<br />
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Watch the <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">BSI Weekend website</a> for more updates about the 2016 BSI Weekend in the coming weeks.<br />
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://instagram.com/p/jRyiMSApNg/" target="_blank">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere (Instagram)</a></i><br />
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