A Pub Night's Boredom Insurance Package!

Okay, here's the thing: A six hour Sherlockian Zoom without a six hour line-up of speakers and programming? Is that a party or an endurance trial? What if you get bored? What if you just want to go offline for a bit and still be a part of the festivities?

In our ongoing attempt to cover all the bases for Friday night January 14, we going to go back to the 1990s and resurrect an old thing in a new form.

From 1991 to 1998, the Dangling Prussian Amateur Press Association collected the individual pages of its members every other month between covers and mailed the resulting compendium back to those who contributed. Over the years the content included and incredible variety of contributions from its members. There were stories and articles, of course. but also cartoons, quizzes, puzzles, parody, poetry, a needlework pattern, a script, greeting cards, and whatever else the members deemed worth sending in for the next issue.

So with that eclectic idea in mind, we're resurrecting the Dangling Prussian Amateur Press Association in PDF form with the DPAPA 2022 Party Fun Book, to be handed out in the chat at the Dangling Prussian Pub Night Zoom for attendees to download. What's it going to contain?

The theme, in keeping with the Dangling Prussian itself, will be Canonical characters and especially those who might not be as upstanding examples of the British ideal as proper society might like. You know, the fun ones. But, really, we're about to accept any contributions for the DPAPA 2022 Party Fun Book that seems like it might be fun. Puzzles, coloring pages, short short stories, connect-the-dots, pub room reminiscences, anything that you think might be good included in a 8.5 x 11 inch printable PDF.

The deadline is January 12th, and you can send anything you'd like to share with your fellow Dangling Prussian Pub Nite attendees to sherlockholmesisrealpodcast@gmail.com,

At the Dangling Prussian, we'll throw anything at the wall to see if it sticks!

The 1895 Dangling Prussian Soup Plate Medal

The Dangling Prussian is once again honored to host the 1895 Soup Plate Medal Awards this January 14th, as a part of the program of the Sherlock Holmes Birthday Pub Nite. An ongoing tradition awarded every year, even though that year is always 1895 at the Dangling Prussian, the Soup Plate Medal Award is given to award otherwise uncelebrated achievement by those often considered less than upright by the proper citizens of the Empire.

The Dangling Prussian Soup Plate Medal was first conceived and awarded in honor of Morecroft "Killer" Evans, who saved the British economy from ruin at the Dangling Prussian in 1895 by stopping the villainous Prescott with a single shot. Winners since then have been too numerous and anonymous to name, but, trust me, there have been some. And since it is again, as always, 1895, this January 14th we shall again call the roll of honored participants in the life and England-saving career of Mr. Sherlock Holmes. 

 Since everyone honored has been made famous by the author John H. Watson long ago, many have gone into hiding or have been unreasonably incarcerated and cannot always attend the ceremonies to receive this honour. It is the Dangling Prussian's tradition, therefore, to have a ready supply of able attendees to be able to accept the award in their stead.

If you would like the chance to accept a Dangling Prussian Soup Plate Medal on Zoom during the program on the night of January 14, 2021, you can drag the above design to your desktop, print it on whatever medium you have handy, adorn it in whatever creative fashion you think appropriate and attach it (or not) to ribbons, chains (even paper), or anything else for the acceptance of the award when you are called upon during the ceremony.  Also, drop your name in the comments below, so you can be forewarned of the person you might be accepting for (if possible) so you can have appropriate comments ready, whether you have contacted that Canonical character or not.

The awarding of the Dangling Prussian Soup Plate Medal is both a dignified and illustrious part of a Dangling Prussian Pub Night, and we are delighted to be hosting in on our Zoom event this year!

Co-sponsors of the Dangling Prussian Pub NIght

Have you heard of the Legion of Zoom?

If you're touring the internet Sherlockian pathways these days to look in on different societies celebrating Sherlock Holmes, you probably have. To commemorate those who have managed to sit in on the meetings of seventeen different groups, membership is awarded in the Legion of Zoom. All you have to do is tell them which seventeen groups you've attended meetings of. They're good folks and trust your honesty. And today, we learned of a generous interpretation of that rule by the Legion: If you attend an even co-sponsored by several groups, you can count those groups on your list of seventeen.

So let's talk about who is sponsoring Pub Night at the Dangling Prussian, January 14th?

The Montague Street Incorrigibles, to be sure.

And Peoria's own Hansoms of John Clayton is happy to co-sponsor the event as well.

And the leadership of the Reichenbachian Cliff-divers has been in touch, and agreed to get in on the action.

The Dark Lantern League, the internet role-playing group of the early 2000s has revived to join the cause.

Will the Midwest Scion of the Four add themselves to that list? Going to have to get quorum on that one.

Who else, who else . . . hmmm.

The Dangling Prussian Amateur Press Association has never actually had a non-print meeting, much like the John H. Watson Society before Zoom. And this is a Dangling Prussian pub night.

The Sherlockian Chronologist Guild seems like a candidate for co-sponsorship.

But then again, if we were to seek out a few more sponsoring societies, it might be possible to  . . . . technically . . . make an event that would qualify a person for the Legion of Zoom in one night?

Then, again Pub Night at the Dangling Prussian is going to be a six-hour-long hang-out. And I don't think the Legion of Zoom has said how much of a meeting you have to attend. And they've already spoken of banning me from the society for bringing up this possibility. But that's the thing about laws, by-laws, and even buy-laws -- they have to be tested don't they?

Four short weeks and the fun has already started. Stay tuned!

Oh, and that registration link to register in advance, as advised:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsd-mspzosGNWrY5QEPzpJIR0YFCGCQMfL 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Open Mic at the Dangling Prussian

Well, my search for the Sherlockian stand-up comic of my dreams is not going so well. But I have another trick up my sleeve, and you might want in on this.

Back in the 1990s, a bunch of nearby scions got together for a few conferences in St. Louis. Speakers, a dinner, all the usual things -- we did a couple with over-arching mystery themes like "Weekend at Baskerville Hall," which meant we got to play a bit. And, as with any Sherlockian weekend, one doesn't want it too end too soon, so for our Sunday morning session, we gathered in a nearby pub space, and, lacking any real programming for that time did this:

Sherlockian Open Mic.

An audience, a microphone, and 3 or 4 minutes to say, perform, or present whatever you wanted. We had songs, we had poetry, we had little speeches of appreciation. It was a beautiful way to end a weekend.

So here's what I'm thinking we add to the agenda for the Dangling Prussian Pub Night on January 14. There will be the set program, of course, and I've got a couple of promising entertainments for that lined up, with more to come. But when that's over, you can retire to one of the breakout rooms, of course. (It's a pub night -- chatting with your friends might just be your preferred past-time.) But in the main area of the pub, we'll be muting all the microphones but one, and work our way through anyone who would like three to four minutes to hold center stage and Zoom in front of an audience without interruption.

It's going to be a long evening at the Dangling Prussian, and we'd like to fill the night with as many possibilities and surprises as we can. Do you have a few minutes worth of talent, thoughts, or splendor that you'd like to share with your fellow Sherlockian incorrigibles? The time will be available.

We're having a Zoom party, y'all. And you just never know what is going to happen there.

Because that's the way we like our pub nights.