The Sons of the Desert
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fraternal organization | |
Location | |
---|---|
Area served | Worldwide |
Website | http://www.sonsofthedesertinfo.com/ |
The Sons of the Desert is an international
In keeping with the tongue-in-cheek “desert” theme, each local chapter of the society is called a “tent,” and each tent is named after one of the Laurel and Hardy films and designated with an "Oasis number" (e.g., the Chicago Bacon Grabbers is Oasis #10). There are more than 100 active tents worldwide,[1][2] mostly in the United States and United Kingdom. Members meet regularly to enjoy Laurel and Hardy movies in an informal atmosphere. Many chapters formed in the 1960s are still active today.
History
In 1964, three years after the book biography Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy by John McCabe was published, McCabe formed a small group of Laurel and Hardy admirers, including actor Orson Bean, cartoonist Al Kilgore, TV personality Chuck McCann, and John Municino. McCabe created a mock-serious “constitution” that satirized the formalities of many social organizations. Stan Laurel endorsed and humorously revised the document; he suggested that members might wear a fez or blazer patch with the motto "Two Minds Without a Single Thought".[1] Founding member Kilgore created a logo with the motto in Latin (in the spirit of Laurel’s dictum that the organization should have “a half-assed dignity” about it) as Duae tabulae rasae in quibus nihil scriptum est (literally: "Two blank slates on which nothing has been written").
The first public Sons of the Desert meeting was held in New York City in 1965, shortly after Stan Laurel's death. McCabe's group quickly inspired chapters in other United States cities, and then in the United Kingdom and other countries. By 1971, there were 23 chapters.[3]
In the media
The Sons of the Desert organization has been profiled periodically in media outlets, usually in a newsworthy context (as when long-lost films have been discovered). The
International conventions
In addition to local and regional meetings, the Sons organization has been holding international conventions every two years. The first conclave was held in
References
- ^ Saturday Evening Post. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
- ^ WayOutWest.org listing of active tents as of July 2019, archived at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Cooper, Ron (Fall 1971). "Ollie and Stan: Two Minds Without a Single Thought". Saturday Evening Post. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
External links
- Sons of the Desert, Official website