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My dear fellow Sherlockian,

You are cordially invited to join the Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit as we celebrate our 80th anniversary. We will hold a special dinner at 1:30 pm on Saturday, April 25, 2026 in Detroit.

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Details can be found below, including informal events, travel and accommodation information for out of town guests, and more — please be sure to read this in its entirety.

Please feel free to share this with any Sherlockian who might be interested (they needn’t live in Michigan).

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Where It Began

On a clear and cool night of April 26, 1946, a dozen intrepid individuals gathered to celebrate the first meeting of the Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit. Unable to find a lower vault of a furniture warehouse, the group was fortunate to find the Stag Room in the lower level of Cliff Bell’s, luxuriously appointed in mahogany and brass.

While the Stag Room is no longer available, Cliff Bell’s is still in operation, still appointed in mahogany and brass, and it retains its Art Deco charm from the 1930s. Thus, it seemed like the ideal place to celebrate our origins and some new beginnings.

The last weekend in April will find us at Cliff Bell’s once again, and we’ll have some informal events that bookend the dinner for our local and traveling attendees.

Dinner

The details of the dinner are as follows:

Saturday, April 25, 2026
1:30 – 5: 00 p.m.

Cliff Bell’s
2030 Park Ave., Detroit, MI 48226 (directions)

We will host a dinner at 1:30 pm on the afternoon of Saturday, April 25 at Cliff Bell’s on Park Avenue in Detroit.

Dinner will consist of a buffet that includes beef tips with mushrooms in a red wine demi glace, chicken marsala, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, bread, and dessert. A cash bar will be available.

Agenda

We will be revisiting our historic toasts, under the guidance of David MacGregor — who will be looking for volunteers to toast:

1. The Woman

2. Mrs. Hudson

3. Mycroft

4. The Second Most Dangerous Man in London

5. The Second Mrs. Watson

6. The Game is Afoot

Our Commissionaire Chris Music will regale us with stories of the early days of the Mendicants, as he recounted in his fine book From the Lower Vault: Treaures from the Archives of the Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit 1946-1964 (The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box, 2015).

And in the spirit of history, we will have a fun quiz — the original 10 entrance examination questions to become a Mendicant.

We will have some special announcements (locked in the vault for now)

And we are pleased to bring back the Beggar’s Cup — the award for an outstanding paper given at our annual meeting.

The Beggar’s Cup

When the Society was in its formative stage, Vincent Starrett, who even in the 1940s was widely considered to be the dean of Sherlockians, encouraged Detroit News drama critic and AMS founder Russell McLauchlin to consider who would be admitted. Starrett suggested:

“only the right people—i.e. such as are capable of contributing a bit of spurious scholarship…whether they ever do so or not.”

We are inviting all attendees to consider presenting a paper to the assembled group.

The format is entirely up to the presenter and can be a topic of anything related to Sherlock Holmes or Arthur Conan Doyle — serious, spurious, illustrious, hilarious, or anything in between — limited to 5 minutes (approximately 600-700 words).

Please submit papers to us at amateurmendicantsociety@gmail.com no later than April 15, 2026. Under the guidance of Rich Krisciunas, the Reading Committee will review all submissions and will determine up to four (4) for presentation at the meeting.

At the meeting, the best paper will be determined by popular acclamation, with a large Beggar’s Cup (more akin to a bowl) going to the winner for a year; they will also be given a smaller cup as a permanent keepsake.

Submit a paper

The Particulars

The cost of the dinner, including a keepsake, is $75. To attend, please click here to pay online or send a check made out to: Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit and mail to the address below.

Pay online now

Checks to: AMATEUR MENDICANT SOCIETY OF DETROIT, c/o Brad Schwartz, 2244 Burcham Dr., East Lansing, MI 48823.

Mendicant Fund

We recognize that the cost of our anniversary event is higher than our typical rump meetings, but it is our sincere desire to have as many of you with us as possible.

To help those who might find this a hardship, the Executive Committee has established a Mendicant Fund (how appropriate!) to help defray a portion of the cost. If you find yourself in need of the Fund, please email us at amateurmendicantsociety @ gmail.com and let us know if we can help.

Parking

If you are driving into the city, we recommend the following options for parking:

• There is street parking available, and it is all handled by kiosks. The best way to handle this is to download the Park Detroit app and put in your vehicle information ahead of time. Instructions on their website walk you through exactly how it works. The cost is $1 per hour.

• There are also a number of lots and garages nearby; Spot Hero can snag you a parking spot in advance so you don’t have to worry about hunting for a place to park when you arrive. That link will take you to the geography and date for our event.

Related Events / Visitors Guide

To keep this communication from getting overly long, we encourage you to check out our Visitors Guide where you can find additional information about:

• Optional informal events from Friday through Sunday

• Hotel information

• Parking and local transportation

• Other activities and resources

  Visitors Guide

  Our Friday events require reservations, so please check the Visitors Guide.

We look forward to welcoming you to the exciting, vibrant, and transformed city of Detroit on April 25.

And again, please share this with anyone who you think would find this even a bit interesting.

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The game’s afoot!

Scott Monty, BSI
Gasogene

We’re pleased you’re considering joining us for our 80th anniversary celebration. In this guide, we have the following:

Informal Schedule of Events
Friday Night RSVP

Hotel Information

Other Activities
Detroit Food

Getting Around — parking & public transportation

[If you’re viewing this on the web, the lines on the left side of your screen allow you to jump to different sections below. Otherwise, click the section headings above.]

Informal Schedule of Events

None of these are required; we are giving you options for attending. There are certain things for which we’ll need to plan — in that case, we’ll ask you to let us know in advance if you plan to attend.

Friday

Cocktails

5:00 p.m. — Cocktails at Saksey’s, 1550 Woodward Avenue (directions)

Join us for an upscale cocktail at the midcentury speakeasy, located in the alley (yeah, you read that right) behind 1550 Woodward Avenue.

They do require reservations in advance, so if you plan to attend, please let us know via this form (which you can also use for our dinner plans below). (Reservations are now closed)

Dinner

6:30 p.m. — Dinner at Buddy’s Pizza, 1565 Broadway (directions)

Around the corner (and through a parking lot shortcut) from Saksey’s is Buddy’s Pizza. If you’ve heard the buzz about or tried Detroit-style pizza, Buddy’s is where it got its start. And in 1946 — the same year as the Mendicants!

Join us for pizza (or whatever you’d care to order from the menu). We’ll need reservations, so please let me know if you plan to attend by using this form. (Reservations are now closed)

Saturday

10:00 a.m. — John K. King Books, 901 W. Lafayette Blvd. (directions)

Join us for a trip to Michigan’s largest bookstore — truly a sight to behold. This former glove factory has over 1,000,000 volumes on four floors. If we can’t visit a furniture warehouse, this is the next best thing!

The Main Event

1:30 p.m. — Amateur Mendicant Society 80th Anniversary Dinner @ Cliff Bells

Sunday

9:30 a.m. — Breakfast / Brunch at The Hudson Cafe, 1241 Woodward Ave. (directions)

Start the day off with a hearty meal, the namesake of Hudson’s, the legendary department store (second largest in the nation after Macy’s) that occupied an entire block across the street. We recommend making reservations ahead of time.

Hotel Information

There are a number of hotels nearby that will suit your needs. You can see them on a map here. All are a short walk to Cliff Bell’s and our Friday evening outing.

• Hotel David Whitney, Autograph Collection

• Element Detroit at the Metropolitan

• Hilton Garden Inn Detroit Downtown

• Shinola Hotel

• The Westin Book Cadillac

• ROOST Detroit

• The Siren Hotel

Please look around and see what suits your taste and budget. You may want to check your preferred hotel loyalty program for your preferences or deals.

Other Activities

The Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave. (directions)

Ranked as one of the finest art museums in the country, the DIA is widely known as the home to Diego Rivera’s murals honoring Detroit Industry, as well as collections of over 65,000 items — including Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait, the first Van Gogh painting to enter a U.S. museum collection — and ongoing exhibitions.

Accessible by car or the Q line (free streetcar running down Woodward — see Getting Around below).

Detroit Riverfront — (directions)

Voted best riverwalk in America

The Henry Ford Museum of Innovation — 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn (directions)

Three venues: Located in Dearborn (a little further afield but worth the visit). The Henry Ford, Greenfield Village, and the Rouge Factory Tour.

The main museum is not about transportation, but about innovation. See the bus on which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, the chair Lincoln sat in that fateful night in Ford’s Theater, four presidential limousines (including JFK’s), see how air travel has evolved, step into a Buckminster Fuller-designed Dymaxion House, and much more. Currently, there’s a DaVinci exhibition.

Separate admission to Greenfield Village for an outdoor walking tour of America pre-1920, including the Wright Brothers’ bicycle shop, Edison’s laboratory, Henry Ford’s birthplace, a working farm, glass-blowing shop, weaving, and Model-T rides. There are actually seven separate historic districts.

And if you have a little extra time, try the Rouge Factory tour, America's Greatest Manufacturing Experience — where the legendary Ford F-150 is made. It’s a 5-part tour of the factory that created vertical integration and is a testament to Henry Ford’s genius along with Albert Kahn’s expertise.

Michigan Central Station — 2001 15th Street (directions)

Opened in 1913, then abandoned for years, this former train station was completely overhauled and renovated by Ford at a cost of over $1 billion. Tours available — book ahead.

Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau

The Visitors Bureau has everything you need to know about the city. There’s so much to see in Detroit! If you like Art Deco, you should pass through the lobbies of the Fisher Building and the Guardian Building. You might want to to see how many of these 10 Instagram-Worthy Architectural Must-Sees in Detroit you can snap.

Detroit Food

Lafayette & American Coney Islands — 114 and 118 W. Lafayette Blvd (directions)

If you’re not familiar with classic Detroit coney dogs, the legendary hot dogs covered in chili, yellow mustard, and onions, this is where it got started. Two Greek brothers opened up restaurants next to each other and have been competing for hot dog supremacy ever since. Read the whole story here and stop by for a quick bite, via the QLine or the People Mover.

But if you don’t want a coney, don’t worry — Detroit has so many good places for food, you won’t run out of options. There’s literally something for everyone, whether you venture into Greektown, Mexicantown, or just stay along Woodward, you can’t go wrong.

Iggy’s Eggies — 34 W Grand River Ave. (directions)

Custom, hand-build egg sandwiches and smashburgers like you’ve never experienced at this walk-up stand. Two of Detroit’s well-known food influencers, Chow Down Detroit and Chef Reactions, are huge fans of Iggy’s:

Getting Around

Parking Information

If you are driving into the city, we recommend the following options for parking:

• There is street parking available, and it is all handled by kiosks. The best way to handle this is to download the Park Detroit app and put in your vehicle information ahead of time. Instructions on their website walk you through exactly how it works. The cost is $1 per hour.

• There are also a number of lots and garages nearby; Spot Hero can snag you a parking spot in advance so you don’t have to worry about hunting for a place to park when you arrive. That link will take you to the geography and date for our event.

Public Transportation

• QLine — Free Detroit Streetcar. Convenient for visiting most major sites downtown. See the red line on the map below for routes.

• Detroit People Mover — built in 1983 to test how a fully automated transit system could revitalize a city, this 3-mile long one-way loop operates on a single track encircling downtown Detroit. Great for exploring the Riverfront, Greektown, and other parts of downtown without using your car. See the Stations Guide for stops (purple line on the map below).

  

Feedback? Other ideas? Leave us a comment below.

Leave a comment

Greetings, fellow Amateur Mendicants!

It’s time for our first Encyclical of the year, and you’ll want to pay close attention, as we have plenty to share.

Here’s what you can find in this letter (click on the highlighted sections, or on the lines you see in the left sidebar — these will take you directly to the section in question):

• The BSI Weekend

  • Investitures

  • The Watson Fund

  • Learn more about BSI traditions

• Mendicant Leadership Change

• The Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit’s 80th Anniversary Dinner

  • The Beggar’s Cup

  • For Out of Town Guests

• Other Events

  • Local events

  • Conferences

• Publications

The BSI Weekend

The Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit was well represented in New York City for the BSI Weekend earlier this month. John Kramb, Rich Krisciunas, Chris Music, Madeline Quiñones, Regina Stinson, and your humble Gasogene represented the Mitten State.

Investitures

Rich and Madeline were invested into to the Baker Street Irregulars at the dinner, with Rich receiving the investiture “William Morris” and Madeline receiving “Sir Joshua Reynolds”.

Investitures were first introduced in the BSI in the 1940s as a way of granting membership; originally investitures were the titles of the 60 Sherlock Holmes stories, but over the years they expanded to phrases, places, and characters. And quite often, “Wiggins” (the head of the BSI) chooses them due to an individual’s background.

William Morris can be found in “The Red-Headed League”: ‘his name was William Morris. He was a solicitor and was using my room as a temporary convenience...’ Rich was a trial lawyer by profession.

Sir Joshua Reynolds was a painter, mentioned only by last name in The Hound of the Baskervilles: “the stout gentleman with the wig ought to be a Reynolds. They are all family portraits, I presume?” Madeline is a graphic designer.

The Watson Fund

Each year at the BSI Weekend, a raffle and an auction raise money for the John H. Watson Fund. The fund was the brainchild of the late “Wiggins” Tom Stix in 1989, with the stated purpose of helping to defray the cost of attending the BSI Weekend. It is open to all Sherlockians.

For 35 years, Peter Blau, BSI (“Black Peter”) has been the auctioneer at the BSI Luncheon, raising tens of thousands of dollars during his tenure. This year, he announced he is hanging up his auctioneer’s blazer and turned the responsibilities over to your Gasogene.

Learn more about BSI traditions

Follow this link to learn more about the history of Wiggins; to hear about the background of the BSI in New York and some of its traditions, listen to Episode 326 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.

Check out the “Publications” section below for some recommended books and periodicals of note from the Weekend and beyond.

Mendicant Leadership Change

After serving as Tidewater for five years, Christine Jeryan is hanging up the checkbook. As we know, the financial health of any organization is what keeps it vibrant and able to serve its membership. We are grateful to Chris for her work in this area, thus keeping us from assuming professional mendicant status.

Stepping into the role is longtime member Brad Schwartz. Brad has recently earned his Ph.D. from Princeton and is a noted scholar on Edward S. Murrow. We’re looking forward to having his scrutiny focused on our balance sheet.

The Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit’s 80th Anniversary Dinner

Plans are coming along nicely for our 80th anniversary dinner. We hope to have pricing information available for you within the next month.

But for now, please hold the following date and time:

When the Society was in its formative stage, Vincent Starrett, who even in the 1940s was widely considered to be the dean of Sherlockians, encouraged Detroit News drama critic and AMS founder Russell McLauchlin to consider who would be admitted. Starrett suggested:

“only the right people—i.e. such as are capable of contributing a bit of spurious scholarship…whether they ever do so or not.”

The Beggar’s Cup

We still hold the society to this ideal, and while papers are never required to be considered a Mendicant, we are resurrecting the Beggar’s Cup — the award for outstanding papers. And rather than judging over many meetings, we plan to hold a paper competition during our annual spring meetings.

Here’s how it will work:

• Papers/presentations are limited to 5 minutes (approximately 600-700 words).

• The format is entirely up to the presenter and can be a topic of anything related to Sherlock Holmes or Arthur Conan Doyle, serious, spurious illustrious, or hilarious.

• The Reading Committee will review all submissions and will determine three to four papers for presentation at the meeting.

• At the meeting, the best paper will be determined by popular acclamation, with a large Beggar’s Cup (more akin to a bowl) going to the winner for a year; they will also be given a smaller cup as a permanent keepsake.

• Submissions are due by April 15, 2026 to: amateurmendicantsociety@gmail.com

So, put your thinking and writing caps on and impress us with your creativity and knowledge!

For Out of Town Guests

For those who are traveling here from out of town, there are a number of hotels near Cliff Bell’s. These are all within a 10-15 minute walk. If you would care to explore some a little farther away, feel free to browse the map.

• Hilton Garden Inn Detroit Downtown

• Hotel Indigo Downtown Detroit

• The Detroit Club

• The Siren Hotel

• Element Detroit at the Metropolitan

• Hotel Houze

We will be organizing some informal events the evening before and the day after, for those interested in exploring a little more of what Detroit offers. Expect more details in our future communication about the dinner.

Other Events

The Sherlockian Calendar is filled with online and in person events. Some of note locally:

The Greek Interpreters of East Lansing

Are planning a trip to see “Dial ‘M’ For Murder” on Saturday, February 28 at 2 p.m. at the Williamston Theater, with lunch before. Contact Rich Krisciunas at rkrisciu@yahoo.com for details.

The Ribston-Pippins

Regina Stinson’s group will hold their next meeting on March 14, 2026.

Torists International

A little farther afield in Chicago, Johanna Draper Carlson will give a talk on the True Caped Crusader on March 28, 2026. Contact Jon Shimberg and Linda Crohn at toristintss@gmail.com.

Conferences

The following are area conferences worth putting on your calendar. Click the title of each for more information.

• Holmes, Doyle and Friends — March 21, 2026 in Dayton, OH.

• Holmes in the Heartland: “Sherlock Haunts” — July 24-26, 2026 in St. Louis, MO.

• And It is Always 1895: An exploration of the life and work of Vincent Starrett

Publications

We discovered a trove of new publications in the Vendors Room while we were there. These are all well worth your time. Click on the title of each to get more information or purchase.

Books

Irregular Chronicles of the Early ’Fifties (BSI Press)

By Julie McKuras and Bill Mason. Part of the BSI archival-history series, Irregular Chronicles of the Early ‘Fifties covers 1951 to 1955 and The Rebirth of The Baker Street Journal, The Limited Editions Club, The New York Sherlock Holmes Exhibition, Sherlock Holmes on Broadway, the Sherlock Holmes radio and television series, the annual dinners, the business of the BSI, Inc., BSI scion societies, and much more. (Softcover, 394 pages, $34.95 plus shipping)

Trenches: The War Service of Sherlock Holmes (BSI Press)

Edited & introduced by Robert Katz, MD, BSI and Andrew Solberg, BSI. A Facsimile of the Partial Original Manuscript of “His Last Bow” by Arthur Conan Doyle with Annotations and Commentary on the Story. While the manuscript of “His Last Bow” is incomplete, a substantial portion still exists and the basis for its fragmentation may not be accidental. Besides a high-quality reproduction of the partial manuscript, the book includes a meticulous transcription and annotation. Distinguished Sherlockians also review different aspects of the manuscript, the story, and many other related issues. (Softcover, 288 pages, $27.95)

On The Shoulders of Giants: Great Sherlockians Remembered (Gasogene Books)

Edited by Peter Eckrich and Rob Nunn. “All Sherlockians” are interesting.” Some of the biographies included in this book are of well-known Sherlockians, and revisiting their lives will remind you of the men and women who shaped our hobby. Others may be names that are new to you. Our hope is that every reader comes across new names among the twenty-one Sherlockians chronicled in these pages. (Softcover, 211 pages, $26.95)

The Annotated Brigadier Gerard (Gasogene Books)

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edited and with Notes by Colin Samuels

In the years between Sherlock Holmes’ supposed death and surprising return, Arthur Conan Doyle continued to publish in The Strand Magazine and none of his stories were more acclaimed than those featuring Brigadier Etienne Gerard. More than a century later the people, places, events, and even common objects mentioned in these stories are no longer familiar. Enter The Annotated Brigadier Gerard. Within these pages, Colin Samuels has masterfully opened up these exciting tales for the modern audience. Thrill to the exploits of Brigadier Etienne Gerard, a gallant hussar in Napoleon’s Grande Armée, as he relates his own lively and humorous experiences during one of the great epochs in European history. (Softcover, 291 pages, $29.95)

Periodicals

The following periodicals are filled with excellent essays, research, news and events, and other fun elements.

The Baker Street Journal

Available to all, quarterly plus Christmas Annual, $46

The Sherlock Holmes Journal

Part of a membership in the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, bi-annual, £35 - £50, depending on type of membership

The Sherlock Holmes Review: 2025 Sherlockian Annual

An annual roundup of a wide range of essays and research, $31.95

And you should definitely subscribe to the BSJ, as our own David MacGregor has an article in the Winter 2025 issue: “Sherlock Holmes, Overnight Sensation.”

Well, we congratulate you for making it this far. Thank you and feel free to share it with anyone, anywhere, who might find it of use.

We’re begging you (in true Mendicant style)!

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Subscribe now

And if you know anyone who’d like to join our list, have them email us: amateurmendicantsociety@gmail.com.

The game’s afoot!

Greetings, friends and Mendicants!

Our second Encyclical of the year has arrived, and we’ve got some important information for you.

This encyclical is divided into three sections:

Plan Ahead: 80^th Anniversary

October 26th Meeting Report

Links of Sherlockian News

Don't miss an update! Join the list.

Plan Ahead: 80^th Anniversary

“let me know what you were planning” [COPP]

The Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit held its inaugural meeting in April of 1946 in the lower vault of Cliff Bell’s in Detroit, with 12 mendicants in attendance.

To mark the occasion of our 80^th anniversary, we will be returning to the scene of the crime: at 2:00 p.m. on April 25, 2026 at Cliff Bell’s, which is still in operation. Please hold this date. It promises to be a very special afternoon, honoring our past and anticipating our future. The Beggar’s Cup will make its return, so get your papers ready!

Put it on your calendar

We will be following up with a separate communication with more details, including recommendations for hotels and other activities.

Save the Date

October 26th Meeting

“the rustle of the falling leaves” [HOUN]

More than 35 members and guests attended the fall 2025 meeting of the Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit held on October 26 at Rocky’s of Northville.

Gasogene Scott Monty began the meeting at 1:08 p.m. and welcomed the new attendees Aubrey Mandziuk, Brooke Mandziuk, and Jack and Kate Callas. He also introduced the out-of-town guests who included Jon Shimberg, Linda Crohn and Bob Sharfman, all from the Chicago Sherlockian scion, the Torists International. Jon and Linda encouraged attendance at the upcoming Vincent Starrett conference near Chicago in October 2026.

Bob was particularly pleased to share news of the publication of his memoir, …but I digress: Musings of a Sherlockian Motormouth.

The Gasogene also shared some recent news of interest to Sherlockians (links below) and noted that by coincidence, the Society meeting on the anniversary of the birthday of the great Sherlockian, Vincent Starrett, born on October 26, 1886.

Next, commissionaire Chris Music offered the Mendicant History Minute, which tied in the Laurel and Hardy fan group, the Sons of the Desert, which was modeled on the Baker Street Irregulars by John McCabe in the 1960s. McCabe was a BSI and an early Amateur Mendicant, attending his first meeting in 1949.

Music then introduced those making the traditional ceremonial toasts. They included John LaFond saluting Irene Adler also known as “The Woman,” Rob Musial honoring Capt. Arthur Morstan’s daughter who became “Watson’s Second Wife,” Glenn Walters (an AMS member since 1976) toasting Holmes’ long-suffering landlady “Mrs. Hudson,” and Regina Stinson with a brief slide show saluting “Mycroft Holmes.”

The luncheon included chicken piccata, grilled salmon, portobello mushroom ravioli plus a salad — all which was judged as delicious by the group. As an added treat, because the assigned story was The Hound of the Baskervilles, the dessert brought by Rob and Anne Musial was a scrumptious cake bearing the footprints of a gigantic hound – in frosting.

The afternoon presentation was by Rich Krisciunas who offered up the 25 fascinating things he learned about The Hound of the Baskervilles – among them were the facts that at 59,000 words, the “Hound” is the longest of the Holmes’ adventures; that Arthur Conan Doyle likely got the idea for the story from folklore told him by a friend and that The Hound has been the most-filmed adventure in the Canon, with 20 versions.

Members and guest next discussed The Hound and various Sherlockian trivia and show-and-tell items, including the fact that Star Trek’s Mr. Spock, Leonard Nimoy, portrayed Holmes in a national play tour in the mid-1970s; the release of a book of Sidney Paget’s illustrations of the Canon; a 1976 Marvel comic book of The Hound, and a mysterious lost film about our heroes.

Monty then previewed the upcoming 80th anniversary dinner for the Mendicants set for the afternoon of April 25, 2026 at Cliff Bell’s, as stated above. Finally, door prizes were awarded, everyone stood to sing “God Save the Queen” and Al Calderini recited “221B,” the traditional closing poem written by Vincent Starrett, to close the meeting at 4:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

~ Robert Musial, Tantalus

Links of Sherlockian News

“when he had seen of their release in the newspapers.” [RESI]

• Season 2 of medical/police-procedural Watson is underway on CBS/Paramount+, with Robert Carlyle appearing as Sherlock Holmes.

• The series Mademoiselle Holmes is airing on PBS — Charlie is a timid French police officer living with her grandfather—until an accident awakens in her the deductive brilliance and bold spirit of her famous ancestor, Sherlock Holmes

• Sherlock Monthly is a program hosted by The Rosenbach. New episodes stream live one Saturday per month. Register on website of the Rosenbach and follow the output on YouTube and join their Facebook Group.

• The Baker Street Journal is the premiere publication of Sherlockian scholarship. All are welcome (and encouraged!) to subscribe.

• is the weekly discussion show about the minutiae in the stories.

• is like Fresh Air meets Car Talk for Sherlockians. Interviews, event announcements, a short quiz with prizes, and more twice a month.

Please feel free to share this with any Sherlockian, anywhere, who might be interested.

Subscribe now

Share

And if you know anyone who’d like to join our list, have them email us: amateurmendicantsociety@gmail.com.

Until next time, the game’s afoot!

Scott Monty, BSI

As the days grow shorter this month, we invite you to join with like-minded friends to share an afternoon of fine food and conversation at the fall meeting of the Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit.

Our assigned story is The Hound of the Baskervilles, a thriller involving a demonic dog, spectral figures on a lonely moor and an old family curse that forecasts death to the heirs of Baskerville Hall.

During the afternoon, there will be Mendicant History minute plus a brief consideration of the story’s talking points followed by a presentation by Sherlockian scholar Rich Krisciunas on “The 25 Things I Didn’t Know About The Hound of the Baskervilles.”

Also included will be the usual toasts organized by Chris Music plus prizes and news about our 80^th anniversary dinner in 2026.

Entrée options: chicken piccata, grilled Atlantic salmon, or portobello mushroom ravioli.

All meals include a salad, bread & butter, dessert plus coffee, tea, and soft drinks. As always, there will also be a cash bar. All for just $32.

To attend, please click here to use PayPal (using the Friends & Family option only!) or send a check for $32 made out to: Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit and mail to the address below.

Pay now with PayPal

Checks to: AMATEUR MENDICANT SOCIETY OF DETROIT, c/o Chris Jeryan, 22129 Metamora Drive, Beverly Hills, MI 48025.

Please feel free to share this with any Sherlockian who might be interested (they needn’t live in Michigan).

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If you're a fan of The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, then you know the work of author Nicholas Meyer.

It's now more than 50 years since his bestselling novel debuted, and he's out with his latest novel, Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing.

And on Monday, September 15, Meyer will be discussing his book at Schuler Books in West Bloomfield at 6:00 pm.

If you're interested in attending, it is highly recommended that you register. It's free to register and attend, but Schuler's needs to know a headcount for planning purposes. For details, click here.

And if you can’t make it, you can listen to Meyer’s interview on Episode 317.

The game’s afoot!

Join our mailing list for FREE

A hearty view halloo to Mendicants far and wide!

The encyclical is back (our first one of 2025), and we’ve got a good deal of information for you, so read on!

And if someone shared this with you, please be sure to sign up so you get emails from us — it’s FREE:

Join the Mendicants Mailing List

Three sections are ahead:

Executive Committee

Attend a Sherlock Holmes Play

October 26th Meeting

Executive Committee

“a new commission of trust for me to execute” — ‘The Naval Treaty’

We announced the expanded Executive Committee of the Amateur Mendicant Society at our April 5 meeting. The committee is responsible for ensuring the vibrancy and solvency of the group, selecting topics and venues for our gatherings, and ensuring that we offer appealing Sherlockian content.

Members of the Executive Committee are as follows:

• Chris Music — Commissionaire

• Chris Jeryan — Tidewaiter

• Rob Musial — Tantalus

• Rich Krisciunas — At-Large Member

• David MacGregor — At-Large Member

• Scott Monty — Gasogene

If you have any feedback or ideas for any of us, we’d love to hear from you! You can leave a comment below or get in touch with us via email at amateurmendicantsociety@gmail.com.

Attend a Sherlock Holmes Play

“a well-staged performance” — The Valley of Fear

Rich Krisciunas has identified a Sherlock Holmes play at Williamston Theatre (located at 122 S Putnam St., Williamston, MI 48895 — click for a map) and is generously organizing an outing to see it on Saturday December 6 at 2:00 p.m.

He is organizing this as a join meeting between the Greek Interpreters of Lansing, The Ribston-Pippins, and the Amateur Mendicant Society. A small group plans to meet for lunch at noon before the play.

Sherlock Carol by Mark Shanahan is described as follows by the theater:

Two beloved classic tales. One thrilling new mystery. When a grown-up Tiny Tim asks Sherlock Holmes to investigate the peculiar death of Ebenezer Scrooge, the Great Detective must use his tools of deduction to get to the bottom of the crime. But it is a dark and treacherous Christmas Eve, and once again the holiday is haunted by the spirits of the past, present, and future. Reunite with the characters you love from Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, brought together in a story of intrigue and suspense, with a holiday helping of Christmas cheer.

Tickets are $45 with a service fee minus one or two dollars depending on the number of tickets sold. Rich will order tickets this week when they go on sale.

Let Rich know if you would like to order tickets. His email is rkrisciu@yahoo.com.

At this point, he only needs to know if you intend to go; you can send him a check later.

October 26th Meeting

“October, a time when these strange events began to move swiftly towards their terrible conclusion” — The Hound of the Baskervilles

Please hold the date for our next meeting: Sunday, October 26 at 1:00 p.m. at Rocky’s (41122 Seven Mile Road West, Northville, MI 48167 — click for a map).

The theme of the event will be The Hound of the Baskervilles and we’ll be sharing information about next year’s 80th Anniversary dinner, which will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026.

Stay tuned for more information in a separate communication in the next week.

Please share this with any Sherlockian who might be interested (they needn’t live in Michigan).

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The game’s afoot!

Scott Monty, BSI
Gasogene

We cordially invite you to join with like-minded friends to celebrate the “singular features…associated with the well-known Surrey family of the Roylotts of Stoke Moran” with an evening of food and conversation at the spring meeting of the Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit.

Our assigned story is “The Speckled Band,” in which Sherlock Holmes faces off against Dr. Grimesby Roylott the ophidian flake, who murdered his stepdaughter using a snake.

David MacGregor will offer the talking points for the evening, Chris Music will give us some history with a Mendicant Minute, Rich Krisciunas will present “Drs. Palmer and Pritchard: The First of Criminals,” and Regina Stinson, BSI will give a talk on “Traveling the Railways with Sherlock Holmes.”

We will also have the usual toasts organized by Chris Music, prizes, and a 50/50 raffle.

We will offer a buffet with bone-in baked chicken, roast sirloin, garlic smashed potatoes, primavera pasta, green beans almondine, spring mix salad, homemade rolls, and dessert plus coffee, tea, and soft drinks. As always, there will also be a cash bar. All for just $35.

To attend, please click here to use PayPal or send a check for $35 to: Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit and mail to the address below at by FRIDAY, MARCH 28.

Pay now with PayPal

Checks to: AMATEUR MENDICANT SOCIETY OF DETROIT, c/o Chris Jeryan, 22129 Metamora Drive, Beverly Hills, MI 48025.

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The Executive Committee of the Amateur Mendicant Society met recently and has selected three dates for meetings in 2025:

• Saturday, April 5

• Sunday, August 3

• Saturday, October 25

Please set these dates aside in your calendar.

And be sure to join our email list so you can be sure to receive future updates:

Join our email list

Spring Meeting

The Spring meeting of the Amateur Mendicant Society is open for all to attend! We’ll be meeting at 6:00 pm on Saturday, April 5 at The Commonwealth Club, 30088 Dequindre, Warren, MI.

The story for the evening is “The Speckled Band,” that iconic tale of noises in the night, a frightened sister of another sister who died under mysterious circumstances, a cheetah and a baboon, and an evil stepfather. “It is a nice household,” as Holmes said.

We will have details about the menu, cost (usually about $35 or so) and other goings-on, so save the date and prepare to reply to our announcement next week.

We Want YOU!

We would like as many people to attend who can make it, so please share this with your fellow Sherlockians and other like-minded people. We’ve had lots of locals as well as travelers join us in the past, and we look forward to more.

We also have an open call for presenters and discussion leaders. Rich Kriscuinas will be presenting “Drs. Palmer and Pritchard: The First of Criminals,” about the two dastardly medicos mentioned by Sherlock Holmes in “The Speckled Band.” We have room on the program for a second presentation as well.

If you are interested in leading the story discussion — a 5-10 minute review of the story in which you lead the audience through the plot, asking questions and sharing your knowledge along the way — we would encourage you to raise a hand.

For papers, presentations, and story discussion leads, simply reply to this newsletter, email us at amateurmendicantsociety@gmail.com or click the button below.

Let us know

More about the details of our event coming soon!

The game’s afoot!

Scott Monty, Gasogene

Greetings to all Amateur Mendicants — active and inactive, local and imported, friends and associates!

This is my inaugural Encyclical to the membership as Gasogene, and I hope to bring the same spirit that Russell McLauchlin did when he began the tradition in 1946.

There’s quite a bit of information jammed in here, so please take the time to read all of it and feel free to reply with any questions, comments, or suggestions.

“It is a matter of history—that secret history” [BRUC]

Like many of you, I enjoy history, and in particular the history of our own little group is important to me. We are Detroit’s oldest Sherlockian society — one of the Original 8 (akin to the NHL’s Original 6, of which Detroit is also a charter member). We joined the likes of the Speckled Band of Boston, the Hounds of the Baskerville (sic), the Scowrers and Molly Maguires of San Francisco when we were founded in 1946; and were later joined by the Six Napoleons of Baltimore, the Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis, the Norwegian Explorers of Minnesota, and the Sons of the Copper Beeches — all before 1948 was over.

Those early days set the tone for the fun, scholarship, and fellowship that we still embrace today and that I hope we shall continue to celebrate well into the future. I am a firm believer that the farther you look back, the farther you can look ahead. And in that spirit, if anyone is curious about those early days and how the societies came about, the January 1 episode of Trifles will be “The Origin of 221B Worship” and you can find it wherever you get podcasts, as well as on YouTube.

Trifles

It seems appropriate at this time of the year to acknowledge Christopher Morley, founder of the Baker Street Irregulars, who wrote a lovely introduction to a special BSI edition of “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” in 1948, with this holiday vignette:

“He called on Holmes to wish him, in his restrained way, “the compliments of the season.” That is the first frosty phrase to remember. Not a Merry Old Christmas, not Jocund Yule; just the bashful British meiosis, Compliments of the Season. Wary old Watson, one of Britain's great understatesmen. No emotional Helige Nacht, no Tannenbaum, no vast substantial Fezziwigs, no lachrymous Yuletide yowling. Compliments of the season, Old Boy; and how are you, Holmes?”

“Come, now, give us the order of events” [LADY]

In 2024, the Mendicants were fortunate to have not one but two meetings at the Commonwealth Club, which at the time we understood would no longer be available for our use, due to its own uncertain future. We later discovered that 2025 will afford us at least one more opportunity to reconvene among the Tudor timbers, the Stars and Stripes, and the Union Jack.

Our two lively gatherings each consisted of some three dozen Mendicants, with entertaining and creative toasts from the likes of John Sherwood, Regina Stinson, Christine Jeryan, Rob Musial, Monica Schmidt, Al Calderini, David MacGregor, and Brad Schwartz. Our Commissionaire Chris Music gave us two solid entries in his Mendicant History Minute series: a look at previous Mendicant meeting venues that have since closed, and Past Gas, a history of the Gasogenes of the AMS since 1946.

Like Sherlock Holmes at the Church of St. Monica, we were all witnesses to a marriage — not of the Norton-Adler type, but of creativity and research as we enjoyed scholarly papers. Glenn Walters diagnosed “The Doctors of the Canon,” particularly those who filled in for Watson, and reminded us of the plaque at the laboratory at St. Bartholomew's hospital made possible by the AMS. Jerry Kelly had a plethora of information that made up “Everything You Didn’t Know About Sherlock Holmes,” and Steve Doyle, head of the Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis, made “The Case for the Scion Society.”

“Suddenly, as I looked ahead” [PRIO]

The Spring talk from Steve Doyle was something of an early indication of an event happening in 2025 that all Mendicants should be aware of: The Midwest BSI Canonical Conclave of Scion Societies, taking place in Indianapolis on Saturday, April 26, 2025.

This is a one-day event, made up of multiple BSI Scion Societies brought together under the official recognition of The Baker Street Irregulars. It’s a chance to get to know members of our neighboring societies in a friendly Midwestern way, explore and share what we’re all about, get energized with ideas, and more. Check the link above for more information and registration details.

We’ll also be looking ahead in 2025 for our own meeting schedule. The Executive Committee will be looking into venue options and program ideas, so stay tuned!

“A singular set of people, Watson” [WIST]

Speaking of our Executive Committee, your Gasogene is very fortunate to be surrounded by an experienced and supportive group of Sherlockians who deserve the credit for making sure this organization keeps organizing. Chris Music as Commissionaire does the heavy lifting, Christine Jeryan as Tidewaiter keeps us afloat financially, and Rob Musial as Tantalus keeps you tantalized with communications about our meetings (and secures the cakes for our meetings!). Without them, we’d be professional mendicants.

Special recognition goes out to Michael and Bev Ellis, who have been long-time members and have been helpful members of the Planning Committee and will be stepping down.

Also to Christine Del Greco, who has been an active committee member and who keeps our Gasogene Emeritus in line.

“a gasogene in the corner” [SCAN]

Finally, a word about our Gasogenes. As I wrote about 87 screens above, history is important to me. To be knowledgeable about where we come from helps to inform where we intend to go. Or as Goethe — whom Holmes admitted “is always pithy” in The Sign of Four — remarked:

“He who cannot draw on three thousand years is living hand to mouth.”

In that spirit, I would like to acknowledge those who have paved the way and how their leadership examples act as beacons of the future.

To serve in the same capacity as early greats such as Russell McLauchlin, Bob Harris, and Bill Rabe is an honor, as I stand on the shoulders of giants. I can only hope I am as energized and inspired as the likes of Gene Leeb, Tom Voss, Ed Stein, and Peter Spivak, all of whom helped the Mendicants revive, survive, and thrive. Roy Pilot was as generous with his time, insight, and knowledge as he is a leading Sherlockian collector.

And of course our most recent Gasogene Emeritus John Kramb, who led us faithfully and steadily for 20 years, exercising wisdom and good judgment — my only hope is that I won’t let him down, despite this one momentary lapse that has resulted in appointing me as his replacement.

There is more to come — expect more Encyclicals throughout 2025, with more Amateur Mendicant Society events, some technological changes, opportunities for involvement, and more — all in the aim of keeping green the memory within Detroit’s oldest Sherlock Holmes society.

And if you know of anyone who’d be interested in regular updates from us, please share this with them or have them email us at amateurmendicantsociety @gmail .com.

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Until then, the game’s afoot!

Scott Monty, BSI

Join our list

The BSI Canonical Conclave is an event made up of multiple BSI Scion Societies — a scion society meeting of scion societies — brought together under the official recognition of The Baker Street Irregulars.

This is a way for neighboring societies to be more neighborly, get to know each other, share our ways of doing things, and glean new ideas for how we can collectively keep the memory of Sherlock Holmes green.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, you can register now through PayPal (using either a PayPal account or credit card). The information on the registration form is protected and will not be shared with anyone.

Use the button below, being sure to fill in the mandatory fields. Click SUBMIT FORM to go to payment.

Register for the Canonical Conclave

INFORMATION

DATE:

April 26, 2025

LOCATION:

The Woodstock Club
1301 W. 38th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46208

TIME:

The Canonical Conclave will begin at 1:30 pm. (Attendees are encouraged to have lunch prior to arrival.) It will conclude at 9:00 pm, and will include a plated dinner (cash bar available throughout the day.)

COST:

$65/person.
This cost includes dinner.

MENU OPTIONS

Chicken Piccata

• Seared Parmesan Cheese Crusted Chicken with Lemon Caper Cream Sauce, Whipped Potato, Steamed Asparagus and Roasted Grape Tomato Garnish.

Portobello Steak (vegetarian option)

• Portobello Mushroom and sliced tomato, Slow Poached in garlic and herbs. Served over Creamy Parmesan Thyme Polenta with a duo of Red Pepper Coulis and Balsamic Reduction.

Each entrée comes with House Salad, Fresh Rolls, Coffee, Tea & Lemonade

Indicate entrée selection in online sign-up page.

HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS

We have arranged a block of rooms for the weekend at two hotels. Each guest will pay for own his or her room and tax charges. Both hotels have cut-off dates, after which these special rates will no longer be available.

Option 1

Hilton Garden Inn by Hilton Indianapolis NW
6930 Intech Blvd.
Indianapolis, IN 46278
317-288-6060

The online reservation link below will allow you to book directly into the reserved block and rate. Please note that it is important to make your reservations before the cutoff date.

Room Rates
1 King Bed: $199.00/night
2 Queen Beds: $219.00/night

Book at the Hilton Garden Inn

CUT OFF DATE:

Block of rooms is available through March 26, 2025, or they are all booked.

Option 2

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Indianapolis Northwest
6240 Intech Commons Dr
Indianapolis, IN 46278
317-275-7000

Available only for Friday, April 25, 2025, through Saturday, April 26, 2025

Room Rates
1 King Bed w/Sofa Sleeper: $149.00/night
2 Queen Beds: $149.00/night

Book at the Holiday Inn Express

CUT OFF DATE:

Block of rooms is available through April 11, 2025 or when they are all booked.

-- Dr. John Watson about Sherlock Holmes.

We cordially invite you to join with like-minded friends to celebrate that “best and wisest man” with an evening of fine food and conversation at the fall meeting of the Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit.

Saturday, October 19, 2024

6:00 p.m.      

The Commonwealth Club 

30088 Dequindre, Warren, MI      

                                                                                                                                        Our assigned story is “The Final Problem,” in which the criminal mastermind, Prof. Moriarty, tries to have Holmes killed and finally pursues Watson and Holmes to Europe -- and a final confrontation at the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland.

Besides the Mendicant History minute and a consideration of the story’s talking points, there will be two presentations, the first by Glenn Walters on “The Doctors of the Canon” and the second, by Jerry Kelly, on “Everything You Didn’t Know About Sherlock Holmes.” 

Also included will be the usual toasts organized by Chris Music plus prizes and a book sale from the extensive collections of Dr. Edward Stein and Jerry Alvin, to benefit the Mendicant treasury.

To attend, please make checks for $31 to: Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit and mail to the address below by FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11. Or visit PayPal at amateurmendicantsociety@gmail.com for instructions.

AMATEUR MENDICANT SOCIETY OF DETROIT

c/o Chris Jeryan

22129 Metamora Drive

Beverly Hills, MI 48025

The buffet includes pasta, chicken and beef entrees, vegetables, a garden salad and dessert plus coffee, tea, and soft drinks. As always, there will also be a cash bar.

                 “Come at once if convenient … if inconvenient, come all the same.”

                                    - from “The Adventure of the Creeping Man.”

The meeting was called to order at 6:10 p.m. by the society’s Gasogene, John Kramb, who introduced the board members and welcomed the new attendees. 

To get the evening underway, the traditional toasts were offered to The Woman (by John Sherwood), Mrs. Hudson (by Regina Stinson), Mycroft Holmes (by Christine Jeryan) and Watson’s Second Wife (by Rob Musial).

Kramb also noted the fine selection of books related to the Great Detective that were on sale that night, from the collection of the late Jerry Alvin, a longtime Mendicant who could always be counted on to offer an interesting if round-about toast to the Red-Headed League.

With the buffet dinner concluded, society Commissionaire (and historian) Chris Music offered a “Mendicant History Minute,” detailing the many past venues for the society’s gatherings that have subsequently closed.  He mentioned such illustrious venues like The Fox and Hounds in Bloomfield Hills, Pasquales in Royal Oak, Vince’s in Detroit, and the 221b restaurant in Clarkston.  He also referenced a certain former restaurant in Birmingham that shall remain nameless but will always be remembered as the Site of the Too-Loud Snowblower.

Next, playwright David MacGregor dished up the talking points of the evening’s required reading, the Sherlockian story titled “His Last Bow.” MacGregor noted that this story, set on the eve of World War I, stood out as something different in the Canon as, for one thing, it was not written by Dr. Watson.

Then, the first main course of the evening was served up – the “Case for the Scion Society” as outlined by Steve Doyle, the leader of the Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis. He detailed his youthful fascination with the Canon’s characters and how important it was that local groups of fans (or scions) met regularly as friends in whimsical comradeship, from the founding of the Baker Street Irregulars in the 1930s through the more than 80 scions around the world today. 

The evening’s second main course was served by Scott Monty, who presented “Luck in the Canon.” As luck would have it, besides Holmes’ reliance on science and logic and his encyclopedic knowledge of crime, in several stories, sheer luck also led to the successful conclusion of a case.

Once the presentations ended by both members of the national Baker Street Irregulars, the traditional drawing for door prizes was held and Gerald Kelly, Jim O’Keefe and Natalie Katkowski were selected to receive their copy of any of the Sherlock books on display.

Also noted were society members who have been Mendicant meeting planners for 20 years or more. They included John Kramb, Chris Music, Chris Jeryan and Rob and Anne Musial.

With the evening winding down, Kramb announced that the society’s fall meeting would be scheduled for October. That might be the final one at the Commonwealth Club which is currently considering a move to a new location.

Next, the group rose in unison to sing “God Save the Queen” (Victoria), Rob Musial

offered the closing poem, “221B” and the meeting concluded at 9:03 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Rob Musial

AMS Tantalus

Venue:  The Commonwealth Club, Warren, MI

Time:  6:00 p.m. until approximately 9:30 p.m.

Speakers:  Our own Scott Monty, BSI as well as the leader of the Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis, Steve Doyle, BSI.   Scott Monty:  "Luck in the Canon".  Steve Doyle:  "The Case for the Scion Society".

Menu:  Buffet-style dinner provided by Sopranos Catering.  The usual fare of meat, pasta,  potato, veggie, salad, and desert.

Price:  $31 per person.

Story:  His Last Bow 

Talking Points:  discussion to be led by our famous playwright, David MacGregor

The Mendicant History Minute:  a recurring brief segment from Chris Music

Special Event:  "Sell and Swap" Meet.  Bring your Sherlockian books and memorabilia to sell or trade.  I have the book collection from the late, great Jerry Alvin for sale.  All proceeds will go to the Mendicant treasury.  It may be time to thin your book collection.

The Usual:  Toasts, prizes, drinking, and social chatter.

To reserve your place at this epic event, please send your check (or PayPal transaction) for the paltry sum of $31 to:

Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit

c/o:  Christine Jeryan

22129 Metamora Dr.

Beverly Hills, MI  48025

As this event may be the last one we host at the Commonwealth Club, I'm sure you will want to attend.  Don't delay.  Commit now!

Regards.

John (Gasogene)

The society’s Gasogene John Kramb welcomed the 32 attendees and introduced the board members and planning committee and welcomed guest Marcia Griffka to the meeting.

Kramb then noted that AMS member Scott Monty hosts two Sherlockian-related productions – his long-running “I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere” podcast and website and a newer, shorter offering called “Trifles.” One of the latest of that podcast detailed the founding of the Mendicants on April 26, 1946, at Detroit’s fabled Cliff Bell’s restaurant. 

Next up, the traditional Sherlockian toasts were offered to The Woman (by AMS Commissionaire Chris Music), to Mrs. Hudson (by Al Calderini), to Mycroft Holmes (by John Sherwood, with an assist from the artificial intelligence ChatGPT) and to Watson’s Second Wife (by Rich Krisciunas).

There was also a toast by Chris Music to remember the late Susan Rice, who had passed away in 2020. Rice was a member of the Baker Street Irregulars (like Scott, Regina, Chris and John Sherwood) and the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, formed before the BSI allowed women to join. When the BSI finally did admit women in 1991, Rice was one of the first six women invested. (Years earlier, she had formed a scion of students while teaching at Kingswood School at Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills, following a chance meeting with members of the AMS.)

The toasts concluded, the assembled multitude lined up at 6:55 p.m. for a buffet dinner of pasta, chicken and beef, a garden salad and beverages, topped off by a special yummy chocolate cake that had magically appeared from Kroger’s.

The next course of the evening began with Rich Krisciunas who supplied a short discussion on October’s timely story, “The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire.” In his talk, Krisciunas detailed the origins of vampires in literature and noted that Watson had written about this vampire a year before Bram Stoker’s creation. He also revealed another story in which Dracula was actually Moriarty and Holmes was Van Helsing.

Then came the evening’s main course, the presentation on “Detroit’s Black Widow: The Story of Anna Braun,” well-researched by Carol Voss and assisted by her husband Tom, a former Gasogene of the AMS in the 1980s. Digging deep into Victorian-era newspaper stories and census data, the Vosses detailed how Braun, an alleged serial killer, was accused of poisoning two of her husbands along with her sister-in-law, and yet managed to use the attitudes towards women in the Victorian era to evade prosecution. She continually changed her name and age throughout her eight marriages, before dying of appendicitis in 1926.  Chillingly, her seventh husband, who divorced her after 75 days of marriage and was not poisoned, was the great-grandfather of the AMS’s current Gasogene, John Kramb while her sixth husband was a first cousin, twice removed, of Voss, the former Gasogene.

With that eerie presentation over, Kramb later announced that the next Mendicant meeting would be Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the Commonwealth Club with Scott Monty offering the presentation, “Luck in the Canon.”  The assigned story will be “His Last Bow.”

Next, AMS Tidewaiter Chris Jeryan handled the drawing for the evening’s door prizes. The lucky winners included Don Sobolewski, Gerald Kelly, Rob Musial and Regina Stinson.

As the meeting drew to a close, all rose to sing “God Save the Queen,” Rob Musial delivered the traditional closing poem, “221B” and the meeting concluded at 9:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Rob Musial

AMS Tantalus

-- Sherlock Holmes to Dr. Watson in “The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire.”

Though it be the month of ghostly apparitions and Halloween, we cordially invite you to cast such thoughts aside and join us and other Sherlockians for an evening of fine food and conversation at the annual fall meeting of the Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit.

Saturday, October 7, 2023

6:00 p.m.          

The Commonwealth Club 

30088 Dequindre Rd.,  Warren, MI                                                                                                          

Our assigned story is “The Sussex Vampire” in which Holmes and Watson solve a mystery involving a jealous son, poisoned darts and a woman first thought to be a vampire.

There will be a short discussion of the story by Rich Krisciunas. The evening’s presentation by Carol and Tom Voss extends the evening’s theme to consider the case of Detroit’s own “Black Widow.”  

Also included will be the usual toasts organized by Chris Music plus prizes and more. 

To attend, please make checks for $31 to: Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit and mail to the address below by FRIDAY, SEPT. 22. Or via PayPal at amateurmendicantsociety@gmail.com 

AMATEUR MENDICANT SOCIETY OF DETROIT

c/o  Chris Jeryan

22129 Metamora Drive

Beverly Hills, MI 48025

The buffet includes pasta, chicken and beef entrees vegetables, a garden salad and dessert plus coffee, tea, and soft drinks. As always, there will also be a cash bar.

 “Come at once if convenient … if inconvenient, come all the same.”

-- Dr. Watson about Sherlock Holmes in “A Scandal in Bohemia.”

Find out why Holmes was so taken with Irene Adler as you join with other Sherlockians for an evening of food and conversation at the annual spring meeting of the Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit.

 Saturday, April 22, 2023

6:00 p.m.          

The Commonwealth Club 

30088 Dequindre Rd., Warren, MI                                                                                                                                                                

Our assigned story is “A Scandal in Bohemia” in which Holmes and Watson meet the King of Bohemia and soon find themselves bested by a beautiful and talented woman.

There will be a poem humorously summarizing the story, a discussion by commissionaire Chris Music on the origins of the Baker Street Irregulars, a revealing story about the King of Bohemia and past AMS gasogene Roy Pilot will offer thoughts on his extensive Sherlockian collection.  

Also included will be the usual toasts organized by Chris Music plus prizes and more – plus a recap of the annual BSI dinner in New York. 

To attend, please make checks for $31 to: Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit and mail to the address below by FRIDAY, APRIL 14. Or visit PayPal at amateurmendicantsociety@gmail.com for instructions.

AMATEUR MENDICANT SOCIETY OF DETROIT

c/o Chris Jeryan

22129 Metamora Drive

Beverly Hills, MI 48025

Dinner includes herbed chicken breast, roast sirloin, potatoes, pasta, vegetables, a salad, rolls and dessert plus coffee, tea, and soft drinks. As always, there will also be a cash bar.

“Come at once if convenient … if inconvenient, come all the same.”

Gasogene John Kramb gaveled the evening to order at 6:15 p.m. and introduced the board members and planning committee. He also welcomed the first-time attendees who included Dan Sobolewski and Sandra Stadler. She would later buy the framed work of Sherlockiana brought to the meeting by Pat Mandziuk.

After dispensing with miscellaneous club business, Kramb introduced Commissionaire Chris Music who had organized the evening’s toasts, which have honored four characters in The Canon since the very first Mendicant meeting in 1946.

Toasting The Woman was Jim Conway, followed by the poetic Rich Krisciunas, who saluted Mrs. Hudson. Next, Bev Sobolewski raised a glass to Mycroft Holmes and Chris Music saluted Watson’s Second Wife. Recalling a longtime Mendicant tradition begun in the 1970s by the late Jerry Alvin, John Kramb then offered a toast to the Red-Headed League, founded by Ezekiah Hopkins, that late millionaire from Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

Also noted were the Society’s two members of the esteemed national Baker Street Irregulars, Chris Music and Regina Stinson (who also founded the suburban scion, the Ribston-Pippins, who have scheduled their own meeting for Nov. 19).

Next, a bountiful buffet was served, consisting of herbed chicken, roast sirloin, potatoes, pasta, vegetables, salad and beverages. Following the meal, slices of a special dessert cake were dished up. The cake was emblazoned with “The Sign of the Four,” which was the evening’s assigned story.

Going over the fine and arcane points of the story was AMS Tantalus Rob Musial. He noted that the story had been commissioned by an American magazine publisher at an 1889 dinner at London’s finest hotel. At that dinner too was Oscar Wilde, who also agreed to write a story. Within a few months, Arthur Conan Doyle turned in “The Sign of the Four” and Wilde produced “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”

Doyle’s story actually reached back to the Indian Mutiny of 1857. Among the reasons for that uprising was the fact that the pre-greased rifled cartridges used at the time had to be bitten to load the gunpowder. And the rumor was the grease used was either beef tallow which would offend the Hindu soldiers serving in the British army or pork lard which would offend the Muslim soldiers.

Bullets aside, the story – one of the four Holmes’ novels – is a tale of a double-cross and a revenge, packed with Hollywood-style elements – a one-legged man, a pygmy with a blowgun, a stolen treasure, a boat chase down the Thames – and the budding romance between Dr. Watson and Mary Morstan.

After that, came the evening’s main attraction, a scholarly yet entertaining paper by member Glenn Walters entitled “A.K.A. – The Aliases of The Canon.”

To enhance his presentation, Walters had the assembled crowd pick out aliases from the original 56 short stories and four novels starring Holmes. In addition, he passed out a prepared quiz on which names in The Canon were real or false, noting that even Holmes used false identities when needed.

When the spirited guessing and presentation concluded, Kramb revealed that the next AMS meeting would likely be in March of next year, due to the wintry conditions that had plagued some of the society’s previous meetings in January.

With the evening winding down, Christine DelGreco had names drawn for the evening’s door prizes and the winners were Chris Dale, Craig Garant and Glenn Walters. 

Following that, the members and guests stood to sing the anthem, “God Save the Queen” (Victoria, who was on the throne during much of Holmes’ active career).

Finally, the society’s Tidewaiter Christine Jeryan read the traditional poem, “221B” and Kramb adjourned the group at 8:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Robert Musial

AMS Tantalus  

Venue: The Commonwealth Club, Warren, MI

Date:  Saturday, October 1

Time:  6:00 p.m. to approximately 9:30 p.m.

Menu:  Buffet dinner will include two entrees, one pasta, one potato, and one veggie.  It will come with a spring garden salad.  Dessert will be provided also. 

Price:   $31 per person

Story:  The Sign of The Four

Talking Points:  Rob Musial will provide his insights on the story.

Primary Presenter:  Glenn Walters has a topic that will complement the story.  The title:  "A.K.A. The Aliases of the Canon".

Toasts:  Christopher Music will organize the toasts.

Other:  a cash bar, the usual announcements, prizes, Sherlockiania.     Roy Pilot, past Gasogene, will bring Sherlockian memorabilia and offer his perspectives.  

We need to prepay the Commonwealth Club rental fee in advance, and also the catering company.  So, we would appreciate your payment one week in advance of the event (Friday, September 23).  Checks should be written to:

Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit

c/o:  Christine Jeryan

22129 Metamora Dr.

Beverly Hills, MI  48025

Don't delay.  Reserve your place at this exciting event.  Thank you for your cooperation.  

Regards.

John.  Gasogene.

The spring meeting of the Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit was gaveled into session at the Commonwealth Club in Warren at 6:40 p.m. on April 23, 2022.

The society’s Gasogene, John Kramb, welcomed the 35 members and guests and introduced the board members and planning committee members plus the first-time attendees.

While the buffet dinner was readied, the traditional toasts were offered, as organized by Commissionaire Chris Music.

Michael Jones toasted The Woman (Irene Adler), with a digression that included white-tailed eagles, Lola Montez, King Ludwig of Bavaria and the founding of the AMS in 1946. Next, Mark Diehl offered a toast to Mrs. Hudson (drafted by his wife Wendy) that worked in famed psychologist Abraham Mazlow, the theory of hierarchy and the stalwart service of Holmes’ landlady.

Then, John LaFond toasted the dominant mind of Mycroft Holmes, noting that he was the only character in all of The Canon to call Sherlock by his first name. Next, Rob Musial bid the multitude to raise their glasses to Watson’s Second Wife, pointing out that the fair sex was perhaps the only department in which Holmes acknowledged Watson’s authority.

Finally, newly-appointed Tide Waiter Chris Jeryan, recalling the toasts made by the late Jerry Alvin, offered a toast to the Red-Headed League. In it, she pointed out that redheads may make up only two percent of the population but have included such personages as Alexander the Great, Galileo, Mark Twain, Maureen O’Hara and of course, Ezekiah Hopkins, the late millionaire from Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

With the toasts done with, dinner was served – a buffet that included chicken piccata, braised beef, penne pasta in marinara sauce, garlic potatoes, and peas with onions. Concluding the meal was a cake honoring the Mendicants on their 76th year that featured the door of 221-B Baker Street and baked especially by the Chocolate Bar Café of Grosse Pointe Woods.

Then, Comissionaire Music led a short discussion on the assigned story, “A Study in Scarlet.” The story gives us the first meeting of Holmes and Dr. Watson and also introduces Lestrade and Gregson of Scotland Yard. Music said he had a love/hate relationship with the story, due to the long middle section which moves the action to the U.S. and supplies the Mormon back-story for several characters. This, he concluded, was because Watson and his literary agent, Arthur Conan Doyle, co-authored the story, with Doyle providing the exotic American frontier section to make the short novel more marketable.

Next the evening’s main course was served up, what was billed as “a scholarly yet entertaining paper” detailing the “3 ½ Definitive Sherlock Holmes’s: The Evolution of Popular Culture’s Greatest Hero.” 

In his presentation, author and society member David MacGregor traced the evolution of the Holmes’ character on screen and stage, working back from the recent modern-day interpretation by Benedict Cumberbatch to the faithful TV adaptation offered in the 1980s by Jeremy Brett to the classic Holmes of the 1930s/1940s as captured by Basil Rathbone on screen and radio – the first series to portray Holmes paired up with Dr. Watson (in this case Nigel Bruce). 

MacGregor also noted the first Holmes to be seen on-stage, William Gillette, who starred as Holmes in 1,300 performances over 30 years, including a silent film long thought to be lost which was found and restored in 2014. Presenting Holmes as quiet, stoic and masterful, Gillette earned the endorsement of Doyle and was the first American actor to star in a leading role on a London stage. He also popularized such Sherlockian props as the deerstalker cap, the curved pipe and the phrase, “this is elementary, my dear fellow.”

(As a sidenote, MacGregor’s third play about The Master, entitled “Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Ghost Machine” just opened at the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, MI. where it will run through Aug. 27, teaming Holmes with inventors Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla – and Irene Adler.)

With the presentation concluded, Gasogene Kramb told the crowd that the next Mendicant meeting would likely be in September at a yet-to-be-determined venue.

With the meeting winding down, Christine DelGreco had names drawn for the evening’s Sherlockian door prizes, which were won by Michael Ellis, Anne Musial, Sherry & Bob Jurva, Chris Pilot and Michael Locke.

Members and guests then stood to sing a rousing chorus of “God Save the Queen” and the meeting was brought to a close with Rob Musial leading the traditional reading of Vincent Starrett’s classic poem, “221-B.”

With that, the meeting was adjourned at 9:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Robert Musial

-- AMS Tantalus