Beacon Society News and Links

Check our links at the top of this page and in the left column: our most frequently asked question (FAQ) is

Why read Sherlock Holmes today?

Congratulations to our four 2010 Jan Stauber Grant Winners!

Timothy Abney, Marquette High School, Chesterfield, Missouri. “Sherlock Holmes Speaks Latin”

Elizabeth Ketelle & Brad Mason, Golden Sierra High School, Garden Valley, California. “Sherlock Holmes, Critical Thinking and Forensic Science”

Susan Singer, St. Aloysius Elementary School, Pewee Valley, Kentucky. “Sherlock Holmes Goes 21st Century”

Matthew Stark, Maudrey J. Sommer School, rural Tanana, Alaska. “Sherlock Holmes and Me”

The next deadline will be announced in the first quarter of 2011. If you think you might be interested in applying next year, see details and application form on the Jan Stauber Grant page. The Grant provides up to $250 in assistance for developing a teaching project that will introduce more young people to Sherlock Holmes.

Start thinking now about nominations for the Beacon Award

The Beacon Award annually recognizes a project that has successfully introduced young people to the Sherlock Holmes stories. Anyone can submit a nomination form to the Beacon Society, but you cannot nominate yourself. Nominations are accepted from 1 October to 31 October and the winner is announced in January.

What's New

Jerry Riggs' contribution on Scouting and Sherlock Holmes comes just in time for the Boy Scout Centennial. Jerry Riggs, a Sherlockian who has been involved with Boy Scouts in the Chief Okemos Council in Michigan for nearly fifty years, has developed ways to instruct his Scouts in the time honored “Sherlocking” first developed by Lord Baden-Powell for British army scouts and later used by him in the International Boy Scout movement.

Sherlockian Marino C. Alvarez, professor of Education at Tennessee State University, devised a Résumé for Sherlock Holmes, based on material from the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Dr. Wayne Scott, a retired professor of English and American Studies, is a Sherlockian in Columbia SC. A contributor to the college textbook American Civilization and Culture, Dr Scott is greatly interested in promoting reading among young people, particularly reading about Sherlock Holmes. His book reviews will become a regular feature on the website.

Grammarians take note! Sherlockian Karen Murdock has identified all the figures of speech in the stories of Silver Blaze and A Study in Scarlet. PDF files are available with the story and all the identifications on the "I'm a Teacher" page.

Librarian Peggy Perdue has sent us a new program from the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection at the Toronto Public Library. Sherlock Holmes' Detective Class is for elementary school children.

The 2010 Beacon Award winner is Myrtle Robinson, retiring chairman of the Beacon Program Committee. Congratulations, Myrtle, and thanks for all your work on behalf of the Beacon Society!

Our Mission

Founded in 2003, the Beacon Society is dedicated to supporting educational experiences which introduce young people to the study of Sherlock Holmes literature. Through its recognition programs and information sources, the Society helps teachers and engages children in the pleasures of reading. A not-for-profit organization, the Beacon Society serves as a link to scions of the Baker Street Irregulars and to those working with young people, providing teachers and others with resources for bringing the magic of Sherlock Holmes to life in the classroom. Its mission is "supporting educational experiences that introduce young people to the Canon and recognizing exemplary efforts to do so."

Beginning in 2004, Beacon Awards have been given to those persons or organizations whose work with young people are deemed to have made an outstanding contribution toward the Beacon Society’s mission.

Contact the Beacon Webmaster: mmckayATL@comcast.net