Subgroup to maintain Bouchercon Derringer presentations

Since their inception in 1998, the SMFS's annual Derringer Awards have been certified by personal email following the public announcement. Between 2009 and 2012, former VP Jim Doherty paid for materials and constructed gift plaques that he presented to Derringer winners at Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, raising the SMFS's profile and short fiction's profile at the con.

At Bouchercon 2009 (Indianapolis, IN), L to R: Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer recipient Clark Howard, Best Flash Derringer winner Ruth McCarty, AHMM's Linda Landrigan, EQMM's Janet Hutchings, SMFS VP Jim Doherty (Photo courtesy of Ruth McCarty)

On January 19, 2015, the SMFS established the Award Plans subgroup to maintain our Bouchercon presence and decide on a new physical form for the Derringers without mandatory cost to main group members, but overseen by a team instead of one person.

For the new Derringers, at the suggestion of 2014 winner Melodie Campbell, the Award Plans group decided on medals featuring the SMFS logo. In accordance with main group structure, the medals are to be ordered by our public representatives, the Officers. The funds for the purchase are to be fully reimbursed by voluntary donations that can be publicly acknowledged or remain anonymous.

President Jan Christensen ordered samples of a Golden Derringer medal and a regular Derringer medal from Hodges Badge Company (Portsmouth, RI) on February 18, and they arrived March 11. Jan photographed the samples for the subgroup and mailed them to member Melodie Campbell, simulating sending medals to Derringer winners unable to attend Bouchercon.

Approving the Hodges medals as the new physical Derringers, the Award Plans group aimed to order enough for the 2015 Derringer winners as well as any who did not receive plaques 2009–14.

In all, subgroup and main group members have donated $400, reimbursing Jan $32.15 for the two samples, $9.55 shipping the samples to Melodie, and $119.50 for the twenty-eight 2009–15 medals. Some of the remaining $238.80 will reimburse the cost of Jan's shipping the medals to Bouchercon 2015 presenter Art Taylor and winners unable to attend. The rest will go toward the 2016 medal order.

Derringer honors remain conferred by the Derringer Awards Coordinator's March 31 public announcement. The physical Derringer medals as perks of those honors, as were Jim's plaques before them.

Winners and finalists 1998–present can also request official personalized Web graphics based on the approved medals.

Photo: M. Campbell

You are welcome to join the subgroup as discussion continues. If you are involved in planning a Bouchercon, you can help ensure our presentation is included.