1st Encyclical Letter — January 2026
Details from the BSI Weekend, the 80th Anniversary dinner, a leadership change, books, events and more. The game's afoot!
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):
Investitures
The Watson Fund
Learn more about BSI traditions
The Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit’s 80th Anniversary Dinner
The Beggar’s Cup
For Out of Town Guests
Local events
Conferences
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:
Saturday, April 25, 2026
1:00 pm
Cliff Bell’s, Detroit
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 Executive Committee will review all submissions and will determine three (3) 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 March 31, 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.
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)!
And if you know anyone who’d like to join our list, have them email us: amateurmendicantsociety@gmail.com.
The game’s afoot!
