We
were awarded our Sons of the Desert Charter on 18th May 2006.
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HERE
CONSTITUTION
Article
I
The Sons of the Desert is an organization with scholarly overtones and
heavily social undertones devoted to the loving study of the persons and
films of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.
Article
II
The founding members are Orson Bean, Al Kilgore, John McCabe, Chuck McCam,
and John Municino.
Article
III
The Sons of the Desert shall have the following officers and board members
who will be elected at an annual meeting:
• Grand Sheik
• Vice-Sheik (Sheik in charge of vice)
• Sub-Vice-Vizier (Sheik-Treasurer, and in charge of sub-vice)
• Grand Vizier (Corresponding Secretary)
• Board Members-at-Large (This number should not exceed 812)
Article
IV
All officers and Board Members-at-Large shall sit at an exalted place
at the annual banquet table.
Article
V
The officers and Board Members-at-Large shall have absolutely no authority
whatever.
Article
VI
Despite his absolute lack of authority, the Grand Sheik or his deputy
shall act as chairman at all meetings, and will follow the standard parliamentary
procedure in conducting same. At the meetings, it is hoped that the innate
dignity, sensitivity, and good taste of the members assembled will permit
activities to be conducted with a lively sense of deportment and good
order.
Article
VII
Article VI is ridiculous.
Article
VIII
The Annual Meeting shall be conducted in the following sequence:
• Cocktails.
• Business meeting and cocktails.
• Dinner (with cocktails).
• After...dinner speeches and cocktails.
• Cocktails.
• Coffee and Cocktails.
• Showing of Laurel and Hardy film.
• After-film critique and cocktails.
• After-after-film critique and cocktails.
• Stan has suggested this period. In his words: "All members
are requested to park their camels and hire a taxi; then return for 'One
for the desert'!"
Article
IX
Section "d" above shall consist in part of the following toasts:
• "To Stan"
• "To Babe"
• "To Fin"
• "To Mae Busch and Charley Hall - who are eternally ever-popular."
Article
X
Section "h" above shall include the reading of scholarly papers
on Laurel and Hardy. Any member going over an 8½ minute time limit
will have his cocktails limited to fourteen.
Article
XI
Hopefully, and seriously, The Sons of the Desert, in the strong desire
to perpetuate the spirit and genius of Laurel and Hardy, will conduct
activities ultimately and always devoted to the preservation of their
films and the encouragement of their showing everywhere.
Article
XII
There shall be member societies in other cities called "Tents,"
each of which shall derive its name from one of the films.
Article
XIII
Stan has suggested that members might wear a fez or blazer patch with
an appropriate motto. He says: "I hope that the motto can be blue
and gray, showing two derbies with these words superimposed: 'Two minds
without a single thought'." These words have duly been set into the
delightful escutcheon created for The Sons of the Desert by Al Kilgore.
They have been rendered into Latin in the spirit of Stan's dictum that
our organization should have, to use his words, "a half-assed dignity"
about it. We shall strive to maintain precisely that kind of dignity at
all costs-at all times.
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