THOMAS
L. STIX, Jr., BSI, ASH
Shag (BSI: The Norwood Builder)
A Brief Appreciation
by Evelyn Herzog ASH,
BSI and M.E. Rich, ASH, BSI
At first glance, Tom
Stix was not the kind of person you'd have expected to become an Adventuress of
Sherlock Holmes. In appearance, he certainly was not a typical member. Yet, when
we consider the characteristics that make a woman a likely candidate for ASH
investiture – commitment to the Sherlockian cause, humor, conviviality, and
participation in the group's activities, coupled with a willingness to make a
fool of oneself in public – it becomes clear that Tom was a natural.
As you may know, the
only men who have been invested as ASH have been special benefactors of the
group, and each has received an investiture concerned with smoking. The
investiture given to Tom – "Shag" – honored him with the name of the tobacco
that Watson termed one of Holmes' familiar institutions, while it winked at
Tom's habitual self‑portrayal as a rough, scrappy guy. But this shag burned
smooth and surprisingly sweet.
Tom Stix was not, at
first glance, the kind of person you'd have expected to let women into the Baker
Street Irregulars. He was a man with an informed love of tradition – the son of
a beloved Irregular with personal ties to the great early days of the BSI; a
patron of the sport of kings; a devotee of musical theater and longtime member
of the Players Club. The histories of all these institutions were dear to him,
and in particular he revered and promoted our remembrance of the BSI's heritage
of persons, events, and places. But, for Tom, championship of the past meant
claiming the best of the future.
Indeed, quick glances
are not enough, as Tom and many of the Adventuresses found, to their mutual
satisfaction. He wanted to know who we were and what we thought. He met us as
individuals and saw us as individuals. He asked us for our opinions and actually
listened. He was by no means quick to agree or to flatter. What he did do was
admit women into full membership as Baker Street Irregulars. No small gift.
ASH, too, came to know
Tom better. We had been aware he was a man of strong feelings. Now we found that
among them was a sense of playfulness: he had a taste for goofy haberdashery; he
sang with enthusiasm (if with only moderate tunefulness); for costume events he
was an inspired dresser‑up (with his henchman Dorothy); and he loved being an
Adventuress. He wore his new initials proudly, even if he did insist on
bickering over which "ASH" or "BSI" ought to come first after one's name.
One of our favorite
Sherlockian photographs depicts the heads of the BSI and ASH perched
side‑by‑side in the Algonquin lobby, sporting matching deerstalkers... well, not
fore‑and‑afts but side‑to‑sides... each bearing the motto, "I'm Their Leader:
Which Way Did They Go?" The way Tom went, we would all be honored to follow.
The Serpentine Muse is copyrighted by
the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, and written permission must be obtained for
reproduction of an article in another publication or website.
Contact the Webmistress at mmckayATL@comcast.net
