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 McCann, 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:
a.
Cocktails
b.
Business meeting and cocktails
c.
Dinner (with cocktails)
d.
After-dinner speeches and cocktails
e.
Cocktails
f.
Coffee and cocktails
g.
Showing of Laurel and Hardy film
h.
After-film critique and cocktails
i.
After-after-film critique and cocktails
j.
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:
1
— “To Stan”
2
— “To Babe”
3
— “To Fin”
4
— “To Mae Busch and Charlie Hall — who are eternally ever-popular.”
Article X
Section " 8 " above shall include the reading of
scholarly papers on Laurel and Hardy . Any member going over an 8 1/2 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, each referred to as "Tents". Each of which shall derive its name from one of the boy's films.
Article XIII
Stan has suggested that members might wear a fez or blazer
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 been duly 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.
