2nd Encyclical Letter — November 2025
80th Anniversary, October Meeting notes, links of interest
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: 80th Anniversary
October 26th Meeting Report
Links of Sherlockian News
Plan Ahead: 80th 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 80th 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!
We will be following up with a separate communication with more details, including recommendations for hotels and other activities.
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.
Trifles is the weekly discussion show about the minutiae in the stories.
I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere 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.
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