2009

Annual Gathering

• Seventh Annual Gathering
• TBA

Robert Benchley Award for Humor

• Winners (in order from first place through fourth place
  1. Ed Tasca of Toronto, Ontario for Let’s Click Up the Old Gang Sometime
     “Original and lively writing on a new topic, social networks.” --Kevin Fitzpatrick
  2. Brenda Pontiff of Los Angeles, Calif. for A Teensy Weensy Renaissance
     “Clever, has good writing and funny.” --Kevin Fitzpatrick
  3. Con Chapman of Weston, Mass. for Foundations of Western Logic
     “Clever and well-written.” --Kevin Fitzpatrick
  4. B. Elwin Sherman of Bethlehem, N.H. for A Woman At Home
     “Original and has a new take on an old subject.” --Kevin Fitzpatrick
• Semi-Finalists (in alphabetical order)
  • Con Chapman of Weston, Mass. for Foundations of Western Logic
  • L.J. Diehl of Sterling Heights, Mich. for A Guide to Parenting in the 21st Century
  • Brenda Pontiff of Los Angeles, Calif. for A Teensy Weensy Renaissance
  • Felice Prager of Scottsdale, Arizona for How to Kill a Scorpion
  • Laura Pryor of Clarkston, Mich. for Starbucks Amuck
  • B. Elwin Sherman of Bethlehem, N.H. for A Woman At Home
  • Ed Tasca of Toronto, Ontario for Let’s Click Up the Old Gang Sometime
  • Mike Tuck of Eden Prairie, Minn. for Name That Landmark
  • Carl Vine of Johnstown, Ohio for Simple Instructions for Completing Any Tax Form
  • George Waters of Pasadena, Calif. for How to Build a Gate
• Entries
  • All Entries sans names
• Judges
  • Final judge Kevin C. Fitzpatrick Kevin has been a past judge of the competition. He is the president of the RBS Fascinating Crimes chapter in New York. In 1999 he founded the Dorothy Parker Society and serves as president. He is the author of "A Journey into Dorothy Parker's New York" and with Nat Benchley, is the co-editor of the new book "The Lost Algonquin Round Table" (Donald Books-iUniverse). Link for the book: http://www.donaldbooks.com/catalogue.html
  • Preliminary judges author of Robert Benchley An Annotated Bibliography, Gordon E. Ernst; writer and RBS Director, Eileen Forster Keck; puzzle designer RBS Vice Chairman, Chris Morgan; 2007 RBS Humor Award winner, Daniel Montville; radio personality and chairman of A Moderate State of Preservation Chapter (Ann Arbor, Mich.) of RBS, Tom Saunders; RBS Director Pamela Siska and Robert Benchley Society Chairman David Trumbull
• Dates
  • Deadline for entries: April 1st
  • Announcement of ten semi-finalist: July 1st
  • Announcemnt of winners: July 31st

2008

Annual Gathering

• Sixth Annual Gathering
• October 3-5, 2008
• New York, New York

Robert Benchley Award for Humor

• Winners
  1. Madeleine Begun Kane of Bayside, N.Y. for Guide for the Opera Impaired
  2. Mike Tuck of Hopkins, Minn. for Welcome to America
  3. Jesse Levy of North Hollywood, Calif. for How to Watch a Sad Movie and Retain Your Manliness
  4. Denise G. Weeks of Richardson, Texas for How to Start Your Own Band
• Semi-Finalists (in alphabetical order)
  • Con Chapman of Weston, Mass. for My Memoirs, to the Best of My Knowledge
  • Madeleine Begun Kane of Bayside, N.Y. for Guide for the Opera Impaired
  • Jesse Levy of North Hollywood, Calif. for How to Watch a Sad Movie and Retain Your Manliness
  • E. Mitchell of Palatine, Ill. for How to Avoid the Neighbors
  • Joseph Nebus of Jackson, N.J. for What Do They Make Of Jelly?
  • Brenda Pontiff of Los Angeles, Calif. for How to Wake Up
  • John Thom of Los Angeles, Calif. for My Uncle Henry
  • Mike Tuck of Hopkins, Minn. for Welcome to America
  • Denise G. Weeks of Richardson, Texas for How to Start Your Own Band
  • Sharon Elizabeth Wood of Cary, N.C. for How to Be Happy
• Entries
  • All Entries sans names
• Judges
  • Final judge Bob Newhart
  • Preliminary judges RBS member Dwain Buck; 2005 Benchley Society award winner Horace J. Digby; author of Robert Benchley An Annotated Bibliography, Gordon E. Ernst; writer and RBS Director, Eileen Forster Keck; puzzle designer RBS Vice Chairman, Chris Morgan; radio personality and chairman of A Moderate State of Preservation Chapter (Ann Arbor, Mich.) of RBS, Tom Saunders; and Robert Benchley Society Chairman David Trumbull
• Dates
  • Deadline for entries: April 1st
  • Announcement of ten semi-finalist: July 1st
  • Announcemnt of winners: July 31st

2007

Annual Gathering

• Fifth Annual Gathering
• October 5-6, 2007
• New York, New York
• Held jointly with Dorothy Parker Society Parkerfest

Robert Benchley Award for Humor

• Winners
  1. Daniel Montville of Oak Park, Ill. for How to Write a Book
  2. George Waters of Pasadena, Calif. for T'ai Chi for Beginners," or "War and Peace"
  3. Ed Tasca of Toronto, Ontario for Hello again, Mr. Uh--!?
  4. Jennifer Byrne of Glassboro, N.J. for You Shouldn’t Have (Really)
• Semi-Finalists (in alphabetical order)
  • Jennifer Byrne of Glassboro, N.J. for You Shouldn’t Have (Really)
  • David Carlyon of Larchmont N.Y. 10538 The Next Robert Benchley
  • Mary Lyn Eagle, aka Marie Hawk, of Oroville, Wash. for Step by Step Instructions for Surviving a Computer Melt Down
  • Diana Grove of New Orleans, Louisiana for A Perfectly Acceptable Pet
  • Anthony Martinetti of Pawtucket, R.I. for While Reading THE RAVEN on Wikipedia
  • Daniel Montville of Oak Park, Ill. for How to Write a Book
  • John Parnell of Macon, Georgia for I stared at my executive editor's e-mail to me with a mix of revulsion and horror...
  • Brenda Pontiff of Los Angeles, Calif. for A Warning Concerning Self-Help Propaganda
  • Ed Tasca of Toronto, Ontario for Hello again, Mr. Uh--!?
  • George Waters of Pasadena, Calif. for T'ai Chi for Beginners," or "War and Peace"
• Entries
  • All Entries sans names
• Judges
  • Final judge Dave Barry
  • Preliminary judges 2005 Benchley Society award winner Horace J. Digby; author of Robert Benchley An Annotated Bibliography, Gordon E. Ernst; President of the Dorothy Parker Society and RBS Director, Kevin Fitzpatrick; writer and RBS Director, Eileen Forster Keck; RBS Secretary, Sharon Lyon; puzzle designer and RBS Vice Chairman, Chris Morgan; Robert Benchley Society Chairman David Trumbull
• Dates
  • Deadline for entries: April 1st
  • Announcement of ten semi-finalist: May 14th
  • Announcemnt of winners: July 21th

2006

Annual Gathering