April 25, 2026, was a special day for the Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit as the society returned to Cliff Bell’s, the downtown Detroit venue where it had been formed 80 years ago.
The Mendicants and the jazz club have seen lots of changes since 1946 — including some hiatuses (hiati?) — but all agreed it was great to be back to where it all had started.
The 80th annual meeting was attended by 48 members and guests, including several from out-of-town, coming from as far away as Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois.
The Program
Welcoming everyone to the understated but classic 1930s-style club was Gasogene Scott Monty, who introduced Commissionaire Chris Music, Tidewaiter Brad Schwartz, Tantalus Rob Musial, and Executive Committee members Rich Krisciunas and David MacGregor.
To get the afternoon underway, Commissionaire Chris Music related the “Mendicant Minute,” recalling the group the society’s first dinner, held st Cliff Bell’s club on April 26, 1946.
It seems that veteran Detroit newspaperman and theater critic Russell McLauchlin had invited 11 other like-minded Sherlockians to the affair, held in “the lower vault” of Cliff Bell’s, since a furniture warehouse could not be procured (as was all-too-briefly mentioned in the Canonical tale, “The Five Orange Pips.”)
Next up, we followed the traditional toasts as offered in 1946, this time by John Kramb (to Mrs. Hudson), Mike McSwiggin (to The Second Most Dangerous Man in London), Monica Schmidt (to The Second Mrs. Watson), Sandra Stadler (to The Woman), Christine Jeryan (to Mycroft), and Burt Wolder (The Game is Afoot).
Then, it was time to enjoy a tasty repast. On the menu was a mixed green salad, house-made rolls, tenderloin beef tips with mushrooms in a red wine demi-glace, chicken marsala, mashed potatoes, and green beans — topped off with slices of a special 80th anniversary cake.
With the meal concluded, Rob Musial then offered the society’s Original Entrance Exam consisting of 10 questions. They were given to potential members in an effort, as McLaughlin explained, “to keep the barbarians out” and exclude the “enthusiastically unfit.” A passing grade of at least 75 percent was needed for admission — in other words, potential members had to score at least “a gentleman’s C.”
Then came a Special Presentation, honoring former Gasogene John Kramb for his 20 years leading the society, awarding him with a plaque and a signed copy of McLauchlin’s 1946 book, Alfred Street, a collection of his essays of growing up in Detroit at the turn of the 20th century.
The Beggar’s Cup and Prize
Instead of a long paper on some aspects of Sherlockiana, four members read short papers that vied for an annual prize.
In “Will the Real Sherlock Holmes Please Stand Up,” Linda Crohn explored the times when Holmes used emotion and empathy rather than the cold, calculating persona usually associated with him.
Next, Steven Doyle presented “Dr. Watson: A Study in Hygiene,” in which he questioned the grooming habits and lack of cleanliness of the main medical man in the Canon.
In “The Original Musgrave Ritual: An English Village Mystery,” Rob Musial detailed a real Musgrave mystery concerning what was found in the tomb of a real Musgrave in the chapel of a tiny town near the Scottish border.
And finally, Regina Stinson, the founder of the Ribston-Pippins, asked “But Why Turkish?” as she took us into the Victorian world of London’s luxurious Turkish baths.
Then, it was time to hand out the Mendicant’s prestigious award, the Beggar’s Cup, named for the vessel non-professional beggars (or amateur mendicants) used to collect their donations.
Originally conceived to recognize the best scholarly paper of the year, the Cup went on hiatus for a few years and has come back in a new form. This time, the Executive
Committee determined that the papers would be presented and judged at the annual meeting.
The winner will keep an engraved Jefferson cup inscribed with the society’s logo and take possession of the larger trophy for a year, returning it at the next annual meeting.
The Reading Committee accepted 11 entries and the four finalists listed above were chosen to read at the dinner. Then the winner was selected by secret ballot of those in attendance. The vote was close, but Steve Doyle was selected as the winner.
After final remarks by Gasogene Monty, the assembled multitude stood to sing “God Save the Queen,” and Bob Sharfman, whose first Chicago Sherlockian meeting was attended in the company of Vincent Starrett, read the Starrett’s now-iconic poem, “221-B” to conclude the annual meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
~ Robert Musial, Tantalus
Additional images
To see a larger range of images and videos from the dinner and other associated activities that weekend, please see our Google Photos album.