DAYTON 2009 |
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The annual Sherlock Holmes/Arthur
Conan Doyle Symposium was held May 15 - 17, 2009 at the Holiday Inn
in Miamisburg, OH (a suburb of Dayton). This year's Symposium was devoted
to matters associated with Dr. John H. Watson. An interesting feature
about the 2008 gathering is that the snow was so deep that many people
who lived in the Dayton area couldn't get to the meeting venue! However,
we have some friends all the way from Atlanta who did arrive for what
turned out to be an attenuated gathering, but a gathering, nonetheless!
Of course, getting from the airport to the Holiday Inn tended to be
easier than it might have been for local folk to get out of their own
driveways! The 2009 event was most successfully rescheduled for May!
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Friday Evening Festivities |
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The venue: Holiday Inn Miamisburg, OH. |
Carolyn checks in with the front desk. |
Carolyn positions our contribution to the snack buffet. |
Friday evening snack buffet (actually, half or it
- see cake below). At the end of the table, that's Chris Robertson who came all the way from St. Louis
for the festivities. |
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So, we thought, "What an interesting decoration for a Watsonian gathering - Dr. Watson's medical bag." Believe it of not, it turned out to be a cake! The pistol is chocolate! |
See? Marble cake inside. It was delicious, too. Someone ate the pistol already! |
Gordon Speck, BSI (left) and Bill Cochran, BSI from the Occupants of the Empty House partake. |
Henry Zecher (left), from Wakasha, WI chats with Rich Vitaris from Atlanta's Confederates of Wisteria Lodge. |
Saturday |
Vendors' Room |
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Saturday morning the vendors' room opens. The lady in the foreground is Lynda Conway from Pittsburgh's Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers. |
To mention just a few of the many vendors |
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Louisville's Ralph Hall adjusts his array of Sherlockian merchandise. |
Joe Eckrich (Occupants of the Empty House) shows off one of his many collectible books. |
Joni Cairo keeps the desk of the host scion, The Agra Treasurers, BTW, it was Joni who is responsible for the Watson's medical bag cake. |
Marcy Mahle chats with Bill Cochran while they arrange their respective vendors' tables. Marcy is from the local Dayton scion, The Agra Treasurers. |
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And speaking of Marcy Mahle, she has made these
absolutely beautiful "Holmes and Irene" dolls replete in
proper costumes which she, personally, hand made. After the Symposium
closed, Marcy still had a few of these magnificent collectible items
left and told us that it would be OK for us to call these to your
attention. Anyone interested in purchasing these dolls is invited
to CLICK
HERE and go to our "Collectibles" page -
then scroll down to the very bottom of the page and there you will
find a link through which
you can e-mail Marcy directly to make arrangements. These would
make outstanding additions to any Sherlockian's collector shelves.
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The Presentations |
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Cathy Gill, the organizer and director of the Dayton Symposium arrives to take charge of the proceedings. |
Cathy Gill (Agra Treasurers) and Meredith Granger (Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis) begin with a humorous enactment of Loren Estelman's "John and Mary." |
Bob Cairo, (Agra Treasurers) tells the group about "Dr. Watson: Medical Pioneer." |
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Brad Keefauver (BSI, Hansoms of John Clayton) presents
"Watson and Doyle: A Literary Marriage Gone Strange.
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Marcy Mahle presents "Dominion by "Pat Moss," BSI |
Joel Senter prepares the gathered Sherlockians for his famous "The Pearl is Always in the Last Napoleon Because Watson Said It Was" demonstration. |
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Pat Ward (Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis) "A Brief History of Watson on Film (subtitled "Boobus Britannicus Filmicus") |
"Watson in His Own Write" by Gordon Shriver (Confederates of Wisteria Lodge). |
Cathy Gill, organizer and director of The Symposium presents, "Laddie or Lady? A Light-hearted Look at Watson's Gender." |
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Bill Cochran, BSI presents "The Painful Predicament
of Sherlock Holmes."
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J. Watson had one or more wives, Not all of whom lived lengthy lives. He held them as royalty Whilst holding high loyalty To Holmes, who kept his queens in hives. |
Watson acted in good measure,
Never being one to tarry. When they found no Agra treasure, He did merry Mary marry. |
Watson, time machine, Conductor to misty days -- We would go with you. |
Tom McElfrish (Agra Treasurers) announces the results of The Symposium's poetry contest. |
Limerick Class Winner Meredith Granger |
Quatrain Class
Winner Meredith Granger |
Haiku Class Winner Casey O’Neill |
Dinner |
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A stopover on the way to dinner, otherwise known as "the bar." |
Us showing up for dinner |
Dining room with assembled Sherlockians. |
The VIP table: r to l Stuart Gill, Cathy Gill, Marcy Mahle, Chris Robertson, Joni Cario (back to camera). |
Reader's Theater |
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An original and prize winning script by our Cincinnati
friend, Dan Andriacco, entitled "The Peculiar Persecution of John
Vincent Hardin" was peerlessly performed as readers' theater by
The Symposium Players!
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Intrepid Troupe of Thespians
Sherlock Holmes-- Bill Cochran Dr. Watson - - Bob Czerwony J. V. Hardin - - Joel Senter Weber - -Gord Shriver Inspector Hopkins - - Bob Cairo Herbert - - Meredith Granger Ophelia Hardin - -Marcy Mahle Mrs. Hudson/Host - - Cathy Gill |
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Please mark your calendars! May 14-16 for the 2010 Sherlock Holmes/Arthur Conan Doyle Symposium Holiday Inn, Dayton Mall Miamisburg, Ohio |