Canonical Convocation and Caper 2004
For more than 15 years, the Canonical Convocation and Caper has been an annual autumn tradition in beautiful Door County, Wisconsin. The scion honored by the 2004 CCC gathering was "The Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis." The Canonical Convocation and Caper was first inaugurated by Chicago's legendary Donald B. Izban in 1988, the "Caper" (better known simply as "CCC") has continued, with only two years hiatus, until 2004. With only a few exceptions, the CCC has been managed by its founder, Donald Izban, who has always referred to himself as "The Regularae." The (almost) annual occasion has featured numerous events ranging from the frivolous to the scholarly. At each event, there has always been something of interest and entertainment for everyone, from the Canonical neophyte to the most seasoned and scholorly Sherlockian. "The Donald" (as he is affectionately known) has declared that 2004 conclave was the final gathering that he will personally manage. Mary Erickson and Jane Richardson have stepped forward as the future managers of CCC gatherings. Please watch our "Events" page for announcements concerning the future meetings of CCC.
Regularae Donald Izban, and his bride Patricia, prepare for the CCC festivities!

Personae in Attendum
(notable and celebrated Sherlockians in attendance at CCC 2004)


Jerry Bauman & Guest
Ed Christenson
Tony, Marcia & Peter Citera
Susan Diamond and Allan Devitt
Isabel Egar
Mary Erickson
Mary and Bill Goodrich
Auldrey and David Hammer
Claudine, Emily, & Bob Kastner (with J. Traficanti)
Suzanne and Gerald Kaufmann
Karen Koslow

Mary Jane Kunnath
Deloris and Jim Patton
Mary Alice and Tom Pellowski
Kathy and Franklin Saksena
Carolyn and Joel Senter
Margaret and Paul Smedegaard
Susan and Gael Stahl
George Vanderburgh (w/Sarah Norton)
Pat Ward
Janice Weiner
Nancy Wrobel
Luci Zahray
Regularae, (The) Donald Izban addresses the assembled CCCers (while wearing, we might add, the Classic Specialties' original "Everything I Ever Needed to Know I Learned from Sherlock Holmes"" T-shirt) and enthralls the assemblage by relating "The Saga of Sister Clara Rose."
CCC 2004 is called to order by Master of Ceremonies, Tony Citera who first introduces eminent Chicago Sherlockian, Gerald Kaufmann.
Gerald Kaufmann, begins the formal CCC 2004 program with his fascinating presentation, "Buried Treasures . . .Thirty Years of Collecting . . . The Secrets of the Hunt"

Next, Joel Senter presented his world famous demonstration, "The Probabilistic Veridicality of The Six Napoleons" in which he demonstrated, scientifically, through re-enactment of the case, that the Black Pearl of the Borgias was, is, and always will be in the last Napoleon!!
Friday Evening's (Sept 10) festivities were capped by the traditional pizza, beer, and soft drink gathering. Beer furnished, again traditionally, by the official CCC brewmeister, Jim Patton.

Saturday Morning!
MC Tony Citera introduced Gael Stahl, renowned member of Nashville's "Scholars of the Three-Pipe Problem," who related to the group his account of "Great Sherlockians I have Met."
THEN, regularae Donald Izban briefed those assembled in the lobby of the beautiful Waterbury Inn, as to the instructions and rules for the 2004 version of the world famous Sherlockathon! Participating attendees are dressed in the official Sherlockathon uniform, orange t-shirt bearing a caricature likeness of The Donald and the blue "Sherlock Holmes Lives" bucket hat as worn by Patricia Izban shown at the top of this page.

Saturday Evening!
The formal CCC 2004 program came to a climax with Pat Ward's nostalgic "When a Sherlock Holmes Movie is NOT a Sherlock Holmes Movie!" Ms. Ward is a very active member of "The Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis," the scion honored by CCC 2004. She is a regular contributor to "Sherlock" magazine along with her many other literary credits.

Saturday evening's activities culminated with
the Canonical Convocation and Caper's traditional Coffee Klatch featuring the commemorative cake, coffee, and pastries.

Regularae Izban Presents These, Among Other, CCC Awards
Carolyn Senter received the award, on the behalf of "Team Carolyn and Joel Senter" for winning the CCC 2004 Sherlockathon!
Bob Kastner, son of Claudine Kastner, received award for wiping out the competition in the Dartmoor Open, the traditional CCC golf tournament.
Emily Kastner, daughter of Claudine Kastner, receives her acknowledgement and award for being the youngest attendee and because it was actually her birthday!
The Donald acknowledges Mary Alice and Tom Pellowski for being "first timers" at CCC. The Pellowskis are from Green Bay, just a "stone's throw" from Ephraim, but they didn't know about the CCC gatherings until they read about them earlier this year in The Sherlockin Times.
Lucy Zahray, a long-time attendee at past CCCs, receives the award for having come the greatest distance to be present at the 2004 activities. Lucy is from Gatesville, TX.



Sunday Morning
After a rousing game of Sherlockian "You Bet Your Life," designed by Regularae Izban, he officially concluded CCC 2004 and wished all a safe passage back home. After which Joel Senter . . .

offered the traditional CCC benediction, first presented by Fred Levin at CCC 1995.

Dear Lord

As we prepare to leave this place, let us remember the good times we had here, the good friends we made here, and the man who brought us all together. Help us to believe sincerely: That Sir Hugo really was killed by a devilish hound; that a carbuncle can really be blue; that as long as we take the third cab we will always be safe; that dogs do nothing in the night time; that snakes can hear whistles and that they really drink milk - and that Mrs. Watson would really tolerate the amount of time her husband spent away from home with Sherlock Holmes. More importantly, watch over us. Give us safe journeys home and keep us in good health so that we might all meet again.

 

We offer thanks to Patricia Izban who most kindly provided the photos for this web page. We did want to mention that the original photos that Mrs. Izban sent us were much better quality than the reproductions presented here, which suffered some degradation due to the vicissitudes of cyberspace!

And, a special thanks to Susan Diamond and Allan Devitt for the friendship and hospitality they shared with us during CCC 2004.