A "Typical" Sherlock Holmes Meeting

An Illustrious Clients field trip

Recently I was asked on a radio program what are the typical activities of a Sherlock Holmes society. I'm not sure I gave a very complete answer.

Since there almost 1,000 of such groups around the world, many but not all of them scion societies of the Baker Street Irregulars, it may be going too far to say there is any such thing as "typical." But meetings I've been to have included some or all of the following:

• A social hour;
• Dinner;
• An impossibly difficult quiz on the story of the evening;
• Discussion of said story;
• Presentation of a talk or scholarly paper by a club member or a visitor (sometimes me); 
• Toasts to Holmes, Watson, the Woman, Mrs. Hudson, and other Conanical characters;
• Recitation of Vincent Starrett's classic sonnet "22lB" to end the evening.

I've also been to picnics, costume parties, film festivals, and field trips. What else has your Sherlock Holmes society done, either once or regularly?

As mentioned previously in this space, we members of the Tankerville Club of Cincinnati will celebrate our 40th anniversary with a party on Saturday.