Are you a Sherlockian (Holmesian) and who gets to decide.

Most of us from my generation (50 something) came to be involved with Sherlock Holmes by either first reading the originals or seeing the Rathbone movies and then started reading them.
And eventually found like souls, and maybe even found out about scion societies.

But some how, we eventually found out about the Baker Street Irregulars, that august society based in New York. The one, someone in our scions told us, was sort of the governing body of all things Sherlockian. You really could not have a scion until the BSI made note of it and recognized you as such (at least that is what we were told.)

We soon learned the BSI was very exclusive ( and I am OK with exclusive clubs). And that it almost took an intervention by some all knowing creator to get invited to join.

You had to write at least one, probably many, scholarly works and get them published in there renowned journal.
That might get you invited to their dinner, but not necessarily invested into the club it self.
It was all very mysterious.

Eventually most of us are going to realize that we don't write well enough, or just are not good enough at, or have time to do all the research to achieve that goal.
We are not going to be invited to join because we kept a scion society going for twenty or thirty years, or because we have organized and held conventions. Or just because we love Sherlock Holmes, which after all should be the only reason.

And then at some point you may go; "Well it would be neat to be invited, but do I really want to be associated with such judgemental people anyway?"
Most of the BSI is probably not like that, but the ones in power seem to be.
Matter of fact I know a couple of them that are definitely not like that and respect them as friends and Sherlockians.

But I don't think the problem is necessarily in the BSI. It is OK if they are selective to their group. It is how they were set up, it is how they chose to be. We did not elect them, they have no governing body.

Like I said earlier, I am OK with exclusive organizations. I think at some point we all seek out our own 'Diogenes Club', and, knowingly or not, we can all put up some boundaries that seem to exclude others.
Most groups, especially ones having been around for a long time, can become, in some ways (our scion society is doing this very thing and refuses to change) too traditional for their own good (and that is from someone who hates change). "I had to do this to get in. You should have to also."
And again, that is OK.

The problem comes when those of us, for what ever reasons, don't get invited and take it as a personal affront. We have given them to much power over what we think of ourselves and our works and our involvement with Sherlock Holmes.

At some point we can even become quite offensive in our judgement of such groups, "Well, I never wanted to join them anyway! Their just a bunch of old dinosaurs."

And the only reason we develop such behavior is because we are offended that a group we either want to be a part of, or at the very least respected, doesn't, for what ever reason, find us worthy of inclusion. We are hurt.

Now, if we really look at realistically, they're are more Sherlockians not in the BSI than are actually in it.

But you know what, even the Baker St. Babes are limiting their membership to, well, Babes.

For some other views on this point check out these links.
The Doyleockian
and The Babes themselves
and Free Sherlock  ( I find it interesting that people who are making money of off someone else's creation are now trying to control it.)

If you want to belong to such an exclusive group that's OK. But don't judge their behavior if yours is much the same.

I think some Babe got her toes stepped on by someone she hoped would like her.

I hope the BSI will invite me now..